1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; … One of the greatest joys for a pastor is to watch a young person being taught the word of God.  Then the time comes when they receive the word of God!  Oh, the joy of seeing them saved!  And then, over and over, I’ve watched that same young person grow into adulthood, and now they are teaching others the word of God!!!  This produces absolute joy in the pastor’s heart.  Now, for the rest of the story… Just as sure as there are those who stay active in the church, there are those who leave the church.
Most of the time, their heart left way before their body was absent.   They head out into a cruel world, thinking, I got this!
Before long, they realize they don’t have control of this world, but it has gained control over them!  How sad.  It breaks a pastor’s heart to see ANY of his young people being devoured by the enemy.  Some end up in a literal prison, others, just as bad, a prison of sin as a result of the choices of their own making.  If you are reading this, you might ask yourself this question, am I blessing the heart of those who love me, or am I breaking their heart?  Remember this, no one ever loved you like Jesus!  As much as it hurts a pastor’s heart, I can only imagine how much it hurts the Savior’s. Don’t STRAY… STAY! Amen.  Pastor