As a teenager and young adult, Lineberger exhibited rotten behavior that gives preachers' kids a bad name. He shoplifted, abused alcohol, got his girlfriend pregnant, disrespected his parents and teachers, wasted his talents and wrecked his friendships. All that happened even before he got thrown out of high school and into rehab shortly before graduation. And then things got worse.
Lineberger repeatedly embarrassed his parents. His father was a prominent North Texas pastor at the time. But they never stopped loving him. Even more important, neither did God.
Eventually, love cracked a young man's hard, hard shell, creating a way for a loving, thoughtful and sensitive soul to emerge. Now, he is an assistant vice president of Dallas Baptist University and directs its academic center in Plano. He's also a loving, attentive husband and father and active member of his church.
Lineberger has written What God Did With a Mess Like Me, a courageous and selfless book about his life. It provides a roadmap to redemption for teens and young adults who think they've been so bad God can't love them. And it paints a picture of hope for parents, siblings and others who love a young person like that.
We'll review the book in the Baptist Standard before too long, but I wanted you to know about it now. You can order it here. If you know a messed-up teenager or a messed-up teenager's parents, give them a copy. If you work with teens, buy copies for them and study the book together.
And if you want to know more about Lineberger, visit his website.
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