More than 225 young people crossed from death to life Tuesday evening during the first session of Momentum Youth Conference as speaker Clayton King challenged students to make faith in Jesus their own.

Speaking from John 4, King, who is pastor of New Spring Church in Anderson, S.C., told the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.

“Her whole life she was waiting for number seven,” he said, as he detailed the story of the woman who had had five husbands and was living with a sixth man.

“Jesus changed her.”

The annual youth conference, which is sponsored by CE National, began Tuesday as students and youth staff from across the country converged upon Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind. Approximately 2,300 people have registered for the conference.

Earlier in the opening session, Annie Lobert, founder of Hookers for Jesus and Destiny House, shared her testimony. Abused as a child, she felt unloved and used. She shared the path that led to her working in the sex trade and how God redeemed her from that lifestyle. Now she helps others who are trapped in sexual trafficking find redemption in Christ.

The theme for this conference is “The Comeback.” Ed Lewis, executive director of CE National opened the evening with challenging students to think about their “comeback.”

“How do you handle it when things go wrong,” he questioned. “What’s your comeback?”

He talked about Job, David, and Joseph, who all had difficult situations thrown at them, yet saw God in each one.

“I want you as believers to be different,” Lewis said. “I don’t want you to feel like you are giving up,” he added, noting that Jesus, on the cross, had the greatest comeback of all when he said, “forgive them.”

Wednesday is the first full day of the conference. Following breakfast, students and staff break into various workshops, or Power Trax. At the 10:45 morning session, Keith Minier, pastor of Grace Fellowship, Pickerington, Ohio, and Suze Fair, author and speaker, will share. In the evening session, at 8:30, Jim Brown, pastor of Grace Community Church, Goshen, Ind., and Jason Holt, director of Urban Hope Training Center and Community Church in Philadelphia, Pa., will speak.

Momentum main sessions may be viewed live online via the Momentum Live Feed. (Click here to access.)