Halloween has passed for another year, and it always a time of debate, division and others just having fun. A few years ago after hearing a sermon called Hells Best kept secret, I was challenged to see everything as an opportunity that can be turned to the gospel, so for the past 3 years Beth and I, at least for me changed my perspective on Halloween that rather that keeping the door closed and turning up the volume we decided to open the door, hand out candy greet people with a smile and a compliment and hand them a gospel tract. We have often had people come to our house just to get one of the novelty gospel tracts.
This year, after seeing the numbers last year of at least 200 children, not including adults Beth had an idea to show 'Whats your greatest Fear' on our projector screen, we then heard Alan at Church talking about Trunk or Treat encouraging us to put games on in our garden to draw more people to us. This was a great idea, we signed up for it and shared the opportunity with our Connect group and we were off. Our group is excellent by the way, they are a real blessing to meet with each week.
What is your greatest Fear is an evangelism documentary produced by my brother in law Nathan a dear brother Noah and a few other friends. I decided to edit its running time of 40 minutes down to 15, to create more chance of someone sticking it out the whole way through hearing the gospel. You know the gospel right? That which the Bible calls the Power of God unto Salvation.
Our group showed up, we had fishing games and rubber ducks in a paddle pool for a treasure hunt, stinky sock toss - we decided not to use my socks, as we actually wanted people to come :) As the evening went by it was really interesting to see the age groups progressing from the toddlers through to teenagers as the evening went on. One of the amazing things was our cul-de-sac had just been re covered and the audio of the video carried CLEARLY up most of the street, as kids were running here and there grabbing what must be their annual supply of candy, adults were hearing the gospel.
We had a few hundred people frequent our front lawn over a few hours and then the numbers dwindled and then there were none. The ripples of the Lords work from something easily put together that night will go further than we are aware of. Gospel tracts will find their way into broken homes with no daddies, poor homes, lonely people and people who are affluent, people who think they have it all together, people who don't think they are in need of a Savior, for those who will reap the harvest down the line, we rejoice together.
Romans 10:14-15
But how can they call on
him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in
him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him
unless someone tells them? 15 And
how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the
Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good
news!”
May the Lamb of God receive the reward of his suffering.
Saturday 2 November 2013
Saturday 5 October 2013
Explore God
I can't believe its been seven months since I last wrote my blog and I am sorry for the missed opportunity.
I wrote a few weeks ago that I was going to write a blog on 'Explore God'. If you live in Austin Texas you have no doubt seen the billboards and countless signs on churches and yards advertising 'Explore God' here, I wonder why they didn't call it Explore Christianity but that's a separate discussion.
The format of the evening was two video segments sandwiches by informal discussion on either side, the first video is people on the street being asked a question 'Why does God allow suffering' for example and the attendees answer that same question, followed by another video of 'experts' presenting their answer to the question. I think the format does a great job of opening up a topic for discussion but could do with a third video - that being some key bible verse and in the absence of that I would advise the host shares them to avoid it becoming an interesting discussion of opinion.
One huge positive about the acceptance to do the Explore God is it shows people in our town do want to reach the lost and do something positive. The video idea is a good one, because it takes allot of pressure off of people to put themselves out there to have allot of material prepared before hand to share competently. In that same thought, could you imagine the response to these same people if an Evangelist built them up in the ministry? If we read Ephesians 4 in context it tells us the gifts are for the benefit of the church so that we can ALL BE THE DOERS.
He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Video based home groups are quite common in the UK with varying durations, I think they are a great tool and allow those who are hospitable to open up their home, serve a meal and discuss the meaty things of life, some curse material's are better than others, I have often toyed with the idea of making a one episode video which is only the gospel. I only see them as training wheels like a gospel tract may be a good ice breaker and seeing the response to Explore God I may revisit this idea once again. A ten week course is a big commitment to ask of someone, in the examples of Explore God, Christianity Explored God, Alpha course, Emmaus or the Y course - if someone misses or leaves the week the gospel is presented isn't that the purpose of these tools?
Presenting the gospel is the joy of the Church, compulsory for all believer's and for all ages.
I wrote a few weeks ago that I was going to write a blog on 'Explore God'. If you live in Austin Texas you have no doubt seen the billboards and countless signs on churches and yards advertising 'Explore God' here, I wonder why they didn't call it Explore Christianity but that's a separate discussion.
The format of the evening was two video segments sandwiches by informal discussion on either side, the first video is people on the street being asked a question 'Why does God allow suffering' for example and the attendees answer that same question, followed by another video of 'experts' presenting their answer to the question. I think the format does a great job of opening up a topic for discussion but could do with a third video - that being some key bible verse and in the absence of that I would advise the host shares them to avoid it becoming an interesting discussion of opinion.
One huge positive about the acceptance to do the Explore God is it shows people in our town do want to reach the lost and do something positive. The video idea is a good one, because it takes allot of pressure off of people to put themselves out there to have allot of material prepared before hand to share competently. In that same thought, could you imagine the response to these same people if an Evangelist built them up in the ministry? If we read Ephesians 4 in context it tells us the gifts are for the benefit of the church so that we can ALL BE THE DOERS.
He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Video based home groups are quite common in the UK with varying durations, I think they are a great tool and allow those who are hospitable to open up their home, serve a meal and discuss the meaty things of life, some curse material's are better than others, I have often toyed with the idea of making a one episode video which is only the gospel. I only see them as training wheels like a gospel tract may be a good ice breaker and seeing the response to Explore God I may revisit this idea once again. A ten week course is a big commitment to ask of someone, in the examples of Explore God, Christianity Explored God, Alpha course, Emmaus or the Y course - if someone misses or leaves the week the gospel is presented isn't that the purpose of these tools?
Presenting the gospel is the joy of the Church, compulsory for all believer's and for all ages.
Friday 29 March 2013
WinSum
Well, as you may know the Catholics have a new pope - meet the new pope, same as the old pope.
Anyway, I had been witnessing allot to Catholics and doing lots of research and wanted to draw your attention to this great Apologetic's website, the best I have come accross and used as a learning resource for years.
I wanted to share with you all this page here where you can learn about the false teachings of the Catholic Church in the hopes to 'win sum'.
http://carm.org/roman-catholicism
Have you any encouraging stories to share?
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under [a]the Law, as under [b]the Law though not being myself under [c]the Law, so that I might win those who are under [d]the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
Anyway, I had been witnessing allot to Catholics and doing lots of research and wanted to draw your attention to this great Apologetic's website, the best I have come accross and used as a learning resource for years.
I wanted to share with you all this page here where you can learn about the false teachings of the Catholic Church in the hopes to 'win sum'.
http://carm.org/roman-catholicism
Have you any encouraging stories to share?
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)