We've been attending a different church (a new one for us) for about three months, still small (they're all small in our tiny town!). Maybe 50 in regular attendance. We've been going to the adult Sunday school class and we've had some really good fellowship!
Well...we've talked to some folks about witnessing...and we've had some really, really great responses. I gave a copy of "One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven" to a guy one Sunday after church...he had read the book cover to cover by Monday evening. It has created a bit of a fervor among a few - so my wife and I decided to ask if they'd like us to lead a WotM Basic Training class.
The first class was supposed to be last Saturday night...we put it together a bit too quick, didn't "advertise" it very much - oops. So we got to the church Saturday night and only three people were there...but it turned out to be just one more God-incidence in my life.
As we soon found out...the Pastor came down ill just that afternoon and had JUST called the Spiritual Life Director shortly before we were supposed to meet for the Basic Training class and said he would not be able to preach on Sunday morning. He had called another alternate pastor and turns out he was out of town that weekend and couldn't preach either.
We got to talking and the two church leaders that showed up for the class were soon turning to ME and saying "Since we didn't get many people to show up for the class...AND since Pastor Jim can't preach tomorrow...can you come up with an kind of sermon/evangelism/conviction class invite to fill the gap and get people motivated about the class and sharing their faith?"
Doh!
Wow...I was pretty astounded...my wife and I looked at each other and said "That would truly be awesome"...
So...for church yesterday my wife and I tag teamed a sermonette of sorts built on our personal testimonies of witnessing, the journey God has brought us through, many pieces of Mark Cahill's and the WotM message...some of the hard sayings of Jesus and Paul, and some convicting video clips.
God lead us each the entire way...it was very much like witnessing in the way the Holy Spirit lead us both. We had notes on the stuff we wanted to cover that we had cobbled together the night before...but I had prayed as an intro to our message "God...I don't want anyone here to hear what I want to say...but what YOU want them to hear...so give us the words and guide us." He sure did!
We now have twelve people signed up and committed...out of a church of maybe 50 - the most exhilarating thing is that the two core leaders of the church are signed up and really, really convicted, eager and read to rock and roll.
A La Carte (April 25)
3 hours ago
Posts
2 comments:
Keith,
I'm posting this here too, in case you don't see my reply on my blog:
Keith,
Ya, I'm a Christian and shouldn't have typed what I did. Wow, I'm human and a sinner--I never claimed to be anything else. Thanks for calling me a hypocrite though. That was cool for a hypocrite to call another hypocrite a hypocrite.
Everyone on Earth is a hypocrite bro. That's why we're sinners. I appreciate your passion but it is very misguided and misdirected. You quote scripture to me and immediately Luke 6:41-42 comes to mind. Look it up.
I have had an awful couple of weeks and my wife is having surgery next week. The timing of your moral beat down was impeccable. Thanks for reminding me what a sinner I am and basically kicking me while I'm down (insert sarcastic tone here).
This day in particular was hard and I got pretty hurt in a crash on my ride today. Again, thanks for making me feel even more crappy.
I'm not saying this because I'm mad or upset, just saying it so maybe you'll think twice before you pull it on the next person. In the future, you can keep your comments to yourself, please.
I was actually thinking about coming back to BOMB this Summer. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe think next time if what you do is serving evil more than good. Seriously man. I'm wondering who really put this on your heart, because it's just about the last thing I needed right now. You have NO idea what I'm going through right now and what your comment did. And to think you could have handled it in so many more positive ways.
-Doug
Doug,
I apologize for calling you out in public. It's never misguided or unloving to speak the truth...but the method I chose wasn't the best approach. I had actually been thinking about you the last few days...and was going to call and should have called long before I posted in such a way.
And...no I wouldn't have seen your response on your blog because you deleted all comments and edited the original blog entry to remove what I had commented on.
You also removed my second comment explaining that YES, I too am a hypocrite and just as much a dirtag as any of the rest of us - because I violate the WHOLE of the God's Moral Law every day just as much as you did by your blasphemous comment because when we break ONE command, we break them all.
So...yes, I'm a hypocrite and I carefully highlighted that in my second comment.
Probably better to continue this on the phone if you'll graciously accept my call and my apology for the "public moral beat down".
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