Pastor's Blog: Take the Walk
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This Sunday evening we conclude our four-week evangelism study titled, “Just Walk Across the Room.” I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the turnout at each of the sessions. The response tells me that our members want to be able to name Jesus in their daily conversations; they just need some help knowing how to get the conversation started.
For those of you who haven’t been able to attend, here is a brief summary of what we’ve discussed the past three Sunday nights. In today’s context, the best approach to evangelism is relational, not confrontational. While the Holy Spirit blesses many different ways of bearing witness to Jesus, the one way the Spirit seems to be blessing most in our present day is through relationships. As we lean upon the Holy Spirit to prompt us when to speak (or to listen), knowing how to develop relationships with others is paramount so that they know that our conversations reflect our genuine concern and don’t come off as manipulative, canned, or coercive. When we show interest in others’ stories, we find that others are interested in hearing ours, even our story of the difference Jesus is making in our lives. And at the end of the day, the difference Jesus makes is what everyone most needs to know.
We have one more session this Sunday at 5:00 PM in Heritage Hall. Even if you haven’t been able to attend any of the previous sessions, my summary will be enough to help you benefit from our final session.
I look forward to how this study will prepare our members to engage others with the good news of Jesus. While it’s important for us to live our faith each day, there are times when our actions must be supported by our words. When both are in their rightful place, the Spirit is able to do so much more to advance the cause of Christ in our world today. So, let us “talk the walk,” believing that as we do, seeds will be planted that others’ testimonies might encourage, until the day comes that the Spirit produces an abundant harvest.
“Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown” (Mark 4:20).