How I Share the Gospel
Category: Uncategorized
How I’m Sharing the Gospel
Short video on sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom (Mt 4.23; 9.35; 24.14; Lk 10.8; 16.16)
You can receive “Following Jesus” via email by subscribing below. Enter your Email
Neil’s First Attempt at the 8 Commands
We are now 10 weeks into trying to start a Jesus movement and we are seeing a lot of encouraging signs. This was the first fruits of Neil’s labor after spending the day before in a local Dunkin Donuts sharing the gospel. He’s on vacation in Peoria for a couple of weeks so he’ll have to hand the discussion group off to a brand new believer. Pray that Tommy will not only give his life completely to Jesus as his King but that he will begin laboring for him as well.
Chuck,
It went well. I didn’t pay close enough attention before I started so I didn’t ask the four questions about each verse- instead I asked them to sum up how the verses applied to the questions they were under. We had two guys, Tommy who said he wanted to make Jesus his king and he prayed a prayer of repentance and seems really serious and his buddy Chris who grew up in an evangelical church but hasn’t done anything with it. Chris agreed with me that he was still just checking Jesus out so I didn’t give him the challenge to apply it. The study went smooth. I didn’t have to teach almost at all. Between the two of them they were able to get to the point on almost every verse (or at least if I continued to ask clarifying questions). I think Tommy is excited about handing his life over to Jesus. We are going to try and meet again on Thursday and I told him he’d be leading the group then and I’d help him.
Thanks again for praying. My expectation of this group are low but I do believe that if Tommy gives his life truly to Jesus you might see a multiplying GCG here in Peoria.
For the Glory of the King,
Neil
You can receive “Following Jesus” via email by subscribing below. Enter your Email
Why Share the Gospel Daily?
Why am I sharing the gospel every day? Because I believe we can reach 1000 people for Christ, establish Great Commission Discussion Groups in all 50 States and 15 different countries, and launch a worldwide movement of the gospel by December 2011 because Jesus Christ is worthy of this kind of devotion! http://www.jmovement.net
Today I am an Arminian, Tomorrow a Calvinist
Today I am an Arminian, Tomorrow a Calvinist
Lord Jesus as I think about Your sovereign plan for me
I am moved to love You more
Every fiber is motivated to stretch in Your direction
My will is changed by Your mercy
I am compelled by Your grace
My actions follow in the paths of Your lovingkindnesses
Lord I will work hard at getting to know You
I will wield the Word like a hammer in my own life
Shaping and molding my will to Yours
I will run with endurance down trails of prayer
Seeking Your face early in the morning
And Lord, by the sweat of the brow
I will work all day in Your vineyard
And shepherd Your flocks by night
Because You have loved me with an everlasting love
This is no chore or duty
It is my reasonable gift of worship to You
I pour out my life and I wish I could give more
And as a lay my head down at night
I give You all honor and glory
Because I realize all this zeal comes from You
Every ounce of effort originated with Your divine purposes
I am only a servant of my sovereign King
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;”
(Philippians 2:12 NAS95S)
“Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;”
(2Peter 1:10 NAS95S)
““Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”
(Luke 13:24 NAS95S)
“For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.”
(1Timothy 4:10 NAS95S)
“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12,14)
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,”
(Hebrews 6:1 NAS95S)
You can receive “Following Jesus” via email by subscribing below. Enter your Email
Today I am a Calvinist, Tomorrow an Arminian
Today I am a Calvinist, Tomorrow an Arminian
Lord Jesus how wonderful You are
Last night we were talking about You
How You are our only hope
Nothing we can do and nothing we can say
Will be enough to save us
You and You alone determine our fate
Your grace is what we hope in
It is Your grace that gives us our faith
It gives us our works
There is no merit in us
Except You created in Your image
You alone save us
“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
(Romans 12:3 NAS95S)
“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
(Philippians 2:13 NAS95S)
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”
(Romans 8:29 NAS95S)
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
(Ephesians 2:10 NAS95S)
You can receive “Following Jesus” via email by subscribing below. Enter your Email
YOU AREN’T THE BOSS OF ME
Read Matthew 21.23-27
“When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
(Matthew 21:23)
YOU AREN’T THE BOSS OF ME
This became a pretty popular saying a few years back. It was probably started by a couple of kids on the playground and became the mantra for many young adults. And even though it sounds cute, it‘s very telling of the human condition. We don’t like anyone to have authority in our lives – let alone be our boss. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were no different. When God showed up on their doorstep, they were unwilling even to yield to Him. It’s imperative as His disciples that we get a handle on the authority of Christ and surrender our lives accordingly. It’s called Lordship and if we can’t make Him Lord in our lives, we aren‘t disciples at all. Is there any area of your life where Jesus doesn‘t have complete authority?
You can receive “Following Jesus” via email by subscribing below.
Enter your Email
HOLY ANTI-ARBORIST
Read Matthew 21.18-22
“Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.” (Matthew 21:19)
HOLY ANTI-ARBORIST
The poor fig tree was just standing there minding its own business and POW! Jesus put the whammy on it. Is Jesus just some anti-arborist or a vandal or something!? Actually, I think He was making a statement about the condition of Israel and how He feels about fruitlessness. There was a major shift in Jesus’ ministry at this point. He had been rejected by His own and now the Gentile Age, the Age of the Church, would be ushered in. But this lesson isn‘t only applicable to Israel. We could stand a little fruit inspection ourselves. I can think of two types of fruit we should bear: Character – Galatians 5.22-23 and People – John 4.35-36. Jesus is serious about fruitfulness (John 15.8).
You can receive “Following Jesus” via email by subscribing below.
Enter your Email
NO INHIBITION
Read Matthew 21.12-17
“Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF” (Matthew 21:16-17)
NO INHIBITION
One of my sons proclaimed in a loud voice, “Mama, that man’s cigarettes are stinky!” Oops! As a parent, you learn very quickly to watch what you say around your young kids. They have no shyness when it comes to speaking the truth, even in very public places. The young children of Jesus’ day did the same. They carried the praises of the adults on the road into the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Perhaps the parents of those children were a little more cautious around the religious leaders, but the children held nothing back in their excitement. It would be good to take a few lessons from children and speak of Jesus a little more boldly, no matter where we are.
Tell someone about Jesus this week.
You can receive “Following Jesus” via email by subscribing below.
Enter your Email
Reflections on Ezra’s Prayer (Ezra 9.5-15)
Reflections on Ezra’s Prayer of National Contrition and Repentance (Ezra 9.5-15)
Father, I humble myself before You. I am a lump of clay, nothing without the breath of life from Your mouth. You are my reason for living; there is no other. I can’t even exist without Your divine will for me to do so. And then in my living, I have been unthankful and disobedient – making my existence even more absurd. Lord, how merciful You have been to a creature who barely acknowledges You…to one who walks in darkness, groping for significance in wrong places. If it were not for Your light, I would be utterly lost.
Our sins? My sins are weight enough to condemn me in the strongest way. I alone have made myself a wretch and needed no help from another. But I understand Ezra’s plea. Because with this symphony of iniquity, You must groan. How You must dread looking into every work place, every home, every cell, every bedroom, every hotel room, every bar, and every heart where sin is conceived and where its birth gives way to a grotesque miscarriage of Your original intent. O God, forgive us!
Father, we as leaders lead Your people to the gallows. We happily trudge along toward death without mind or thought of our eternity. And we march over the flaming edge with arrogant confidence in our ways and understanding. We have pronounced ourselves as godlike. We are the center of all things. We know best. And in this proclamation, we march multitudes into destruction, simply because we will not bend the knee to Divine love.
But through a small crack in the door, the Light comes streaming into the darkness. It is the sliver of Light that gives an unmistakable call, “Come unto Me.” It is Your hand extending in the crucial time of our rescue, grasping my hand as I fell. In the last second, I am rescued by my God, a Savior strong and able. In a time of last breaths, You came — barely time in the glass left for me. I am saved!
He has broken the chains of darkness. I was a slave with no worth to a cruel master. You came to my deliverance, You remembered the place of my captivity, and Your love for us compels Your strong presence to free the oppressed. A cup for the thirsty and bread for the hungry, You revive my soul from destitution. I enter into the courts of my God, the brilliance of Your presence. And I am in awe. I am safe!
And now, I kneel before Your throne because of the realization that nothing, nothing, nothing was done on my part to merit such love. I was utterly captive to my own destruction. There was no strength. There was no hope. I should have perished with millions of others. Why me, O Lord? Why extend Your hand to me? Fairness is the pit. Justice is the flame. Right is judgment and wrath. But instead, I have mercy. Oh, the wonderful grace of Jesus! How precious the entrance into the Kingdom of God through His mercy. I am on my face. I have no strength as I consider the disaster I have escaped. I am saved! I am safe!
And now, left with only a second in the stretch of eternity, what shall I do? I will give the whole in service to You. I will proclaim my Rescuer’s love for all. It is no duty. I do not need to strain. I am compelled by His lovingkindness to invite others to this wedding feast of the Lamb. Come to Him! Come to the light! Be saved! Be safe! Warn others before the second slips into eternal darkness! Trade your chains for light and love!
The second gone, any suffering has faded from memory. The King enters. We bow. Now begins eternal gratitude and praise of the weary soldiers of the Lamb. Now His victory is won. We are a testimony to Your love and glory forever! AMEN
You can receive “Following Jesus” via email by subscribing below.
Enter your Email
ToBeLikeJesus 