Sharing My Faith

I can't believe it's been over two weeks since my last entry but never-the-less I have been doing some exciting things! I still haven't gotten over (and hope I never do) the class I took at Liberty University a few weeks ago with David Wheeler that covered Evangelism and the several ways in which to share your faith. I really appreciated the class and the fact God spoke to me so clearly about stepping out and telling more folks about His saving Grace. I have been more alert to spot opportunities to share what God has done for me and especially using a Servanthood type of outreach, that is look for opportunities to serve others so you can share with others. I spent several hours yesterday doing just that with a neighbor that I have been praying for, for the last couple of months. It's amazing, I started prayer walking and asking God to open doors and give me opportunities to share and I go from not even knowing this neighbor's name to sitting down with him for over two hours yesterday and talking! God is good and He is answering my prayers and giving me a chance to share my faith without fear! It's awesome and I thank God so much!

Staying Faithful!

It is a cold day on this Friday, January 16th, 2009 and I have just missed my lunch so it's even a little tough on the "inside" as well today but hopefully I am staying faithful. Tomorrow is another on of our church's Monthly Movie Madness nights or as we call them M3 nights so I hope things go well and we have a good turn out for it. That's another one of the ways we can stay faithful. Even though we don't have the folks who come out to movie night return for our Bible study on Tuesday night, I still think it helps show the community that we are there for them and want to give them something that is good for their entire family to enjoy. Hopefully one of these days, the people will come and try out our Bible study and then even our Sunday moring services when we finally start having those. Meanwhile...........we stay faithful for Him.

Wow!

I know the title of this post "WOW" is a very short one but it truly does describe my last week's class at Liberty. I could either use this word or the phrase, Better Late Than Never, that's because I was challenged so much and so well last week to share my faith without fear with those folks that God puts in my path that need Him so much. I was both convicted and blessed to know that God touched my heart and wants to use me to bring the message of salvation to so many more than I have in the past. I admit I have not done this as well as I should or as well as I have wanted to. So I took this class because as a pastor I know I need to set the example of winning folks to Jesus and to have a church whose main focus is to bring people to Him. And also just to be a better witness for Him whether I was starting a church or not. We heard from two folks, Bill Faye and a woman named Nell who together have probably won over 25, 000 people to the Lord over the years. Nell even gave the testimony of winning someone to the Lord while she was sitting on the camode at the hospital when she was sick. Amazing! And on the day we spoke to her on the phone, she remarked "I just won 6 people to the Lord yesterday!" And the books I read just serve to inspire me to quit being scared and start bringing the Lord up in the small conversations that I have with people, so they hear and know what to do to know the joys of being saved. It was a great week and one that may very well change my life for a long, long time and hopefully forever. Praise the Lord, I needed that and prayfully will show my gratitude by introducing people to Jesus in a stronger and better way than I ever have before.

A New Start in Learning!

Another new item that I will be doing this new year is taking some classes at Liberty University. I think taking some classes in evangelism and church planting can only help me to do the job that God has called me to do, to the fullest and to the best! Even right now, not even counting planting the church, I have been both challenged and convicited to share my faith more with those around me. I have been reading some books and writing down some things and I am both excited and touched to know God can use what I have to share so much in others' lives. One book entitled "Sharing Christ With No Fear" really is about as clear as it can be when the author just simply reminds us that we are being obedient when we share and we are succeeding if we just go, not only if we see someone accept Christ, but just if we go, that's all God wants us to do, and He'll take care of the rest. Good reminder so that we don't feel disappointed if someone says "not right now, but maybe later." When we leave it to God, it does take the pressure off. So tomorrow, I prayerfully will start my class and just getting into it and getting it paid for was an answer to prayer, so God has already shown Himself mighty and the class hasn't even started, so I am excited and look forward to what God has in store and in what He's going to teach me.

Happy New Year!

Wow, what a flury the new year brings sometimes! We did an outreach event on New Year's Eve providing food, the movie "It's A Wonderful Life" and a chance to bring in the New Year with several friends who have been coming to Bible Study on Tuesday nights. It was a small number but still we are staying faithful in providing folks a place to come and feel welcomed. I hope in this new year we will grow our number and soon be able to launch our church on a Sunday morning! It will be exciting to see when the Lord wants us to do this and hopefully we will have some totally new people that I have not even met yet! I know I am not suppose to "be anxious about anything, but in all prayer and supplications to make my requests known to God" so that's what I will do but sometimes it is tough. God knows though, so I'll keep trusting!