You just thought FAITH was over! Josh and I went to knock some doors in Sherwood, just down the street from Victory Baptist School. We thought it would be a good idea if we invited people in that area to our services Sunday night at the school.
We talked to a lot more people than normal. We had a little more time since we didn’t have class. The first house was a very nice lady that was saved and we had a good time talking with her. Another visit ended up being a customer of mine that I built furniture for a while back. She also used to attend church where Patty and I got hitched. She has been looking for a church and her son goes to school at Abundant Life. Since we have a lot of our teens that go to school there, he may already have connections at our church. She said they are looking for a church that is more traditional with a regular choir and not a praise band. She wants a good youth group for her son. She doesn’t want a church that is so big that you don’t know anyone. I feel she described our church exactly. We stressed the importance of Sunday School or bible study group at any church that she finds, since she is wanting that personal relationship with believers.
We then helped chase down a dog with no luck. We didn’t get to talk to that person, she was a little distracted.
The last house we went to I asked where they went to church. He said that he was a Mormon. I asked the key question “In your personal opinion, what do you understand it takes for a person to go to heaven?” He had a works answer. I presented the gospel to him, he said that he has already put his trust in Jesus. We continued our conversation by talking about his co-workers who were “bad people.” I was able to emphasize again that we are saved through faith and nothing else. I also talked about how people aren’t ready to take the cure unless they understand the sickness…SIN! Unless a person understands how bad they are and how far off they are of curing themselves, they will not turn to the cure, Jesus.
Overall it was a great night. Beautiful weather, wonderful fellowship, and a great God.
Prayer Requests
Pray for Patty’s step-father. He has been in the hospital almost three weeks. He left ICU yesterday and is in a regular room now. If things keep going the way they are, he should be home in a couple days. Pray for my Mormon friend. Pray that he understands the gospel and who Jesus truly is. Finally, remember to pray for Mr. Parsley and his family.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Week 13
This was the last week of FAITH but it wasn’t a typical week. Instead of each team going out on visits, all the teams went on one visit. We went to the Parsley’s house. Mr. Parsley is in his 80s and has cancer…they can’t do anything more for him except keep him comfortable. He hasn’t been able to attend church several months. Matt has made it a point to schedule a team to go by there each week. One thing they say that they miss more than anything has been going to church. They couldn’t come to church, so we brought church to them. We all loaded up in the church van and went to their house. We joined Mr. Parsley in his bedroom and sang hymns and heard the Word preached.
It was a wonderful experience to be part of, Mr. Parsley is someone that a lot of people love. Each year he buys the choir dinner at Golden Corral, because he wants to say thank you for the Christmas program. He has preached many times at the church. When his eyesight started going, he would continue to preach entire chapters…from memory!
My prayers are for him and his family. His wife was put in the hospital Friday for dehydration and a kidney infection. This morning at prayer meeting, the family was asking that the Lord take Bro Parsley home…he is in great pain. Isn’t it great when you have the assurance that someone you love is going to heaven? Please keep Bro and Mrs. Parsley and their family in your prayers.
It was a wonderful experience to be part of, Mr. Parsley is someone that a lot of people love. Each year he buys the choir dinner at Golden Corral, because he wants to say thank you for the Christmas program. He has preached many times at the church. When his eyesight started going, he would continue to preach entire chapters…from memory!
My prayers are for him and his family. His wife was put in the hospital Friday for dehydration and a kidney infection. This morning at prayer meeting, the family was asking that the Lord take Bro Parsley home…he is in great pain. Isn’t it great when you have the assurance that someone you love is going to heaven? Please keep Bro and Mrs. Parsley and their family in your prayers.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Week 12
The Next Generation
FAITH is one semester from extinction. This is what Brother Robert reminds us each semester. We have a good group going, but in just one semester all that can be gone. FAITH is reliant on new learners each semester. It is the biblical principle found in 2 Timothy 2:2. We are to make disciples and they are to go out and make disciples.
Best case scenario would be that each person on our three-person teams would start a team of their own next time around. They would take the new learners under their wing and train and disciple them. Just think about it. This time we have 3 people. Next time there would be nine. The third semester there would be 27. In just 5 semesters FAITH would involve 243. That is almost all the people in church on a given Sunday. You know the Great Commission is directed to all of us.
We have been entrusted with a special gift, the Gospel. We are to share it and train others how to share by discipleship.
Our Visit
This was our last official visitation time this semester. We were one member short on our team, so we stole Wesley from another team. Wesley was fired up. He just finished learning the entire FAITH Gospel Presentation and is anxious to share. He wanted to do opinion polls. We had a couple houses assigned in a new neighborhood. After searching for the road with no luck, we parked on a corner and started down the street. The first few houses were uneventful. There was some new construction going on and the workers were just watching the concrete dry. We approached them and started talking about their work. We asked if they had time for a few questions. When he agreed, it was turned it over to Wesley. He asked the four questions with the last being the “Key Question”. He gave kind of an unclear response, but then explained it a little better.
We went across the street and two ladies answered the door. They attend Central Baptist Church, which was the same church that the pastor was from on last weeks visit. We had a good visit with them, encouraged them to join FAITH at their church, and to tell the pastor that we visited them. They both gave a strong faith answer on the key question that was asked.
Note from last weeks visit with the pastor. While we were talking to the pastor, they opened a door in the hall to block the view of the rest of the house. The daughter was taking a bath and they didn’t want her to wonder out not knowing there was company. While she was behind the door she was listening to our conversation with her dad.
The next Sunday the daughter told her teacher that she had to go to big church because she was saved. The teacher told one of our members that the dad said that his daughter has been under conviction for a while and that a FAITH visit was all she needed. Even though we didn’t talk directly to her and didn’t even give the gospel, God will work through us. It is amazing that God would use someone like us to accomplish His will.
Prayer Request
Pray for my brother and his girlfriend. They are planning on getting married in the next week. Pray for Patty’s step-dad, Don. He has a collapsed lung and should have surgery on Friday to repair the hole.
FAITH is one semester from extinction. This is what Brother Robert reminds us each semester. We have a good group going, but in just one semester all that can be gone. FAITH is reliant on new learners each semester. It is the biblical principle found in 2 Timothy 2:2. We are to make disciples and they are to go out and make disciples.
Best case scenario would be that each person on our three-person teams would start a team of their own next time around. They would take the new learners under their wing and train and disciple them. Just think about it. This time we have 3 people. Next time there would be nine. The third semester there would be 27. In just 5 semesters FAITH would involve 243. That is almost all the people in church on a given Sunday. You know the Great Commission is directed to all of us.
We have been entrusted with a special gift, the Gospel. We are to share it and train others how to share by discipleship.
Our Visit
This was our last official visitation time this semester. We were one member short on our team, so we stole Wesley from another team. Wesley was fired up. He just finished learning the entire FAITH Gospel Presentation and is anxious to share. He wanted to do opinion polls. We had a couple houses assigned in a new neighborhood. After searching for the road with no luck, we parked on a corner and started down the street. The first few houses were uneventful. There was some new construction going on and the workers were just watching the concrete dry. We approached them and started talking about their work. We asked if they had time for a few questions. When he agreed, it was turned it over to Wesley. He asked the four questions with the last being the “Key Question”. He gave kind of an unclear response, but then explained it a little better.
We went across the street and two ladies answered the door. They attend Central Baptist Church, which was the same church that the pastor was from on last weeks visit. We had a good visit with them, encouraged them to join FAITH at their church, and to tell the pastor that we visited them. They both gave a strong faith answer on the key question that was asked.
Note from last weeks visit with the pastor. While we were talking to the pastor, they opened a door in the hall to block the view of the rest of the house. The daughter was taking a bath and they didn’t want her to wonder out not knowing there was company. While she was behind the door she was listening to our conversation with her dad.
The next Sunday the daughter told her teacher that she had to go to big church because she was saved. The teacher told one of our members that the dad said that his daughter has been under conviction for a while and that a FAITH visit was all she needed. Even though we didn’t talk directly to her and didn’t even give the gospel, God will work through us. It is amazing that God would use someone like us to accomplish His will.
Prayer Request
Pray for my brother and his girlfriend. They are planning on getting married in the next week. Pray for Patty’s step-dad, Don. He has a collapsed lung and should have surgery on Friday to repair the hole.
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