The Biblical Principles Shared Keep On Changing Lives!
When it was clear that God wanted us to hold the March 3rd training we only had time to advertise on KOBC's community calendar for two weeks. God brought 7 people. For each one we praise God for!
Ken and I prayed that God would get the training information to whoever God was especially wanting to be there. Again God answered this prayer! One young man, Jared, called me saying something to the effect of, "I know I'm supposed to be at this, but I don't know what it is about. All I heard on the radio is your phone # and evangelism." I gave him some details and he enthusiastically signed up. Jared has since come out every week to the Joplin Flea Market to share Christ.
At the training Jared shared that he wanted to talk to people about Christ but he didn't know how to start a conversation in the spiritual. Now Jared has been using the tools he obtained at the training to confidently swing from the natural realm (like "How are you? Nice weather we are having today.") to the spiritual, ("Did you get one of these? Its a gospel tract . . . ") sharing verbally (that is one/2/one) Law and Grace. Jared has in a few short weeks gone through the "Good Person Test" with dozens of people. Many who were sincerely convicted about their sins understanding their guilt before a holy God and appreciative of the gift of grace in Christ's death on the cross. By the way, remember that everyone who is introduced to Jesus makes a decision. When we witness, they can accept or reject the truth about Christ, but all are lead to Him. We are called to be faithful, planting the seed, the rest is up to God and the hearer of His word.
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After the training 5 of the 7 trainees went to the Joplin Flea Market street ministry. All were encouraged to see how easy it is to pass out interesting gospel tracts. One young lady got into her first few 1/2/1's using The Way of The master! All were motivated to put these principles into practice in their own lives!
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I got this e-mail a couple weeks after the training. It is from one lady, Mindy, who did not go to the optional street ministry after the class. Look at how she describes where her confidence came from (how she was moved and her response - God is faithful) and see how she describes the young man's reaction.
Teresa,
Thank you for your email. When I first left the training session, I was a bit overwhelmed honestly, but my plan, was to begin to use it at school, when it was convenient and I felt more confident.. I know....I know....convenience came in a hurry without the "confidence"!! Check out what God did!! :)
Yesterday (Tuesday) I had a boy in my room during my prep hour while he was waiting for his dad to pick him up. This is a young Hispanic boy from Dallas, and I'd call him a "wanna be" gangster....as gangster as you can get for Carthage anyway. I've been reaching out to him, speaking Spanish with him constantly since January and a few weeks ago I had a heart to heart with him and told him I didn't want to write him letters in prison while he was drawing tattoo art for people. Every time he's blown me off. As I was there with him, the thought lept into my mind to do the "good person" test with him. I blew off that thought and then, there it was again and so I did it. I flubbed up, but kept praying that God would give me the words...and the words came. The law humbled him because as he said out loud that he was a thief, a liar, and an adulterer at heart, the cocky attitude left him and we had a good talk about his need for a savior. I could see that a seed was planted. He says he's a Christian and the fruit in his life does not prove that to be true.... Honestly....I don't think I would have taken that move had it not been for the training. I see myself getting bolder with this.....
Thank you for sharing your heart and your passion in that training session. Thank you for planting seeds in my own heart that have begun to take root and push me out of my comfort zone. Thank you for telling us about your own insecurities and being transparent. Your testimony and teaching left a mark on my heart and for that, I will always be grateful.
Have a blessed week.
Mindy was equipped with the tools she needed to go through the door God opened for her. Her confidence was built up on how using God's Law effectively worked to bring conviction in the young guy's heart so he might see that grace is amazing!
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The next training we will have as the Lord wills will be sometime in the fall, maybe September.
