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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"Sharing The Truth God's Way"
April 21, 2010
Outreach Magazine is a great resource for pastors. It talks about the
various aspects of our daily work as leaders in the Christian community.
This morning I opened up the latest issue and came across an article that
spoke to my life. Tim Morey wrote a piece titled, "What a friendship's
abrupt end taught me about sharing Christ." As I began to read it, I couldn't
help but think about my own experiences.
In the Fall of 1976 I was a freshman at the University of Connecticut. In
order to save money and make the trip more fun, I carpooled with friends
from home. We had a great time until the day we decided to talk about
religion.
I know this sounds like the beginning of a bad joke but what do you get
when you put a Jehovah Witness, an evangelical Christian and a
conservative Jew in an AMC Gremlin? Give up? You get three angry people.
By the time we arrived on campus I had told both of my friends that they
were going to hell because they didn't believe in Jesus. They didn't
appreciate that. We remained friends but we agreed that we wouldn't talk
about religion any more.
It's almost thirty five years later and I've learned that any discussion about
faith has to begin with a respect for the other person's point of view. You
may not agree with them, but if you want to maintain a friendship you will
need to give them the right to be wrong.
The truth is that my understanding of who God is and what he has done
for me has changed over the years and it wasn't because someone told me
what to believe. The more I read the Scriptures and listened to good
preaching and spent time among people who were trying to live their faith,
the better I understood what God was asking of me.
No one has ever been convinced of Biblical truth by someone else standing
up and slamming them with scriptures, one after the other. The greatest
growth in understanding comes through sitting with friends and honestly
sharing your experiences and struggles as you find meaning in God's Word.
The truth is the best way to share your faith is to live it. People today don't
want to know what you believe. They want to see how your faith has
transformed your life. I think that is why Jesus was so appealing. People
were drawn to him because he walked the walk and invited others to come
along.
Today you and I are called to embody his message. So next time you want
to convince someone that Jesus is the real deal, make sure you let his love,
grace and forgiveness shine through you. You will not only keep a friend,
you just might make one for Jesus too!
God bless. See you in Church. Cal.
April 21, 2010
Outreach Magazine is a great resource for pastors. It talks about the
various aspects of our daily work as leaders in the Christian community.
This morning I opened up the latest issue and came across an article that
spoke to my life. Tim Morey wrote a piece titled, "What a friendship's
abrupt end taught me about sharing Christ." As I began to read it, I couldn't
help but think about my own experiences.
In the Fall of 1976 I was a freshman at the University of Connecticut. In
order to save money and make the trip more fun, I carpooled with friends
from home. We had a great time until the day we decided to talk about
religion.
I know this sounds like the beginning of a bad joke but what do you get
when you put a Jehovah Witness, an evangelical Christian and a
conservative Jew in an AMC Gremlin? Give up? You get three angry people.
By the time we arrived on campus I had told both of my friends that they
were going to hell because they didn't believe in Jesus. They didn't
appreciate that. We remained friends but we agreed that we wouldn't talk
about religion any more.
It's almost thirty five years later and I've learned that any discussion about
faith has to begin with a respect for the other person's point of view. You
may not agree with them, but if you want to maintain a friendship you will
need to give them the right to be wrong.
The truth is that my understanding of who God is and what he has done
for me has changed over the years and it wasn't because someone told me
what to believe. The more I read the Scriptures and listened to good
preaching and spent time among people who were trying to live their faith,
the better I understood what God was asking of me.
No one has ever been convinced of Biblical truth by someone else standing
up and slamming them with scriptures, one after the other. The greatest
growth in understanding comes through sitting with friends and honestly
sharing your experiences and struggles as you find meaning in God's Word.
The truth is the best way to share your faith is to live it. People today don't
want to know what you believe. They want to see how your faith has
transformed your life. I think that is why Jesus was so appealing. People
were drawn to him because he walked the walk and invited others to come
along.
Today you and I are called to embody his message. So next time you want
to convince someone that Jesus is the real deal, make sure you let his love,
grace and forgiveness shine through you. You will not only keep a friend,
you just might make one for Jesus too!
God bless. See you in Church. Cal.
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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