He took every copy we had

He took every last copy we had

We received the following story from a couple in the UK who helped a pastor with tools to lead a Bible study.

 A visiting pastor spoke at our church this past Sunday. We told him about the Bible studies we’d run using The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus. He lit up like a christmas tree! In fact, before he left town, he took every copy of the book and the companion workbook that we could spare. He said he had been praying for material like this. He explained that all the outreach efforts at his church were now taking place in homes or outside the church and he had been looking for tools that would help people who said they were believers but their understanding of the Bible was limited.  One couple had said to the pastor that the preaching at the church was way over their heads. They didn’t understand much! They told the pastor that they needed to review the basics. So as the pastor had been praying about what to do, he met us. He thought the meeting was arranged by God!

After passing him all the copies of the book and workbook, we also gave him our last set of the Ambassador Series and a copy of “By this Name.” He was elated.

I just got an email from him yesterday. He said he had already started a Bible study using “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus.” It never ceases to amaze us how opportunities to guide others through the Bible seem to spring out of nowhere!

 

It never ceases to amaze us how God uses those who are prepared to share the Good News.

Resources: The Ambassador Series: Learning to teach as Jesus taught

 

The Ambassador in the coffee shop

The Ambassador in the coffee shopWe recently received an email from someone who was taking the mandate to be an Ambassador for Christ very seriously. The first story in the email is about being proactive and offering to do a study with a friend. The second little story illustrates how God can use us when we (as individuals and as a church) are ready to share the Good News at any moment. Some encouragement for a Monday morning!

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A very duplicatable process

 

bible study writing

This is a recent testimony from James and Kate* in the UK. Both of them had just started a Worldview Rethink course with a couple who had recently moved into town. Joining them was Pamela*, who had attended a Worldview Rethink workshop last October. Pamela had joined in to learn how the course was conducted.

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Four visits to the manicurist. Four books on the good news.

Photo credit: Hoa Dang on flickrWith willingness and a keenness to share the gospel whenever the opportunity arises, one can never tell how God will use a person to give away the Good News. Here are four consecutive visits to the manicurist that resulted in the good news being shared.

First visit
Last December, while Christina* was getting her nails done and having a chat at the salon, Christina’s manicurist wondered aloud what she should get for her seven-year-old son as a Christmas present. Ever alert for an opportunity, Christina asked if her son liked to read. The manicurist said yes and Christina went to her van and from her “Be Ready” box, pulled out a copy of The Lamb. She presented it to her manicurist as a gift for her son. On a subsequent visit, the manicurist reported that her son loved the book and got his father to read him the story every night.

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Don’t stop Easter (Part 2)

Hair SalonWe mentioned yesterday how the Easter season is natural opportunity to share the gospel. We shared a story of how four women went out of their way to make the Easter season last all year by training teachers to share the Good News. Today, we have a story of a lady who recently understood the Good News and is already using natural opportunities in her daily life to pass on the gospel.

I consider myself a “quiet witness.” I try to mention Jesus here and there in everyday conversations. This past year, with four deaths in my family—one of them my twenty-year old cousin—I’ve had opportunities to tell how my trust in Jesus held me together when my world felt like it was falling apart.

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Teach God’s Word to your kids amidst the busyness

Teach kids the Gospel “Where did the day go?”” John sighed to himself as he tucked his children in bed and turned off their bedroom light. Sports practice, music lessons, supper, homework, cell phones, computer games, not to mention his own hectic work schedule—it all seemed to conspire against meaningful family time. He pondered, “How am I supposed to teach my children what they need to know about God and His Word? There just aren’t enough hours in a day!”

Many parents have been thwarted from finding the time to effectively ground their children in God’s Word. There are, however, very doable solutions that have been tried and tested by parents who have successfully fitted meaningful Bible teaching into their families’ busy lives.

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When family rejects the gospel

When Family Rejects the Gospel If only every family were like the Richards’* family.

“It was in 1965 that my sister and I first trusted in Jesus at Sunday School. Then my mother came to church and she believed. It took a while, but finally my father came with us… he heard the message, and also trusted in Christ. God brought our entire family to salvation and now, three generations later, dozens more have been added.”

When someone understands and believes the good news, their relatives, quite naturally, are affected. When the Philippian jailer believed in Jesus for his salvation, that very night his household also heard the Gospel, were identified as believers, and were baptized (Acts 16:31-34). Testimonies like those of the Philippian jailer and the Richards’ family still happen today. Unfortunately, though, it’s not always the case. Countless believers live each day with the heartbreak of knowing their own loved ones have, for one reason or another, not accepted the Bible’s message. Family relationships are complicated, and sharing the Gospel with family can be risky and discouraging.

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Chocolate and Crosses and Eggs and Tombs. What is this Easter thing?

Giveaway in school

Easter is coming round the corner and the stores are stocking candies and toys for this holiday. If a person who doesn’t know anything about the Bible looked at what was in the stores, what do you think he or she will conclude about Easter?

Easter is a natural time to share with friends and family who Jesus is and what he did here on earth. It’s an opportunity to share the gospel.

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Don’t waste Easter!

 

Easter Presentation

Easter is one of the most appropriate times for sharing the gospel. While TV commercials feature Easter bunnies and children hunting for chocolate eggs, frequently friends, co-workers and acquaintances wonder what Easter is really all about. This gives you the natural opportunity to share the true meaning of Easter.

Consider these ideas:

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Consider this your personal ministry

bible puzzle

“I am an ambassador-homemaker. I have young children. I cook, clean, help with homework and bring the kids to school. Wherever I go, I am on the lookout for how I can share the gospel with others. I plan for my day as a homemaker by setting aside time and budget to manage my household well. I plan for my day as an ambassador by setting aside time and budget to make sure I am ready at all times to share the gospel whether by giving away a gospel resource or sitting down and guiding someone through the Bible.”

You may be a homemaker, young mum, executive in a large firm, mechanic or a student. But you are also an Ambassador for Christ. It’s one thing to just acknowledge we have this job. It’s quite another to be deliberately and intentionally getting ready to do this job well. But how do we become good ambassadors? Here are five steps.

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