Ten Point Test

This is Todd Friel. He is one of the speakers for the upcoming Transformed Conference.

With so many in the evangelical community ascribing to easy believism and telling church attendees to”pray a little prayer, ask Jesus into your heart and walla, you’re a Christian”, it’s refreshing to hear this practical application to the biblical mandate for professing believers to test themselves to see whether they are in the faith. 2 Cor 13:5.

For a visual of what Todd is talking about download this Ten Point Test.

Blessings,

Alvin

The Way of the Master

I’m off to a conference and training time (Ambassador’s Alliance) with the folks from Way of the Master. If you’re not familiar with this ministry then check them out on line or watch some of their videos on Youtube.  I’m very excited to improve my open air preaching and one on one evangelism. Ray Comfort, the head of Way of the Master was sent to the States from New Zealand to try and motivate evangelical churches to evangelism. It is working! The Way of the Master is producing T.V. shows that feature Kirk Cameron former star of Growing Pains as well as actively training and equipping men and women to be effective gospel communicators. Their publications ministry Living Waters is a wonderful resource for tracts, books and videos to assist you in your evangelism efforts.

Please pray for me to glean much from my time training and learning. Pray for humility and a teachable spirit through and through. Pray for my family and I as this will be the longest we have been apart ever. Pray for many opportunities for the gospel and the conversations that our group will have this week. Pray that I will celebrate in my own salvation and glory in the Lord knowing that but by the grace of God I would still be lost in the world without Christ and without hope. Pray for true compassion for the lost and a zeal for truth. Pray that the truth of God’s word would not be just my ammunition for others, but it would be the tool by which God Sanctifies me this week. John 17:17.

I look forward to giving a full report of the June Ambassadors Alliance in this Evening Service 13 June, at Bethel Grace Baptist Church @ 6pm. www.bethelgrace.org

Thanks,

Blessings,

Alvin

Practical ideas for meeting, serving, and getting to know people for the sake of the gospel

These 2 articles by Steve McCoy are very helpful and encouraging. His ideas are great, but the most important thing to glean from both articles is his purposeful mindset. Your context may be a little different to his, but there will be several things you can do too! May we each be this purposeful about loving others in practical ways and reaching them with the good news they need!

Steve’s articles:   

Summerbia

Summerbia: Connection Tools

~Donovan

HT: Justin Taylor

A smorgasboard from around the web

It’s been a busy week, and I haven’t had a chance to post anything. I have come across several good posts on-line though, and since I don’t know which to link to, here’s a smorgasboard of good stuff from around the web (as usual, I found most of this stuff thanks to Tim Challies and Justin Taylor!):

• John Piper wrote a thought-provoking post entitled, “Why I Don’t Have a Television and Rarely Go to Movies” . This post also includes a wonderful example of humbly confessing sin. 
• Keith and Kristen Getty have released a new album of modern, celtic-style hymns. Their lyrics are saturated with Scripture and their music is beautiful! You can listen to samples and/or order the CD here.
• Sovereign Grace Music has released another children’s album entitled, To Be Like Jesus. Read about it here.
• Tim Challies asked John Bell, pastor of New City Baptist Church in Toronto, to share about his experience sharing the gospel with the gay community in his city. It is well worth reading – to help us think biblically about homosexuality, and to help us in God-honoring evangelism and church life. There is also some very interesting discussion in the comments, especially involving a number of men who struggle with homosexuality but turn from it because of their commitment to Christ. Read this post here. 
• If you’re compiling a summer reading list, you might find these 2 posts from David Powlison to be of interest. Powlison is a bilical counselor, professor, and author, and he spent some time this week discussing some of his favorite literature with CJ Mahaney. You can read part 1 here, and part 2 here.  
• What does Kurt Warner, a Christian who plays quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, like most about being a professional football player? His very encouraging answer is here.   

Blessings…

~Donovan

Wisdom About Angels and Demons

John Piper:

“The folks at Westminster Bookstore have helped set up a remarkable website with serious reflections on the kinds of scientific and religious questions raised by the Dan Brown blockbuster Angels and Demons.

It’s the kind of place you could send your unbelieving friends who have questions.”

~Donovan

Read Jack

Read Jack. That’s the advice given by Desiring God ministries, and we’re following it in our men’s and women’s groups… The book we’re currently reading in these groups is called A Faith Worth Sharing, by C. John “Jack” Miller. David Mathis of  Desiring God Ministries describes this book as “the best resource I’ve found on gospel-telling.” You can read what else he has to say about it here.

If you are not currently in a men’s or women’s group, I encourage you to join for our next round! Details will be announced soon…

~Donovan

A Primer on dialoging with Darwinists

150 years ago Charles Darwin published, On the Origin of Species,  a book we’ve probably all heard of, and a book that has shaped history in incredible ways… 

Marvin Olasky, editor in chief of World Magazine, notes, “Christians who respond with ridicule of Darwin get nowhere—but understanding a few terms of the debate can help to start a dialogue.”  His article on this is well worth the read. Read it here.

~Donovan

HT: Justin Taylor

Helpful words on evangelism from an atheist

Penn Jillette is an American comedian, illusionist, juggler and writer. He’s best known as the taller, louder half of the magic and comedy act Penn & Teller. Jillette is an outspoken atheist (actually, he considers himself “beyond atheism” – read an essay he wrote on his beliefs here). This is what he has to say about evangelism:

 

Being a purposeful, wise ambassador of Christ, part 2

  

I received a few comments on my earlier post with this title, so I decided to write a “part 2″…

         

Both Bobby and Drew wanted to be sure I wasn’t arguing for “be purposeful to make friends with people, wait and wait and wait, and maybe – just maybe, there’ll be a blatantly obvious opportunity for you to tell them about Jesus one of these days…” Amen! I’m certainly not in favor of that approach. You could wait and wait forever… And nobody becomes a believer simply by osmosis – just by being around a Christian. No! We must communicate the full and complete gospel message (Romans 10:14-15).

            

Drew wanted to be sure nobody equated “success in evangelism” with conversion. Amen to that point too! All we can be is faithful… it is God alone who brings fruit. And it is true that the same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay… Faithfulness in evangelism will result in some people being saved, and it will result in others rejecting the message, sometimes even getting very upset. It shouldn’t be surprising to us that people intent on suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1) would get a little feisty when we hold that same truth up before their eyes and call them to submit to it!

                 

However – I do believe there is more to being an ambassador than accurately presenting the content of the gospel message (even though content is most important). How we present that message also communicates… and if we’re rude, or come off as arrogant and uncaring, or as if Jesus isn’t really that special to us, or as merely going through the motions with a canned presentation, something is lost in that message. I’m sure both Bobby and Drew would agree on this point. 

           

This is a few sections, slightly edited, of an e-mail I wrote to a sister in Christ just before she took a trip out to Maryland to visit family who do not believe in Jesus (I think I wrote it about 3 years ago?). It’s just me passing on things the LORD has taught me regarding evangelism, both from His Word and through experience… including issues related to boldness, purposefulness in communicating the message, and being an Ambassador who represents Christ well in every way… It was good for me to read it again – I’ve allowed myself to wane in some of these things and it was good to be reminded of lessons God taught me before…

             

Answers to life’s biggest questions…

This sermon by Voddie Baucham is EXCELLENT!  It is absolutely essential that our entire worldview is formed by God’s Holy Word, and this sermon shows it powerfully and beautifully. It also shows how important a thoroughly biblical worldview is in evangelism…  

Click here to listen to it. 

(This message was originally given at a pastor’s conference put on by Desiring God Ministries in 2006.)