Sunday, July 25, 2010
New Series--The Exciting Life of Faith
This past Sunday we finished our series of studies through the book of Titus. This next Sunday we will start a series of message through Hebrews 11--the great faith chapter. I would encourage you read Hebrews 11 several times this week in your personal devotional times. Then week by week it will deepen our study together if you read the Old Testament passages behind the examples of "The Exciting Life of Faith."
A Special Joy
It was a special joy to have Pastor Patrick and Mindy join us for worship this past Sunday. Aren't you thankful for those through whom God blesses and enriches your life?Friday, July 23, 2010
Just A Thought on Love
We should love God for God's sake--because of who He is and because He is worthy of the supreme love of our hearts, minds, soul, and strength.
We should love others for God's sake--because people are made in His image, because He commands us to love our neighbors, and because we are to reflect His love in the world.
We should love others for God's sake--because people are made in His image, because He commands us to love our neighbors, and because we are to reflect His love in the world.
Business Meeting, Wednesday July 28
The monthly Business Meeting was postponed one week because of our special guests, David and Emily Rimstead. Our hearts were moved and challenged as they shared their new work on UCR with Christian Challenge.Business Meeting will be this Wednesday, July 28.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
David and Emily Rimstead Our Guest Wednesday, July 21
David and Emily Rimstead will be our guest Wednesday evening to share their new work with Christian Challenge on the campus of UCR. David graduate this past May from the BAT program at CBU and Emily is still a student at CBU. This is an important work and I pray that the church will support them as well as other individuals who feel so led.
As You Pray
As you pray daily, pray faithfully for the Pastor Seach Committee. The church has entrusted them with a great responsibility in seeking and recommending to the church a pastor. Pray that God will give them wisdom and discernment in His will for this body of believers.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Reaching People--How I Share the Gospel
To reach people who are far away from God, we must share the Gospel with them. Yet, so many Christians are either intimidated about sharing the Gospel or are not sure how to. So, I want to share with you how I share the Gospel.
Over the years I have been through so many evangelism training courses and exposed to tens and tens of ways to witness. However, I find myself coming back to share the Gospel around four passages in the book of Romans. To be sure I use other Bible passages, but these four are the outline that I use.
Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." This verse allows me to start with the glory of God. I talk about God as Creator of all that there is and the fact that all things were made by and for Him. God created man in His image. The greatness of God means that we were made to love Him supremely, worship Him only, obey Him gladly, and serve Him faithfully. Then this verse allows me to go straight to the heart on man's terminal problem, sin. Sin is our rebellion against God and refusal to love Him supremely. Sin is man making himself his own "god" and thus leads to selfish, self-indulgent, self-centered living. And it is sin that produces the sins of ungodly living.
Romans 5:8, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This verse allows me to go straight to the Cross, the only solution for man's sin problem. I can talk about the sacrificial nature of God's love and how Jesus died in my place for my sins.
Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." With this verse I stress the urgency of trusting the Gospel. The contrasts could be more dramatic--death (eternal death, separation from God now and forever) and eternal life; wages (what I deserve) and the free gift of God (grace).
Romans 10:9-10, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." From these two verses I can help people see that they can only be saved by faith and then emphasize the content of saving faith.
This is how I feel comfortable in sharing the Gospel. It is not necessary that you do it the way I do. What is absolutely necessary is that we share the Gospel!
Over the years I have been through so many evangelism training courses and exposed to tens and tens of ways to witness. However, I find myself coming back to share the Gospel around four passages in the book of Romans. To be sure I use other Bible passages, but these four are the outline that I use.
Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." This verse allows me to start with the glory of God. I talk about God as Creator of all that there is and the fact that all things were made by and for Him. God created man in His image. The greatness of God means that we were made to love Him supremely, worship Him only, obey Him gladly, and serve Him faithfully. Then this verse allows me to go straight to the heart on man's terminal problem, sin. Sin is our rebellion against God and refusal to love Him supremely. Sin is man making himself his own "god" and thus leads to selfish, self-indulgent, self-centered living. And it is sin that produces the sins of ungodly living.
Romans 5:8, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This verse allows me to go straight to the Cross, the only solution for man's sin problem. I can talk about the sacrificial nature of God's love and how Jesus died in my place for my sins.
Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." With this verse I stress the urgency of trusting the Gospel. The contrasts could be more dramatic--death (eternal death, separation from God now and forever) and eternal life; wages (what I deserve) and the free gift of God (grace).
Romans 10:9-10, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." From these two verses I can help people see that they can only be saved by faith and then emphasize the content of saving faith.
This is how I feel comfortable in sharing the Gospel. It is not necessary that you do it the way I do. What is absolutely necessary is that we share the Gospel!
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