 She had never considered there was any “god” somewhere out there until recently. We met for the first time and when she learned that I was a pastor, she began to tell me her story. It is filled with a lot of choices that she recognized were harmful to her life; substance use, poor relationships with men, and living without any rules resulting in a broken life.
She has a family, no spouse, no housing and very limited finances. It was a cold, Minnesota winter day recently and she was filling up her car with gas. She was sitting in her car with her son, wondering how she would make it through another week when a person knocked on her window. When she rolled her window down, a stranger gave her some money and said, “Jesus is coming.” This incident was followed by another person hearing about her current needs gave her money saying they believed God was compelling them to give. She received another gift of finances through a friend. A stranger who did not know her need and two people who did – all made reference to Jesus guiding them to give her a specific amount. Her entire worldview is changing because she is discovering Jesus through people responding to promptings from the Lord and acting upon them. She is discovering Jesus and His great love for her. Is God prompting you to an action of kindness today that may help someone discover Jesus?
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 In the world of sales, a person needs to market their service or product accurately. You highlight the benefits and superiority of what you would deliver if they became a customer. It is great to hear that what you delivered exceeded their expectations. It is a problem if we promised something and under-delivered.
When we tell others about God, we need to be careful to promise only what God promises. A person’s life may be in great disarray or turmoil. We know that Jesus can bring peace and stability. Is peace and stability guaranteed? What can we tell people they can depend upon when they give their lives to following and obeying God? Four things you can bank on with God. 1. God loves you. 2. God will never leave nor abandon you. 3. God will calm some storms, while other times God calms you. 4. God will be with you in the calm and in the calamity. Deuteronomy 31:8 “The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  Did you know that the Top 5 times* that people are most open to considering matters of faith are:
5. After the birth of a baby (28%) 4. After a natural disaster (34%) 3. After a major national crisis, i.e. 9/11 (38%) 2. During the Easter season (38%) 1. During the Christmas season (47%)! Did you know that the Top 3 ways* Americans are willing to receive information about a local church are: 3. Ad in the newspaper (48%) 2. Personal invite from a FRIEND or NEIGHBOR (56%) 1. Personal invite from a FAMILY MEMBER (63%)! * all stats courtesy of LifeWay Research Our experience at River of Life has shown the research true. People without a home church are likely to come if invited. Why do we want them to come, really? The small parking lot will be crowded, our limited sanctuary space will overflow, and the children will pack out their area. So, why invite? Because people matter to God and because people matter to God, they matter to us. Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” We absolutely believe that Jesus was telling the truth when He said His way is not heavy, but light. His way is filled with joy and peace. His way is the only way. At River of Life, we want people to experience the full life with Jesus right now as well as forever. That is where 4-4-4 prayer comes in. § Pray for 4 neighbors, 4 minutes a day for 4 weeks. The 4 neighbors are those without a home church you will invite to Easter Service. The 4 minute prayer can include asking the Holy Spirit to prepare your neighbor and present the right opportunity for you to invite them. Prayer is preparing me, as well as preparing the church for the spiritual work for God’s kingdom. Let me know how the Holy Spirit is using you through 4-4-4 prayer by commenting below. |
Mark Radeke
Husband of one, father of five, pastor and friend of many. Archives
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