3 P’s: Prepare, Present and Pray the Gospel

1. Be filled with the love of Jesus Christ (God so loved the world that He gave… We love God because He first loved us…  He who has been forgiven much loves much… The love of God compels us… )

2. Be filled with Holy Spirit Acts 1:11 And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”

3. Pray for opportunities and specific people Col 4:2-4 2-4 Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I’m locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth I’ll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.

4. Prepare and practice sharing your testimony 2 Timothy 1:7-87 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 

5. Be familiar with the gospel story and the call to follow Jesus in his kingdom  1Cor 15:1-6 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve.6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living…

ABC’s of the kingdom of God

A - Admit my need – Acts 2:37-41 Repent, believe, be baptized

B – Be Born again – Jn 3:3-7 from above to enter (begin) in the KOG

C – Continue together – Acts 2:41-42 belong in small group and gatherings

How will Jesus build His church? Mt 16:16-18

Other helpful passages include the “Roman Road” Romans 3:23 (everyone has sinned); Rom 6:23 (sin causes separation from God); Rom 5:8 (Christ died for us); Rom 10:9-10 (believe and confess Jesus as Lord of your life) Rom 5:1 (no more condemnation for those in Christ) 

Instead of the Old Four Spiritual Laws, or the old simple “Sinner’s Prayer, and instead of using Rev 3:20 and just “asking Jesus into your heart, give them the full gospel.

Ask if they know the real Jesus.

Ask if they know the whole story from creation to restoration. (That means you need to know the story.)

What is the whole Gospel story in your own words?

In a few words, what is your story in the Gospel story (testimony)?

A Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I am sorry for my sin. I confess my sin to you. God forgive my sin through Jesus Christ. I choose to take up my cross, deny myself and follow you with my whole life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me believe and obey your word. Place me within your body, the church, to grow and become more like you. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Worldview presuppositions (objections) and answers

1.      Truth is relative.  How do you know that is the truth? What if you are wrong? Jesus said, “I AM the Truth.” What if He is and you are calling him a liar?

2.      “I’m a good person compared to others.” (See Romans Road) and James 2:8-9  If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

3.      “Jesus was a good man but I believe there are many truths and ways to God.” Jesus said, “I AM the way.” C.S. Lewis said, “Either Jesus is a liar, a lunatic or He is who He said He was.”

4.      “I’m not ready. Someday I intend to be a Christian.” What is really hindering you: friends, addictions or pleasures you don’t want to give up, possessions, or are you genuinely seeking to know if Jesus if God but just not believing yet? The first step is not complete faith but repentance. “Repent and believe.” Begin by asking forgiveness and calling on Him for help. “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Release the Secret Weapon

RELEASE THE SECRET WEAPON

By Dwight Cunkle

In this dark world there is light giving hope in the midst of previously hidden fears and shame. Sean Larkin encouraged us as individuals and as a church to open the closet where we feel skeletons must exist.
But there is nothing there-only the lies, distortions and darkness of the enemy.
Our offenses lose their snare (toward individuals or the church as in discipleship or the faith movement etc), our failures lose their shame (we are accepted in the Beloved together), and our present weaknesses lose their sting (fear of being rejected if we confess our struggles).
How is this happening?
Ladies are sharing testimonies and men are confessing sins.

Love covers a multitude of sins. Confess your faults and pray for one another that you may be healed. If we walk in the light as he is in the light the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
They overcame the accuser by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death.

God creates a safe place, a grace empowered place, and He becomes a healing stream if we continue to practice honest love one to another. This opens heaven and God releases us from closed ears and unseeing eyes of unbelief and dullness. We can hear His voice and be healed. We can change. Then signs and wonders and social transformation sill follow. The lost will be saved.

Enjoy this from the book Pirate Monks:
When we find the gospel to be true and we begin to wrestle with its implications, we are eventually forced to face our stubborn humanity and admit that we are still the walking wounded, broken yet perpetually healing. But there’s a problem. The problem is that contemporary Church culture requires us [too often] to give the appearance of victory. There are subjects that church people cannot talk about. There are activities that church people do not engage in. There are places we do not hang out, fantasies we don't entertain, computers that do not show images that are destructive, relationships that are not failing, abuses that are not stealing joy. In church, there is no darkness or shadow to speak of. In church we are allowed to talk about our past victories over sin but not the battles that are still under way. As a result, we promote a gospel of our own construction. This is not the gospel the New Testament talks about, the foundation strong enough to bear the weight of the world and the depravity of the redeemed. Ours is flimsy, too fragile to carry our failures. This gospel is unbelievable because it is only half a gospel.

“Bring the full weight of who you are into your relationships.” By this we mean that we are to bring every part of our story-- all of it -- into our conscious decision-making process, into the ways we talk, act, and love others. When we “show up” fully in our relationships, we give others the chance to know us, and we give them permission to be known.

Honest fellowship in Christ and trusted relationships releases the secret weapon of the blood of Christ and our testimony.

the “not so secret weapons” - spiritual disciplines
Abide in Christ and let his Words abide (live in continually).
Ask God’s help to examine thoughts-source and direction
Meet regularly for honest fellowship with a small group
Be accountable to grow in the mind of Christ (fruit of spirit)
Believe  for a release from negative agreements and mindsets
Put off the old self...Be made new in the spirit of your minds...put on the new self created after the likeness of God Eph 4:22-24

Testimonies and Exhortations

Testimonies and Exhortations

Gloria Bohn received an “all clear” from the Dr on her heart one year after her heart surgery.
Glen and Dorla’s granddaughter is cancer free.
Dick and Karen are doing well following their surgery.

Wilma has this testimony of God bringing healing deliverance: As I was praying about various things, and feeling SO TIRED of making all the decisions(!!!) (widows know what I mean!), I started coughing - and then felt relieved. The Lord told me the spirits (see, no capital "s"!) of dread, indecision and loneliness had been kicked out! PTL! My prayer was then, "Thank you, Lord and come in Holy Spirit, fill me with Your love and everything I need! Isn't that wonderful that God can deal with us one-on-one! This has happened before and probably will again one day. - Wilma Cabaniss


From Attractional to Incarnational
Glen Beaty took Gary Cake’s story and exhortation and did it: he joined a group of remote controlled car racers and is potentially building relationships for the kingdom.

Below are a few of the various words and prayers last Sunday confirming that we are on track with God as we pray for our neighbors and seek to build relational bridges into the kingdom as we love and serve them.

Ryan received this word last Sunday about us bringing life:
If we are the Body of Christ and in this neighborhood we are the heart, then what are the people and places surrounding this place? They are the other body parts. And the job of the heart is to give life to the other body parts. And that is our job as the heart, to bring life to the people around us, and it is also our job from Jesus Christ.
- Ryan Ellis

Tim Cunkle had a word that the front door was not for the kingdom to come in to us, but us to go out to bring the kingdom.


What are you hearing and how are you praying?