Sharing Your Faith common, like the season of life we're in. We can relate on some of the good and tough things we've gone through
16 “How terrible, how terrible for that great city! She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 In a single moment all the wealth of the city is gone!”
NOTES
And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance. 18 They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, “Where is there another city as great as this?” 19 And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone.” 20 Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes. 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,
If you've ever been intimidated by the idea of sharing your faith with someone, you're definitely not alone. It can feel pretty vulnerable or even risky to put your faith out there. I'm a pastor, and I still feel nervous about faith conversations out in the wild! Let me tell you about my friend Adam... Adam works at the gas station I go to regularly. My relationship with him has been built over the last year or so... whenever I stop in to fill up my car with gas. At first, it was the regular quick interaction as I paid at the counter. But then I realized I see him almost weekly, and he had become a consistent part of my life. God put on my heart that I needed to be more intentional and start to get to know him better. (Scary, right? Doesn't have to be!) Sometimes, my conversations with him are a few minutes long—but sometimes, they're much longer, depending on how busy it is at the convenience store. Over time, I’ve gotten to know some of Adam's story. At first, he was kind of cold to me, which is to be expected. But over time, he's warmed up and now always has a big smile when I stop by. He's told me about some of his past and often has a funny new story to share. Like any good relationship, there's give and take—and now, Adam knows some of my story, too. We have some things in
God fit into your life?" or, "Has faith ever made a difference in your life?" or, "Have you ever thought of making Jesus the leader of your life?" These questions are going to allow me to understand more about Adam's story in the context of faith. Then I can share more of my story and how Jesus has changed my life. This will naturally lead me to share God’s story and how Jesus can change his life, too. My relationship with Adam is still growing, and I’m going to continue to pray for more opportunities—and that God would open the door for me to lead Adam into a relationship with him. Is there a person who's a regular part of your life that you feel led to be more intentional with? Start by building trust with them so you can share your story and the life change you have experienced. Pray that you feel comfortable sharing God’s story with them. Ask God for help identifying some questions or conversation starters, and remember to just be yourself. God made you to be you for a purpose! And, if you feel like it's a good time to invite them to church, go for it! Someday soon, I’m going to celebrate how Adam's life has been changed by Jesus! My prayer is that you, too, will experience the joy of seeing God bring life transformation to your friend.
and are going through in our lives. Since I work as a pastor, it was pretty natural to invite Adam to church, and I did so several times. He actually came once with his wife and talks about going again sometime! Having someone come to church is a great way to introduce them to faith and, hopefully, a relationship with Jesus. But sometimes, people are slow or cautious to go, and they need to hear more from us about God’s story first. Because I've taken the time to gain Adam's trust, now I can share more about my faith with him, and it doesn't feel too awkward or out of the blue and doesn't require him to take the step to come to church to make an impact. Recently, I've started to pray for more opportunities with Adam. And I've noticed an interesting pattern: It seems like, when I pray about it before I get there, the store is usually less busy or no one else is there at all! (Crazy, right?) I do get nervous still, but I think I make too big of a deal about conversations like this in my head. Now, I think of that feeling as a ping to pray for peace and the ability to just be myself. Lately, I've had some questions prepared: Questions like, "Where does
“Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again. 22 The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again. 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries. 24 In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”
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Sign of the Times: A Study of Revelation
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Week 5
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