It's not often that the sermon and ABF lessons intentionally coincide, but that's what happened tonight. Pastor Bob started his sermon series on Just Walk Across the Room, and Marriage Matters started our DVD-based series.
The DVD told the story of Brian, who came to Christ years after Bill walked across a soccer field and introduced himself. Bill showed Brian that he cared, even after his invitation to come to a holiday church service was rebuffed. Years later, when Brian needed wise counsel, he sought out Bill, and God opened a door to sharing the Gospel.
The focus of our discussion was on having a passion for seeing people come to Christ. In Romans 9:1-5, Paul revealed the depth and strength of his desire to see his fellow Israelites saved. Jeremiah shared an analogy that might be helpful in understanding the stakes: if you were getting off a train that you knew was going to plunge into a river before the next stop, why wouldn't you tell the other passengers?
The first two steps are prayer (for your own heart, for opportunities to build and deepen relationships, and for the lost to come to Christ) and taking that "walk across the room". You don't have to do anything unusual. Just be yourself. Introduce yourself. Ask their name. If it's someone you already know, invite them over for dinner or to do some activity together.
What makes you hesitate to "walk across the room"? And how do you overcome that hesitation?
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This is great!...something I know I need to work on. Where is your church located?
ReplyDeleteStephanie,
ReplyDeleteAre you currently connected with a church? If not, New Covenant is located at 1800 46th St. NE, in between Council and Centerpoint Rd. just south of Collins Rd.
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this was encouraging to you. Also, I added a link to our church's website on the sidebar. So now you (and anyone else who happens by the blog in the future) can actually find out something about New Covenant.
And to echo what LeAnn said, if you're in Cedar Rapids and not already connected with a church, I recommend checking out NCBC.