Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Westminster Mall

Last night I joined the team from Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and went witnessing at Westminster Mall. Michael and I were able to pass out lots of gospel tracts to the people scurrying about looking for last minute deals. Several even stopped long enough to have some great conversations with us. One man in particular had his eyes opened to the truth of the gospel and promised to not go to bed that night without getting right with the Lord. I have no idea if he was truly sincere but trust that the Lord will use the seeds that were planted.

While I was almost finished sharing the gospel with a group of four young men, Michael looked into the store window that we were standing in front of and exclaimed "Guys, look at that painting behind you". There, in the store, was a painting of the three crosses on Calvary. Michael then told them that this was not a chance encounter and began to share the incredible gift of salvation that was laid before them. Those young men left the mall last night with tracts, bibles, and a memory that will not fade any time soon! Please pray that God will use the seeds planted last night to bring these young men to repentance and faith.

Another team reported that they walked up to a man reading a book and started to witness to him. The man told them that he had been given a copy of Mark Cahill's One Heartbeat Away by one of the other team members and he was deep in thought reading the book!

Glory to God for the work He was doing last night at Westminster mall!!

Monday, December 22, 2008

According To An Atheist

Penn Jillette is a self-admitted atheist. Somebody recently handed him a bible after one of his shows. Watch this YouTube video and check out what he has to say about Christians who don't share their faith.


Thursday, December 11, 2008

Tracy's Drive-Thru Evangelism

Here's an IM I got from Tracy today:

(13:15:42) tracy: I had a a great rush. I drove thru in and out after working at church. This lady let me go ahead of her in the car line. God prompted me and I bought her lunch for her. I put a sticky note saying Merry Christmas. Just wanted to bless a stranger. I stuck it to a million dollar bill and asked the cash guy to give it to her.

... and here is where the idea came from originally:

http://fishwithtrish.blogspot.com/2008/10/two-minute-tip-with-trish-fast-food.html

What a great way to bless somebody, and leave them with a gospel tract! Try it out and report back!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Irvine Spectrum - 12/08/08

Last night was another great night of witnessing at the Irvine Spectrum. Although there were very few people out last night, and many didn't want to talk with us, we were still able to share the gospel with several people. After sharing the gospel with one group of young men, two security guards approached us and told us that we were OK to be there sharing our faith but that if anybody complained they would ask us to leave. We assured them that we were not there to cause problems and that we pass by those who do not wish to talk with us. They wished us well and sent us on our way to continue talking with people.

The last conversation of the evening was a blessing! Norman approached two older gentlemen and when he asked them what they think happens when somebody dies, one of the men lifted his arms and said "I love this question!! Hallalujah!!". We then had a very encouraging conversation with a fellow brother in the Lord who is ON FIRE for Jesus. It was very encouraging, and lifted our spirits after a bit of a difficult night of witnessing. Thank you Lord for allowing us to finish the evening with such a great conversation!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Crash Course

The crash course that was held at SCCA on Saturday was a success! 22 people attended the class and most everybody also joined us for the Mission at the Mission where we handed out tracts, books, bibles, and invitations to SCCA's Christmas musical. Many have also reported that they engaged in one-to-one conversations! Way to go SCCA!!

I was paired up with Rich Norman and he had the boldness of a lion and approached a young couple standing in line waiting to take their kids on a train ride. They told us they attend the LDS church. We didn't get into a theological debate with them but left them with a copy of The Case For Christmas and a gospel tract. We also had a great conversation with a group of teens. We took them through the law and were able to show them that they stand guilty before God. We then explained to them that Jesus paid the price and that the way to receive eternal life is to repent and put their trust in Jesus alone for salvation. By the time we wrapped up the conversation, we had 10-15 teens standing around listening to the gospel!! Hallelujah!!

Next week I am going to start a weekly outreach where we will meet in the SCCA prayer room after the second service (~12:30am) where we will pray and then go down to the train station in San Juan Capistrano (by Sarducci's) to witness for an hour. If you would like to join us then just come over to the prayer room after second service and come along! Even if you would like to come along to watch and pray, please join us!

Friday, December 5, 2008

First Open Air - Hawthorne DMV 12/05/08

This was a first for me. A brother in the Lord, Steve Rollins, and myself went to the DMV in Hawthorne this morning to hand out gospel tracts to those standing in line, and to preach the gospel. Here's the audio from this morning. Steve is up first, then it was my turn:




If you don't see the audio player above, then click here.

Here's the video:




Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Salt, Light, and Exfoliation Evangelism

Last night was another great night of being Salt and Light at the Irvine Spectrum. In fact, not only were me and my partner Mark being salt and light, we got to cap the evening by using salt (more on this later).

Mark started the evening off by approaching two middle eastern men who claimed to be of the Sikh faith. They proved Proverbs 20:6 in that they proclaimed their own goodness, claiming that the way to get to heaven is to be a good humanitarian. Mark started to share the gospel with them but they had to leave with their wives. At the very least, we were able to tell them about the Day of Judgment and God's holy, perfect law which none can keep. Mark just started to tell them that Jesus paid the price on their behalf by his suffering and death on the cross when they had to leave. We prayed that God would continue the work in their hearts using the seed we planted.

The next conversation was a divine appointment. We approached a young couple and asked them what they think happens when somebody dies and heads off into eternity. The young lady looked at us with wide eyes and said that they were just talking about her funeral! Wow, talk about a great opening to a spiritual conversation. We were able to share with them the requirements of the Law followed by the gospel message of grace through faith. The young man told us that he occasionally attends church but he was not able to explain the way to gain eternal life. They both left with a clear understanding of the gospel and they took a New Testament.

The next couple of conversations were with Christians who we were able to minister to and encourage to esteem God's word more than their necessary food (Job 23:12). At this point I realized that God was answering the prayer of a lady who prayed with the team before we went to the Spectrum. She prayed specifically that God would bring struggling Christians to us so that we could minister to them. This was the very thing that we were experiencing!! What an amazing privilege to be a part of God answering prayer!


The last encounter of the evening was another definite divine appointment. As we were walking back toward our meeting spot to pray with the group before leaving, a lady approached Mark and I and said "Can I ask you guys a question?". I was so excited... I thought I was about to be witnessed to by another believer from another group. Then she asked us if we knew about the Dead Sea. At this point I thought that was a strange way to begin a spiritual conversation, but we went along with it and said that we knew of the Dead Sea. She then brought us over to her vendor stand... she was selling exfoliating salts and creams!! She told us to put our hands over a bowl, then began to spray our hands with water and gave us some Dead Sea Salt to rub into our hands. All the while I was trying to think of a way to swing this around to a spiritual conversation. She started to rinse our hands with a spray bottle and told us more about the Dead Sea. I then told her that I know of a man from that area of the world by the name of "Jesus of Nazareth". I then asked her the million dollar question, "What do you think happens when somebody dies. What happens when somebody steps off into eternity?". She told me that she would not enter into a conversation about that and continued to try to sell Mark and I some beauty products (I guess we looked like we REALLY needed it!). I asked her if she had change for a big bill. I then gave her a million dollar bill gospel tract and told her that she could keep it since she didn't have enough change to break it. I told her that the message on the back was worth more than a million and gave one to her partner as well. Mark and I then prayed as we walked off that they would read the tract and prayed that God would use that to save them. This was definitely the most interesting witnessing encounter I have had yet!! I think I'll call it "Exfoliation Evangelism".

Needless to say, it was a night to remember!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Irvine Spectrum - 11/24/08

Last night was a great night at the Irvine Spectrum. The night started with few people walking about and those who were out seemed to be in a hurry and unwilling to talk. Me and my partner Jeff (yes, it was Jeff and Jeff last night) were able to hand out lots of tracts and eventually were able to find several people who were willing to talk with us about eternity. One conversation was with a group of three young teens who were very open to talk about their beliefs. One of these young teens told us he was leaning toward Islam but we were able to reason with him using the law as a mirror to convince him that "religion" won't help on the Day of Judgment. All three boys were given a clear presentation of the gospel and one took a New Testament. We had several other good conversations but this is one that will stick with me for a while.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Mission At The Mission - Update

UPDATE 11/21/08: The Way Of The Master Crash Course will be held in the choir room at SCCA on Saturday, December 6 from 11:30am until 3:30pm. This will be a FREE course and FREE lunch will be provided! After the course we will meet at the Mission to watch the SCCA choir perform. After the choir sings we will pray and split up into groups of 2 to go out, pass out copies of The Case For Christmas, and witness to people. Again, please email me at Jeff@LoveTheLost.org if you plan to attend so I can be sure to have enough course materials on hand.

Click here for the previous posting about the Mission At The Mission.

If you haven't listened to Hell's Best Kept Secret yet, then I encourage you to do so:



Click here if you don't see the embedded audio player.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Wrong Number? I Don't Think So!

I got a text message today that was a wrong #? Or was it? Maybe this person got the right number... a number whereby he could receive the message of eternal life!



http://www.wayofthemaster.com/goodperson.shtml

Mission At The Mission

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join me at Mission San Juan Capistrano on Dec. 6th to hand out copies of Lee Strobel's "The Case For Christmas". SCCA's choir will be singing at the mission that evening and there are always lots of people at the mission and in the town that night for this event. We're called to be "fishers of men" and the Mission will be a great fishing pond on this night.

I also plan to put on a Way Of The Master Evangelism Crash Course the same day as this outreach. This crash course will be about a 4 hour training course that will teach you how to share your faith in a way that is biblical. The course is based on the following teaching from Ray Comfort called "Hell's Best Kept Secret":



Click here if you do not see the embedded audio player.

I will update the LoveTheLost.org blog with details of the crash course as the date gets closer so if you have not yet subscribed to the blog, go to http://LoveTheLost.org and enter your email under the "Join The Team" heading.

If you plan on attending the crash course please let me know by email so that I can ensure that I have enough training materials on hand. My email is Jeff@LoveTheLost.org

UPDATE 11/21/08: The crash course will be held in the choir room at SCCA on Saturday, December 6 from 11:30am until 3:30pm. This will be a FREE course and FREE lunch will be provided! After the course we will meet at the Mission to watch the SCCA choir perform. After the choir sings we will pray and split up into groups of 2 to go out, pass out copies of The Case For Christmas, and witness to people. Again, please email me at Jeff@LoveTheLost.org if you plan to attend so I can be sure to have enough course materials on hand.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Regeneration vs Decisionism

Here is another challenging sermon by Paul Washer titled "Regeneration vs Decisionism".




Click here if you do not see the embedded player.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

What Verse Is That??!

The bible says, "the eye is the window of the soul".... or does it?? What verse is that??! Just last night I made this mistake while witnessing and it was brought to my attention by a brother in Christ that the bible in fact does NOT say this. What other verses could be floating around in my memory that are not actually found in the scriptures? I certainly don't want to be guilty of adding to or removing from God's word:

Deuteronomy 4:2
You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Deuteronomy 12:32
Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Proverbs 30:5-6
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

Revelation 22:18-19
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

We have such an awesome privilege to bring God's word to the lost and to show them the way of salvation and eternal life. We also have a responsibility to handle God's word rightly:

2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Click on this link to blueletterbible.com for some other non-scriptural scriptures that might be floating around in the back recesses of your mind just waiting to jump into your witnessing conversations. I vow to hunt these down in my memory and eliminate them!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Challenging Sermon

The following is a challenging sermon by Pastor Francis Chan of Cornerstone Simi Valley:





If you don't see the audio player above, then you can download the audio here.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Halloween Evangelism





First we laid out all the "stuff"














These are the Gospel tracts that will go into the goodie bags












That's a LOT OF BAGS to stuff!












Thanks for the help Gordon!










... and thank you Skyler!










The kids did a great job decorating the bags.









We handed out all 60 bags and gave out a lot of loose candy and gospel tracts. That's a lot of seeds sown! To God alone be the glory!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Are Gospel Tracts A Valid Form Of Evangelism?

Read the following quotes from the prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon:

"I well remember distributing them in a town in England where tracts had never been distributed before, and going from house to house, and telling in humble language the things of the kingdom of God. I might have done nothing, if I had not been encouraged by finding myself able to do something ... [Tracts are] adapted to those persons who have but little power and little ability, but nevertheless, wish to do something for Christ. They have not the tongue of the eloquent, but they may have the hand of the diligent. They cannot stand and preach, but they can stand and distribute here and there these silent preachers ... They may buy their thousand tracts, and these they can distribute broadcast."

"I look upon the giving away of a religious tract as only the first step for action not to be compared with many another deed done for Christ; but were it not for the first step we might never reach to the second, but that first attained, we are encouraged to take another, and so at the last ... There is a real service of Christ in the distribution of the gospel in its printed form, a service the result of which heaven alone shall disclose, and the judgment day alone discover. How many thousands have been carried to heaven instrumentally upon the wings of these tracts, none can tell ..."

"Let each one of us, if we have done nothing for Christ, begin to do something now. The distribution of tracts is the first thing."

Monday, October 13, 2008

Evangelism Resources

Here are a few evangelism resources:


Also be sure to check out the blogs on the sidebar of this website. These are the blogs of some bold evangelists who share their evangelism tales and knowledge so that others can be encouraged to share their faith.

ShareThis