Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,
We are going to begin a series in the evening that will equip you with Evangelistic Bible studies to use with unbelieving neighbors and friends. Before you get to that point, you will need to invest yourself in their spiritual welfare. How do you do that? It starts by praying for them – by name! Make a list and purpose to pray for them regularly. It also involves opening yourself up to a friendship – spending time with them doing things you both enjoy (may I suggest eating – that’s a pretty commonly shared interest) or doing things for them as needs become apparent. In the course of your conversations, your godly testimony will engender some questions or discussions about your attitudes and values and thus spiritual things. The Bible studies are a tool to use when you get to that point. You could say, “I have a Bible study we could do together that addresses that question, would you like to give it a try tomorrow night?” (or something like that).
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TIME FOR A SMILE
A Sunday School teacher challenged her children to take some time on Sunday afternoon to write a letter to God. They were to bring their letter back the following Sunday.
One little boy wrote, “Dear God, We had a good time at church today. Wish you could have been there.”
The same Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead.
She described the situation in vivid detail so her students would catch the drama.
Then she asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?”
Jenny, a thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, “I think I’d vomit!”
A very angry woman stormed up to an eye surgeon’s receptionist, “Someone stole my wig while I was having surgery yesterday,” she complained.
The doctor came out and tried to calm her down. “I assure you that no one on my staff would have done such a thing,” he said. “Why do you think it was taken here?”
“After the operation, I noticed the wig I was wearing was cheap-looking and ugly.”
“I think” explained the surgeon gently, “that means your cataract operation was a success.”
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Sunday, June 10, 2007
* Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
* The Adult Class (meeting in the auditorium) continues the study “Crises and Crowns” — the Old Testament biographies of Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon. This week we will study 1Samuel 22-23. David continues his ten-year-long exile, fleeing from Saul’s jealous anger, living as a fugitive. We would call this God’s school of hard knocks. It further prepared him to be a good and wise and godly king.
* Morning Worship – 10:45am
* In John 4:13-26, Jesus continues His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. He discloses that He knows some vital details about her background – she has had five husbands and the one she is with at the moment is not her husband. That insight causes the woman to wonder if He is a prophet. That opens the door to a discussion about the difference between the Samaritan religion and the worship of God. Jesus gives us foundational information about “True Worship & True Worshippers.”
* Evening Celebration – 6:00pm
* This Sunday evening we will begin the series I mentioned several weeks ago – the one which you will be able to use as Evangelistic Bible Studies with your friends and neighbors. I will prepare a handout suitable for that purpose. I asked for your input and appreciated the many ideas that were put forth. Here is what I plan to go with:
1. What is WRONG with people today? (A young man shoots 32 and kills himself at Virginia Tech. A young mother hangs her four little girls and then herself in the closet of her mobile home in Texas. When these things happen the question that is asked at work is, “What is WRONG with people today?” We have an answer!)
2. What makes the BIBLE an authority – how is it different from or more authoritative than any other book or source of knowledge? (This is a question you could anticipate as you begin Bible study #1 and say, “The answer is found in the Bible…” You will probably be asked, “What makes the BIBLE an authority?” Your answer would be – I have a study on that too – we’ll do that one next week.)
3. Isn’t RELIGION the source of most (if not all) of the hate and prejudice in the world today?
4. Who is this JESUS CHRIST you keep talking about? Why is someone who lived so long ago still important? Why do you say He is the only way to heaven?
5. WHERE DID I COME FROM; Why am I here; and Where am I going (what happens after I die)?
6. Why do you keep talking about BEING “SAVED”? Why do you think I need to be “saved” from something, I’m basically a good person!
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That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!
Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman
www.fbcnorthchili.org