Evangelism
What Day is Evangelism Day?
The wonderful thing about sharing the Gospel is that it is the duty of every Christian, not just the job description of church officers or ministers. This year we are emphasizing the free offer of the Gospel – the idea that we are all to share the gospel constantly, with everyone, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest!
With our emphasis in mind, it’s a good time to examine your life and the life of your church, when it comes to evangelism. How intentional are the outreach efforts of the church? Please remember: there is a difference between outreach and evangelism. Reaching out into the community is crucial, it builds trust, networks and relationships, but it only affords you the structure to do the evangelism, to share you faith.
Read MoreCalifornia Makes It Illegal to Try and Convert Gays Under the Age of 18
Gov. Jerry Brown announced Sunday that he had signed SB 1172 which prohibits sexual orientation change efforts for anyone under 18.
Conservative religious groups and some Republicans have argued that banning conversion therapy would hinder parents’ right to provide psychological care for children experiencing gender confusion.
The Encino, Calif.-based National Association for Research and Therapy on Homosexuality said in August that the bill was a case of “legislative overreach,” and Lieu’s claims of harm to children were based on politics, not research.
The effect of the law, in brief, makes it illegal to try and convert any gay person under the age of 18 if your goal is to free them from the sin of homosexuality.
Read MoreCost-Effective Compassion: The 10 Most Popular Strategies for Helping the Poor
Bruce Wydick Concern for the poor is a fundamental pillar of Christian identity and calling, a constant theme throughout the Old and New Testaments (Deut. 15:4; Prov. 14:31; Gal. 2:10; James 2:2-6). A definitive mark of the church throughout history is its members caring for the poor in their midst. Today, thanks to economic globalization…
Read MoreErskine College Sophomore takes Christmas break mission trip to Kenya
Written by Erskine News During the mission, the team conducted “a fantastic worship service,” Putnam said, in which two members of the mission group spoke, “and there was very lively music and joyous praise.” Some 250 people responded positively to the gospel message during the mission, she said, “which is pretty amazing.” As the fall…
Read MoreCommissioned to Share the Gospel
By Rev. John Kimmons “Theology is worthless unless we live it.” Erick Metaxas says he learned this in his study on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was from a wealthy family of prominence and chose to go against popularity and the liberal theologians of his day. “The Cost of Discipleship for resisting Nazi…
Read MoreSowing the Seed for Church Growth
Rev. Sam Roper Jesus teaches about the kingdom of God, using two parables. We see Jesus employing farming imagery in order to teach us that the kingdom of God is a growing kingdom. The kingdom of God on earth is imperfect and incomplete, so growth is very important. The analogy of farming, then, is…
Read MoreStories of Faith (Nicodemus) — John 3:1-15
The Bible is filled with people who are apart of God’s redemptive story. What is your story? Do you see yourself in this book? Are you born into God’s family? Are you part of His new creation that He began in the resurrection?
Maybe you have been churched your whole life but never repented and trusted Jesus to save you. Maybe you harbor self-reliance in your heart because of your own good works or religious activities that you hope will be enough to get you into heaven. This false security is no security at all, but rather religious pride. How would you know if you are good enough to see God? When is being good, good enough? When will you be as good as God? Never.
Stop trusting yourself. Jesus has done enough for you to be forgiven. Trust His redemptive work alone.
You don’t need to remain unsure today about your eternal destiny. John the Apostle says that the Bible was written that we might know that we have eternal life. God wants you to know.
Begin your life of faith right now. Say, “Lord, I believe! Help me to believe more.” Chose today to trust the work of Christ to make you ready to live in His heaven forever more. This will be the beginning of your faith story as your life is united with God’s story of redemption.
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