Play to win...

"Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19.

If you're like me, then you'd probably rather sit through a root
canal then purposefully share your faith with someone. The thought of
going up to a friend, or even worse a stranger, and attempting to
distill the entire Bible into a thirty second conversation centered
around sin, the four spiritual laws, some kind of bridge, and maybe the
Roman Road leaves me feeling a queasy. And maybe it should.

If you read the account of Jesus calling his first disciples in
the Gospel of Matthew 4:19, you'll see that he approaches things a
little differently. When Jesus invited two brothers, Peter and Andrew,
to join his ministry, he made it abundantly clear that they would be
leaving their old lives behind. But at the same time, Jesus couched his
invitation in terms that they would understand. He could just as easily
have invited them to become healers of men, or shepherds of men, or
teachers of men, but he didn't. Jesus told the brothers that he would
teach them to become fishers of men. Why? Because Peter and Andrew
were fishermen and Jesus knew that they would instantly understand his
message.

So how does that apply to us? Pastor and evangelist Tony Evans
once explained the process of sharing your faith by comparing the action
to a Dallas Cowboys fan talking about football. Tony stated that a
Cowboys fan doesn't have to try to work the subject of football into a
conversation. Since the fan is already passionate about football, he
talks about the Cowboys naturally without worrying about what he'll say
or how he'll say it. Tony's point is that if we are truly passionate
about something, talking about it will come easily.

Just like the fisherman who first related to Christ through
their life experiences, I've found that I share my faith most
effectively when I focus less on New Testament theology and more on what
God has done in my life. When I think of how good my Father has been to
me, I naturally want to share this story with others. Not as a
theologian or Biblical scholar, but as a simple, passionate fan who
can't wait to tell his friends the Good News.

So what about it? Are you ready to follow and fish or are you
still standing on the beach? Hurting people, desperate to hear a
positive story, surround you. Tell them yours.

- Don

* Tony Evans talked about sharing your passions with friends with
the expectation that your relationship with Christ will be one of those
passions. What if it's not? On Sunday, Andy said that God wants to
replace your indifference with passion. Will you let him? Tell me
about it.

* In the same teaching I referenced above, Tony Evans suggested
praying this prayer every morning: "God, I ask you to give me the
opportunity to share my faith with someone today, the wisdom to
recognize that opportunity when it comes, and the courage to act on it."
Pray that prayer for the next week and tell me what happens when you do.