Forgive the animated gifs. I enjoy spicing up the blog a bit with some motion - hope they are only mildly annoying. Vicki is working in a parade home and I am sitting here with sleeping kids. Ahhhh... it feels good to just sit.
One thing I would like to mention quickly is this thing I am thinking about and I think I may have shared this a bit already... But here goes again (maybe)... I believe that God has truly called us to be his people on a mission. That mission is to bring his Kingdom and reign and therefore, his influence and relationship. I guess you could say that I have an evangelist heart. But, how I have seen sharing my faith has been shifting. I never felt comfortable in just walking up to someone and asking them about Jesus. I always thought it was extremely cheesy to ask an almost stranger if I could share with them the most important thing to me and then procede into my testimony (story.) I think this is the least desirable way to share, because there is little to no relational connection and investment. BUT, I believed that cheesy or not - sharing is more important than anything else... Except when people are totally blindsided and feel used by the experience. So - I have always been challenged to share my faith and be bold, but I despise that methodology even with my passion for reaching the lost... Perhaps some of you came to know Jesus in this quick confrontational approach with an almost stranger. If so great, but I don't like it personally.
So - I moved my efforts to becoming a lost person's friend for the purpose of sharing Jesus with them. This moves me away from my schedule, time and comfort zone and into their lives and world. I befriend them and I look for opportunities to share Jesus. This is a great methodolgy, but I am still not 100% behind this because I have not been a genuine friend. Often in this case the "friend" is a friend until they come to Christ and then they are pushed off for new lost friends. The friendship is not purely about developing a friendship as much as providing a caring and personal way to share. This is FRIENDSHIP FOR SHARING and it is good, but think there is still a better way - where people do not feel like a project....
So - I am exploring the idea of SHARING FROM FRIENDSHIP. This is different from the friendship for sharing model because it puts the focus on the relationship. The love and care of the friendship is vital and the friendship is valued beyond just an opportunity to share - so whether they accept God's story or not they are still your friend. This model has sharing Jesus out of a legitimate growing friendship. This puts the priority on the actual person... Loving that person... Caring for that person... Letting your life and words be a constant story teller of Jesus.
Do you see a difference. It always seems to come down to the heart issue. MOTIVES ARE KEY AS ALWAYS!
SHWING!
sd
One thing I would like to mention quickly is this thing I am thinking about and I think I may have shared this a bit already... But here goes again (maybe)... I believe that God has truly called us to be his people on a mission. That mission is to bring his Kingdom and reign and therefore, his influence and relationship. I guess you could say that I have an evangelist heart. But, how I have seen sharing my faith has been shifting. I never felt comfortable in just walking up to someone and asking them about Jesus. I always thought it was extremely cheesy to ask an almost stranger if I could share with them the most important thing to me and then procede into my testimony (story.) I think this is the least desirable way to share, because there is little to no relational connection and investment. BUT, I believed that cheesy or not - sharing is more important than anything else... Except when people are totally blindsided and feel used by the experience. So - I have always been challenged to share my faith and be bold, but I despise that methodology even with my passion for reaching the lost... Perhaps some of you came to know Jesus in this quick confrontational approach with an almost stranger. If so great, but I don't like it personally.
So - I moved my efforts to becoming a lost person's friend for the purpose of sharing Jesus with them. This moves me away from my schedule, time and comfort zone and into their lives and world. I befriend them and I look for opportunities to share Jesus. This is a great methodolgy, but I am still not 100% behind this because I have not been a genuine friend. Often in this case the "friend" is a friend until they come to Christ and then they are pushed off for new lost friends. The friendship is not purely about developing a friendship as much as providing a caring and personal way to share. This is FRIENDSHIP FOR SHARING and it is good, but think there is still a better way - where people do not feel like a project....
So - I am exploring the idea of SHARING FROM FRIENDSHIP. This is different from the friendship for sharing model because it puts the focus on the relationship. The love and care of the friendship is vital and the friendship is valued beyond just an opportunity to share - so whether they accept God's story or not they are still your friend. This model has sharing Jesus out of a legitimate growing friendship. This puts the priority on the actual person... Loving that person... Caring for that person... Letting your life and words be a constant story teller of Jesus.
Do you see a difference. It always seems to come down to the heart issue. MOTIVES ARE KEY AS ALWAYS!
SHWING!
sd
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