Post by Jeffrey Olver on Dec 16, 2007 14:22:03 GMT -5
Friday night I preached in front of the pool hall for three hours.
It was chilly and very misty - but I persevered.
I made a sign on bright neon poster board "REPENT AND TRUST JESUS." and wore my Jesus Saves shirt over my layers of clothes.
It was a "slow" night as far as crowds go. A lot of people heard the gospel as they went in and out. I don't have much of a voice, but I also sang "amazing grace" a few times. ;D
As the weather was remaining miserable I was slowly convincing myself to leave. Just as I was doing that a silver mercedes slowed down by me and a woman and her two kids waved and gave me a thumbs up. Twenty minutes later the same family came back with a large hot chocolate from starbucks just for me! This not only warmed my body, but my heart as well and I was encouraged to stay out longer.
The police stopped by because someone reported me as a "suspicious person." They only came out of obligation, not wishing to bother me. The bouncers also greeted me again and told me to keep safe.
I reasoned briefly with a man later in the night who was claiming his church was his body and he could do whatever he wanted. And later a young lady came out who had recently been saved and baptized. She didn't give me two minutes to speak to her, but told me her story of how she spent $500 bringing her family to the area because they'd just been evicted. Most of her talking was justifying compromise, and in her efforts to trying to tell me what I was doing was wrong without offending me, ended up just agreeing with what I was doing - and I hardly said a word. I could tell her conscience was already bothering her. A friend and her mother came out and brought her back inside.
It was 11:45 and I was ready to go, so I approached the bar to throw away my cup and an employee of the bar and a friend of hers just spontaenously asked me questions about what I was doing, which lead to a very good conversation about sin, repentance and having the right motives in repentance and asking forgiveness.
I stuck around because they said the bar was about to close and a bunch of people would be leaving all at once. There was a slow trickle for a short time, but I ended up leaving because the folks were staying inside longer than expected.
Even though it's December, I'm praying for decent weather in the coming weeks so I can engage more people.
God bless!
It was chilly and very misty - but I persevered.
I made a sign on bright neon poster board "REPENT AND TRUST JESUS." and wore my Jesus Saves shirt over my layers of clothes.
It was a "slow" night as far as crowds go. A lot of people heard the gospel as they went in and out. I don't have much of a voice, but I also sang "amazing grace" a few times. ;D
As the weather was remaining miserable I was slowly convincing myself to leave. Just as I was doing that a silver mercedes slowed down by me and a woman and her two kids waved and gave me a thumbs up. Twenty minutes later the same family came back with a large hot chocolate from starbucks just for me! This not only warmed my body, but my heart as well and I was encouraged to stay out longer.
The police stopped by because someone reported me as a "suspicious person." They only came out of obligation, not wishing to bother me. The bouncers also greeted me again and told me to keep safe.
I reasoned briefly with a man later in the night who was claiming his church was his body and he could do whatever he wanted. And later a young lady came out who had recently been saved and baptized. She didn't give me two minutes to speak to her, but told me her story of how she spent $500 bringing her family to the area because they'd just been evicted. Most of her talking was justifying compromise, and in her efforts to trying to tell me what I was doing was wrong without offending me, ended up just agreeing with what I was doing - and I hardly said a word. I could tell her conscience was already bothering her. A friend and her mother came out and brought her back inside.
It was 11:45 and I was ready to go, so I approached the bar to throw away my cup and an employee of the bar and a friend of hers just spontaenously asked me questions about what I was doing, which lead to a very good conversation about sin, repentance and having the right motives in repentance and asking forgiveness.
I stuck around because they said the bar was about to close and a bunch of people would be leaving all at once. There was a slow trickle for a short time, but I ended up leaving because the folks were staying inside longer than expected.
Even though it's December, I'm praying for decent weather in the coming weeks so I can engage more people.
God bless!