Post by Jeffrey Olver on Sept 6, 2005 13:55:18 GMT -5
I was very privelged this Labor Day weekend to spend it with Jesse and Stephen doing ministry in Fort Worth! Last night was the end of time with them and we got to share to gospel with plenty of youth milling around the Rave Cinema at the Northeast Mall.
Stephen very cleverly used how a group of 3 jr. high kids dumped their soda all over the ground to witness to them. The conversation lasted a long time, and their minds are now hooked on eternity. One of those young guys talked to me later and said he was definitely going home to read his Bible.
I was able to talk with a group of 4 jr. high and high school guys. They had all "accepted the Lord into their hearts" when they were young and had been to youth group. But when I took them through the 10 commandments...a sort of impromptu "Good Test"...it came out they had just got caught up in hype at some time and weren't doing very well. I was able to get them thinking about eternity and just what "accepting the Lord into their hearts" meant. Those kids walked away with the knowledge that it's not enough to just be "sorry" for sin, but it requires true repentance...and with the knowledge that they can be NEW person in Christ with a new heart and new desires. Some of those kids shrugged it off...one young man in particular was very respectful...and you could see the wheels turning in his mind.
Finally, before leaving, I just started a conversation with a group of more young teens. I just simply asked if they had ever been to youth group. All of them had...many had gone last week. So I just asked them if ever there was anything they just had questions about. The Bible? God? Christianity? Was there ever any moment when they just wanted to raise their hand in church and say "Hold on a second! Answer me this...?"
Sure enough they had questions that the Holy Spirit was able to guide back to putting their minds on eternity and truly following Christ. Some of them took it seriously, others tried to joke around. The scripture encouraged me: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor. 1:18
In each instance of talking with people, you could see the conviction start in their hearts. Some shrugged it off, some, I know, will be thinking of it for a long time. Each of them, I told, would be held accountable for the knowledge they now have. They could listen, follow the Lord....or they could ignore it, shrug it off...and one day realize they should have listened.
Praise God for seeds being sewn!
Stephen very cleverly used how a group of 3 jr. high kids dumped their soda all over the ground to witness to them. The conversation lasted a long time, and their minds are now hooked on eternity. One of those young guys talked to me later and said he was definitely going home to read his Bible.
I was able to talk with a group of 4 jr. high and high school guys. They had all "accepted the Lord into their hearts" when they were young and had been to youth group. But when I took them through the 10 commandments...a sort of impromptu "Good Test"...it came out they had just got caught up in hype at some time and weren't doing very well. I was able to get them thinking about eternity and just what "accepting the Lord into their hearts" meant. Those kids walked away with the knowledge that it's not enough to just be "sorry" for sin, but it requires true repentance...and with the knowledge that they can be NEW person in Christ with a new heart and new desires. Some of those kids shrugged it off...one young man in particular was very respectful...and you could see the wheels turning in his mind.
Finally, before leaving, I just started a conversation with a group of more young teens. I just simply asked if they had ever been to youth group. All of them had...many had gone last week. So I just asked them if ever there was anything they just had questions about. The Bible? God? Christianity? Was there ever any moment when they just wanted to raise their hand in church and say "Hold on a second! Answer me this...?"
Sure enough they had questions that the Holy Spirit was able to guide back to putting their minds on eternity and truly following Christ. Some of them took it seriously, others tried to joke around. The scripture encouraged me: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor. 1:18
In each instance of talking with people, you could see the conviction start in their hearts. Some shrugged it off, some, I know, will be thinking of it for a long time. Each of them, I told, would be held accountable for the knowledge they now have. They could listen, follow the Lord....or they could ignore it, shrug it off...and one day realize they should have listened.
Praise God for seeds being sewn!