The Shape of Things

Well tonight I went out with my buddy Dempson sharing the gospel with people. This was my very first time and I can’t wait to do it again.

We went to this place in town where a ton of people hang out so we had a lot of opportunities. I was shy and didn’t want to talk to anyone at first but I just kept feeling God tugging at my heart to talk to people. I ended up talking to about 5 or 6 people and it was so great. No one was saved but I feel that I shared the message that I wanted to and I know that God used me tonight and it feels absolutly wonderful.

I still have a ton of learning to do but I feel like I can relate to people on the street and can transition from everyday life to Jesus and the gospel fairly easily.

I had an incident that happened to me a couple weeks ago and it has made me a little bitter towards sharing the gospel. These girls were really harsh towards me and my buddy Steve about sharing with them. So I said to myself, “fine, I just won’t go back there anymore”. But then last night I was talking with Steve and he told me that when you are a Christian that people are going to dislike you. Well this morning I was reading John chapter 15 and look what I found:

18 “When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. 19 The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. 20 Do you remember what I told you? `A servant is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you! 21 The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don’t know God who sent me. 22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone who hates me hates my Father, too. 24 If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw all that I did and yet hated both of us–me and my Father. 25 This has fulfilled what the Scriptures said: `They hated me without cause.’

After reading those verses it made me feel much better and I am ready to get back on the sharing wagon.

You know when you had that one great teacher when you were growing up. Well multiply that by 1000 and you have Jesus. Check this:

John 4:7-24

⁷Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” ⁸He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

⁹The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

¹⁰Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

¹¹“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this is a very deep well. Where would you get this living water? ¹²And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed?”

¹³Jesus replied, “People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. ¹⁴But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

¹⁵“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me some of that water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to haul water.”

¹⁶“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

¹⁷“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband– ¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now.”

¹⁹“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. ²⁰So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim,^[b] where our ancestors worshiped?”

²¹Jesus replied, “Believe me, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans know so little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. ²³But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. ²⁴For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Issue 1: Eating out
Goal — Only go out to eat once a week. That includes eating at the VC.

Issue 2: Finances
Goal — No spending on my CC this month.

Issue 3: Reading the word
Goal — Read 2 chapters per day. 1 before I go to bed, and 1 when I wakeup.

Issue 4: Fitness
Goal — 30 minute walk everyday after work. Some other activity on the weekend (Biking, Basketball, Frisbee, etc..)