I met Bentley and his grandfather Steve while fishing at Pride Lake, in Scott County Park. This is the story of God's gracious providence. A three-Fold Purpose For me, there is a three-fold purpose for sharing testimonies about my gospel encounters with people. First, I want to give glory to God for the times He allows me to watch Him work. "But Jesus answered them, 'My … [Read more...]
American Evangelicalism: Where Dead People Can Help Themselves
While Christians are often categorized as being "American Evangelicals," American Evangelicalism is not synonymous with biblical Christianity. One reason: included in a large swath of American Evangelicals is the unbiblical belief that dead people can help themselves--the synergistic belief that man cooperates with God in his salvation. You've Seen the Image I often see … [Read more...]
Open-Air Preaching: God Has Not Commanded You To Do It
Open-air preaching is not the power of God for salvation. It is merely a method for communicating the gospel--one of many. God Has Not Commanded Your Preferred Method EVERY Christian is commanded by God in His Word to engage in evangelism and make disciples. That being understood, God does not command our favorite evangelistic methodologies. Nowhere in God's Word has He … [Read more...]
Love the Nomad; Don’t “Like” Him
Yesterday I discovered that I have numerous Facebook friends who are friends with a nomadic street preacher/abolitionist--a person with no real attachment or accountability to a local church. Three Groups of Facebook Friends I realize that among these Facebook friends there are likely some who... Have no idea the person with whom they are Facebook friends is a nomad. … [Read more...]
Correspondence: Some Advice for a Young Evangelist
From time to time, younger brothers in Christ will contact me looking for some advice. Often these young men are looking to strike out as an evangelist. I hope other young men will find encouragement in the following correspondence. A YouTube Comment A younger man with whom I have corresponded in the past posted the following comment on one of my videos. He was looking for … [Read more...]
Revisiting the “Sinner’s Prayer”: A Conversation with Kim
One conversation with Kim resulted in another conversation with another Kim. Confused? Allow me to explain. Kim at the Corner of Harrison and Locust A little more than a week ago, I met a man named Kim on the corner of Harrison and Locust, in Davenport, IA. I gave him a gospel tract. He lingered for a moment or two indicating he might want to talk. At one point, I asked … [Read more...]
Still True: Overcoming Anxiety and Knowing Peace Through Prayer
Mahria took a day off work this week to sort through, purge, and organize years of family documents. During the several-hours-long effort, she came across some papers I had written during my time as a student at The Master's Seminary. The stack of papers she handed me included my Letter of Acceptance from the seminary and a paper titled "Philippians 4:6-7 -- Overcoming Anxiety … [Read more...]
