Whether we like it or not, times have changed. A simple yet clear example of this is when I was
growing up, I would come home from school, turn on the TV, and watch shows like Leave it to
Beaver or I Love Lucy. In those shows a husband and wife didn’t even share a bed! Yet today,
kids turn on the TV and are exposed to things I couldn’t even imagine at their age.
Whether we like it or not, times have changed, and I think that means our approach to sharing the Gospel needs to be considered. It used to be that pretty much everyone around us had heard of Jesus, understood the cross, and had been given a chance to receive His grace and love. Yet these days, many people around us have little understanding of Jesus, don’t know basic Bible stories, and definitely don’t understand the grace and forgiveness that comes from Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.
Right now, I would say that the majority of our culture doesn't have a clear sense of right and
wrong and doesn't live in a God-honoring way. Because of that, our starting line for evangelism
has been moved. The finish line hasn't moved. But the starting point, or the “on ramp” to
discussions about faith and Jesus has become a bit longer, and the approach might not be as
much as a "one size fits all" as it had been when Christianity had been a part of majority culture.
I have noticed that many of our fellow followers of Jesus are spending a great amount of time
and energy calling people to live a Jesus-honoring lifestyle, yet these people themselves don’t
yet know or understand Jesus. It seems to me that we can too often get the “cart before the
horse.”
With all of this in mind, this coming Friday and Saturday we are holding our Fall Hope Institute
where we will discuss how to approach evangelism in our current culture. Pastors Naomi, Mark,
and I will be teaching. On Friday evening we will be teaching some of the foundational creeds
that followers of Jesus have believed for centuries. These are the non-negotiables of our faith,
and they are a great starting point for anyone that is trying to learn and understand about Jesus.
Then on Saturday we will be discussing how we can engage non-believers, understand cultural
issues of the day, and help point people to Jesus and without getting caught in the divisiveness
that can sometimes follow. We plan on closing our Hope Institute time with a workshop format
helping us look at real-life situations and how we can love people where they are at and point
them to the foundational truths of Jesus.
Whether we like it or not, times are changing, and it’s wise for us as followers of Jesus to equip
ourselves to best share the love and truths of Jesus with a world that desperately needs Him.
Hope Institute is Friday from 6-9 pm, and we’ll have pizza. It will continue on Saturday from
9am-12pm, and we’ll have donuts. Childcare is also available if you register ahead of time. I
hope you can join us!
Peace,
Nick
growing up, I would come home from school, turn on the TV, and watch shows like Leave it to
Beaver or I Love Lucy. In those shows a husband and wife didn’t even share a bed! Yet today,
kids turn on the TV and are exposed to things I couldn’t even imagine at their age.
Whether we like it or not, times have changed, and I think that means our approach to sharing the Gospel needs to be considered. It used to be that pretty much everyone around us had heard of Jesus, understood the cross, and had been given a chance to receive His grace and love. Yet these days, many people around us have little understanding of Jesus, don’t know basic Bible stories, and definitely don’t understand the grace and forgiveness that comes from Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.
Right now, I would say that the majority of our culture doesn't have a clear sense of right and
wrong and doesn't live in a God-honoring way. Because of that, our starting line for evangelism
has been moved. The finish line hasn't moved. But the starting point, or the “on ramp” to
discussions about faith and Jesus has become a bit longer, and the approach might not be as
much as a "one size fits all" as it had been when Christianity had been a part of majority culture.
I have noticed that many of our fellow followers of Jesus are spending a great amount of time
and energy calling people to live a Jesus-honoring lifestyle, yet these people themselves don’t
yet know or understand Jesus. It seems to me that we can too often get the “cart before the
horse.”
With all of this in mind, this coming Friday and Saturday we are holding our Fall Hope Institute
where we will discuss how to approach evangelism in our current culture. Pastors Naomi, Mark,
and I will be teaching. On Friday evening we will be teaching some of the foundational creeds
that followers of Jesus have believed for centuries. These are the non-negotiables of our faith,
and they are a great starting point for anyone that is trying to learn and understand about Jesus.
Then on Saturday we will be discussing how we can engage non-believers, understand cultural
issues of the day, and help point people to Jesus and without getting caught in the divisiveness
that can sometimes follow. We plan on closing our Hope Institute time with a workshop format
helping us look at real-life situations and how we can love people where they are at and point
them to the foundational truths of Jesus.
Whether we like it or not, times are changing, and it’s wise for us as followers of Jesus to equip
ourselves to best share the love and truths of Jesus with a world that desperately needs Him.
Hope Institute is Friday from 6-9 pm, and we’ll have pizza. It will continue on Saturday from
9am-12pm, and we’ll have donuts. Childcare is also available if you register ahead of time. I
hope you can join us!
Peace,
Nick