Becoming Heroes
It's been some time since my last blog. I apologize. I was told by a good friend to get my booty in gear and start writing again. So, here ya go.
For the last several weeks, I have been preaching through a series I called "Becoming Heroes." The theme comes from the hit TV show, "HEROES" which is on Monday Nights on NBC.
The catch phrase of the trailer for HEROES is this: "Ordinary people discovering extraordinary abilities in themselves."
Have you ever noticed that our culture seems to be looking for heroes? They are. They are looking for people to rise up, seize the moment, give them hope, and change the world. Maybe people won't admit it, but I'm positive that most everyone wants this world to change.
Everyone wants a hero.
The truth of the matter is, if you are a Christian, you ARE a hero - or at least you're supposed to be. God has called you to be extraordinary. God has called you to be a hero to this lost and dying world.
As disciples of Christ, we are part of the greatest, most extraordinary story ever told: The story of Redemption. We have been redeemed, we have been forgiven.
And you have a story that is like no other. Your story is 100% unique. Your story is extraordinary. Your story holds the extraordinary power to reach this world for Christ; it holds the power through the Holy Spirit to open up people’s eyes to see the Kingdom of Heaven.
And as Heroes, we need to tell people about Jesus. But let's be honest; have you ever tried to just go up to someone random and say, "Excuse me, do you know Jesus as your personal Savior?" It's awkward. And most times, you don't get the results you're hoping for (if you've ever done it in the first place). Normally, people will blow you off. There are those Christians who will take that response and say that those people are simply blinded to the truth. However, I would tend to disagree and say that some of the blame for their reaction falls directly on us.
Yes, telling people about Jesus is the greatest act of love we could do for someone. But the problem is - THEY DON'T KNOW THAT.
So, how can we help them to see that? If we really care about their eternal destination, how can we show them we care? Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those "Let's just love them into the kingdom" kinda guys. Why? Because that doesn't work either. They MUST here the story of Christ and know that they are sinners and see the need to repent. But we must approach it differently.
If we really care about people's salvation, we must KNOW our story, LISTEN to their story, CARE about them, and BE GENUINE.
What has God done for you? What has he done in your life? Did he save you? What from? Has he ever interviened in your life? KNOW your story - and tell it!
Instead of simply telling people the story of Christ, we need to start by telling them the story of - us.
I think I'll stop their for now... More to come next week.
-elgin
For the last several weeks, I have been preaching through a series I called "Becoming Heroes." The theme comes from the hit TV show, "HEROES" which is on Monday Nights on NBC.
The catch phrase of the trailer for HEROES is this: "Ordinary people discovering extraordinary abilities in themselves."
Have you ever noticed that our culture seems to be looking for heroes? They are. They are looking for people to rise up, seize the moment, give them hope, and change the world. Maybe people won't admit it, but I'm positive that most everyone wants this world to change.
Everyone wants a hero.
The truth of the matter is, if you are a Christian, you ARE a hero - or at least you're supposed to be. God has called you to be extraordinary. God has called you to be a hero to this lost and dying world.
As disciples of Christ, we are part of the greatest, most extraordinary story ever told: The story of Redemption. We have been redeemed, we have been forgiven.
And you have a story that is like no other. Your story is 100% unique. Your story is extraordinary. Your story holds the extraordinary power to reach this world for Christ; it holds the power through the Holy Spirit to open up people’s eyes to see the Kingdom of Heaven.
And as Heroes, we need to tell people about Jesus. But let's be honest; have you ever tried to just go up to someone random and say, "Excuse me, do you know Jesus as your personal Savior?" It's awkward. And most times, you don't get the results you're hoping for (if you've ever done it in the first place). Normally, people will blow you off. There are those Christians who will take that response and say that those people are simply blinded to the truth. However, I would tend to disagree and say that some of the blame for their reaction falls directly on us.
Yes, telling people about Jesus is the greatest act of love we could do for someone. But the problem is - THEY DON'T KNOW THAT.
So, how can we help them to see that? If we really care about their eternal destination, how can we show them we care? Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those "Let's just love them into the kingdom" kinda guys. Why? Because that doesn't work either. They MUST here the story of Christ and know that they are sinners and see the need to repent. But we must approach it differently.
If we really care about people's salvation, we must KNOW our story, LISTEN to their story, CARE about them, and BE GENUINE.
What has God done for you? What has he done in your life? Did he save you? What from? Has he ever interviened in your life? KNOW your story - and tell it!
Instead of simply telling people the story of Christ, we need to start by telling them the story of - us.
I think I'll stop their for now... More to come next week.
-elgin