The Joy of Church Connection for Young Believers Day 6: Being Authentic “Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33, ESV) “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6, ESV) “Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is…
Personal Evangelism Day 6: Strategies to Build Confidence: Part 1 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) If you want to be great at anything in life, what is one of the most important things you need? Confidence. When someone is motivated and confident, it’s amazing what they…
The Joy of Church Connection for Young Believers Day 5: Reaching Beyond Our Walls “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15, ESV) “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to…
Personal Evangelism Day 5: Obstacles to Evangelism: Idol Spotting “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) “So if we know why we should witness and we’re still not willing to witness, then it’s because our hearts are somewhere else. It’s because actually what we most want is a comfortable life, or a good reputation with friends and colleagues, or a nice settled existence with our…
The Joy of Church Connection for Young Believers Day 4: Being an Encourager “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV) “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” (James 1:19, ESV) Have you ever received some upsetting news—failing a test, or getting fired from your job, or maybe even the death…
Personal Evangelism Day 4: Obstacles to Evangelism: Fear “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16) Here is a good question. If we know the truth of the gospel, we know it’s God’s will for us to share it, and we care about the people around us, why don’t we spend more time focusing on evangelism?…
The Joy of Church Connection for Young Believers Day 3: Mentoring Your Younger Christian Friends Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6, ESV) Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1, ESV) When I was younger, I heard the word “mentor” a lot in church, school, and even in casual conversations. I…
Personal Evangelism Day 3: Benefits to the Believer “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) In the work of salvation, who does the saving? That’s a silly question right? Of course we know that God…
The Joy of Church Connection for Young Believers Day 2: Being Inclusive “[Be] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3, ESV) “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:4-5, ESV) No one likes that gut-wrenching feeling…
Personal Evangelism Day 2: Presenting the Truth “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15) It’s very clear in the Word of God that we have a responsibility to tell others about the person of Jesus. But…