“Tell Me About Your Church”
As I discussed in our last newsletter, a major component of our evangelism ministry is being with the lost, befriending them, listening to them, and then entering into their suffering and their story. All so that, Lord willing, we will be able to share the gospel and show them the truth and love of Jesus. Recently, I was having lunch with Barry, a bartender that I have spent time with on several occasions, and who is now starting to trust me enough share deeply and personally. As we sat down, and before we had even been able to order our drinks (diet cokes), Barry began to pour everything out to me: A frustration with his partying lifestyle and seeing where that was leading him (nowhere good). Addiction to alcohol. And to pornography. And a life that is spinning further and further away from any healthy foundation or direction. As I say often about the people we are meeting here: They know they are lost. They just don’t know that there is a Savior.
As I listened to Barry sharing his story and his struggles, and I was thanking God that he would lead Barry to trust me in such a personal and profound way, I leaned in, and said, “I am sorry for the hurt you are feeling… How can I help?” And that is when he said it: “Tell me about your church.”