I invited PastorTom Hodges, our Director of Student Ministries to preach this Sunday at all of our Linwood Ave services! That is 4 times in 4 hours!! Take a moment and check out what Tom is speaking about this week! Barry Hidey

Everybody Has A Doorway

This Sunday concludes our series called, "Everybody Has A Story."  The word "evangelism" can be scary to some so we try not to focus on that word.  I think a better word for what we are all called to do in sharing God's Word is "relationship."  This is the best way to share God's love and grace with others...simply sharing our lives with others and through that, sharing how God and Jesus' sacrifice has affected our lives.  Simply live your faith and others will see it as we live life with them.  Jesus models this with His disciples.  He shared with them over a fire on a cool night, shared with them as they walked along the road, laughed with them, struggled with them...simply lived life with them for 3 years and during that time, was able to teach them what He needed them to learn.  Sometimes through parables, sometimes through hard lessons, and sometimes through direct conversation and even confrontation.

If we follow Jesus' model, we share our faith as we share our lives with others around us.  Maybe over some coffee, maybe during a break at work, and perhaps even on the playing field at school.  People are watching us and through the way we live, our faith comes out...hopefully! 

As we share our lives with others through relationship, and as they share their lives with us, there may come a time when we can get a chance to verbalize our faith.  Maybe, someone comes to us when they're struggling because they noticed that we handled our own adversity a little differently than others and they need our advice.  Perhaps a friend who knows we attend Bel Air UMC and have a faith, come to us when they are dealing with relationship problems or have suffered loss.  They come to us because they have discovered through their relationship with us that we claim that Jesus has made a difference.  It is perhaps at these moments, that we are then able to share a little more deeply about Jesus.  These moments are called DOORWAYS.  Everybody will eventually open a doorway in growing relationship with us.  The question really comes down to this:  Are we willing to walk through that and actually say that the difference in our lives is Jesus.  Are we willing to share that Jesus is the one we turn to in times of trouble?  You don't have to know about any deep formula; you don't have to know tons a memorized scripture; you don't have to have gone through years of discipleship training.  You simply have to be willing to share how Jesus has changed your life...how He wants to change theirs.

As you grow in relationship with others, keep your ears open for a doorway.  Look for opportunities to NATURALLY, not in a forced way, share Christ.

Maybe you share Christ over coffee...maybe you get to share Christ simply by providing a kind word or a hug when needed.  Whenever you get the chance to share Christ with someone, be ready!  And always remember to just BE Christ for someone when that opportunity (doorway) opens up!

Blessings,

 Tom Hodges

Youth Pastor