A Sea Of Red

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Evangelism Done Right

What a weekend. It was my second year speaking at Winterfest at Liberty University, a place that has become very, very special to me recently. I need to tell you a story about something that happened this weekend that I believe you will enjoy.

It was a big event with big names and big bands. Stellar Kart, Disciple, Jeremy Camp, Kutless. Charles Billingsley, Ayiesha Woods and KJ52. There were over 6,000 people from all over the country. And over 400 students made first time professions of faith as they stood to their feet publicly, with the lights on and all eyes open, and no music playing, to confess their sins and begin a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ.

As wonderful as all of that was, that is not what I want to share with you. The real story for me is about 4 teenage girls who came to Winterfest with their 4 friends.

A youth pastor challenged his students to become friends with people in their schools who were not Christians. A few of his girls from the youth group took him up on the offer, and apparently loving a good challenge, became friends with 4 Wiccans in their school. These 4 Wiccans were not hard-core witches of any sort, but were curious about the spiritual world and were exploring it through Wicca. They were invited to Winterfest and came.

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That is an amazing story. I was at WInterfest this weekend and can speak to just how powerful the preaching was, but more often than not it is what we as individuals do to show love to those who do not know Jesus or may have fallen away from him.

I really like Clayton King. He has done a great job at the previous Spiritual Emphasis weeks. Wish I could have been here.

TDDance234 wrote:I really like Clayton King. He has done a great job at the previous Spiritual Emphasis weeks. Wish I could have been here.

I talked to him throughout the weekend and he will be returning for Spring 09 Spiritual Emphasis Week (David Nasser is speaking for this spring)

Later during the weekend, late at night in their hotel room, all 4 of those girls decided that what they were really searching for was unconditional love and acceptance. They found that when they prayed with their christian friends and asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins. When the youth pastor shared that story with me the next morning, I realized that is how you do evangelism. You love people just as they are, right where they are, expecting nothing from them, showing them the mercy and grace of God. He will take care of the saving.

I knew Clayton when I lived in Shelby, NC and he was just starting out. Glad to see how God has grown, matured and used him. This is a huge revelation for him and a good one for all those who do big event evangelism. We can't all be great speakers but we can be those girls. Similarly, a good message from a speaker can be a springboard to further, deeper discussion among friends who have built that bridge of love and trust being sensitive to the movement of God's spirit and not forcing a response.

As an aside, in another thread we talked about Lynchburg folks who have ill feelings toward LU. Most I knew in Lynchburg felt that way because this approach was not used on them in the early years of LU but rather they were accosted with the Gospel on the streets, in the mall, etc...

This is yet another sign of LU moving in the right direction. Bravo.

I give it 2 years before he's at LU full time similar to Charles Billingsley's deal

I was just thinking the same thing. King has spent so much time at LU over the past few years, he's becoming a staple.