Day 30: Practice Practice Practice

One of my most favorite ways to witness is through passing out tracts. I have no problem the majority of the time engaging people with a tract and putting it in their hands. Friends have joked about me callings me the "tract-master" due to the fact that I know where to get tracts and always have some and love passing them out.

Well recently, I have been running low on tracts. Normally I have a good stash ready for any event or opportunity, but certain things have kept me from ordering as much as I do. I took my lack of tract to God in prayer and left with seeing my predicament as a way God was telling me to be bolder, engage people in conversation rather than just give them a tract and off I go.

Today was that day. I would be bold. I would engage people in conversation. As I made my way around downtown, I handed out tracts here and there, telling people what it was but not really engaging them in conversations.

One by one, I had opportunity to talk to people, even the mayor of Montgomery. I saw him walking and as he neared the crosswalk, I handed him a million dollar bill tract. He looked at it and asked what it was, and I explained to him that it was a gospel tract and off he went.

Another guy I met was a young man. He did not stick around to talk much, much after briefly emphasizing that we all die; every last one of us. He said by the was he lives his life; he would go to hell and just scampered on down the road as if that was just the way life was.

There were a few more people I spoke with but during all of my quick encounters, I found it hard to engage people in conversation. I had gotten so use to just passing out tracts and moving on, I was out of practice with one on one conversations.

I love tracts and don't ever see myself abandoning them. They are a great tool to witness with and can go places I can't. But, as we practice sharing our faith, I believe we should pray to be more bold in other avenues of witnessing.

Such as of course, engaging people in one two one conversations, maybe open air preaching or Prayer Station evangelism. There are many way to be a witness and I encourage you to look for opportunities to do just that, be a witness of the hope that is in you.

I have enjoyed these days writing this journal. It has been an interesting thirty days for me and I have thankful that I can look back on them and read about the opportunities given to me to practice sharing my faith in my own town and beyond. I hope you have been encouraged by this journal and are lighting the darkness in your own city.

Light the darkness~

David

EvangelizeYourCity.org

Day 29: Witnessing at the Courthouse

The other day I came across some pictures and testimonies of some guys in California witnessing and preaching at their local courthouse and was reminded of a great opportunity to witness on the first Monday of each month at the local parole board. When I first began to open air preach; this was one of the first places I went to practice sharing my faith by preaching.

I woke up early and walked out the door prepared, as so I thought. I had forgotten my keys. I went back into the house and looked everywhere but they were no where to be found. My wife assisted me in locating them but by the time we found them, I knew I had missed the window to witness before they opened the doors to let people in.

I still made my way downtown and by the courthouse to see about six people standing outside waiting for the doors to open. I figured it was to small a crowd to preach so I just passed out some tracts and tried to engage some people in conversation.

As I was talking to a guy about the tract and the message, they opened the doors and he excused himself.

Afterward, I walked around and spoke with a few more people that would listen and passed out some more tracts. There wasn't as many people as in a big city, but still it was people in need of a savior.

Let me encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to share the gospel at your local courthouse or DMV. Go one day and do recon you might say. Log the time of day in the morning when they unlock the door to let people in. Then go back one day early enough to engage them in conversation or to reach the gospel.

Here are a few links and resources I found that may offer some encouragement.

Facebook page for Courthouse DMV outreach
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163168873693810&ref=mf#!/group.php?gid=113144578745766&ref=mf

A great tract made just for this type of witnessing, any tract will do though.
http://www.livingwaters.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=122&category_id=8&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=199&lang=en

"At the Courts" preaching."
http://www.livingwaters.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=34&Itemid=308&lang=en

One more day left! I honestly hope these journal post have encouraged you somehow to be a witness in your own city, sharing the gospel with all you know.

Lighting the darkness~
David

Day 28: Family time at the park

In previous post, I have in written about witnessing adventures that involved my kids. I find it a great joy to have them tag along when witnessing and I strongly encourage it. Sharing your faith does not need to be a hobby you may have away from your family,but a lifestyle that your family and you can practice doing together.

On this particular day, the weather was beautiful. It was nice and cool with a great breeze. A perfect day to take the youngsters to the park.

While at the park playing with my kids, I planted a million dollar bill tract on part of the kid's castle at the park and waited.

Before long, I noticed a group of young kids gawking over it. Each of them gazing at the big money one of them had found. Before we left the park, I gave one to a lady playing with her child and one of the kids that had seen the million I planted, spotted it as if it was the best thing since sliced bread.

He immediately ran up to her and asked her about the tract. I then pulled out my stash and handed him and the rest of the kids at the park one, explaining to them what it was.

As we made our way to the van, my three year old took some and handed them out to some parents sitting along some benches as their kids played.

I love being a dad. I find it a great joy to call my kids mine and to take them along and teach them how to share the greatest message there is with all we can.

I look forward to Day 28 of this journal and hope that you are encouraged by this journal as I have been with the opportunities given to share such good news.

Lighting the darkness~

David

www.EvangelizeYourCity.org

Day 27: Every opportunity , even at a job interview

This afternoon I went to a job tour with the state at a local youth facility. The tour consisted of them two other guys and myself around the facility grounds, informing us that if we are hired, what will be expected as am employee.

The tour lasted just over an hour. It did offer a few opportunities to share my faith in which I am grateful. My memory has failed me when it comes to the names of both of the guys I witnessed with but one man was named Nick.

Along with these two, I was able to give a tract to the driver who escorted us onto the property grounds;which she was delighted to get.

I gave a tract to each of the guys who took the tour with me;telling them that the one thing we all have in common was that we all die. The look on their face said it all. Limited on time, I left them with a few more words and that was it.

Not to many days to go. I hope that somehow this journal has been encouraging. That you are shairng your faith in your own town.

Light the darkness

David
www.EvangelizeYourCity.org

Day 26: Bible Study Interupted...

Day 26~ Went out to the State Capital for a bible study at night on the steps and during the study, was interrupted by the Capital Police. Ended up talking with Officer Rich for a bit and thankfully had the chance to ask him about life after eternity and give him a tract. He mentioned that he was not going to hell, which is good;but keep him in your prayers.

Day 25: Taking your kids witnessing

Today I had to go to Wal-Mart to drop some paper work off to get permission to place my Prayer Station in front of the store and I took my 3 year old along with me.

After speaking with a manager up in the front of the store, I was sent to the back by lay-a-way to speak with a person from personnel.
As we waited, I tried patiently to keep my three year old calm and in control. She has attention span that is shorter than my pinky toe and enough energy to to get the shuttle to the moon and back...

During our wait, which seemed like days....crickets chirping; there was a guy who was waiting for something else on a nearby chair. I had a few football trivia tracts that I just got in the mail from Bezeugen Tract Club and offered him one.

That was simple... I'm sure that as the guy waited, longer than us in fact, he was delighted to find something to read to help pass the time;and what better than God's word...

It is always a joy to hear my kids talk about witnessing. My kids always enjoy going places with me and passing out a few tracts. They even have a special word for it as well. It's called "gospel-ing."

I asked my little girl today as we drove to the store, "Who do you tell people about when you go gospel-ing?" With a big enthusiastic yell she said ,"Jesus."

Let me encourage you to take your kids witnessing with you. Teach them, let them see and hear you do it. As they grow, they will become great ambassadors for Christ in their own schools and around their friends.


Light the darkness~
David
EvangelizeYourCity.org

Day 24 : Door to Door Opportunity

It has been more than a few days since I last posted and I hope you are still hanging in there with me. It looks like the closer I get to the end, I get farther behind on posting. But not because I haven't had the opportunity, there has been many, it just has been a busy thankfully and just not finding the time to post.

But today was a great day...I must continue on and finish this blog..

I was invited today to help out a new church in town canvas the neighborhood surrounding the church and invite people to worship on Sunday. We walked to about one hundred homes and passed out fliers and tracts.

There were a few opportunities to witness and speak a little more than just come to church which I was very thankful.

One yard I went up to had chickens running around. In the city!

During our walk, I thought about the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons who do this all the time and thought, we should be doing the same. What a great opportunity to talk to people.

If I haven't mentioned this in the past, there is a great brother who does door to door ministry and has some great resources. Check him out at http://www.bezeugen.org/Bezeugen/Door_to_Door.html

Stay encouraged and share your faith.

Light the darkness~
David