venice church

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Get Ready

There is a good chance that over the next several weeks God will give you an opportunity, an open door to enter into a spiritual conversation with somebody who is far from Him.

As a Christ follower and a member of Venice I want you to be able to take advantage of the situation to help somebody move toward faith in Christ. In the passage below, Paul provides some pivotal clues that will allow us to be successful in this endeavor that God will call you to.
Colossians 4:2-6
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. [3] Don't forget to pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to preach about his secret plan—that Christ is also for you Gentiles. That is why I am here in chains. [4] Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. [5] Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. [6] Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.

Paul says several very simple things. He asks the people at the church in Colossae to pray for these things in his life and to embrace them for their own lives. Allow me to simplify.
Be devoted to prayer.
Be alert and thankful.
Pray for opportunities to share Christ.
Live wisely with unbelievers.
Make the most of every opportunity.
Be gracious and effective in your conversations.

God will open the door. Walk through it and engage in a gracious and effective conversation that will point that person to Christ. You can do it. I will be praying for you. Please, pray for me and my opportunities.