Category: Gospel

Posted in Gospel, Life

Yard sign evangelism?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

On a recent dog-walk around the block, a couple of yard signs caught my eye. A homeowner displayed two familiar (at least to me) scripture verses in front of his or her house.

“Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

“Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die'” (John 11:25).

Classic words filled with gospel truth. As I walked by and got a picture, I wondered, “Who will those signs affect?”

Well, for one, it affected me. That good news certainly resonates with me, a follower of Jesus Christ.

But what if you aren’t a believer? Would a typical non-Christian even know the meaning of the words repent, resurrection, and gospel?

This neighbor’s intentions were good. God’s Word is powerful, creating, saving, and changing people’s lives.

But Jesus never delivered that good news in sound bites. These sentences are part of a relationship Jesus had with people. These words are part of a longer conversation Jesus had with people who were questioning, grieving, struggling, and searching for hope. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbor,” he didn’t mean hand out a brochure, tweet a bible verse, or put up a billboard. He meant get to know them, find out what they need, and then help them with that need. Let them experience the gospel before you talk about it.

Scripture verse signs simply blend in with the For Sale signs, contractor signs, clean-up-after-your-dog signs, political signs, security system signs, no soliciting signs, and yard sale signs scattered throughout the neighborhood.

Let’s honor Jesus with something a little more substantial. God sent the good news in the form of a person. He still does. It’s you.

Posted in Gospel, Ministry

Sometimes, God opens a window or leaves a door ajar

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash

One of the hardest things to do is wait for an opportunity to proclaim the gospel. As a pastor, I have that opportunity every Sunday morning. But the rest of the week, I have to listen for what I can best describe as door left ajar, a question or a comment that immediately shouts, “Tell them the gospel!” I love it when God simply cracks a window or creates a moment. I had that happen two times in the last month.

The first was a conversation with Brad (not his real name) who was dying, hard to understand, but still hanging on to life. i don’t know if it was a test or a genuine inquiry: “How good do you have to be to get into heaven?” O boy, when I hear that question, I have to take a breath and pull myself together to give them some very good news: you don’t have to be good. Jesus was good enough for you. His righteousness is yours. Heaven is your eternal home because of him. Sentences that fill me with joy; sentences I hope filled him, too.

Moment number two. Visiting Andy, also dying, I asked, “Are you ready?” He said, “I’m scared.” I asked, “What are you afraid of?” He said, “The darkness.”

Once again, I had to take a deep breath and pace myself. I had so much to say, but most importantly, “In [Christ] there is no darkness.” He knew that. He had been faithful for ninety-plus years. He just needed to hear it again.

Short, simple conversations filled with gospel hope. Thank you, Jesus, for being the answer to so many worries, concerns and questions!

Posted in dying, Gospel, lessons, Ministry

SunPass, Jesus and me

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Florida_Toll_PlazaMy gospel illustration of the day popped into my head (thank you, Holy Spirit!) during a hospital visit with a friend who was pretty scared about her discharge, prognosis, treatments and eventually death itself.

I assured her that she would continue to receive good care from her doctors and nurses as well as from our Lord. But there was the rub. Not only did she believe she was being punished for past mistakes, she was worried about what purgatory would mean for her. I’d be scared, too. Technically, she identifies as Roman Catholic, but I’ve known her for a long time. I reminded her that Jesus had already been punished for her sins on the cross, so that was all taken care of. To illustrate, I said it’s like driving on a toll road. You don’t have to go through the toll booth and pay anything. You’ve got a SunPass, so you can cruise right through. I had just driven back and forth to the Orlando airport on 417, so the image was fresh in my mind. And it seemed to make sense to her.

She said, “Well, I trust you, so I guess that’s the way it is.” I replied, “Well, I got it from Jesus, and I know we can trust him.” The respiratory therapist finishing up her chart in the room concurred, and after a quick prayer I was on my way.

The SunPass stuck to my windshield had a powerful message to preach this week. Who knew?