Friendship
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'”
C.S. Lewis
What happens in church should not stay in church.
The Napkin Lady
This last weekend Rachel and I attended the memorial service for Peggy, my wife’s aunt.
I came to know her simply as the napkin lady when she came onboard our mission ship Logos II with her husband Birch, who volunteered as the ship’s doctor for 3 months.
Her strokes meant that she could not climb the many stairs onboard or talk beyond a ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ But she could smile and chuckle.
And everyday I would find her in the dining room smiling and chuckling as she neatly folded hundreds of napkins for the 200 young people serving in mission.
Peggy became known simply as the napkin lady.
She joins the woman who anointed Jesus with the alabaster oil and of whom he said, “she did what she could” (Mark 14:8).
“While you are waiting…
“While you are waiting for your daughter to come out of the bathroom,” I asked this Muslim man in the spanking new mall just completed for the London Olympics, “may I ask you, ‘If you could wish one thing from God today for you, what would that be?'”
“That all the sins of my past would be forgiven,” he sighed, “and a way would be made open for me.”
“May I show you with these four pictures on my wristband how you can have your sins forgiven and a way made open for you.”
“Yes,” replied Muhammad with is greying beard.
Pointing to the the diamond, I began to show him… [watch One Wish Presentation video on home page]
One Wish Equipping Training
Sunday Message
Our speaker today was Richard Sharp with Operation Mobilization. He gave a simple, yet powerful model of evangelism which he calls “One Wish”. It starts with the question: “If you could wish for one thing from God, what would it be?”
There are nine principles that make it work:
· Heart before Head – You want to share from your heart, not your head. In the same way, you want the other person to share what is on their heart, not their head. Once you get past the surface to the need, then you can meet the need.
· Do before Done – Done is what Jesus did 2,000 years ago. We must work with the do (today) by bringing Jesus into their problems today so they can be helped.
· Ear before Tongue – After asking the question, listen. When you pray, (a one sentence prayer) let it be for that need and only that need.
· Know before Go – Get to know them. If you feel they are interested and they have time, tell them that God has one wish for them….
At this juncture, he passed around rubber bracelets with four pictures on them: a diamond, two squares together one black, one white; a hand with a nail print; and two hands (one white, one black) holding.
· Show before Tell – Ask if you can show them the four pictures. (See bracelet)
Diamond: You are of great value to God.
Squares: God is on the light side, we are on the dark side. God’s one wish is for us to have fellowship with Him.
Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever taken anything? Have you ever wish for someone out of your life?
Hand: 2,000 years ago, God did something about our sin. He placed it on the cross.
Holding hands: God is holding out His hand to you. Will you take it?
- Us before You – Include yourself. We are ALL sinful. Don’t create us vs. them, join with them.
- Special before Sinful – We are of great value to God.
- Warm before warn – God holding out the hand of friendship comes before any warning of judgment.
- Prayer before Share – Talk to God about the people before you talk to the people about God. I want people to mean so much to me that I can’t keep God to myself, and I want God to mean so much to me that I can’t keep the people to myself. Share only to the point they are willing to listen – don’t push. If they don’t want it right now, let them know that God will continue to hold out His hand until they day they die. At that moment, it will be taken away.
It was a very encouraging message that released ACTION over the CCC body. After a fantastic share-a-dish, many people went out to practice the One Wish concept. Thanks to all that helped make Sunday such a blessing! The Lord takes notice…
Co-laboring with you and Jesus for REVIVAL,
Pastor Pete and Sharon
Coweta Community Church, Newnan GA