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From Death to Life

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Steve McQueen was a famous movie star in the 50s. He was also a crazy guy, a womanizer, a wild man in Hollywood. One day, years ago, Billy Graham told me that Steve McQueen called him up. He said, Mr. Graham, Im dying of cancer and I dont know God. Please come and talk with me. So Billy went to see him.

When Mr. Graham arrived, he said that Steve was just skin and bones. Steve told Billy, Ive had three wives and Ive fooled around with many women. Ive been unfaithful. Ive been a drunk. Can God forgive me?

Billy Graham explained Romans 10:9 to him: If you believe in your heart, and confess Jesus Christ with your lips, He comes into your life. Hell forgive you and give you eternal life. Then Mr. Graham led Steve in a prayer to open his heart to Jesus Christ. A few days later, Steve died.

What an impact his story must have had on the entertainment world! Im sure Steve McQueen is the last person many people imagined would convert to Christianity. But God is able to do “immeasurably more than anything we can ask or imagine.”

So dont give up on the person in your life who seems the furthest from the Lord. God can touch anyones heart, and He wants to use you and me in the process! Let God use you to win a soul for Him.

Godly Multiplication

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I have a friend named Stephen Baldwin. Hes an actor in Hollywood. Stephen told me he used to be a pretty wild guy. Hed go to parties and nightclubs and was into a lot of drugs and drinking. Then one day, a Brazilian nanny came to live with him and his wife to help take care of their two girls. This woman, Augusta, was a cheerful Christian. She constantly sang songs about Jesus. Because of her witness, when the horrific events of 9/11 occurred in New York, Stephen and his family turned to Jesus!

Of course, Stephens lifestyle changed instantly. He didnt go to nightclubs and drink all the time. Suddenly he changed. It was very visible that something had happened to him. You should see Stephen now! He shares the Good News wherever he goes, especially with skateboarders and BMX bikers.

Stephen has a new life because Augusta invested in his soul. She was a fabulous example of 2nd Timothy 1:8: “Do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord.” Because Augusta shared her faith, Stephen Baldwin was changed forever. And now hes leading many young kids to Jesus. Thats what I call Godly multiplication! Let God use you to lead someone to His side – they may end up telling hundreds of others about the Lord.

You Might Fail, but Jesus Never Will

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You know, trying to reach your world isnt always easy, is it? I mean even Ive been at it for over 50 years and sometimes I feel very nervous.

For instance, someone might say to you, “Im afraid that Im going to fail the Lord and therefore I cannot surrender to Him. I dont want to be a hypocrite and I dont want to fail God. Therefore, I will not surrender to Christ.” How do you answer that?

Well, I like the phrase from an old hymn, “Jesus never fails.” And in I Thessalonians 5 it says, “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faith and He will do it.”

What you need to say to a person when they say they are afraid they wont hang on and theyll stumble and fail and dishonor God is, “Yes, thats the way Ive always felt, but I dont rely on myself, it is God who is faithful and He is the one who will do it. I simply will receive Him into my heart, I will walk with Him, and He will come into my life and He will keep me faithful as I follow Him according to the Word of God.

Jesus Never Fails. Dont forget to share that with someone you are trying to lead to Christ.

A Simple Meal

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Reaching Your World is a great dream, but sometimes its difficult to know, especially, how to get a conversation going or how to connect people in the neighborhood, or even at work, in a spiritual way.

One of the ways Ive used for many years are luncheons – as an outreach. For instance, in Portland, Oregon, where we live, we have what we call the “Christmas luncheon.” Weve had it for 18 years, now, maybe even 19. And, you know, its a great opportunity, in a classy hotel, to invite people to come, to have lunch. They know its Christmas. They know itll be something connected with Jesus Christ and, of course, its a great opportunity.

Ive always thought, “How interesting that the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we would remember Him, instituted a meal.” Do you remember? The bread and the wine. Yes, seated around the table of the Lord its easy to think about the Lord. Through sitting for lunch or dinner with an unbeliever, with someone who is searching or perhaps isnt even interested, Jesus Christ becomes very real.

At the table, you can begin to talk about the bread of life and you can find a way, because the Holy Spirit always opens the door. I find, when Im alert and ready to share the faith, He always finds a way to open the door so that you can talk about the one that you love so much and who changed your life.

Guest Sunday

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Today I want to talk about another little method to reach out to your world and to get people to hear the Good News – the great gospel of Jesus Christ – how He died on the cross, took away our sins, buried them forever and how He rose from the dead and is coming back to take us home.

In many churches they have what they call a “guest Sunday.” You might suggest it to your pastor, or the evangelism outreach pastor in your church – whatever – somebody who is in charge to make decisions.

In our church weve done it from time-to-time and for 3 or 4 Sundays ahead of time, the pastor announces and says were going to have a guest Sunday. Thats the Sunday he will particularly preach the Good News gospel, clearly, simply, with an opportunity for people to repent, to believe in Jesus Christ, and to be forgiven of their sins and have eternal life.

A guest Sunday in a local church is one of the great ideas that I have caught on to in the last 30 years of going around from church to church. I recommend to you that you talk to your leadership and tell them, “lets have every last Sunday of the month a guest Sunday so that all the church can invite their friends, and the counselors be ready to pray with them, to speak with them, and to give them super literature to go on with Jesus Christ.”

So remember, guest Sundays a good way to reach your world.