FYI - The Tract I Use

Greetings!

Some people have wondered what gospel tract I typically hand out. I scanned it and will insert it here. It's called the  "Do You Know For Certain" tract and is in a little booklet format designed to actually sit with someone and take them through the gospel. Enjoy!

Day #33 - Donuts For The Lord

Last night, my family and I were on our way home from after a wonderful dinner with great friends, and we stopped by the local Wal-Mart so I could hand out a tract. But, we needed and excuse to go through the checkout lane. What could be a better excuse than donuts!?

So, I handed a tract to the nice Hispanic checker and told her "I go to the Rock Church and love to tell people about how they can know for sure they are going to heaven." She gladly excepted the tract and my business card, and I made my way back to the car loaded with 12 glazed donuts!

Day #32 - Sharing Hope To The Hurting

Today I had the opportunity to help out a family in our church by officiating at their aunt’s funeral up in Clearfield. It was a great opportunity to serve those who are hurting and looking for answers. I didn't know the woman who had died, but they didn't have a pastor so I gladly accepted. In fact, I didn't know much about her spiritual journey either, but found out she had been raised LDS, but hadn't attended anywhere for a long time. She was actually planning on coming to the Rock for the past few weeks, but health issues kept her away.

I got to know the now-widowed husband, the daughter and many family members before the service began. Once the service started I was able to share about the hope we have in Christ. I shared, "I didn't have the pleasure of meeting Sarah (not real name), but I do know the God who loved her deeply." I took time to share the joy and the hope we can have if we place our faith in the risen savior. I talked about the need to have our sins forgiven, and that Jesus wants a relationship with us - not just a religious experience.

I prayed for those who didn't know Christ, to come to a saving knowledge of him, and find the only hope that can save them eternally.

After the service, I had a few people thank me. Actually the widowed husband came up to me and told me he thought it was a lovely service. We talked for a while, and before he left I said, "Charles (again, no real name), I'd like to give you something. It tells how you can know for sure that you are going to heaven. It also has my business card in case you need to get hold of me. I will be praying for you during this difficult time in your life."

Charles tucked the tract and card in his pocket, shook my hand, thanked me and continued greeting more friends.

Pray that the words I spoke and the gospel that went out would have its desired effect - bringing people one step closer to Jesus - the Resurrection and the Life!

Day #31 - My Tooth and the Truth

I got two cavities filled about an hour ago. I LOVE going to the dentist! NOT!

My mouth is still numb, but my heart is alive because of the opportunity I had with my dentist. He's a great guy, a young man, and is well aware of the fact that I'm a pastor of a Bible-based Chrisitan church. My whole family has used this clinic for years, and I am getting to know some of the staff a bit.

I decided to push the relational envelope one more step with my dentist. God gave me that opportunity as he was filling out my chart with the final details of the cavities he just filled (he probably wrote: "Bill squirmed like a little girl throughout procedure" in his notes). As he wrote I pulled out my tract and my business card (see this below) ready for action. I prayed, "God give me the opportunity."

Once he finished writing, my doctor turned to me and said, "How's your congregation doing?" (Nice! Way to go God!) I said, "It's great, things are going well. In fact, I'd like to give you this - in case you or anyone else is ever interested in coming. Also, here's a booklet that tells how you can know you're going to heaven."

He gladly accepted it (albeit, a little awkwardly-I’m pretty sure he’s LDS), smiled and he thanked me.

We had some more small talk, and he walked me out to the checkout counter. As we stood there, I said, "Doc, you are good at what you do - and I want to be good at what I do. That's why I gave you that tract."  He said, "We both want to help people." I smiled and said, "That's right!" and continued, "Hey, could I borrow some of your anesthetic for some of my people?" We chuckled, shook hands and said our goodbyes.

As I've said, witnessing to people you know and will have many future interactions with is scary, but is much more meaningful and in the end, I believe, will bear more fruit.

One last thought: Isn't it nice to know that in heaven we won't have cavities or decay? Even so, I sure hope we have at least one more dentist in The Kingdom because of today.

Day #30 - Pizza Promptings

Greetings (I seem to be about a day behind on my blog ... I guess my blog is clogged. ;-) )

Anyway, yesterday, I picked up some pizza for our family "Lost" premiere party night, at Pappa Murphy's and took the opportunity to invite the helpful cashier to our church and hand her a tract. I told her that "I go to The Rock Church - you may have heard about it - and I like to tell one person a day how Jesus has changed my life. You can read this on your break!"

She smiled, and once again, seemed truly thankful for the invite and the information.

I'm more and more confident that God has a lot of people out there just waiting to be invited ...

BTW, did Lost become even MORE bizarre last night, or am I just slow?!

Day #29 - Received At Riches

I had coffee today with a good pastor friend. As we ordered our java, I decided to hand the barista a tract. Now, it may seem funny, but this was more difficult than usual. Why? Because, as I've mentioned before, I use Riches Bagels as my "second office" and the employees there see me all the time. I've found (right or wrong) that it is much easier to hand a tract to a complete stranger than to someone who "knows" you.

Regardless, I mustered my courage, and put my business card on the outside of the tract and said, "Have I given you one of these yet? I am a pastor at The Rock church and this tells you how you can know about Jesus. I like to give one out to someone every day." I handed her the card and tract and waited.

She looked it over, smiled, and said, "Oh, thank you. I've heard of the Rock Church. I will read it."

One cool thing is that after that interaction, I noticed she became more attentive and animated around my pastor buddy and me. She even made a point of smiling and saying goodbye to us when her shift was over and she was heading out the door.

I'm glad I pushed my flesh and I trust God will use that gospel tract to take her one step closer to heaven.

Day #28 - If You Pray, They Will Come

I prayed on the way to church yesterday morning that I would have an opportunity to share the gospel, or a tract.

I got my opportunity after the second service when a young couple brought a friend of theirs, a young woman named Samantha (not her real name) to meet me. Samantha had been to The Rock four times, and this sweet couple was simply loving on her and following her up. She told me that she loved The Rock even though she was a lifelong member of the LDS church. It turns out she is currently going through a divorce and her brother recently died. She is looking for answers, and said she talked to three Bishops about the afterlife and all three gave her different answers. Frustrated, she talked to friends who recommended The Rock church.

Samantha has found Christians that love her and empathize with her. She says her family and old church friends will have nothing to do with her, even during this extremely emotionally tough time. Why? Because she attends The Rock - a cult, she is told by her family and friends. Can you believe that?! My goodness, that breaks my heart. But Samantha knows better. Her eyes have been opened, and God is working on her heart.

I asked Samantha and her friends - the Christian couple who introduced us - if they would watch a DVD that explains from the Bible how she can know for sure she could go to heaven. She agreed and I got her a copy of the Diagram DVD. I also gave her my card and told her to contact me after watching it.

Pray for Samantha - that she finds comfort and salvation from Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.