"Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone" (Colossians 4:5-6, NLT).
In many cases, people are attracted to Christ first by his followers. When they see Christians who care about others, who exhibit thankful and kind attitudes, who enjoy life, and who live honorably, they begin to wonder about what makes the difference in their lives. Eventually, many discover Jesus as the one who makes the difference.
However, these kinds of Christians also have a positive influence on their fellow disciples who are looking for a little encouragement and direction in their lives. When I lived in Oklahoma City as a college student, I attended a small church full of such Christians. They were among the best people I had ever known. Since nearly all of them used the New King James Version of the Bible, I bought a copy of the NKJV and used it almost exclusively for the next ten years. Subconsciously, I must have associated the attractiveness of their lives with the translation of the Bible that most of them read.
When Christians live good and kind lives, they influence the people around them in ways that they may never know and in ways that their friends may not take the time to recognize; the influence is still there and it can be very powerful.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Lessons that Crawford Loritts Learned From His Father
This is the video of Crawford Loritts' sermon from the recent Conference for Pastors at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. I appreciated his insights on the topic of fatherhood.
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