Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: STRETCH (04/08/21)
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TITLE: Friendship Evangelism | Previous Challenge Entry
By John Custer
04/13/21 -
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This time, however, seemed different. “What time does it start?” he asked. After giving him the time and where they would meet, Jason warned him, “The music will stretch you.”
The music was indeed loud, but he was used to that. He listened to it all week, just different lyrics. The music did not stretch him.
What the minister said did stretch him. He never really thought about Jesus, having created all things, died in his place so he could be forgiven of his sins. Could that really be true? Like, how could God die and come back to life again?
Could it also be true that God’s spirit wants to live inside of him to guide and direct him, to help him understand the Bible, and communicate with God? That seemed weird to him.
The minister said that the Bible was written by many men over hundreds of years and all of the prophesies of Christ’s birth and resurection happened as predicted. What was the probability that that could happen? He wondered, “How come I never thought about that before?”
It was too much of a stretch to believe all of that. Why wasn’t he taught any of that in college? The professors seemed to be knowledgeable about everything.
The next time Conner saw Jason was in Starbucks. “Jason, it is true that I was stretched on Sunday, but not by the music. In fact, I kinda liked the music. It was the sermon that I can’t quite wrap my mind around.” He told him all the things that were bugging him.
Jason wasn’t flustered. He had truth on his side. Jason also knew that it takes time to process changes in your thinking.
He told Conner that there were some things that he could not prove. He accepted them as true because there was no other logical explanation. In addition, the probability of all the facts of the Bible accidentally coming true as prophesied was practically impossible.
Jason continued, “how can I prove in a test tube that the Holy Spirit comes to live inside me?”
Conner cogitated on all the things Jason said. That night, he knelt by his bed and talked to God like he had never done before. “God, there is so much about you that I don’t understand. It is a big stretch for me to believe all that Jason and the minister says, but I can’t prove that they are wrong either. Please come into my life, forgive me, and help me to understand.”
It was a simple prayer…but sincere. God heard it.
When Conner got up, he noticed that he had a peace that he had not experienced before.
Later that evening he read a chapter in John and he seemed to understand it. As he read, he wrote down questions, and he would bounce them off of Jason.
It had been three weeks since Conner prayed asking God to help him. The creation story made sense now, he clearly understood why Jesus died for his sins, and he felt the Holy Spirit guiding him. None of those things could he prove in a test tube, but he now believed them.
Conner continued to grow. Each week he was confronted with more statements which stretched him. Jason continued to mentor him and also gave him some books to use as reference material.
One day Conner was reflecting on how much he had changed. He asked, “Jason, how did you know that I was hungry for something even though I didn’t know what it was?”
Jason was so pleased with Conner’s growth. He replied, “Because the Holy Spirit lives in me too.”
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