May 18, 2018

GONE FISHING

What Are You Fishing For?

 There is a sickness running rampant all over this country.  It seems to be contagious among large groups of people and seems to have specifically targeted church congregations.  Symptoms may include, but are not limited to, a rapid heart rate, queasiness, and weakness in the knees and spine.  Symptoms may also include an unexplained desire to hide and be alone, leading in some extreme cases to depression and making excuses for poor decisions.  These symptoms seem to be triggered by the thought of talking about Jesus with people who are not Christians.  This sickness is most often accompanied by profuse sweating and the overwhelming urge to throw up or run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.  Author Greg Stier gave this sickness a name:  EVANGEPHOBIA.

If you have ever experienced any of these symptoms, rest easy; you are not alone.  They certainly don’t often result in death, but they can create a lack of comfort.  Thousands of Christians like you and I struggle to share their faith with friends, strangers, and family members who are in desperate need of Jesus.  The thought of sharing our faith, for some reason, can cripple us with the fear of failure and intimidation. We kick off a new series this week called Gone Fishing:  What are You Fishing For?  We are going to take an in-depth look at the word Evangelism.  This is a churchy word that has been thrown around for many decades.  But do we truly understand what it means?  As I began to study this word and its role in the church, I realized that it is important that we simply ask these two questions: “What is Evangelism?” and “What is my role in it?” I hope you can join us.  I believe it will be a powerful series that enables many to avoid the dreaded sickness of EVANGEPHOBIA and will give us the tools we need to know how we can truly share our faith with those who need Jesus.  We look forward to worshiping with you this coming Sunday morning! Blessings, Pastor Brandon