1 of 1

Key Bible Verse: But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should Ephesians 6:20. Bonus Reading: Colossians 4:3-6

I was a 25-year-old banker who'd never witnessed to anyone. But God was showing me that if I didn't share my faith, I was being nothing less than disobedient.

Jim started attending my church after his divorce. As he began visiting my Sunday school class, it became painfully evident that he wasn't a Christian. After church I could not get Jim off my mind. I knew what I had to do.

I called Jim and asked if I could visit him at home. He welcomed me gladly. I remember driving to his house and, with sweaty palms and racing heartbeat, and knocking on his door. Jim came to the door and offered me a chair. But I couldn't sit down. I paced, tried to begin a conversation, then paced again.

Finally, Jim exclaimed, "Thom, what's the matter with you?"

I froze and stared at him. Then in desperation I cried out, "Jim, you don't want to go to hell do you?" Oh great, I thought. I've really made an idiot of myself this time.

But Jim looked at me with tear-filled eyes and whispered slowly, "No, I don't. Can you help me?" The next moments were a blur. I shared the gospel; Jim was ready. He received Christ as his Savior, and I went home that evening floating on a cloud.

—Thom Rainer in The Unchurched Next Door

My Response: When I think about who needs to hear the Good News, one who comes to mind is ____.

Thought to Apply: The world is far more ready to receive the gospel than Christians are to hand it out.  —George Peters

Adapted from The Unchurched Next Door (Zondervan, 2003) by permission.

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

 1 of 1

share this page

Prayer for the Week

Give me confidence to risk sharing the gospel, Lord, since You've promised to show up when I do.

				Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Men of Integrity as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for the Men of Integrity Newsletter (All fields required)    RSS Feed   RSS Help