I Think I'm Doing Too Much

For one SaLT group I'm studying "Faith Lessons on the Prophets and Kings of Isreal" by Ray Vanderlaan.



My Sunday morning SaLT group is doing a Bill Hybel's study called "Jesus, Seeing Him More Clearly"



I also started a Wednesday evening evangelism focused class with a study guide called "One to One" by Dr. Robert M. Lewis. It is a tool that will help one understand the Christian Faith and use that knowledge to build confidence when sharing the Christian faith with a non-believer.



I am also currently reading an Anne Graham-Lotz book entitled "My Heart's Cry; Longing for More of Jesus", for my personal pleasure.



Katie is trying to get us working through "Extreme Love: The Greatest Commandment" which is supposed to be a 40 Day thing, but we started that about 8 months ago.



I love all this stuff! Unfortunately, because I'm involved in so much, I'm not able to put as much into each study as I want to! Grrrrrrrrrrrr! I'm really doing as much as I can for my SaLT groups and for the "One to One" study on Wednesday nights because I want to prepare all I can for the conversations I have with non-believers.



Ron suggested I listen to "Hell's Best Kept Secret", a message by Ray Comfort, an evangelist. It is a very good message and I just finished listening to it yesterday. I plan on listening a couple of more times because, well, it's just soooooooo good and has re-ignited my spark to witness like a fool! (but not foolishly!)



Here's some of what I learned from Hell's Best Kept Secret that was alarming to me:

• A soul at the altar does not generate much excitement in some circles because we realize approximately ninety-five out of every hundred will not become integrated into the church. In fact, most of them will not return for a second visit." Charles E. Hackett, the Division of Home Missions National Director for a leading U.S. denomination.
  
  
  
  
• In 1991, organizers of a Salt Lake City concert encouraged follow-up. They said, "Less than five percent of those who respond to an altar call during a public crusade . . . are living a Christian life one year later."
  
  
  
  
• A mass crusade reported 18,000 decisions, yet according to Church Growth magazine, ninety-four percent failed to become incorporated into a local church.
  
  
  
  
• In the March/April 1993 American Horizon, disclosed the fact that in 1991, 11,500 churches of a major U.S. denomination had obtained 294,784 decisions for Christ. Unfortunately, they could find only 14,337 in fellowship. They couldn't account for 280,000 of their decisions.

So, I instead of blogging, I should be reading and studying so I can "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks me(you) to give the reason for the hope that I(you) have." I Peter 3:15