NextGenKent

I teach Evangelism & Discipleship I & II online for a Christian University in Ohio. I was looking over an assignment that really threw me for a curve because the exercise goes against what the course is teaching. The course uses as one of its textbooks, Becoming a Contagious Christian: Communicating Your Faith in a Style that Fits You, which teaches that there are several ways of evangelizing referred to as "styles" and that there isn't only one acceptable way. Those styles are: Direct style, Intellectual style, Invitational style, and Serving style. Then the course has students read an article that emphasizes one style (Direct, or perhaps Intellectual) and asks them to attempt to do so. The article gives the following statement for its rationale: "We are dedicated to equipping people for evangelism, not because large numbers follow us, but because it is the command Jesus gave to His followers. We don’t take others with us for OJT because it’s c...

Do you have something you possess that is very expensive, but you never really use (say less than once a year)? Take a moment to read James 2:14-26. The Message is a good one to look at for this passage. We practice what we believe. Most of the time we are good at something because we have worked hard at it—whether it was a hobby and we enjoyed it, or because we were pushed to do so, like by a coach. James starts by asking the questions, "What good is it?" and "Can this so called “faith” save him?" Both are worth looking at. Especially when salvation is on the line!  James points out the difference between “saying” you have faith and having a "doing" faith. James then uses an example to illustrate. He positions "a fellow believer who is in greatly need" in the middle of the believer's mind much like Jesus did with a lone child. So, there in the middle of the discussion, James places a needy believer. Have you have ever seen a needy bel...