Hello Project Ezra! This weekend is Labor Day weekend, at least for those of us in the United States, and this is one of our special readings. We will be reading Matthew 11 and 12. As is usually the case with the special readings, we want to encourage you to do a couple things this week:
1. Come up with your own outline - If you have been following Project Ezra for any length of time you know that we try to include a complete gospel presentation in outline form in the blog each week. We also try to use a variety of Bible verses, illustrations, and analogies in those outlines. This is a chance for you to read through the passage, identify a couple of verses that provide a good springboard into a gospel presentation, and center your preaching and your own outline around that. Just make sure you include the key foundations of the gospel, which include man's sinful nature, God's holy and just nature, use of the law for conviction of sin, the fact that we deserve justice and punishment in hell, the good news of the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection, and repentance and faith in Christ alone for salvation.
2. Invite a friend - One of the great things about longer readings is the ability to split them up into sections and have friends and church family, particularly those who have not participated before, join you in the reading. Perhaps you could invite two friends, have each read a chapter, and then share the gospel based on their readings. It's amazing what some people will be willing to try with just a little encouragement. And if you invite a few people and they all say no, don't be discouraged. Keep inviting people. Give someone a friendly call every once in a while and ask them to join you for the encouragement, or to pass out tracts, or just to pray. Some time soon you may have a regular evangelism partner.
By the time you see this the Facebook event page should be up, so please be sure to log in and post your location so I can map it. Our maps have been pretty rare lately, and being able to see and know that there are others around the world participating with you and praying for you is a huge encouragement to many people. So please let us know where you are.
I look forward to hearing your praise reports. See you on the streets!
All for His glory,
Dan
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
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Read Matthew 11 and 12 at Victoria Park in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, yesterday. The park wasn't as full as it has been on other holidays; I suspect the reason was because it was so cool. Either way there were a significant number of families who heard the reading. Afterward, I began to preach, and at one point I explained absolute truth to the crowd. I told them that God will not change His laws of truth for us. I told them that God loves His creation and that He commands His creation to submit to Him, but that God will not make us righteous without our submission. I explained that there is a religion out there, I didn't mention the name, where husbands force their wives into submission. I told them those women live in fear of unjust men. I told them God isn't like that at all. God is just, and He loves His creation. He is merciful, and while He demands our submission in faith, He will not take us hostage. Shortly afterward 2 park security and a police officer arrived and stopped me from preaching. I didn't get to preach Jesus Christ crucified yesterday, but God knows why. I did manage to pass out tracts after the police left though. It's hard not to feel defeated after the police shut you down, but I'm sure there are things I need to learn about humility, and so praise God for His mercy! I approached my church about getting a Prayer Stand; please pray that they will respond.
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