A SOULWINNING TEAM!

(“He who wins souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30 NKJV)

Dear Readers:

I’m so glad you stopped by. We’re going to explore fact that it can be exciting to join a soulwinning team.

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” This is a quote by Amy Poehler of Saturday Night Live. I’m not a big Saturday Night Live fan, but the quote is very appropriate for what it can be like for a team of soulwinners to win souls.

I’ve been retired now for about two years. I can tell you that I felt, and sometimes still feel lost without the goal of working with an on-the-job team of workers. Also, in the last year the Covid virus has separated us from friends and family . . . part of our teams if you will.

Becoming an older adult should not deprive us from being part of a team, nor should some other perceived barrier. Teamwork is not just for young players in high school or college sports. We ALL need to be part of a team that strategizes, and gives energy toward meeting a goal, or goals. We ALL have skills that can contribute to team successes. We ALL would benefit by giving each other high-fives when goals are met, as we see so often in sporting events.

Why aren’t we all part of soulwinning teams? I don’t understand the barrier. I don’t understand the barrier in my own life. Jesus made it clear his goal that his followers win souls and make disciples.

I think Satan has a hand in it. He is perfectly content and very happy if none of us becomes active to become a part of a team to win souls. I think he relishes the fact that we think that we can merely be a good, and even religious person without ever delving into the nitty gritty of what it takes to win souls to Jesus Christ.

I’m not talking about formal soulwinning programs and campaigns. I am talking instead about changing our mindset toward a soulwinning culture . . . one that places a great emphasis on prayer and actions toward reaching our loved ones, friends, and others for Christ.

There can be great power, joy, and excitement in being part of a team to win souls. I think there might even be some high-fives.

See you next time,
Arlen

THE ‘BROAD’ AND ‘NARROW’ ROADS

Dear Readers:

I’m so glad you stopped by. We’re going to explore what Jesus meant by the ‘broad’ and ‘narrow’ roads.
(Note: A video will be forthcoming to give you the chance to hear about the topic.)

In my last post I explored a little bit about the word ‘go’ that Jesus used in The Great Commission. I discussed the reason why I wanted to start a narrative, or a culture if you will, addressing the importance of winning souls to Jesus Christ. I called it ‘a dire need in my own life’ as the reason for starting the Soulwinnersr.us website in the first place.

But a dire need in my own life doesn’t even come close to the importance of addressing the dire need in the lives of others. You might say, “I don’t have a dire need to come to Christ. I’m just fine the way I am. I’m sure that I’m good enough to go to heaven.” But are you really just fine the way you are, and are you good enough to go to heaven?

Jesus’ statements in Matthew 7:13-14 about the ‘broad’ and ‘narrow’ roads have always troubled me greatly. I am drawn to stories about people . . . people that are famous, people that have almost unparalleled talent in various fields, whether it be sports, writing, art, acting, and many other fields. I wonder about these talented people most likely going down what Jesus calls the broad road to ‘destruction’ where so ‘many’ others go. The thought haunts me and I can’t go there often.

I am inclined instead to try to think more about the other road to ‘life’, even though Jesus said it is ‘narrow’, and that ‘few find it’. The question lies in the following: How bad is the destruction that Jesus talks about? On the other hand, how good is the life that Jesus talks about?

I’m not even going to explore all the places of the Bible that talk about these. You can explore them yourselves. After all you are the one that has to make the final decision about which road to go on.

See you next time,
Arlen

"GO!"

 

Dear Readers

I’m so glad you stopped by. We’re going to explore the topic ‘GO’, as it relates to the The Great Commission.
(Note: A video will be forthcoming to give you the chance to hear about the topic.)

Jesus explicitly told his disciples in Matthew 28:19, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus also commanded in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

What does the word ‘go’ mean? Webster’s dictionary has several definitions of the word ‘go’ used in different contexts, but the context which Jesus used was in command form and is defined as the following: ‘to move on a course’ or ‘to follow a certain course or procedure’. What then is the opposite, or antonym, of ‘go’? Fairly obvious you might think. It is to ‘stay’ or ‘stop’.

Jesus did not command his disciples to stay or stop in one place and expect the people to come to them. He told the disciples to go where the people were. You might think I’m being a little picky here, but what about our churches, yours and mine? And what about you and me individually . . . do we go out of our church buildings, or our homes, to make disciples? When is the last time our church people went out of their building to make disciples? When is the last time you and I went out of our homes to make disciples? I’m going to be very transparent to include myself. ‘Very rarely’!

That is what my website Soulwinnersr.us is all about. I want to begin to change the narrative about what it means to ‘go and make disciples’. I see the dire need in my own life, so I want to address it. I want to, as Jesus said in Luke 14:28, “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to complete it.” I want to weigh the costs both ways. What happens if I don’t go out into the world and make disciples? Then what happens if I do go out into the world and make disciples? I can then do a comparison list and come to a logical conclusion whether to ‘stay’ or ‘go’.

See you next time,
Arlen

WHY BECOME A SOULWINNER?

 

Dear Readers:

I’m so glad you stopped by. We’re going to be exploring the topic Why Become a Soulwinner? I want to discuss reasons in the coming weeks.

Reason 1: Jesus was a soulwinner.

• This is the most obvious answer there is. Jesus’ whole purpose was to win souls to an eternal kingdom.
• Jesus said, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” John 10:10.
• Jesus made it clear, however, that the abundance he was talking about was not one of riches and favor. Jesus quelled this notion many times. After all, he said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:58. Jesus also said that when we follow him we will experience persecution and hatred (Matthew 10:22).
• The abundance Jesus was talking about was clearly abundance of the heart -- a heart filled with love, gratitude, purpose, and hope of eternal life. Paul wrote to Titus, “He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:6.
• Jesus pleaded with poor people and rich people, people from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, and people with various political ideologies. Jesus pleaded, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. Notice the word all.
• Jesus made it clear that a main purpose of God sending him to earth was “to seek and save the lost.” Luke 19:10.

There you have it. Jesus was and is the ultimate soulwinner. If this were the only reason why we should become a soulwinner, we should take it and run with it.

See you next time,

Arlen