Mandy's Musings

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Grasping at the wind

Taking a break from studying today to work on an evangelistic talk for next Tuesday night. Yes, I'm speaking at a Gingerbread House night!

I'm speaking on John 14:1-6. I've spoken evangelistically from the passage before, but am not really happy with that talk and am trying to rework it (and it's too late to change the passage). Wondering why I picked a section of discourse rather than a story, a passage that doesn't directly mention the cross and would be far too easy to use to promise 'pie in the sky when you die'???

Finding it difficult to work out what I'm going to say and how I'm going to say it - like I'm reaching for something that is just beyond me. Thankful that God's word never returns to him empty and that the Father will draw his people to himself through his Son in the power of the Spirit.

posted by Mandy at Thursday, November 09, 2006

3 Comments:

  • I preached on this evangelistically 10 years ago. I went down this line:

    Intro: The disciples are confused. THey know something things and not other things. They don't know how it all fits together; how it will all come about. There seems to be so many 'grey area's in their lives. Jesus says things that they don't get. They are about to lose their friend, and Jesus doesn't seem to be making sense to them. Life doesn't seem to easy for them.

    They are like 'you' [where 'you' is the enquirer].

    What can be known if there is lots that can't be known.

    1. When there is lots you can't know, follow Jesus advice: "Trust God. Trust also in me". [Bla bla he is trustworthy].

    2. In the midst of all the 'grey areas',comes one clear word of hope: 'I go to prepare a place'. [We love hope].

    3. Jesus is the way to that hope. HE is the truth and the life.

    There is still lots we can't know. But these things are things that we can know. We make lots of decisions in life in this way. Why not this one? Pray with me...

    Thats it. 10 minute talk.

    Not sure if that helps.

    By Blogger Justin, at Thursday, November 09, 2006 12:12:00 pm  

  • Mandy,

    You were at this talk in Blackburn at the pub quiz witht the dodgy microphone and group of drunk blokes right in front of me. what a wonderful memory. Well the talk was delivered badly but I was quite pleased with the points (which like all good sermon points I nicked from someone else, in this case James de Costabadie (who now works in NZ, which is nice).

    Anyhow, the points all come out of verse 6.

    Jesus is:

    The way for lost people

    The truth for confsed people

    The life for dead people.



    Simple clear and also easy to bring the cross in. I first used it for the second part of a talk on pluralism.

    Look forward to hearing how it goes.

    LOL

    Pete

    By Blogger Big Pete, at Thursday, November 09, 2006 6:54:00 pm  

  • Thanks guys. Pete - yes I do remember your talk (and the good job it was in difficult circumstances).

    Justin - I'd been thinking along those lines.

    My previous version centred around 3 points:
    The builder (character of God and Jesus),
    The blueprint (house with many rooms, prepared for you) and
    The believer (you have to trust in Jesus to get there).

    I think the focus was too much on heaven being out there' rather than dealing with the here and now.

    So I'm beginning with an illustration about my childhood dream house, and the idea that I invested in it my hopes and dreams for the future and security and then turning to the bible to see that real and true hope is only found in Jesus, using 3 points similar to yours Justin.

    Thanks for the help - pray it goes well tonight and that God may do a powerful work in the lives of some of these women, convicting them of sin and drawing them into relationship with him.

    M

    By Blogger Mandy, at Tuesday, November 14, 2006 11:37:00 am  

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