A Gospel Heart

Online evangelism comes with some unique challenges. People will say things they would never say face-to-face. It can also be difficult to understand tone or context based on how some communicates. Regardless of the situation, a true evangelical attitude starts with a loving heart prepared to engage all questions and brokenness with grace.

The issue someone brings will occasionally be something you never expected and have no experience within your own life. The way we prepare ourselves for this challenge is through prayer. We encourage prayer before every volunteer session. Prayer should also occur during and after each conversation.

The beauty of evangelism is that the Holy Spirit is in charge no matter where the seeker is in their spiritual journey. It may be the first step and very rough or it could be the step when God allows you to be a part of that person accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. No matter where the conversation falls on that spectrum, you should start in prayer simply asking for the peace, patience and love to share the Gospel. The words will come, and the results are out of your control.

Additionally, in our desire to help it is easy to forget that real communication and a connection take place through listening. There is a natural excitement to wanting to share the Gospel. Unfortunately, we can at times let this trick us into thinking that we must have the answer to every question. Every person is different, and his/her circumstances are unique. The Gospel message does not change but how we make it relevant to each seeker is dependent on us listening and learning what is truly happening with every person.

One way to learn more about a seeker and make them feel you care is to ask questions. This involves thinking about what information may unlock the real trouble that this person is dealing with as well as thinking about how to transition into the Gospel. An example is when a seeker shares all the problems and issues they are dealing with and how life has gone wrong. One simple question that can transition the conversation is to ask …“What is your relationship like with Jesus?” This tells us a lot about where this person stands spiritually and how to proceed.

Many people also come online with a focus on sinful behavior. We are not here to condemn or judge but we do not endorse any sinful behavior. It is helpful to admit your own sin. It is also important to help others recognize God loves us and Jesus died for us despite our sin. However, it is best to comment on sinful behavior using the Bible as the basis for categorizing the behavior as sinful. In this way, it is not you making a personal determination as to what constitutes sin, but rather the Word of God telling us that certain activities are not good for us and are sinful.

No matter how awkward a conversation may start, you never know when you may meet someone that is open to a change of heart and the truth of the Gospel. Do not be discouraged if the conversation does not go as you planned or wished. Be faithful and trust that the Holy Spirit is always at work.

Handling Conversations of a Sexual Nature

The number of conversations of a sexual nature seem to be increasing as “nothing is out of bounds” and culture supports a less biblical view of sex. These can be very sensitive and difficult for both the seeker and responder.

As we see more men and women bringing issues of pornography, masturbation, extra-marital affairs, and pre-marital sex to the ministry, we are reminded that it was once expected that a majority are coming with an appreciation that these things are biblically sinful.  That assumption is no longer a given as many want to push back or debate whether these things are wrong.

Conversations of this nature are often highly sensitive and emotional topics. We also often are speaking to someone who has never shared this information with anyone else. We unfortunately also may be speaking to someone that has a deeper issue and is not seeking help or Jesus Christ but some perverse enjoyment from such a conversation. This means we must be that much more discerning about what is being discussed.

For those acknowledging their sin and desperately seeking help, we do not need to spend a long period of time explaining God’s perfect design for sex but rather need to help them approach these issues with honesty, transparency, and accountability.

We encourage responders to look for and see the difference between someone broken, hurting and in need of help and someone pushing the bounds of common decency and respect. The ministry never wants to put anyone in a situation where they are feeling manipulated or harassed.

We also offer several helpful tips for managing these conversations:

  • Transfer someone of the opposite gender to a responder of the same gender if the topic requires or you simply believe it would be more appropriate.
  • If you know you are speaking with someone under 18, be extra careful and encourage them to reach out to their parents, school counselor or youth leader for a more appropriate source of help.
  • Use the ministry resources on these topics. These can be very helpful in bringing change, but they are a starting point and do not substitute for real accountability. We want you to encourage people to not just read about change but start living out those changes.
  • Help guests recognize that Satan likes to use shame and guilt to keep people buried in sexual sin. He wants us to try to manage our own way out of these issues and knows we are more likely to fail without the help and encouragement of others. We want to let seekers know this is a recipe for failure and being honest and transparent with someone in their life is necessary no matter how difficult that may be.

Lastly, we encourage responders to take control of every conversation. They should always be prepared to set clear boundaries and let the seeker know they are unwilling to continue if those boundaries are not respected. The first sign of any sexual harassment or sexually inappropriate language should be met with a strong response letting the seeker know that you will not engage or remain online if they continue to use such language.

We want to meet people stuck in sexual sin with grace, but we also must create a discussion framed in respect and a level of sincerity the struggle deserves.

The Real Identity Theft

Most of us think about financial hardship when we hear the term “identity theft”.  If you have ever talked with someone that has been the victim of this then you know it is very sad and difficult. However, there is another form of identity theft that is spiritual and unfortunately growing more common. This spiritual form of identity theft involves a post Christian culture and the enemy convincing people they are something other than a child of God and loved by Him.

Each of us was created by God for relationship with him. He weaved each of us in our mother’s womb.  We are treasured creations that he has blessed with unique talents, interests and passions. God is never glorified by those that reject this or minimize their significance. God is glorified when we fully step into our design as his image-bearers.

Unfortunately, the enemy and a culture of hyper-individualism is encouraging people to reject this and live outside God’s design and love for them. The nature of our on-demand and impatient world encourages restless hearts to just do something and “be you”.  Alan Noble recently wrote that the fundamental assumption of modern life is:

“You are your own, and you belong to yourself.” And if we believe this concept “then it’s up to us to forge our identities and to make our lives significant. But while that may sound empowering, it turns out to be a crushing responsibility—one that never actually delivers on its promise of a free and fulfilled life, but instead leaves us burned out, depressed, anxious, and alone.”

The sad reality is we see this approach resulting in heartbreaking social trends like rising depression, growing suicide rates and the record levels of anxiety.  The result is more and more people are confused about their identity. In fact, our society is having a collective identity crisis. This leads to people increasingly asking questions like:

  • What am I supposed to be doing?
  • Does my life matter?
  • What gives my life significance?
  • Who am I?
  • Where am I going?

Rather than asking God and consulting his roadmap for life, the spirit of our current culture is to ignore God and to reject the Bible. Too many have bought into the false narrative of thinking God made a mistake, does not care, and they know better.  And then the enemy comes into those times to further deceive and discourage.  In fact, one of Satan’s oldest ploys is to have us question God and how He made us.

Our challenge is clear. We must help people recognize the truth of being a child of God. Whether it is our faith, career, or gender we only find peace in trusting God.  That trust comes from believing God does not make mistakes.

This truth allows us to see feelings, desires and disappointments in the light of biblical truth in a fractured world. When that happens, we find the place where peace, purpose and true identity are found.

Jesus is the answer to spiritual identity theft. He made us with intentionality and a purpose. It is in this truth that we start to experience the transformative power of Christ.  Our peace, hope and joy in life come from believing a good and loving God desires those things for us and we don’t need to become someone else to encounter those things.

AI and Online Evangelism

It is hard to read the news and not hear something about the advancements and impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on our world. What started as help with answering questions or writing something has quickly evolved into cloning voices, creating art, and producing video based on a few words.

The most ubiquitous application for AI in many of our lives is the ever-present chat bot. The box in the corner of so many web sites offering to help answer your question.  Some of these chat bots are built to process large amounts of data and are becoming increasingly better at supplying the information needed for answering a narrow set of questions.

The inevitable question is whether AI can do this for people with faith related questions and become the ultimate digital evangelist. The reality is some ministries have already decided the answer to that question is “yes” and they have started using chat bots with automated responses and logic to interact with those seeking answers to life and faith questions.  We have seen how this can frustrate seekers and lacks the most basic form of human connection that is only achieved through some form of presence.

We believe AI has a place in online evangelism, but it should not be utilized for the live conversation with someone seeking answers and struggling to know, trust and obey Jesus. Many people come online seeking answers but what they find most compelling is human interaction and connection. We can debate different religions or interpretations, but we don’t typically do that with someone’s experience or story.

Live conversation is best between two people created in God’s image connecting at a deeper level. Artificial Intelligence has no soul, no testimony, and does not connect in the way that two people created by God for relationship can come together.

However, we do see opportunities for AI to help us become better evangelists. We believe the first application for AI in online evangelism is as a quality improvement tool.  AI allows a large number of diverse conversations to be reviewed across multiple categories including quality of Gospel presentation, the depth of faith of the seeker, and adherence to ministry policies and procedures. Conversations can be scored on several metrics and responders that may need more coaching or encouragement can be quickly identified. It can also identify emerging topics and trends becoming a valuable member of your training and response development team.

Another application is as more of an assistant to your responders having live conversation. It is exciting to think how AI might supply various information that a responder decides how and whether to use during a conversation. AI could use the nature of the topic, or specific lines of conversation, to make different resources available for the responder to share at their discretion.  For instance, a person struggling with a drug addiction in a certain geographic location might trigger AI to show a list of Christian organizations in that location that offer services for this particular struggle and need.

The recent stories of AI hallucinating and making things up have been troublesome. The cases where it has responded with claims of having feelings and knowing what is best for humanity are even more perilous. There is no doubt technology can make our lives easier when used properly. However, the wrong uses can also bring an assortment of risks and hazards.

We pray you will be cautious and wise when considering how to use AI in your ministry. And when you consider the precious opportunity to meet a lost soul, and share the Gospel in a live conversation, that you realize that there is no substitute for the voice and story of a transformed believer connecting through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Where Loneliness Can Lead

One of the sad realities we see in offering live conversation is how often we speak with people that have no one to talk to in their lives. The other observation in how that loneliness leads some into poor choices. We talk regularly with people trying to recover from one-night stands and online hookups. Some come wanting to talk about sexual things and exchange photos to fill some broken need.

People are desperate and looking for connection. Too many seek companionship in the wrong ways and have a lack of healthy relationships in their lives. I am not breaking news with this analysis, but people keep looking in darker and darker places for the most basic human need – connection with another person.

You are probably not surprised to hear that this is growing darker.  Now we see Artificial Intelligence getting into this area and taking it to even further depths. There are a growing number of advertisements for “customized girlfriends” across social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. You might think this is weird and some small niche market, but there are a growing number of companies using AI to create virtual partners and chatbots that can send sexual photos and having explicit conversations. 

Replika was a company originally founded as a chatbot service offering emotional and mental health support. They have changed their focus and are now advertising “spicy selfies” and hot role play. They invite users to create their dream companion and promise someone that will exceed your wildest desires. The app also offers voice calls with your virtual partner, and it has been downloaded more than 20 million times.

A growing number of creators of virtual relationships claim to let users choose the “perfect face and body” while customizing the personality who will be judgment-free and “always on your side”.  This is just another form of digital pornography and shows the desperation of so many. Those subscribing to these services are lost and spiraling further from real human intimacy.

The restlessness and impatience of a lonely culture keeps leading people down dark alleys. As we talk with those let down by these digital connections, we know that real relationship with another human is not something that can be simulated. There are no hugs, conversation over a shared meal, or long walks holding hands with your digital mate.

The ultimate way that Jesus can relieve our loneliness is by making us part of his family. Through his own lonely death and then his resurrection, Jesus made it possible for us to belong to God’s family.  Never tire of sharing God’s design for community within healthy Christian churches. May we find soft hearts in sharing how Jesus has something better to offer and is the one relationship that will last for eternity.

Biblical Conversations about Abortion

Abortion has always been an emotional topic. As the laws around abortion continue to change in the U.S., we want to encourage conversations filled with grace and love.

An unwanted pregnancy can be a frightening experience for someone who is not emotionally, physically, or financially prepared for such a responsibility. This difficult conversation is an opportunity to share truth and hope. We must be extra-sensitive with conversations about abortion as guests can come to us with one of several different perspectives:

  • those considering abortion
  • those struggling with a past decision to abort
  • those wanting to debate the political or biblical issues around this topic

A Biblical Response

Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God knows us before He forms us in the womb. We see in Psalm 139:13-16, God’s active role in our creation and formation in the womb. For the Christian, abortion is not a matter of a woman’s right to choose to have a baby. The baby is already present and living. Abortion is a matter of the life or death of a human being made in God’s image. We always want to encourage people to trust God and honor all life created in the image of God.

Many guests come with questions or reasons why they think their situation is different. A  few of those include the following:

The Question of Life  –  The question of when life begins has been falsely used to support abortion for years. Science has come a long way and is in almost universal agreement that human life begins at the time of conception. The official position of the American College of Pediatricians is as follows:

The predominance of human biological research confirms that human life begins at conception—fertilization.  At fertilization, the human being emerges as a whole, genetically distinct, individuated zygotic living human organism, a member of the species Homo sapiens, needing only the proper environment in order to grow and develop. The difference between the individual in its adult stage and in its zygotic stage is one of form, not nature. 

From the moment fertilization takes place, the child’s genetic makeup is already complete. Its gender has already been determined, along with its height and hair, eye, and skin color. The only thing the embryo needs to become a fully-functioning being is the time to grow and develop. It is simply false to claim anything other than life begins at creation when a human being is made as soon as he or she is conceived. Therefore, the question that abortion supporters must answer is … If there is a living child in the womb, is there anything that justifies killing a living person?

The Question of Rape or the Mother’s Life in Danger  –  A common argument against the Christian stance on abortion is “What about cases of rape and/or incest?” This is less than 1% of all abortions. As horrible as rape is, the murder of the baby is not the solution. Two wrongs do not make a right. Every unborn child, including those who are a result of rape or incest, are loved by God as is the woman who was sexually abused.  Regardless of how or why a child was conceived, he or she is as fully human as any other child. The circumstances of conception have nothing to do with the viability of the infant and they should not be punished for the evil act of his or her father. The answer may be offering the child for adoption, but it is not death.

Another argument often used against the Christian stance on abortion is “What about when the life of the mother is at risk?” Honestly, this is the most difficult question to answer on the issue of abortion. This scenario is equally rare with less than 1% of all abortions being performed to save the mother’s life.  Some medical professionals claim that we are now at a stage that abortion is never necessary to save the mother’s life. We should also remember that God is a God of miracles. He can preserve the life of a mother and her child despite all the medical odds being against it. Third, even in the small percentage of abortions performed to save the life of the mother, most of those abortions can be prevented by an early induced delivery of the baby or a C-section. It is extremely rare that a baby must be actively aborted to save the life of the mother. Ultimately, if the life of the mother is genuinely at risk, the course of action can only be decided by the woman, her doctor, and God.

The Question of Care  –  Many mothers become pregnant unexpectedly or their circumstances change radically during pregnancy. They may feel like they do not have the financial, emotional, or physical capabilities to raise this child. As scary as that may be, the answer is not to take the life of the child.

We want to help them understand that there are multiple resources available to this person. In many places, there are organizations that will pay for and shepherd the mother through all the doctor visits and health-related issues. There are adoption agencies willing to help and many have couples waiting to adopt new-born children. There are also churches that will walk with women through this journey to ensure that she and the child are cared for well. Every one of these options should be pursued without choosing to end a life.

A Loving Approach

We must always remember that many come to us with difficult stories. They may have been lost, pressured, or never fully understood the magnitude of their decision to abort.  They may now believe their choice was sinful and unforgivable. We want to share with those tortured souls that abortion is not the unpardonable sin. Abortion healing and recovery is possible through Jesus. Jesus died for all sin including abortion. When we come to Jesus in faith, confessing our sin and turning away from it, God offers a full pardon and all His love.

Even when the sin of abortion has been washed away by the blood of Jesus, the effects can remain. Women who have had abortions, and men that encouraged them, often suffer years of shame and regret. They may live every day with the knowledge of what they have done and are haunted by thoughts such as, “He would be six years old today,” or “She would have graduated high school this year.” We have all fallen short and need God’s grace. Share God’s love with every person enduring the pain of that choice and acknowledging their sin.

Believers should have a very direct position on life beginning at conception and scripture speaking clearly against abortion. However, we should not seek to engage in political debates with those that simply want to advance a personal narrative or agenda.  The goal is to always to honor life and share the Gospel. We want to help others understand how precious life is and that God loves all life including the unborn and the struggling mother-to-be. Share hope and grace without condemning past choices. Encourage every guest that God wants to walk with them through this difficult season and has a plan and purpose for every life including the unborn child and those who have chosen abortion in the past.

Living Out Your Witness – Repentance and Submission to God’s

As we encounter people that want or need to hear the Gospel, the power of our testimony is always lessened when we have unconfessed sin in our lives or trying to walk in our own strength.  It is like encouraging someone to be in the Word when we have cracked open our Bible in a while. The passion and power of our message is simply not the same when we are separated from God.

It is never fun to admit we are wrong or consider our sin. But being right with God requires we take the more difficult path at times and that means trusting how God will respond. God is always faithful to forgive and respond when we seek him honestly. 1 John 1:9 reminds us:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

This process of creating a repentant heart and regularly confess only happens when we have a humble heart and see our sin like God sees it. In the Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer says:

Until we have seen ourselves as God see us, we are not likely to be much disturbed over conditions around us as long as they do not get so far out of hand as to threaten our comfortable way of life. We have learned to live with unholiness and have come to look upon it as the natural and expected thing.

We need to be mature and recognize we are still being sanctified. This also means we still need God’s love and grace. As we find forgiveness and feel the peace of God’s forgiveness, we are empowered to share the Gospel and our testimony with more authenticity. We can share stories of God’s mercy, kindness and love towards us and all sinners. We can speak more clearly into how we have all made mistakes we regret and sinned in ways that bring us shame.

This all starts with a heart and posture of submission to God. Acknowledging who God is and what he has done is the means to surrender. Just as Jesus humbly submitted to His Father’s will, we must trust in God’s desire to forgive, restore, and bless those who completely surrender to Him. Psalm 91:4 reminds us of the protection God offers:

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Submission reminds us that we have a good and gracious God. It prepares us to share the Gospel and evangelize with a pure heart and washed slate. Sharing Jesus is an act of love and what better way to prepare than to experience God’s love ourselves.

Living Out Your Witness – Worship and Community with Other Believers

God did not design us to live alone. We are all created for community. We are stronger when we are living with others and not trying to do life alone. This is especially true for believers. We need other believers around us to encourage, teach, pray, and worship with us. Our decision to follow Jesus is an awesome event but it is just the start of a journey and not one to be kept to ourselves.

The Bible is also clear that we are made to worship and adore God. However, worship is easily misunderstood. Worship does not begin and end with the singing portion of our church services. Worship is also not limited to bowing in reverence before God. When we look at scripture, we see several concepts that factor into true worship.

True biblical worship must be reverent as we must understand who is being worshiped. God is holy, just, perfect, powerful, loving, etc. We are sinners saved by grace coming before a holy God because of our Redeemer – Jesus. Worship also must be “in truth,” that is, our worship must be properly informed by God’s Word.  We need to have accurate knowledge of God to worship Him as He is revealed in Scripture.

We must also know that God sees our heart and motivation. Worship is not as much about how we feel or being prideful of our relationship with God. We revere, honor, and adore God because of who He is and how He loves us.

Lastly, worship should produce a change of heart. The true worshiper will have an ever greater desire to love and obey the Lord. Worship should propel us into greater obedience and love for others. Worship is to be more than a temporary, experience-oriented activity on Sunday, after which we revert to a “normal” life the rest of the week. True worship is constant, inner praise to the God of Scripture, expressed in prayer, in song, in service, in giving, and in living.

When we are in community and worshipping like this, we are better able to live for Christ and share what that means and looks like with someone just coming to faith.  Romans 12:1 reads, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

This type of true worship builds our faith and impacts every area of our lives. We begin to appreciate the truth that our lives are not our own. They’ve been purchased with a price.  And as we surrender to the fact that we are living sacrifices, our worship leads us to tell others about Him.

True worship and fellowship work together and rejoice together. They move us in unity towards a single purpose of making God known in all ways possible in and through us.

Living Out Your Witness – Time in Prayer and Reflection

We live in a world of increasing distraction and noise. We are never more than a click away from seeing something new that wants our attention. Yet, the Creator of the universe is just as close and wants to spend time with us. We each have a choice of how to spend our time and where to focus our attention. Without prayer and reflection, we struggle to grow in Christ, and this will inevitably impact our walk and testimony with others.

Martin Luther once said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” If we look at the life of Jesus, we see prayer being of primary importance and why He regularly stepped away from others and the routines of life to be with God.

When we engage in prayer, we are not only drawing near to perfect holiness, but we are worshipping Him when we do so.  The model Jesus gave us for prayer includes praise, intercession, petition, confession, and pleading.  Whatever our prayer routine, the discipline of it will always draw us nearer to the heart of Jesus and His love for a lost and dying world. Authentic, real, heartfelt prayer makes our hearts burst to share the good news of Jesus with those still in darkness.

Reflection should be done in a quiet space and way. Most of us long for more quiet moments in days filled with an endless stream of messages and demands for our time. The people and commitments of our lives each have their time and place. The thing many of us too often forget is setting aside time for simply reflecting and being in God’s presence.

Psalm 46:10 is simple reminder when it reminds us: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

The discipline of silence and solitude begins with creating space for God to speak to our restless hearts. We come with open hands and hearts in anticipation of what God might say. Quiet reflection and solitude allow us to hear God’s voice again. This is one of the sweet ways we are reminded of God’s love and how He has never left our side. We rediscover what it means that God sustains the universe and holds everything in His right hand.

Prayer and reflection not only sustain us, but they become their own forms of worship and remind us how His Holy Spirit gave us new life. We can more easily appreciate that gift and consider those that have yet to receive it. These regular habits not only strengthen our own walk but also move us towards more conversation about Jesus, about life, about hope with others. 

Living Your Witness – Time in God’s Word

Any mature believer that has walked with God through multiple seasons of life knows that the Bible is our roadmap for life and faith. It changes how we think about life and guides how we respond to hard times and attacks from the enemy. Before we become a believer, we lack godly direction without the words of scripture guiding our beliefs and choices.  

In short, we need to be in the Bible if we want to know God and grow closer to Him.  God communicates with us most clearly through His Words. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

The more we read the Bible the more it becomes alive and reveals God’s heart to us. How many times have you read scripture and then shortly after that a life situation arouse that was directly related to what you had read?  It seems the more we are in the Word, the more this happens.

Although scripture has much to say on all areas of life, the one message that keeps coming back to the forefront is that Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  The recognition of this message makes us focus on our own need for a Savior and prepares us for how we can share that message with others.

As we spend time in the Bible, we store up wisdom, lessons, and insight for the moments when God opens doors to gospel conversations. If we are not in God’s Word regularly, those moments come less frequently, and we may even miss opportunities. The simple truth is we are always more passionate about something we are doing, and believe in, than something we know is good for us, but we are not following through on.

Many times, we share Jesus with those that have no idea about God’s Word. We must be in it if we are going to help others know its purpose and power. Quite simply, the more we are in the Bible, the more powerful our testimony and messages will be for those that do not know, trust, or follow Jesus.

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