Jon and Jen Quast Learning Language and Culture of Paraguay 
Ravi Zacharias, a well known Christian speaker and apologist, once said that "what you win them with is what you win them to." Me quoting this here in the opening paragraph may not hold a lot of meaning, but it will make sense as the article progresses. I wanted to write this article on one of our current training courses in the book of Romans chapters 6-8. (It may be helpful to read these chapters before reading on)
I try not to make our news articles feel like a devotional, but if I was going to write on this past week’s events I would have to write on what we are studying in Romans. Romans is the clearest picture in the Bible of who we are as people (chapters 1-3) who we are after Christ saves us (3-5) and how we continue to grow in our relationship with Christ (6-8). It is important to have a clear understanding of this book, not just for teaching purposes, but also for living purposes.
As I have studied intensely this week, along with various other places in the New Testament, it has forced me to take a close-up honest look at myself, and my walk with the Lord. Is my life a good example of the Christian life model? Is my life clearly illustrating the life the God outlined in the epistles? I’m not talking abotu a simple list of do’s and don’t's. I am talking about my relationship with Jesus. Is it being lived out every minute of every day as it should.
An example: How do I view reaching out to unsaved people? To reach out to unsaved people, am I waiting for a group of people and I to come up with a strategy on how to do it? Am I planning big outreach events? Am I looking for some developed programs that would work well in this lake community I find myself living in right now? Am I searching Amazon for a book that can give me some good pointers? Or…when I walk into Walmart and go to the cash register and the lady scanning my items says hello…is my heart gripped with compassion for her just as Jesus’ heart is gripped with compassion for her? "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." -Matthew 9:36
What I win them with is what I win them to. There are many programs in the church today. There are many outreach events in the church today. There is alot of organization, groups, plans, strategy, and presentations in the church today. But what there aren’t alot of in the church today is people who are followers of Jesus wherever they are and with whoever they are with. Does my light so shine just when I schedule it to shine? Or does my light so shine because of the light of Christ within me.
If I take to a new church, a modeled lifestyle filled with Christ’s life in certain settings but not filled with Christ’s life when I’m doing "other stuff", I shouldn’t expect the people I’m ministering to to be any different.
I have been challenged in this class to make my relatioship with Christ the basis for which I live life. This hasn’t been a class or mere acadamia. This has not just changed the way I think, it is forcing me to change the way I live.
