random stranger bible study

[Bear.Fr00t]

Our job is to preach the gospel, turning hard hearts into soft hearts can only be done by the Lord through his supernatural powers. You can preach until you loose your voice and fall over from exhaustion, but unless the Lord moves, nothing will happen.

 

[jburkes80]

I think this is a great thing...go for it and let us know how it went!!!

 

[Bro_Sam]

This has been on my mind lately, I want to take a case of Bibles down to a local park and have a Bible study... with total strangers. I will sit at a table with several Bibles laid out and just wait for God to provide people for the study. I know this sounds kinda weird but I think God has put it on my mind. For this reason I am going to buy a case of NLT bibles, come up with several studies and go to the park and wait for those God has prepared to be a part of it. Not real sure how I am going to go about doing it, but I am sure God will provide.

Just wondering what yall think of this.

A novel idea, but I don't get the point. Why would random unsaved people in a park want to stop and study the Bible with somebody they've never met?

And I can't really go along with the idea of using the NLT for anything but kindling.

 

[torcot]

A novel idea, but I don't get the point. Why would random unsaved people in a park want to stop and study the Bible with somebody they've never met?

People all over have questions, and if they can have those questions answered they would be willing to have a conversation with a total stranger. If it takes looking into the Bible to find the answers many are willing to take a look inside the Bible.

 

[Bro_Sam]

People all over have questions, and if they can have those questions answered they would be willing to have a conversation with a total stranger. If it takes looking into the Bible to find the answers many are willing to take a look inside the Bible.

I'm not saying this is a bad idea. In fact, I think it's a very novel one and I applaud your zeal. I just wonder if it's the wisest way to go about it.

You say it's to answer Bible questions and I can understand that. But as someone who open air preaches regularly and gets hit with a lot of questions from non-Christians, I can tell you first hand that the way you're describing going about it, it's going to serve more as entertainment for goats than any real kind of ministry.

If I were you, I would go to my pastor or an evangelist in my church, ask them to help me put a good Gospel presentation together, go to a local park and preach, asking for questions at the end.

Based on my past experience, if you do it the way you're describing, I can almost guarantee you that there will be a lot of pagans coming by just to mess with you.

I'm not saying these things to discourage you and certainly not to belittle your idea or your zeal for the lost, but just to help you to avoid a lot of common mistakes I see people make out in the mission field.

 

[Kitty.]

I say go for it If you believe God called you to do this, He will provide.

You would be surprised how many atheists are willing to learn about the love of Christ.

 

[Bro_Sam]

I say go for it If you believe God called you to do this, He will provide.

You would be surprised how many atheists are willing to learn about the love of Christ.

There are none who seek after God, Kitty.

 

[dies-l]

There are none who seek after God, Kitty.

I did. Thank God there was someone to tell me about Him.

 

[Bro_Sam]

I did. Thank God there was someone to tell me about Him.

Then I guess the Bible was wrong.

 

[dies-l]

Then I guess the Bible was wrong.

Or, perhaps you were wrong in your interpretation of the Bible. (That's more likely).

 

[Bro_Sam]

Or, perhaps you were wrong in your interpretation of the Bible. (That's more likely).

Really? You don't know the difference between interpreting something and quoting it?

If you're so sure thatthe interpretation I never gave is wrong, then why don't you tell us what the "correct" interpretation of the verse is?

 

[dies-l]

Really? You don't know the difference between interpreting something and quoting it?

If you're so sure thatthe interpretation I never gave is wrong, then why don't you tell us what the "correct" interpretation of the verse is?

How am I to explain a verse that apparently calls my experience a lie, when you won't even tell me what passage you think calls me a liar?

But, here's a few verses that do come to mind:

Ex. 18:15 "Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will."

Deut. 4:29: "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."

1 Chron. 22:19: "Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD."

1 Chronicles 28:9: "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever."

2 Chronicles 15:12: "They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul."

Ezra 6:21: "So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the LORD, the God of Israel."

Psalm 9:10: "Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you."

Psalm 22:26: "The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever!"

Psalm 34:10" "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing."

Matthew 7:7: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Luke 12:31: "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."

Just to name a few.

I suppose you might be referring to Romans 3:11. If that is the case, I would caution that Romans is a particularly difficult book to proof-text from, because it forms a complicated theological argument, which cannot be gleaned from random verses stripped of context. If this is the passage you are referring to, this interpretation contradicts the bulk of Scripture. Unless you believe Scripture contradicts itself (which I do not), I suggest that this interpretation might be flawed. If a person were to use this verse in isolation to make the point that you seem to be trying to make, this would demonstrate that that person has not fully studied Paul's argument in his letter to the Romans.

But, seriously, if we want to debate the topic any further, perhaps it might be kind to the OP to start a new thread.

 

[Bro_Sam]

How am I to explain a verse that apparently calls my experience a lie, when you won't even tell me what passage you think calls me a liar?

Wait a second, are you saying that you tried to poison the well by just knee jerkedly claiming that my "interpretation" was wrong without even knowing what verse I was quoting?

Forget the fact that I never offered an interpretation of the verse, but only quoted it, how in the world are you able to say that my interpretation of a given verse is wrong if you don't even know what verse it is?

Wow.That's a little dishonest.

 

[dies-l]

Wait a second, are you saying that you tried to poison the well by just knee jerkedly claiming that my "interpretation" was wrong without even knowing what verse I was quoting?

Forget the fact that I never offered an interpretation of the verse, but only quoted it, how in the world are you able to say that my interpretation of a given verse is wrong if you don't even know what verse it is?

Wow.That's a little dishonest.

Okay. Rather than resorting to red herrings to try to impugn my integrity, why not explain your original comment that "There are none who seek after God" and that by disagreeing with you I was somehow implying that "the Bible is wrong." (BTW, while we're on the topic of honesty and integrity, have you ever fact-checked your siggy? )

 

[Bro_Sam]

Okay. Rather than resorting to red herrings to try to impugn my integrity

You mean pointing out that you attempted to poison the well against me by claiming that my interpretation (which I never offered, by the way) was wrong when you had no idea what verse I was allegedly interpreting in the first place?

(BTW, while we're on the topic of honesty and integrity, have you ever fact-checked your siggy? )

Off topic. Please stop trying to derail this thread.

 

[dies-l]

You mean pointing out that you attempted to poison the well against me by claiming that my interpretation (which I never offered, by the way) was wrong when you had no idea what verse I was allegedly interpreting in the first place?



Off topic. Trying to derail a thread is against forum rules, Mr. Moderator.

Your response speaks volumes. I will let the dialog speak for itself. I reiterate what I said, I did seek God (as have many many people) and I am glad that there was someone to tell me about Him. I will add that my experience is entirely consistent with Scripture.

To the OP: thanks for serving the Kingdom. Keep it up.

 

[Bro_Sam]

Your response speaks volumes. I will let the dialog speak for itself. I reiterate what I said, I did seek God (as have many many people) and I am glad that there was someone to tell me about Him. I will add that my experience is entirely consistent with Scripture.

There is none that seeks God.

 

[dies-l]

There is none that seeks God.

Thank you for sharing your opinion. While I strongly disagree with it, I respect your right to it, and I pray God's blessing on you.

 

[Bro_Sam]

Thank you for sharing your opinion. While I strongly disagree with it

Given that it isn't my opinion, but God's opinion, I'm sorry to hear that you disagree.

 

[dies-l]

Well, I'm sorry to hear that you disagree with scripture.

I don't. I disagree with you.


ETA: And, with that, I am done arguing this point with you.