This might sound really synnical, but in my opinion, if those who
need to get saved are told to go to church to do so, it alieviates
the person doing the inviting to give their own testimony or do any
witnessing  of their own.  I get so frustrated with people who say,
"oh, I couldn't say anything," or, I'll ask the pastor to pray
because God will listen to him better.  We should all be willing to
bring Christ into every situation and if that means that someone gets
introduced to Christ in the bathroom, so be it!!
Kathy


At 07:40 PM 9/1/2005, you wrote:
>Phil, that is too bad about the price Randy prayed.  That workbook of
>yours sounds good.  One of the Baptist churches, in this town, got a
>jump start when a pastor won a few to the Lord, using home Bible
>studies.  He used the book, Won by one.  He studied with them in
>their homes and when they were ready to come to church, nothing would
>stop them.  I just don't understand this idea that we have to invite
>people to church to be saved.  Take the gospel to them and not try to
>drag them to the gospel.  I know some get saved in the church
>buildings, themselves, but I think people have a greater chance of
>being saved where they are comfortable.
>
>earlier, Phil Scovell, wrote:
> >John,
> >
> >Your story reminded me of another.
> >
> >I wrote a 4 lesson Bible study specifically to be used as an evangelism
> >tool.  A friend of mine and I were members of a church which had about 150
> >members.  The pastor had been there 40 years and was a great man of God.  My
> >friend, Keith, and I had been praying on sunday nights at the church for
> >close to a year with only one or two others ever coming.  finally, I put
> >this workbook together and Keith and I went to the pastor.  The idea was to
> >get others, who were interested of course, to use the work book in
> >establishing short 4 week home bible studies.  The workbook was made to help
> >people follow along, filling out information as it was studied from the
> >Scriptures, which ultimately led a person, not only to Christ, but to the
> >importance of following Christ into water baptism, and church membership.  I
> >knew a pastor who had used this method to build two different churches which
> >both reached a thousand in each church and in an amazingly short period of
> >time.  Additionally, other spin off churches were being established in
> >distance communities as a result.  When we presented this to the pastor, he
> >said he would be willing to announce it from the pulpit and even put it into
> >the bulletin.  He, on the other hand, said that he had tried everything,
> >over the years, and our plan would not work.  Keith had a man who worked for
> >him who was not born again.  He and his wife said they would like to have
> >the four week Bible study in their home once each week.  They were both not
> >saved.  The workbook I designed was made in such a way that you were leading
> >the person to Christ by the second Bible study.  The second week, the man's
> >wife was born again but when I began talking to Randy, her husband, about
> >salvation,  he said no.  After some discussion, it finally came out that he
> >would have to give up his marijuana and alcohol if he became a Christian.  I
> >worked on him, sort of speak, for some time trying to get him to see how
> >huge of a mistake he was making and to get saved now and let the rest be
> >taken care of by the Lord.  He kept saying, no, because, he said, "I know
> >God will make me give up these things."  A year or so passed and one day
> >Keith said, "I heard from Randy."  The man had stopped working on the house
> >building crew that Keith had.  I asked about Randy and Keith said, "Well, he
> >wants to come back to work.  Unfortunately, he has lost everything but
> >fortunately he is now born again."  I asked what happened.  Keith reported
> >that Randy's drinking and dope smoking finally pushed his marriage beyond
> >its limits and his wife divorced him.  They had two little girls, about 4
> >years of age, who were twins.  Randy finally hit bottom and checked himself
> >into a drug and drinking rehab.  Some place along the way, he got saved.
> >Thank God for that but he paid a big price for saying no once too many
> >times.
> >
> >Phil.
>
>John