Yesterday I mentioned to you that every person should be able to lead someone through the scriptures to come to a place of receiving Christ and being assured of their eternal salvation.
Perhaps the most widely quoted scriptural pathway is what's known as the "Roman Road." The scriptures are simply these
- Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Note the all which includes you and me!)
- Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Our condition, if left unaddressed will lead to eternal death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is here that you introduce the idea that salvation is a gift, a gift of grace, not something we earn or work for.
- Romans 10:9&10 "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead then you will be saved." There is both a component of believing and confessing which makes this gift your own!
- Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We no longer need to worry whether or not we will belong to God in heaven. Scripture promises that we can have peace if we believe in the steps above.
That's a simple summary but you would do well to know those four verses and have them at your fingertips.
Have a blessed weekend,
Dr. Jay
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Always Be Prepared...
In I Peter 3:15 the writer exhorts us to always be prepared to “give an answer for the hope that lies within us.”
Last night, in my weekly home group which I’ve grown to love very much, we did a little test.
Although all six couples certainly have a relationship with the Lord and all six could give a testimony about their relationship, only one seemed to have any idea how to lead someone else in a biblical way to the throne of salvation.
I want to ask you to think about that. If someone came to you and said “Show me in the Bible why I need to know Jesus and how I can” could you do it?
Something as simple as this, I believe, is fundamental to being a disciple maker and yet I would expect, if our group is typical, that 80% or more of us don’t know the basic scriptures that spell out
1. man’s condition
2. man’s destiny without Christ
3. God’s solution
4. what we can do about it.
In tomorrow’s blog I’ll put a very clear and simple pathway for you to describe to people so that you can jot it down or print it out or put it in your pocket and pull it out and use it in any conversation at any time to help someone make the most important decision of their life.
You see, it’s not so much our convincing words but the authority of scripture that changes hearts. I can’t stress that enough and I pray that you will find yourself in that narrow minority that knows how to lead someone to Christ and “give an answer for the hope that lies within you!”
Blessings,
Dr. Jay
Last night, in my weekly home group which I’ve grown to love very much, we did a little test.
Although all six couples certainly have a relationship with the Lord and all six could give a testimony about their relationship, only one seemed to have any idea how to lead someone else in a biblical way to the throne of salvation.
I want to ask you to think about that. If someone came to you and said “Show me in the Bible why I need to know Jesus and how I can” could you do it?
Something as simple as this, I believe, is fundamental to being a disciple maker and yet I would expect, if our group is typical, that 80% or more of us don’t know the basic scriptures that spell out
1. man’s condition
2. man’s destiny without Christ
3. God’s solution
4. what we can do about it.
In tomorrow’s blog I’ll put a very clear and simple pathway for you to describe to people so that you can jot it down or print it out or put it in your pocket and pull it out and use it in any conversation at any time to help someone make the most important decision of their life.
You see, it’s not so much our convincing words but the authority of scripture that changes hearts. I can’t stress that enough and I pray that you will find yourself in that narrow minority that knows how to lead someone to Christ and “give an answer for the hope that lies within you!”
Blessings,
Dr. Jay
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Unity and Vision
As we came into our staff meeting this morning, my heart was pumping with excitement about the fall ministry season that is now underway!
There were so many things I wanted to say, but the Lord was clear to me that there was just one thing that I needed to say and that was that we had been given a mission: the same mission that the Father had given Jesus and that was to go and make followers (disciples) of all people.
I shared with the team that though the financial challenges that we face are still real, unity and vision are always the key to being in the place where God will provide and we are totally in agreement about those two things as a leadership team at North Way!
It's an unusual and wonderful thing when you can be in a room of 60 or 70 people and feel absolutely one about purpose and expectation. We know that this week having a guest speaker, Lee Strobel, with us there are unknowns. What also know that that is what God wants and as a result we will see great provision of God's Spirit, God's people and God's blessing.
Think about that in terms of your own life. Are you in unity with your spouse, if married, and if so, do you have a vision about what God wants you to do? If so, then provision is on it's way!
Blessings,
Dr. Jay
There were so many things I wanted to say, but the Lord was clear to me that there was just one thing that I needed to say and that was that we had been given a mission: the same mission that the Father had given Jesus and that was to go and make followers (disciples) of all people.
I shared with the team that though the financial challenges that we face are still real, unity and vision are always the key to being in the place where God will provide and we are totally in agreement about those two things as a leadership team at North Way!
It's an unusual and wonderful thing when you can be in a room of 60 or 70 people and feel absolutely one about purpose and expectation. We know that this week having a guest speaker, Lee Strobel, with us there are unknowns. What also know that that is what God wants and as a result we will see great provision of God's Spirit, God's people and God's blessing.
Think about that in terms of your own life. Are you in unity with your spouse, if married, and if so, do you have a vision about what God wants you to do? If so, then provision is on it's way!
Blessings,
Dr. Jay
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
A Great Season
Just today I received the final wrap-up of the 2010 Tenth Anniversary Car Cruise season here at North Way.
It's impossible for me to begin to capture the good will and the emotional value of this Cruise as a "community gift", as Pastor Scott Stevens once called it.
Scores, if not hundreds, of people commented to me this year on how much the Cruise meant to them and their families as a place to go and enjoy an evening together feeling safe, secure and surrounded by people who were having a good time!
But more than that, people also gave this year through sponsorships and donations. In fact, the Car Cruise more than paid for itself and will allow us to give a little to some special needs that are around us and have some left in reserve to start next year in the black!
The Car Cruise is widely misunderstood by many people. It's not about the cars; and I want to say that again. It's not about the cars. It's about the wonderful people that you meet, get to know and build a bond with over the course of months and years.
Long after the Car Cruise ends, people will remember this era in the life of North Way and the gift that this weekly gathering has been to build friendships, plant seeds of trust and understanding and encourage the search for faith in the life of thousands throughout our city!
Blessings from the Car Cruise Pastor,
Dr. Jay
It's impossible for me to begin to capture the good will and the emotional value of this Cruise as a "community gift", as Pastor Scott Stevens once called it.
Scores, if not hundreds, of people commented to me this year on how much the Cruise meant to them and their families as a place to go and enjoy an evening together feeling safe, secure and surrounded by people who were having a good time!
But more than that, people also gave this year through sponsorships and donations. In fact, the Car Cruise more than paid for itself and will allow us to give a little to some special needs that are around us and have some left in reserve to start next year in the black!
The Car Cruise is widely misunderstood by many people. It's not about the cars; and I want to say that again. It's not about the cars. It's about the wonderful people that you meet, get to know and build a bond with over the course of months and years.
Long after the Car Cruise ends, people will remember this era in the life of North Way and the gift that this weekly gathering has been to build friendships, plant seeds of trust and understanding and encourage the search for faith in the life of thousands throughout our city!
Blessings from the Car Cruise Pastor,
Dr. Jay
Friday, September 3, 2010
"Have You Ever Wondered?"
As I write to you, we are in the eighth day of an August heatwave of 90 degree days and bone dry humidity. (Yesterday KDKA said this is more like Tucson, Arizona than Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!)
However, as I prepare to leave the office there are clouds in the sky and a strong likelihood that some rain's going to come and potentially have a significantly negative affect on our last Car Cruise. We had big plans for tonight including the "lighting of the cross" and several other things which may not happen.
Have you ever wondered why some of the things that you feel would honor God and are used by God in so many ways sometimes seem to fall prey to circumstance beyond our control? I have. Weather is one of those things as are traffic jams, etc., etc., etc.
The key that I've discovered is to trust the sovereignty of God in such things and to recognize that praise continues to build faith that somehow causes even negative things to turn out for the good when we don't know how that could possibly happen.
That's what I'm claiming for this evening's event and much more personal and perhaps critical issues that you and I might face in our walk with Jesus.
May the Lord bless your weekend. We'll return to this space on Tuesday the 7th with fresh revelation from the Lord!
Blessings,
Dr. Jay
However, as I prepare to leave the office there are clouds in the sky and a strong likelihood that some rain's going to come and potentially have a significantly negative affect on our last Car Cruise. We had big plans for tonight including the "lighting of the cross" and several other things which may not happen.
Have you ever wondered why some of the things that you feel would honor God and are used by God in so many ways sometimes seem to fall prey to circumstance beyond our control? I have. Weather is one of those things as are traffic jams, etc., etc., etc.
The key that I've discovered is to trust the sovereignty of God in such things and to recognize that praise continues to build faith that somehow causes even negative things to turn out for the good when we don't know how that could possibly happen.
That's what I'm claiming for this evening's event and much more personal and perhaps critical issues that you and I might face in our walk with Jesus.
May the Lord bless your weekend. We'll return to this space on Tuesday the 7th with fresh revelation from the Lord!
Blessings,
Dr. Jay
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Even the Slow Days
Today was supposed to be one of my "slow days" when I get caught up on a lot of correspondance and also do some planning and prayerful preparation for the fall season.
As usual, phone calls, issues and a myriad of different interruptions caused this to be another "full day" which I'm beginning to think is just another conspiracy of the evil one to keep me away from God's perfect will.
I'm not sure about you but I find it difficult to lay aside some of the nagging things that are always in front of me in order to place my attention on the important things that whisper into my ear that they need attention.
And so another day is going to go by and I'm still not where I want to be but thankfully I'm free in Jesus to pick it up where I left off and trust Him again for a better day tomorrow!
Blessings in Jesus,
Dr. Jay
P.S. They're calling for rain for the last (and largest) Car Cruise of the season! I'd appreciate those of you who pray for such things to ask that the Lord make the weather forecast abundantly clear very early in the day!
As usual, phone calls, issues and a myriad of different interruptions caused this to be another "full day" which I'm beginning to think is just another conspiracy of the evil one to keep me away from God's perfect will.
I'm not sure about you but I find it difficult to lay aside some of the nagging things that are always in front of me in order to place my attention on the important things that whisper into my ear that they need attention.
And so another day is going to go by and I'm still not where I want to be but thankfully I'm free in Jesus to pick it up where I left off and trust Him again for a better day tomorrow!
Blessings in Jesus,
Dr. Jay
P.S. They're calling for rain for the last (and largest) Car Cruise of the season! I'd appreciate those of you who pray for such things to ask that the Lord make the weather forecast abundantly clear very early in the day!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Prayer First
Our staff meeting today was full of energy and an incredible amount of excitement as we anticipate a series of positive gatherings, events and ministry moments in the fall season just ahead!
There was laughter, applause and great energy in the room as we looked ahead and believed that the Lord has already gone before us.
The one thing, however, that we can never presume upon is that the Holy Spirit must give His blessing to our effort. That's when I was able to share the simple but absolutely essential commitment that we have to make as individual believers as well as ministry leaders.
That simple exhortation is prayer first!
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." He was speaking of resources and needs and clearly that's something that's on our minds right now. Nonetheless, beyond that it also has to do with spiritual resources to fulfill ministries and see people's lives affected for Christ.
It's so easy to get caught up in the burden and challenge of doing ministry duties.
May God help us, no matter where we're serving and how we're walking with Him, to pray first and trust Him with the results.
Blessings,
Dr. Jay
There was laughter, applause and great energy in the room as we looked ahead and believed that the Lord has already gone before us.
The one thing, however, that we can never presume upon is that the Holy Spirit must give His blessing to our effort. That's when I was able to share the simple but absolutely essential commitment that we have to make as individual believers as well as ministry leaders.
That simple exhortation is prayer first!
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." He was speaking of resources and needs and clearly that's something that's on our minds right now. Nonetheless, beyond that it also has to do with spiritual resources to fulfill ministries and see people's lives affected for Christ.
It's so easy to get caught up in the burden and challenge of doing ministry duties.
May God help us, no matter where we're serving and how we're walking with Him, to pray first and trust Him with the results.
Blessings,
Dr. Jay
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