Wed Night Recap

For those of you who weren't in attendance Wednesday and as a reminder to those who were:

The White Board was in full effect (I should have taken a picture!) with scribbles, circles, and underlines in my usual fashion.

We discussed the word "reproach." It's defined here.

I talked about the importance of being "above reproach," or simply being above fault or blame. We discussed the fact that as Christians we are called to and are viewed at a higher standard. Pastors may have the highest standard, long time Christians also have a high standard, and a "new believer" would have a lower standard as they are a "baby" in their walk. If Christ has truly affected our lives, then we would show it. Whether you like it or not...that's how it is and we have to be aware of how the world see's us so we can be as effective as possible in reaching lost souls.

This reflects what comes out of our mouth, what goes in our ears, what we see with our eyes, showing love and compassion, not judging, and pretty much anything that others see us do.

When we do not live up to our standard then we are living double lives and thus people reference us as "hypocrites," whether that is right or wrong, people will judge us. We do all make mistakes, but we are called to strive towards great heights of purity!

One main thing we discussed was how do we effectively interact with others who are not Christians. Do we live above reproach so they can see our differences and wonder why we are different? The answer is absolutely. Without a doubt, friendships and trust can be formed between two people with different beliefs.

We cannot go below our standard in the name of evangelism. If we try to "blend in" with the crowd and act in a non-Christlike manner so they think we're cool, then we essentially lose our testimony as to how Christ has changed our lives. So, that person would come to one of two conclusions:
A) Why do I need Jesus if this "Christian" still acts the same as me or
B)If I do accept Jesus as my personal Savior then I don't have to change anything because you didn't.

We can make a difference by sticking out in a positive way. There will come times when you have the opportunity to stand up and show how Christ has changed you or to blend in with the crowd. People will notice how you're different and they will be curious as to why...it will give you opportunities to share your faith.