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[0:00] All right, well, thank you all for coming out.

[0:18] I'm glad you're here tonight. We continue to train for, you know, we're hoping to use this all the time, not just for the engage weekend that we'll have, but, you know, as Christians, we should always be sharing the reason for our hope in Jesus Christ with our community, with our friends, with our neighbors.

[0:43] So once you get the handout, we'll watch the video in a moment, but I want to give you an idea of what's going to happen on March 4th. You've all heard a lot about Engage and that we're going to be out in our community, so I want to tell you what we're going to do, what we have lined up on that day.

[1:00] So the night before, right now, our plan is to come together here and those who are volunteering and those, even if you can't come, you're invited to come to this as well, and we're just going to have a time of fellowship, of prayer, and of worship, and praying for our next day, the Engage Day, when we're out in our community.

[1:24] So just a time for us to come together and to pray and ask for God's blessing on the following day, which is when we will be out in the community. So one of the things we're going to do is we're going to go down to the Robinwood soccer fields, and on Saturday morning and afternoon, that's a big day for a lot of soccer games, a lot of kids, all ages are down there playing and their parents are down there.

[1:50] And so what we're going to do down there is we're going to set up a couple grills, and we're going to grill hot dogs, and we're going to have hot dogs and water, and we're going to just set up a stand there and encourage people to come for a free hot dog or water, and then also, you know, have some people who will run those things out to people and just encourage them, hey, if you want to, you know, we have free food and water here.

[2:15] And again, this is an opportunity for us to share and to show the love of Christ. We're hoping that we're going to have conversations with people that we otherwise wouldn't have. That's the point.

[2:25] That's the purpose. And to show people that, you know, we as Christians and here at this church, we care about our community, and we do have a heart for them. So that will be one thing we'll be doing.

[2:36] Another thing, and all of these things will be going on simultaneously. And the next thing is we'll have at the nursing home. Lee, can you remind me what nursing home that is?

[2:48] Heritage Villa. We're going to have a group down there, and they're going to spend the afternoon with the residents there doing different kinds of things, maybe playing games, just interacting with them, having fellowship with them, doing whatever the staff needs us to do if it's helping, you know, to bring them food or just sitting down and visiting with them.

[3:09] And so that will be another opportunity, another location. A third one is, this is going to be for a smaller group, but they're going to have some gift cards, and they're going to go to a local grocery store around town.

[3:23] And they're going to walk around, and they're going to have a handful of those gift cards, and they're going to pray. And whomever God puts on their heart in that grocery store to give one of those cards to, they're going to approach them with that card and, you know, and share the gospel with them and explain why they're doing that.

[3:42] That's something that we, both things we did, all three things we did in Kansas, and they're really awesome things, especially this one, because it's just amazing how many times you would come across or hear stories about, you know, one of those recipients of those gift cards.

[4:00] They, you know, they were trying to tabulate things in their mind, figure out how they're going to pay for their groceries, and then they get this blessing, and it, you know, it enables them to buy all that they need and removes that stress.

[4:15] Fourth thing is we're going to be canvassing. A group will be going down here back in our neighborhoods and just interacting with our neighbors and having some material for them, some things for the kids, right, and inviting them to come to Easter, which will be the next day.

[4:34] And then the last thing is there'll be a group who is going to, Mike Dersham and some others are putting together some projects for widows or people, just things that they can, we can do around their house that they're not capable of doing on their own for various reasons, you know, maybe they just, they just don't have the time or the ability or the money to do it, and so we're going to have a group that's going to do kind of those kind of small repairs.

[4:59] And so we're starting kind of small with the anticipation that we're going to build towards bigger things that have an even greater effect on our community here. So on March 4th, my friend Nathan will be here and he will be with us in the morning and in the evening and after the morning service, I mean, he's going to preach about, you know, the biblical reasonings why Engage is something that a church should be involved with, why it's something that it's mandated from Scripture that we as Christians share the gospel and that we, you know, share the love of Christ through our words and our actions and we do so in our communities, which is our mission field.

[5:44] So he'll be there to share with that and then afterwards we'll have our missions banquet and at that point in time there will be some tables set up with your opportunity to sign up for one of these different activities, one of those five that I talked to you about.

[6:04] And also there's going to be some other opportunities for you as well that have to deal with outreach with our grow teams. And so those will be out there as well. So, you know, what we're hoping to happen on that day is that, you know, this is your day to commit yourself to these different outreach ministries that we have going on and then we'll just go from there.

[6:26] And then on the 18th, Mike Hand will be here from the BGCO and after that service is when we'll take up our pledges for the gospel debt.

[6:39] So we got some plans, some things that we have in store. This is going to be a year where we're reaching out and I know that God will bless that.

[6:51] And I know it's also scary because, like I said, I have that A.W. Tozer quote on my whiteboard for a reason. It's to remind me that, you know, we're in a place where we want to be because right now it's God or total collapse.

[7:05] And that doesn't, and I'm talking about like even with Engage and all these different things. Every time we do it, I'm just like, man, it's either going to be great or it's going to completely fall apart. But it always is great. It never falls apart and it usually exceeds our expectations.

[7:18] And so I think that God likes operating in this way where it's like, all right, you're going to place all your faith in me. And it's either I'm going to show up and do what I do or it's not going to happen at all.

[7:29] And, you know, like A.W. Tozer said, God has never let down anybody who has ever put their faith in him. And so I believe that God's going to use this and propel us towards even more and greater opportunities to reach our community.

[7:47] So tonight we're going to continue with our session two of the three circles. And again, this is just a tool. It's helpful because it gives you a way to have these conversations.

[8:03] And again, you know, a big part of this is repetition and practice. So we're going to do some more repetition and practice tonight. And the better we do that, the better and more comfortable we'll feel at sharing the gospel with people.

[8:19] And the better you'll get at being able to take your normal conversations and turn them or, you know, transition them into gospel conversations.

[8:31] And some people are just naturally gifted at it. Others, not as much, but it's something that can happen. Dani probably doesn't like me sharing, but she's really good at it.

[8:41] And I've seen her do it, and I was just like, man, how did you do that? That was pretty awesome. You know, you're just talking to that person like normal. How come I can't do that? And so some people are gifted at it. Some people it takes a little bit more practice.

[8:51] But just as long as we have the heart desire to do it and we're opening our mouth, God can use that. But he can't use us being silent, right? So with all that being said, let's watch session number two.

[9:05] And fill in the blanks in your handout as it goes on. If you miss any, I'll come back and I'll tell you what those were. The gospel is a Bible word that simply means good news.

[9:17] The good news is that God loves us. He loves us so much that when he sees us in our brokenness, he doesn't just leave us there. Instead, God sent his son Jesus to live a perfect life and die the death that we deserve.

[9:29] Jesus died on a cross, was buried, and God raised him from the dead, proving that Jesus is who he says he is. The Bible says when we repent and believe in Jesus, God does a miracle.

[9:40] He takes all of our sin and puts it on Jesus and takes all of Jesus' righteousness and puts it on us. Now we're in right standing with God, and he helps us recover and pursue his design for our lives.

[9:59] Okay, let's go back over those fill-ins to make sure that you got them all. The word gospel literally means good news.

[10:13] Okay, well, yeah, it sounds like you guys got it. So where was the gospel literally means good news? Was that the second fill-in? Okay, I don't have the first one in here for some...

[10:23] Oh, there it is. We're going to focus on training you to share the whole gospel. The word gospel literally means good news. TGI, because every day we have opportunities to transition to the gospel and invite people to repent and believe in Jesus.

[10:41] We need to clearly explain that repent means to change or change direction. Change or change direction.

[10:53] Believe means to trust or to put our faith in the person and work of Jesus. Believe means to trust or put our faith in the person and work of Jesus.

[11:07] Gospel is simply Jesus died for our sins. He was buried and God raised him from the dead. Jesus died for our sins.

[11:18] He was buried and God raised him from the dead. Three circle cheats. He says, draw a down arrow and a cross and an up arrow in your gospel circle. So, you know, what he's saying there is when you write gospel, draw a down arrow, you know, that symbolizes that Jesus came, the cross, that Jesus died for our sins, and then the up arrow that Jesus resurrected from the dead.

[11:43] We will practice telling the gospel over and over again so that we can tell it accurately and effectively.

[11:58] I'll read that one again. We will practice telling the gospel over and over again so that we can tell it accurately and effectively.

[12:10] So, the better, the more we practice at something, the better we get at it, right? At least that's the way it's supposed to be. I'm just going to throw a little illustration in here.

[12:23] Yesterday, we played basketball again downstairs, and we had a good group the very first time. I mean, we've had as much as 25 players, I think, before. And yesterday, I think we had around 10 or more.

[12:36] Anyhow, the very first time we did this, we had four guys. It was Johnny and me and Jesse and Cameron. And we played two games because I know at least for Jesse and I, and I think Cameron, maybe not as much as us, but we were winded.

[12:53] That's all we could put in that afternoon, you know. We were tired after 2. Johnny was fine. Johnny was ready to keep playing. Yesterday, we played five games, you know, and we kind of built up to that.

[13:05] And so we have, you know, more stamina, more energy, more endurance, though I'm very tired and very sore today. You know what I'm saying? The more you practice and the more you do something, the better you get at it.

[13:18] And so in a moment, I want you guys to pair up again and go over just practicing with one another. Do the three circles as if you were talking to somebody about it who was hearing it for the very first time.

[13:32] And you're going to explain the gospel to them using those three circles. But before we do that, I want to share, you know, another testimony about, you know, the big picture, what we're hoping to accomplish through this as well, right?

[13:45] We want ultimately to have conversations with people where, you know, they're being led to the Lord. The last Engage event that I was a part of in Leavenworth before coming down here, we were doing a lot.

[14:01] And this one day, we had the pool open for the community. And we had a free, we fed them, we played a movie. But the big thing we did is we handed out free shoes.

[14:12] And we just collected throughout the year from, you know, at this point in time, it was our church and it was my friend Nathan's church. And we were doing it together. And we collected free shoes, you know, shoes that we were going to pass out.

[14:27] This was in the summer before school started. And, man, the line for shoes was unbelievable. We had no idea that there were so many people in need in our community who could not afford shoes for their kids to go back to school.

[14:39] And it was awesome because as we're out there and as they're in line waiting to go through the line to get their shoes, you know, it gave us opportunities to talk to them. They're like, why are you doing this? And, you know, we're like, well, we're doing this for this so that we can talk to you so that we can show you how much, you know, the Lord loves you.

[14:58] And the Lord, you know, and we love you and we care about you. And, you know, you go into the gospel with them in that way. But, you know, just the impact that it had. Now you have some people who, you know, they were just there to get something for free and that'll happen.

[15:13] But, you know, we hope in their cases we're just at least planting a seed. But, you know, for them, they'd be like, okay, so you guys are two churches doing this? Like, yeah, we're two churches. I thought churches were in competition with one another, you know.

[15:23] No, we're not in competition with one another. We're on the same team, you know. And so we would say, and we developed, and so we'd say, hey, you know, yeah, if you live closer here, we want you to go there.

[15:34] Or us, or, you know, we're a little bit different in our worship styles. But we preach the same gospel. And we don't care if you go to our church or their church. We just want you to go to church. And what that said for our people, too, is it changed them.

[15:46] And then the more we were doing this with this other church, the more they became, you know, they became our friends. They became a part of our family, too. And so it's amazing. And that's what we hope to have happen here.

[15:58] I am praying. Because when people see, man, Christians, they're really different, you know, because it's not about a competition with them. And they're doing this.

[16:08] They're giving. And they're taking their time to be out here and do this for us purely because they must truly love and care. They must really be about what they preach about. So partner with someone and go through, each of you, go through the three circles.

[16:26] And then the next step that you're supposed to do as well is write out your gospel presentation. And so, you know, that's in your own words what you, how you're going to present the gospel.

[16:41] Using your own language, right? But, you know, making sure that you keep those key things in there. Jesus came. Jesus died on the cross. Jesus rose again. You know, it's not a gospel presentation without any of those three things.

[16:53] So don't change or mess with any of that. You know what I'm saying? But when you're talking about brokenness, man, right now is a perfect opportunity to talk about brokenness, isn't it?

[17:05] After just another shooting and horrific thing that happened in Florida. And just to tell people, you know, this is not the way it's supposed to be. You know that. You can see that. This is not the way that God intended it for things to be.

[17:17] The world is a broken place and people are broken and hurting. Okay, so group up and groups of at least two or more than that and then take turns going over.

[17:29] And again, if we can't do it with one another, we can't expect that we're going to do it with people that we don't know. So have fun. Nobody's judging you. We're working to help each other get better at this.

[17:41] Give us your strength, O God. Encourage to speak. Perform your wondrous deeds.

[17:55] Through those who are weak. Lord, use us as you want. Whatever the test.

[18:05] By grace we'll preach your gospel till our dying breath.

[18:17] Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done. So that everyone might know your name.

[18:31] Let your song be heard. Everywhere on earth. Till your sovereign work on earth is done.

[18:48] Let your kingdom come. Sounds like we're about wrapped up. And this is a good thing too because, you know, one of the benefits of us doing this is we're talking to, each other and maybe we haven't talked to each other before or we're just getting to know one another and we're encouraging one another, right?

[19:09] I think that that's in our vision, is it not? Encouraging one another. Enlightening one another. Equipping one another so that we can go out and engage our community.

[19:21] And one of the other things I wanted to share about that testimony, the last engage, when we were out at the pool and we were giving out the shoes, one of the other cool things that happened is we had a couple different pastors from other churches, you know, contact us.

[19:37] They're like, how can we get involved with this? What do we got to do? And so we were like, yeah, all you got to do, we just want to talk to you just to make sure that you're like-minded with us, that, you know, you agree on these core things about the Christian faith that we cannot deviate from, right?

[19:56] We're not going to invite the Jehovah's Witness to come partner with us or some other churches that don't have our, not to call them the church, but you know what I'm saying. So that's another great thing about it.

[20:08] And so that's the goal is for us as Christians to be the type of people that God's called us to be and to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ and the mission that God has given to all of us.

[20:20] So I hope that that training, you're getting more comfortable. Practice, practice, practice. I think it's something that we'll probably do some more at home with our kids.

[20:32] Just the more you practice it, the better you get. And again, it's just a tool and hopefully we get to the point where we feel so comfortable with this that we don't stumble over our words.

[20:45] We're just, man, we're going and we're sharing. Okay. So remind me, do we sing here? Okay. Let's, I'll pray and then we'll sing.

[20:57] How's that sound? So I'll give you some time, Dan, to get up. Okay, let's pray. Lord God, thank you for the time that we've had tonight. And Lord, we know that you have called us to a mission that is beyond our ability to fulfill.

[21:13] But Lord, you've promised us that, you know, all your authority, that you give us that. You've given us your spirit. You've empowered us and enabled us to go forth and to do what you've asked us to do.

[21:27] Lord, you wouldn't call us to do something unless you're going to give us the ability to do it. And God, as we look forward to March 4th and as we are thinking about different people in our lives that, you know, we're praying that you would put these people on our hearts, that you would open a door, Lord, an opportunity for us to share this great news with them.

[21:49] And God, we're trusting in you and we are, you know, just fully relying upon you to make this day special. And again, God, we're not looking for it to be special so that we can feel good about ourselves or so that we can be puffed up and prideful.

[22:09] But Lord, because we know that we live in a community and there are people who are in desperate need of hearing this truth, who are in desperate need of seeing your church act like your church.

[22:20] And so, Lord, we pray that you would bless the 4th. And we pray, Lord, that as we are starting small, that eventually it would grow to the point where other churches are included and we together are working side by side to advance your kingdom and to take back enemy ground and to, again, be the city on the hill that you've called us to be, to be the light of the world, to be the salt that you've called us to be as well.

[22:45] And so, Lord, we are trusting in you and we thank you, Lord, for the good things that we believe that you're going to do. We love you. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.