Get Up With God
highly caffeinated daily bible doses to help start your morning off right

It’s ROMANS WEEK here on GUWG, where all week long we’re taking a look at one of the Bible’s most revolutionary books.

Ever get tongue-tied when it comes to sharing the Gospel? Fear no more.

Here’s a handy road map to salvation courtesy of the Apostle Paul. Share it with the world.

There is no one righteous,
not even one.
(3:10)

For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God.
(3:23)

Just as sin entered the world through one man,
and death through sin,
in this way death came to all men,
because all sinned.
(5:12)

For the wages of sin
is death.
(6:23a)

But the gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(6:23b)

If you confess with your mouth,
“Jesus is Lord,”
and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
(10:9)

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.
(10:13)

Some words of wisdom from the Apostle Paul:

Though I am free and belong to no man,
I make myself a slave to everyone,
to win as many as possible.

To the Jews,
I became like a Jew,
to win the Jews.

To those under the law
I became like one under the law
(though I myself am not under the law),
so as to win those under the law.

To those not having the law
I became like one not having the law
(though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law),
so as to win those not having the law.

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.

I have become all things to all men
so that by all possible means I might save some.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel,
that I may share in its blessings.

(1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Follow Paul’s — and Jesus’ — example. Use all possible means to connect with the people around you.

Flip open the Gospels or any of Paul’s epistles. You’ll see stories, object lessons, visuals, irony, symbolism, metaphor, humor and passion. You’ll see discussions with small groups and sermons to large crowds. You’ll see messages for everyone: prisoners, prostitutes, kings – even religious people.

I’ll admit it: I can be pretty awful at connecting with others. Too often I’m too busy and too self-absorbed. So, for a little inspiration, I did some research and deep thinking and came up with the following . . .

FIVE WAYS EVEN NINCOMPOOPS LIKE ME
CAN CONNECT WITH TODAY’S WORLD

• Have an actual conversation. Invite a friend or co-worker to lunch today and do more listening than talking.
• Have a party. But don’t invite the usual suspects. Follow the Luke 14:13 example and invite those less fortunate than you. You’ll be blessed.
• Write a letter. Surprise someone by going “old school” and writing ‘em a letter. Don’t be afraid to tell ‘em about what God has done in your life.
• Hand out books. When I get tongue-tied trying to explain my faith (which is often), sometimes I’ll give someone a book I think they’ll connect with. Here are three I’ve given out recently: Crazy Love by Francis Chan, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller and Grace by Max Lucado.
• Go techno. I’m truly a nincompoop when it comes to technology. But I’ve managed to stumble into some interesting tech-based ways to share the gospel. Go to Twitter.com, where in 5 seconds you can sign up for free and start blasting bite-size messages all over the world. Or visit Yahoo.com, where you can ask or answer questions about God with millions of other people. You can even connect with the Bible on a deeper level by helping create a “wiki-commentary” with other believers at Youversion.com.

The possibilities are truly endless.

GET
ENGAGED

Ever find yourself stuck in a really dumb argument? I’m a lawyer — that’s practically my specialty.

Here’s what the Bible says about this subject:

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments,
because you know they produce quarrels.
(2 Timothy 2:23)

When I first became a Christian I got all charged up and went out and pretty much beat people over the head with my Bible. Probably not the best approach. Here’s what the Bible says right after the above verse:

And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel;
instead, he must be kind to everyone,
able to teach, not resentful.
Those who oppose him he must gently instruct,
in the hope that God will grant them repentance,
leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
and that they will come to their senses
and escape from the trap of the devil,
who has taken them captive to do his will.
(2 Timothy 2:24-26)

The lesson? Don’t quarrel. Be kind. Instruct gently. And then trust God to take care of the rest.

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith,
so that you will have a full understanding
of every good thing we have in Christ.
(Philemon 6)

Never underestimate the impact of sharing your faith. One little conversation can change the world.

Let me tell you a story . . .

In the 1800s, a humble Sunday school teacher named Ed Kimball helped lots of people get to know Jesus. Ever hear of him? Probably not.

One of those people was a disgruntled teenager named Dwight Moody. Moody’s antics made him seem like a long shot to ever become a Christian. But Kimball never gave up.

One day, Kimball felt led to visit Moody at the shoe store where he worked. The plain-spoken Kimball kept it simple. He asked Moody “to come to Christ, who loved him and who wanted his love and should have it.” Deeply moved, Moody decided to give his heart to Christ right there on the spot.

Moody turned that little shoe store into his own personal mission field, sharing his new faith with anyone who would listen. He went on to become the greatest evangelist of his generation, preaching to crowds as large as 20,000.

But that’s not the end of the story.

A young man named Fred Meyer once saw Moody preach. He was so moved that he decided to launch his own outreach ministry. He preached at colleges all over the country and helped lead many to Christ.

A man named Wilbur Chapman came to one of Meyer’s rallies and gave his heart to Jesus. Chapman got involved in the YMCA and mentored a former pro baseball player named Billy Sunday. Sunday, too, went on to become a great evangelist.

Chapman arranged for Sunday to preach at a revival in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was such a huge success that they decided to have a second one, inviting another well known evangelist named Mordecai Ham to preach.

As Ham spoke, a young man named Billy came forward to give his life to Jesus. That young man’s last name? Graham. Ever hear of him?

And all because a Sunday school teacher took the time to visit a shoe store.

SHARE YOUR FAITH

I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.
(John 10:10)

I shared this last year, but I feel compelled to share it again. Chokes me up every time.

The following essay was written by a twelve-year-old girl named Brooke Bronkowski. Read every word.

SINCE I HAVE MY LIFE BEFORE ME

I’ll live my life to the fullest. I’ll be happy. I’ll brighten up. I will be more joyful than I have ever been. I will be kind to others. I will loosen up. I will tell others about Christ. I will go on adventures and change the world. I will be bold and not change who I really am. I will have no troubles but instead help others with their troubles.

You see, I’ll be one of those people who live to be history makers at a young age. Oh, I’ll have moments, good and bad, but I’ll wipe away the bad and only remember the good. In fact that’s all I remember, just good moments, nothing in between, just living my life to the fullest. I’ll be one of those people who go somewhere with a mission, an awesome plan, a world-changing plan, and nothing will hold me back. I’ll set an example for others, I will pray for direction.

I have my life before me. I will give others the joy I have and God will give me more joy. I will do everything God tells me to do. I will follow the footsteps of God. I will do my best!!!

Brooke didn’t just write those words — she lived them. She started a Bible study with her friends from school and spent all her babysitting money on Bibles to give away to others.

Two years later, when she was just a freshman in high school, Brooke was killed in a car accident while driving to the movies. But that’s not the end of the story. Far from it. In the words of her pastor, Francis Chan, in his book Crazy Love:

Nearly fifteen hundred people attended Brooke’s memorial service. People from her public high school read poems she had written about her love for God. Everyone spoke of her example and her joy.

I shared the gospel and invited those who wanted to know Jesus to come up and give their lives to him. There must have been at least two hundred students on their knees at the front of the church praying for salvation. Ushers gave a Bible to each of them. They were Bibles that Brooke had kept in her garage, hoping to give out to all her unsaved friends.

In one day, Brooke led more people to the Lord than most ever will.

Life is precious. Don’t waste a second.

LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR GOD

We’re counting down the top ten Bible verses of all time, based on an exhaustive study conducted by research scientists with very large brains who determined how often each verse has appeared in print.

Here’s VERSE #8. Pray through it. Wrestle with it. Memorize it. And then live it.

But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.
(Acts 1:8)

Before the disciples received power from the Holy Spirit, they were basically a bunch of terrified nincompoops. They all scattered when Jesus got arrested One was so scared that he jumped right out of his clothes and fled naked. Even Peter denied knowing Jesus. They ended up huddled together, hiding and confused and wondering what in the world to do next.

But then the Holy Spirit came and fired them up. Literally. Tongues of flame descended on them to let ‘em know that God was right there with ‘em. Fueled by the Holy Spirit, they were transformed from nincompoops to champions for God who were willing to die for what they believed in.

We have the same power available to us. The power that created life. The power that conquered death. Holy Spirit power. He’s ready to work with you 24/7/365 starting right now.

GET FIRED UP

Jesus said to them:
“Go into all the world
and preach the good news to all creation.”
(Mark 16:15)

Yesterday, we talked about how to keep Christmas alive in our hearts. If we truly do that, we won’t be able to stop sharing the good news with everyone around us.

Be like the angels: never stop proclaiming God’s glory. Be like the shepherds: tell everyone the amazing story of God coming to earth to save you and me. Be like Jesus: never stop shining God’s light into this dark world.

In other words:

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

This week on GUWG, we’re looking at ROCKY’S GREATEST HITS – words of wisdom from the disciple Jesus nicknamed “Rock” (aka Peter).

Here’s today’s selection . . .

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect.
(1 Peter 3:15)

Maybe you’re a bit like me. You pray fervently for the people around you to come to know Jesus. Then one day someone comes up to you and says: “You seem different. What’s your deal?”

Waaaaay too often, my answer to that question begins something like: “Umm, yeah, well, uh, you know, um, ahh . . . . . .”

Don’t let that happen to you. We’re called to be prepared to answer questions like that. Study the Bible for all it’s worth (and that’s a lot). Every day. Pray hard for the right words. Ask the Holy Spirit for help — he’s an expert in defending the faith.

Other times, I find myself sucked into arguments about God where I become a rude and insensitive blowhard. Don’t let that happen to you either.
We’re called to be gentle and respectful.

Here’s a prayer for all of us:

Dear God,
Help me always to be prepared to give an answer
to everyone who asks about my faith.
Help me always to be gentle and respectful.
And help me live my life in a way
that will communicate your love
in all that I do.
Amen

Here are some thought-provoking books you might find helpful: Tim Keller’s The Reason for God, Lee Strobel’s Case for Christ, Doug Powell’s Guide to Christian Apologetics, Peter Kreeft’s Handbook of Christian Apologetics and C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity.

The bottom line . . .

BE PREPARED

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER,

Help us to walk with you
every single moment
of every single day.

Help us to pray continually,
to be immersed in your word,
to be filled with your Holy Spirit
and to seek your will in all that we do and say.

Help us to share our faith with others.
Help us to be bold yet gentle and respectful.
Help us to connect with and listen to
the precious people you put in our lives
and to share the right words at the right time.

Help us to live a life of love
so that others may see You through us.

Help us to be more like Jesus.

AMEN

It’s HOW TO SHARE YOUR FAITH WITOUT FREAKING OUT WEEK here on GUWG.

We started off with a “To Don’t” List. We’ll conclude with a ”To Do” List that attempts to summarize everything we covered:

• Walk with God. Pray before you open your mouth. Fill your heart with God’s word. Let the Holy Spirit guide your every step.
• Never Fear. Imitate Jesus. Be like Paul. Be bold. God’s on your side.
• Be Gentle. Gently instruct. Be respectful. Speak the truth in love.
• Listen, Then Share. Spend time with others. Ask them for their story. And then tell them yours.
• Be Creative. Ask God to help you find new and engaging ways to share your testimony.
• Live a Life of Love. That’s the heart of God’s word. Love Him with all your heart, soul and mind and then love others as yourself. Actions speak louder than words.
• Get Out There Now. It’s later than it’s ever been!