Tonight GNN Seed Sower, David Lohn, and I hit the streets of downtown Springfield to pass out gospel tracts and witness one-2-one. 

We passed out tracts at Park Central Square and surrounding areas.  We went out earlier tonight than normal so there weren't many people out and about.  Some people didn't want the gospel tracts tonight and others did take them. 

We approached two teenage guys, one named Justin and the other named Chaney.  David passed out the Giant Money gospel tracts from livingwaters.com to them and asked them if they had a Christian background.  Chaney said no, but Justin said that both his parents were ministers.  David asked them if they considered themselves to be a Good Person?  Justin said that he does drugs.  David told him, "I didn't ask if you used drugs, I asked if you considered yourself to be a good person".  That kind of shocked Justin, who thought David would just judge him and assume that makes him a bad person.  Other than doing drugs, Justin thought he was a pretty good person.

David asked if he could ask Justin a few questions to see if that is true.  Justin agreed.  "Have you ever told a lie?" "Yes".  "Have you ever stolen anything?"  "Yes".  "Have you ever used God's name in vain?"  "Yes".  "Have you ever looked with lust?"  "I must have".  David told him that he just admitted to being a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer-at-heart.  "Would you still consider yourself a good person?"  Justin said "probably not".  David asked him, "when you stand before God on Judgment Day, will you be innocent or guilty of breaking God's Law?"  "Guilty".  "Will you be going to heaven or hell?"  Justin said "heaven, because I have accepted Jesus into his heart.  I will be going to heaven." 

David reminded him that he admitted to using drugs.  However, Justin didn't think that was going against any of God's commandments.  I explained to Justin that being a Christian, being born-again, is more than just "accepting Jesus" into your heart.  The bible says that "if you love me keep my commandments".  To be born-again, the bible says that "God is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Pt 3:9  Jesus also said that "unless you repent, you will perish." Luke 13:3  Repentance is more than just saying your sorry, true repentance is seeing your sin the way God sees your sin, hating it, and turning away from sin and turning towards God and his ways. 

Salvation also must have the person "believe" in Jesus.  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16  Trust in Jesus like you would a parachute.  You cannot just "believe" that the parachute will save you, you must "put it on".  The bible says to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ".  Romans 13:14  We must repent and believe in Jesus to be saved, not just say a prayer and "accept Him into our heart" and live however we please.  Jesus said, "if you love me, keep my commandments". John 14:15

David gave Justin his ministry card with his contact info in case Justin had any questions.  We thanked them for talking to us and challenged them to think about what we talked about tonight.  They shook our hands and we left them. 

Even though, in the natural, it was slow tonight, we passed out tracts that people will read.  We spoke to Justin and Chaney.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will convict of sin and draw each person to him so that they may be saved. 

In Christ,


Brad St. Clair