tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396279953555655134.post5018244118226565905..comments2023-10-20T09:34:02.961-04:00Comments on Samaritan XP: The Bridge to NowhereKen Symeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459635303438115559noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396279953555655134.post-52779051376970442622008-11-26T21:31:00.000-05:002008-11-26T21:31:00.000-05:00Chad, speaking from my own experience - I never re...Chad, speaking from my own experience - I never regret making a decision for Christ. Best move of my life.<BR/><BR/>The bottom line is that there really is a moral God actively moving in the lives of people to put things to right in this world.<BR/><BR/>I agree with you however that there is never a reason to scare or intimidate someone into believing. While some people have been guilty of that throughout history, it is not always the case. Sometimes people are attracted to the love and acceptance they see when they look at a God who would die for them.Orlandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07758738719621023800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396279953555655134.post-26607281013024372312008-10-26T22:30:00.000-04:002008-10-26T22:30:00.000-04:00Chad, I still believe that the good news Jesus cam...Chad, I still believe that the good news Jesus came to share with humanity is relevant today, and that Jesus calls us to continue the sharing of this message of hope, life and forgiveness. Tools like "The Big Story" are important helps to us to be able to communicate clearly but they are by no means meant to reduce the Christian faith to simplicity. No introduction is ever meant to contain the contents of the whole book! That said, you do point to the difficulty of compacting a great message into a little presentation. Difficult as that task may be, I do see the benefits of "The Big Story" over "The Bridge."<BR/><BR/>Peter, it amazes me how God sometimes simplies the whole "process of evangelism." Some people (we know) are ready. And God will sometimes show us those opportunities. "The Big Story" is one way to be ready to begin to share more about our faith.<BR/><BR/>And, Pat, thanks for mentioning the reference to the CT article. I meant to include the link to it:<BR/>http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/july/11.31.html<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comments, everyone. It's good to get some interaction.Ken Symeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11459635303438115559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396279953555655134.post-32100408508131349422008-10-26T22:20:00.000-04:002008-10-26T22:20:00.000-04:00One of the problems I see with evangelism is the a...One of the problems I see with evangelism is the actual message. (I'm Simplifying the message just to make a point. )<BR/>Our first job after establishing a rapport, is to convince an individual that they are a hopeless good for nothing sinner, and that they want and need heaven. It is a hard sell. Some will buy it to some extent. Then we have to use blackmail to enforce the importance of being a follower of the faith. We wrap it up in something we call the Good News, then we have to tell them the whole thing is conditional. It's a great system for those who like rules and regulations and a somewhat certain future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396279953555655134.post-18457345830602552932008-10-23T00:05:00.000-04:002008-10-23T00:05:00.000-04:00Hi Ken, I read your blog posting and watched both ...Hi Ken,<BR/> <BR/>I read your blog posting and watched both videos. I thought the Big Story was a great way to discuss the concept. It puts things in every day language, and the simple pictures direct the concept. It takes what could be complex and turns it into something that is relatively easy to understand. I have found that people like this -- they like things reduced to a common denominator, and then once this is understood, can build their knowledge from there.<BR/> <BR/>Having said that, how useful is it a tool in order to evangelize as is our duty as Christians? Well, I love your paragraph "The Gospel According to Canada." I'm afraid that's where I am on my Christian walk. I tend to be very private about my beliefs. (This past election was the first time I've ever allowed a sign endorsing a candidate be put on my front lawn.) But when I am ready to evangelize, I think I would tend to use the Big Story way, versus the traditional.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396279953555655134.post-64937480330855064922008-10-22T13:28:00.000-04:002008-10-22T13:28:00.000-04:00Christianity Today mag did an article on this guys...Christianity Today mag did an article on this guys and the 'new' drawing. I think it looks good, but some people say it makes it too easy for people to say "Well, I think we can get to that 4th circle without Jesus"......but then again, they have been saying that all along to the other drawings as well. I think it probably relates better to people today than the previous ones (that should be vice versa)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com