SWAT TEAM Springfield MO Witnessing - 2/03/06

Street Witnessing And Training

Taking Evangelism Across Missouri

Tonight was interesting in downtown Springfield, Missouri. The "First Friday Art Walk" was going on, which caused it to be more crowded than usual.

We talked to Christians, non-Christians, fire-breathing bible college students and ran interference on a fight ready to break out, got shoved around, and a tract ripped up and thrown on the ground. Overall, a very fruitful night of witnessing! It sure beats sitting around the house watching TV. :-) What did you do Friday night?

Our meeting place is Park Central Square, next to the fountain. I arrived a little before 8:00pm and began passing out the giant $100 bill gospel tracts to people. Many of the people didn't want to take a tract tonight at first.

A little later, GNN Seed Sower David Lohn arrived, with his sons, Luke and Nathaniel. T.J. Crain also came along. It's great that these young mean are fired up for Jesus and willing to hit the streets and be a witness. David is the coach of the homeschool football team here, and Luke and T.J. are some of the seniors on his team that are learning to use "The Way of the Master" and are out putting it into action on the streets.David and Nathaniel paired off together, so me, Luke and T.J. formed a team.

Luke passed out gospel tracts to Jason, Andy, Jason, Joel, Megan and Jen. Luke talked to them for a while and found out they went to a local Christian high school. I asked them if we could take them through how we witness to someone, they said yes. I walked them through using the law, then grace. We then found out they have other high school members that are out in that area that come out to witness. However, Jen said that they go out and witness, but they aren't really trained on how to do it. They have heard about Kirk Cameron and "The Way of the Master". I gave them a "Not My Job" bookmark and a "Hell's Best Kept Secret" cd for them to listen to and share. If they need any resources or training in how to witness, please let me know.

After finishing this conversation, we went into the art gallery behind us to look for T.J. The man behind the counter, Roderick, asked who we are looking for. We described T.J. and Roderick said, "Yeah, big buck guy. He gave me this big $100 bill and went off towards the back. He's probably wall papering the store with them," and laughed. Luke went to get him, then I pulled the pink and blue gospel tract on Roderick. Then gave him the intelligence test on him. Both Roderick and the other guy behind the counter were nice guys.

We walked over to the square where we ran into Chad and Kristine. T.J. gave them gospel tracts and began talking to Chad. Chad said that he was a good person, so T.J. took him through the law and grace. He seemed very sincere and said he didn't know what God did so that we wouldn't have to go to hell. T.J. told him what it is to be born-again.

He has to two things to be born again.
1) Repent - Not only be sorry for your sins in offending God, but hating sin and turning from them.
"God is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:9
"Jesus said, unless you repent, you will perish." Luke 13:3
"Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out..." Acts 3:19
"..whoever confesses and forsakes his sin finds mercy." Proverbs 28:13

2) Believe - Believe in Jesus, which means to trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
"But God demonstrated his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
"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
"...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
"For by grace are you saved through faith, and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
"Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13

I gave Chad a "Are You Good Enough To Go To Heaven" tract, which explains our sin and what Jesus did for us in detail. He thanked us, shook our hands and we left.

We ran into a young man named Jesse at the square who goes to Central Bible College in Springfield. He was out with some of his buddies that also attend CBC. He is with the fire-breathing bible college students I first mentioned in this post (more on this later). He has watched "The Way of the Master" television show and knows this "method" of witnessing. I gave him a "Not My Job" bookmark tract and a "Hell's Besk Kept Secret" cd. He thanked me. They come out to witness in downtown sometimes.

David and Nathaniel talked to a man that grew up catholic, but was saved a year ago. They also talked to a 17 year old young lady who was not a Christian. David talked to her, took her through the "Good Person Test", and explained what Jesus did for her, she was very close to making a committment. She was really convicted. There were a couple other Christian young ladies that were there and stayed and talked further with her.

While we were in the square, David noticed 10-12 big college age guys that formed a circle around another young man. They were getting ready to beat up this guy. David said, "it's time for a little intervention". He walked over, tapped one of the larger guys on the shoulder and asked him, "did you get one of these?". He was handing him a giant $100 bill. The big guy said, "I don't want it, go away" and tried to turn back to the fight ready to break out. David told him, "hey, you should take one of these".

Well, the guy turned around and told David to get away, started shoving him backwards, walking towards him, continuing to shove him backwards. At this time, he took the giant $100 gospel tract, ripped it up and threw it up in the air. The guys gathered around began looking at the big guy and David, which allowed the one guy that was going to get beat up time to get away. One of the big guy's buddies came over and took another giant $100 bill gospel tract from David. He looked like he was apologizing for his buddy. I thank God for David stepping up and assisting this young man from getting hurt, and was very bold and humble about it at the same time. Not offensive at all.

David called me the next morning and told me that I should have given the tough guy that ripped up the tract one of the "Tickets to Heaven", which cannot be ripped.hehe I wish I would have thought about that.

At this time, two of the Central Bible College students (that was with Jesse, who we talked to earlier) started to draw a crowd. They began juggling balls, juggling fire sticks and breathing fire. He would hold lighter fluid in his mouth and then spit it out onto the fire stick and make a big blow torch effect. He said that he loves people (just in case he dies while doing this). However, they didn't witness or preach afterwards.

He had many hecklers. From a group of 3 8-10 year old kids to the other people that were there. Probably 60-70 people were there altogether. The fire department showed up right after that, looking for whoever had the fire. By this time, they already packed it up and were walking around. We will try to get in some open-air preaching on one of these Friday nights when they are all gathered around.

I thought we were all leaving, so I left. On my way home, Luke called me and he was fired up! He got to talk to a man that brought up different religions and was arguing using the intellect. However, Luke was able to take him through some of the Ten Commandments and told him about grace. There was also another bible college girl that heard Luke and this guy talking and walked up and started assisting Luke in some of this guy's questions.

There are many Christians in downtown Springfield witnessing to people. Some of them are witnessing, but don't really know how (as per their own admission) and some are witnessing telling others they are going to hell, making people not want to listed to them. Part of our ministry is to teach others how to share their faith boldly.

If you haven't listed to "Hell's Best Kept Secret" yet, click on it and listen over the internet for free.

In Christ,
Brad St. Clair
www.repent-and-turn.com
www.gnnlocalleader.com