This is part 2 of a series.
Our standard procedure is to arrive early when going to an outreach. But in the case of the Arnold, there is a constant stream of traffic all day, so that wasn’t a big concern. Nevertheless, we arrived before our 12:00 goal.
We did what we usually do and one person dropped everyone else off at the location, then that person went and parked. (Thank you Dave!) This allows us to bring lots of stuff like boxes of tracts and Bibles and a prayer stand without the need to lug those items very far.
We got the prayer stand setup about 20 feet from where we planned to open air preach. This was an exciting day because Kurtis was planning to open air preach for the first time. Kurtis is a 17 year old believer who wants to see people come to know Jesus Christ and understands the necessity of preaching so that they will hear (Romans 10:13-14).
I went first and preached Jesus as the Christ. After a little while, a man start to argue with me and use foul language.
Handling a situation like that with grace and truth is difficult and it is essential to be Spirit led that you may not fall into the flesh. Being able to react and respond on your feet is something that can be learned, but you only get one chance. I have certainly failed to be godly in the past.
What was encouraging this day was that there was a man who afterward came up to me specifically to tell me he thought I handled myself well and that he liked the way I preached. I was shocked to find out he is a non-believer! He told me he’d heard preaching before and wanted me to know he appreciated my approach. I have actually stayed in touch with him. His name is Dan and he and I plan to discuss Christianity and his thoughts on philosophy. Open air preaching often results in good conversations about the gospel!
Tune in tomorrow to read what happened next…