Dilip Tapu had lost his sight, and his future looked grim. His parents had taken him to many doctors in northeastern India, but no one could help him gain his sight. His parents found a special school for the blind where Dilip could learn Braille. But soon after he enrolled the school closed, crushing the … Continue reading –>
The Bible makes it clear that we were once slaves to sin, but through Christ we have been released (Rom. 6:6), set free (Gal. 5:1), delivered (1 Thess. 1:10), adopted (Rom. 8:15), and born again (1 Pet. 1:23). The effective worker for God is the one who has given the past to Him and has accepted His power … Continue reading –>
There’s an English expression that says: “There is no such thing as a free lunch”–the idea that if you receive something free, it really isn’t free because somewhere, somehow, sometime, you will have to pay or repay. The theory that nothing is ever really free has subtly infiltrated Christian thinking to the extent that many … Continue reading –>
What would you think of someone who constantly and loudly declared that they were motivated and yet attempted nothing? What about someone who claimed to be dedicated yet never revealed to what, or to whom, they were dedicated? As we have seen, love is a most powerful motivator; but to only declare our love, even … Continue reading –>
Over the centuries guilt has been used to motivate people to action. Evangelism leaders have often reminded us that God has given us responsibility and that we must use our God-given talents and gifts. We are told that God or the church is depending on us. If God has done so much to save us, … Continue reading –>
Have you ever wondered why often it seems difficult to motivate people to long-term commitments in church projects? Perhaps the answer can be found as we think of some other situations where a very high degree of motivation and commitment are evident. What is it that motivates a parent to donate one of their kidneys … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 John 4:18-19; Rom. 3:19-20; John 15:13; Rom. 5:6–8; John 6:28-29. Memory Text: “ ‘If you love Me, keep My commandments’ ” (John 14:15, NKJV). Key Thought: We should work to win souls to Christ; the question we need to ask ourselves is, What motivates us to do just that? Although our memory text is … Continue reading –>
As mentioned in last Friday’s further study section, twelve months is a good length of time to plan ahead. Depending on what witnessing and evangelism program you are planning, specific time frames will vary with different goal strategies and priorities. However, there are some general points to consider. Document what you aim to achieve throughout … Continue reading –>
Elsa V. Malig-on Three-year-old Jenny never missed the morning and evening worships in our village. So when she didn’t attend one morning, I missed her. “Where is Jenny?” I asked “She’s sick, teacher!” one boy answered. After worship I went to check on Jenny and found her lying in her family’s one-room house, writhing with … Continue reading –>
There is a phenomenon that is sometimes difficult to explain but can best be described as “circular influence.” Concerning harmony and involvement, circular influence goes like this: by getting people involved you promote harmony, which in turn encourages people to become involved, which in turn promotes harmony. You can see the circular influence principle at … Continue reading –>
