Posts tagged 'witnessing'

  • 1 Corinthians: Chapter 1 (verses 17-25)

    Paul wrote, For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Blessing of Reminders

    I often think of how much I need reminders regarding the essentials in my Christian life. I wrote about this topic previously, and I’m continuing to see how helpful reminders can be.

    Sometimes I get distracted when I’m tired, busy, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • “My Sheep Hear My Voice…”

    This life is one grand set of experiences, designed by our Creator to help us to develop into a manifestation of His love. There is so much to be learned, not just from our own experiences but also from the lives of others, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Way He Sees You

    A friend who I’ve known for many years wrote me and asked for my help in answering a prison inmate named Jay who she was ministering to. He had written, saying:

    I struggle with anxious worries about my purpose. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Heavenly Encouragement

    I was cold. Having to get out of my nice, warm bed early on a brisk morning didn’t seem like an ideal way to start the day.

    I was tired. I hadn’t slept well the night before. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Zacchaeus

    The Gospel of Luke tells of Jesus’ surprising interaction with Zacchaeus, a Jewish man who was a chief tax collector for the Roman government.

    [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Acknowledgment Power

    Jay, a man like Jesus

    Some time ago, the Lord opened the door for me to witness to a young man, Jay, by beginning with pointing out some admirable qualities that he possessed. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Believing Beyond the Moment

    I recently had a conversation with a woman who had received Jesus a short time ago but didn’t yet understand how to use the Bible as a source of guidance or as the foundation for her faith. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Captives No More!

    A witness through stone walls and iron bars

    A friend wrote me about a young man named Jake who is in prison. She had corresponded with him in the past and had just received a letter from him after a long period of silence. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • A Taxi and a Card

    On this particular day, I had an important appointment scheduled that couldn’t be changed. At the last minute a series of complications arose that left me with no transportation. It also turned out to be a difficult time of day ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Hope in the Darkness

    One day I was answering some correspondence from one of our TFI missionaries who serves on a very poor field. As I was dictating my response, I felt an urge to not only write him but to also write a letter to the people ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Smiles Man

    I had just said goodbye to the doctor, paid my bill, and was hurrying out of the clinic, hoping that I wasn’t keeping my ride waiting. All of a sudden the Lord stopped me abruptly! I immediately knew why. I had forgotten something! ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Encouragement Matters

    While most of my ministering is done through writing and prayer, once in a while Jesus sends me someone to talk to face to face! I love this personal interaction, when I can plant seeds or water the ones that are already growing. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • “Jesus Really Loves You, Shirley!”

    It was my birthday and I was returning a phone call from one of my relatives. I was surprised when an unknown voice answered the phone. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • You Just Never Know

    One Christmas, Peter and I were traveling and needed to be in a hotel for a couple of days. Arriving early, we were told that our room wasn’t ready yet. Disappointed and very tired, we thought we would have to wait a couple of hours. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • A Cry in the Dark

    It’s easy to group people into categories—race, personality types, belief systems, and many others. I think we all do that at times. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Stories Jesus Told: The Sower and the …

    In the first part of the parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus told the parable itself to the crowds who had come to hear Him teach. ... (Video and audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Reality of Greatness

    Someone I was communicating with mentioned the “greats” of Christianity. Although I’ve used this term—I think we all have—and I greatly admire those who the Lord has placed in the public eye to be examples, I felt the Lord wanted to give me some further understanding of how He looks at greatness. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Stories Jesus Told: The Sower and the …

    The parable of the sower is one of four parables told in all three Synoptic Gospels.1 It can be found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. ... (Video and audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Hearts Among the Sights

    I had a dream. A couple of other people and I were walking in an area where I’d never been before. It seemed like we were exploring in some large, parklike area. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Immanuel

    Christmas represents one of the most significant events in human history—when God physically came into our world in the form of His Son, Jesus. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Stories Jesus Told: The Wheat and the …

    The parable of the wheat and the weeds, which only appears in the Gospel of Matthew, shares some similarities with the parable of the seed growing1 in Mark chapter 4 in terms of vocabulary used and ideas expressed, but it is also significantly different. ...(Video and audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Storying the Gospel—Part 3

    In order to effectively share the gospel with the people we seek to reach in the many different settings the Lord calls us to, it often takes different methods to successfully convey the message. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Storying the Gospel—Part 2

    The first part of this series introduced Bible storying, a method of preaching the gospel that has been effective since Jesus first used it. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • In It for the Long Term

    “The salvation of a soul is the miracle of a moment, but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime.”—Alan Redpath1

    It’s wonderful at Christmas to think about the manger, the angels, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Through a Glass Darkly

    “There are some of us … who think [to] ourselves, ‘If I had only been there! How quick I would have been to help the Baby. I would have washed His linens. How happy I would have been to go with the shepherds ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Unvarnished Christmas Story

    With the Christmas season beginning, we will likely be presented with numerous opportunities to talk to people about how the babe in the manger is a gift that can have great significance for them, right now, today. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • When Waiting Won’t Work

    The other day a complete stranger contacted me seeking my opinion on a hormonal specialist. A mutual friend who knew that I had visited this specialist had given this woman my phone number. I welcomed her questions, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Joe at My Door—Part 2

    Visit three

    Joe came by for a third visit one afternoon. As we began to chat, it became obvious that he had been thinking deeply about what we’d talked about in our last ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Joe at My Door—Part 1

    When we take up the challenge to intentionally be Jesus’ ambassadors and to fulfill the mission that He has given to each of us, we can expect we won’t be left sitting around idle and unemployed. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Spiritual Disciplines: Evangelism

    During the days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, He gave instructions to His disciples. Luke tells us that He appeared to them during a 40-day period and spoke to them about ...

    (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Free the Prisoners

    I know that a number of you in the past have participated in prison ministries, and some of you are at present volunteering to help in prisons. I would be very thankful if you could send me any testimonies you have of your visitation, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Ultimate Pet Rescue Service

    God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he’ll be there.—Billy Graham

    Pets the world over act as companions, helpers, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • A Divine Appointment

    I had occasion to sit and talk with a recent acquaintance of ours for a few minutes the other day. The main purpose of our meeting was for me to ask some questions that fell within her area of expertise. Beforehand, I prayed that the Lord ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Look Closer—See Me

    One of the saddest images I can imagine is that of an elderly person suffering, empty and alone. Someone who, having journeyed the long, hard road of life, is now almost at the end. Unless they love the Lord and have hope for the next life, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Unlikely Hero

    We often find ourselves in situations where we don’t feel like we’re on some great spiritual mission. We want to do something meaningful for the Lord, but the circumstances just don’t seem to facilitate that in the ways we might have hoped ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • A Papier-Mâché Prison

    Can I tell you about a long-term witnessing experience Peter and I have been having? It’s nothing that “wow” or something for which we can claim major victories; it’s just the day-by-day planting of seeds and praying ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: The Five-Cent Life Changer

    I was thinking about tracts the other day. To me, tracts are one of the most valuable things I can have with me when I go out. Without tracts in my purse or pocket, I feel that something vital is missing ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Are You Santa Claus?

    It’s Christmastime—such a wonderful time of the year! I love it when it comes around every year, because as Christmas approaches, people tend to appreciate others more. They’re more aware of the importance ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam