These Conferences are refreshing opportunities for those who have attended a Journey to the Heart to once again get away to spend time alone with the Lord, receive practical training, and return to their own areas of ministry equipped with powerful tools and a renewed vision for soulwinning and discipleship.
Ladies: August 20-23, 2009
Men: August 27-30, 2009
Remember, fathers are encouraged to attend this Conference with their sons and mothers with their daughters.
Space in the Northwoods is limited so we will be accepting applications on a first-come basis! We’ll look forward to seeing you there!
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned” – Romans 5:12
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Through this verse, we see that we are born into a world of iniquity – condemned and set apart from Jesus Christ. Adam brought sin into the world and thereby death by sin, both physical and spiritual. We are lost and perishing apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
It was His agonizing death on the cross that saved us as He bore the sins of the whole world; and it was His glorious resurrection that gave us the freedom to walk in newness of life and to keep His commands. As unregenerate sinners, we are at enmity against God. It is our sin that causes our hearts to be resistant towards God’s grace and His promptings and keeps us from entering into complete fellowship and oneness with Jesus Christ.
As you share the Gospel with others, you may meet those who would not necessarily describe themselves as “wicked” – yet remember that sin is wickedness no matter how small and trite it may seem from a human standpoint.
It would be good to remind them that God gave us all a conscience to discern between right and wrong. He gave us the Word of God that serves as a two-edged sword piercing to the dividing of soul and spirit. The law of God is written upon each of our hearts and we are under the burden of sin until we repent and follow the Lord in full assurance of salvation.
Then share with them the good news! Once we believe in Jesus Christ and His saving atonement on the cross, repent of sin, and follow him with a heart pure of offence toward Him, we are then changed and can begin to experience a life of freedom, joy, and peace. We are no longer under the bondage of death and sin but have become sons and daughters of the Heavenly King. We are called ambassadors of Jesus Christ ready and available to do great and mighty things for His name’s sake!
posted by Robert Staddon • 5:50pm • April 13th, 2009
This team of young ladies headed up to the Northwoods this morning! Please be praying for them as they spend this week drawing nigh to God.
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded . . . . Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:8, 10).
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” – James 2:10
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We’ve read this verse how many hundreds of times? But in many cases I think we overlook its importance in the area of soulwinning.
So They Think They’re Not Guilty?
This verse is extremely effective in convicting a self-righteous person of their guilt before God. They hear “all have sinned” but somehow feel that even though all means all, it still doesn’t include them. The word sin is dark and awful, and they have convinced themselves that it only includes the very worst evils imaginable. So we constantly hear; “Well I’ve never killed anyone” which in their mind absolves them from all guilt.
Most people will admit to maybe lying, but only once or twice. They may even confess that they’ve wanted something that someone else possessed (coveting), but to most people these don’t really count as “sins.” However, by using this verse combined with the Ten Commandments, we can help them begin to realize that in God’s eyes they are not as innocent as they thought.
Can They Shock You?
Another important aspect of this verse is that a wicked vile sin does not condemn a sinner to hell one bit faster than a tiny little lie. Many sinners will try to shock you with the greatness of their sin. They believe that your reaction will be disgust and possibly even hatred. They want to see if you will recoil and reject them.
We must be in no way affected by the magnitude of their sin, other than allowing it to give us a greater burden for their soul. We must remember what Christ said. “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).
Christ, throughout His ministry, was surrounded by the worst kinds of sinners, and yet He loved them. He even said to the adulterous women “Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.” The key to remember is that it is not the amount of sin that condemns a soul to hell, it is simply the presence of sin.
“For all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23
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Don’t rush past the bad news in a hurry to get to the Good News! Otherwise, people will not realize how really good the good news really is.
How can a person be saved if they don’t realize that they are lost? The first step toward salvation is the realization that one needs a Savior. That is why knowing this verse by heart is so important when presenting the Gospel.
Jesus was very clear on this point. He said, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17), and again, “the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
All have sinned. That’s all-inclusive. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). The Greek word for sin means to “miss the mark (and so not share in the prize).” God demands perfection and we have come up short. Actually, we haven’t even come close! “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 46:6).
Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? When I was there and took this picture, I was absolutely amazed by the immensity of it. The idea that somebody might think that they could jump across that vast expanse was crazy! However much he might practice his long jump wouldn’t make a bit of difference. Whether he would jump out there one foot or twenty—he’s still going to fall short, way short! But the separation between God’s absolute perfection, holiness, and glory, and our sinfulness and depravity is much greater even than that.
So how can we effectively communicate this truth? Next time you’re in a conversation, try asking the following question:
“Would you consider yourself to be a Good Person?”
In this short and fun audio clip, Ray Comfort explains how he uses this practical question to start sharing the Gospel to four different types of people.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
This 40-minute video from Way of the Master with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron shows in detail how you can help someone realize that they are a sinner in order to prepare them for the Gospel message.
receive practical training, and return to their own areas of ministry equipped with powerful tools and a renewed vision for soulwinning and discipleship.
Remember, fathers are encouraged to attend this Conference with their sons and mothers with their daughters.
