Little’s Bits: Don’t Pony Up the Phony

Posted on April 19, 2020 by coachmc

I went looking online for some reasons people don’t like Christians and found an article by Tony Morgan, the Founder and Lead Strategist of a group that helps leaders grow healthy churches. Wait…someone who works with pastors wrote about why he didn’t like Christians?

At first I thought this wouldn’t work and started thinking of looking for an article by a non-Christian. But then I realized that if a Christian could find fault with fellow believers, maybe that’s just what I needed. Mr. Morgan identified 10 Reasons he didn’t like some Christians but I’m going to focus on #8 – They are fake – because it fits perfectly with a quote from Paul Little’s book, How to Give Away Your Faith.

Tony wrote, ” They dress up a certain way on Sunday and they live as completely different people the rest of the week.” That sounds very similar to this longer quote from Paul Little…

“Our non-Christian contemporaries are looking for something real. What we offer them must be genuine enough to withstand a careful and thorough probing. Sick of phony solutions, they’re even more fed up with phony people. They aren’t fooled by the pious person whose religion goes only skin-deep.”

Ouch! If I’m honest, that hurts because it’s true about me to some degree, and I fear, about most of us too. We’re not perfect so there will be times where our phoniness stands out plainly for others to see. But with God’s help, we can minimize the times we live opposite of how we say we should live. And when that happens, we’ll more likely be used by Him to impact an unsaved life with the gospel.

What’s Next?

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We Can Do What?

Posted on March 15, 2020 by coachmc

People feel good when they realize their lives can beneficially affect others and that’s what I’m going to be sharing today.

I imagine most Christians have heard of the verses in Luke which say there is rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents but have you ever thought that the rejoicing could be the result of work you did in connection with God?

The great joy in heaven talked about in Luke appears to be in conjunction with a human’s salvation, which includes repentance. And, our evangelism efforts, with God’s powerful help, can be the work which moves a person from sin and and it’s penalty, to righteousness in their forever life with God after death.

Just think about this thought from Floyd McElveen’s book, “Unashamed: A burning passion to share the gospel”; “How wonderful to know that, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, we can bring men and women to Christ to be saved forever, and cause all of heaven to rejoice!”

Would that be wonderful to know? I can’t imagine how it couldn’t be and I hope this ‘Encouragement Effort’ spurs us all toward greater involvement in sharing our faith with those God puts in our lives.

But Wait, There’s More

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Evangelism: A Task of Importance

Posted on February 9, 2020 by coachmc


Without hearing about God’s gift of salvation through faith in Christ’s work on the cross, there is no hope after death for the human soul. And hearing is just the first step; trusting in the message is the key that opens the doorways of heaven, but how do we get our friends and family to listen to the message in the first place?

Tony Watkins has written an article that is long, complex, valuable, and the subject of today’s ‘Readables‘ post. He starts by pointing out that with the introduction of postmodernism during the latter part of the 20th century, which among other things “doesn’t accept anything as true for everyone…, very often, our evangelism doesn’t hit the mark.”

“Now, more than ever,” he states, “we need to understand others’ beliefs…we need to be able to help them see the weaknesses in their worldviews. If they can see the problems, they will be far more likely to see the relevance of Jesus Christ.”

There’s much more in store for you if hop on over to Tony’s article, “Engaging the World“, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

And Speaking of Hopping...

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Cause & Effect of Christianity

Posted on February 2, 2020 by coachmc

We live in a world where a growing number of people wonder, “does it work?”, instead of, “is it true?” For example, according to Lee Strobel in “Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Marry”, a nature worshiper combines imagination, chanting and silent prayer to the goddess Artemis, to protect her from hitting deer while driving at night. She believes this practice works because a friend, who doesn’t follow her method, has hit multiple deer and she’s never hit one.

From a logical standpoint, if Artemis exists as a spiritual being, but doesn’t have the power to influence a deer from straying onto the roadway or help a driver react perfectly to the sudden presence of one of these animals, then not hitting a deer can not be credited to the goddess. And if Artemis is only a mythical creature, the ‘power’ to influence ceases immediately, and so does any credit.

When it comes to our faith, as this quote from Lee Strobel points out, “As far as Christianity is concerned, we’re not saying it’s true because it works; we’re saying Christianity is true and therefore it works.”

This means we should continue laying out the evidence that Jesus is the one and only Son of God, but also communicate that, because he truly is the one who can save us, he also “offers us supernatural wisdom and assistance in our struggles, difficulties, and recovery from past hurts.”

Quiero más? Wollen mehr? Want more?

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Boldly Barna – Where to Start

Posted on November 17, 2019 by coachmc

Many Christians who believe people without Christ will, when they die, be separated from God forever and spend an eternity in hell, don’t like that idea and want to be part of the process of moving that eternal state to one of closeness with the Father. It’s how we go about it that sometimes gets us in trouble.

George Barna, in his book, Evangelism that Works, gives us a couple of key thoughts to consider about how and when to share our faith. First, he says “outreach efforts that take advantage of the credibility, accessibility and trust of an existing friendship have a better chance of succeeding than does ‘cold call’ evangelism.”

A friend of family member, who is deeply aware of a Christian’s genuine care for them, is more likely to respond favorably to a spiritual discussion than a total stranger on the street that we walk up to and ask, “Do you know Jesus?” But there’s more to it than just having a good relationship; there’s the matter of sensitivity.

“Evangelism that starts at the nonbeliever’s point of felt need and ties the gospel into that area of need has the greatest capacity for capturing the mind and heart of the non-Christian.”

A friend displaying pride, fear, anger, or any other hurtful emotion or behavior, may be perfectly comfortable with their actions and resent our telling them that God has a way they can change. However, when they share remorse at how they’ve behaved, and especially when God has cleaned up our life in the same area, the door to sharing is much more open.

So, as we work at exhibiting the behaviors featured in today’s ‘Comments on Quotes’, here’s a ‘simple’ way to spot a possible sharing opportunity. I call it “Grace Reminders” and believe it can be used by God to help make you more aware of the ‘right’ time to speak up about your faith.

Want More Comments on Quotes?

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Questions Deserve Answers

Posted on November 3, 2019 by coachmc

We know that’s true but sometimes, for many reasons, those answers are not easily forthcoming and may even be held back deliberately. Here are a few ‘Answer Practices’ you’ll definitely want to avoid.

  • Jump Right In – Don’t ask a question for clarification to show their question is important to you, just give your memorized response.
  • Go For the Victory – Quickly state your answer and then show by your reaction that they should just get over asking and believe.
  • Don’t Admit Ignorance – You can’t have them thinking you don’t know something…make it seem like they’re stupid for asking.

Those ‘rules to follow’ are from Answering Tough Questions on InterVarsity Evangelism, where I actually turned around a list of things to do and made them into a list to avoid at all costs. But wait there’s more.

Lee Strobel, in his book, “Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry & Mary”, gives us a great reminder about the importance of questions…

“Unchurched Harry has a whole range of questions about Christianity, and they deserve answers. Whatever the nature of his inquiry, even if it sounds frivolous of elementary, it should be considered valid if it’s hanging him up on his spiritual journey.”

So Questions DO Deserve Answers; thoughtful, caring, illuminating, loving answers that can be used by God to draw people toward His Son and not drive another wedge between them and the Savior.

Want More Help?

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How’s Your Testimony

Posted on August 25, 2019 by coachmc

There’s a truth applicable to all professing Christians…we either have a testimony or not. By the time I reached high school, no one had ever asked me if I was a Christian but, if they had, I would have said yes. I might even have been able to tell them why I felt that way…I would have been wrong.

It wasn’t until after my discharge from the Marine Corps that I passed, from being someone who knew God existed, to a person who was a real Christian. I had a story to tell after that point and learning to tell it well has been a life-long process for me. And that’s what today’s post is all about.

My friend, Chris Walker is the Evangelism Coach, and in one of his blog posts, he talks about The Power of Testimony. We may not think much about our story of coming to Christ, but God can use it to bring others closer to, or all the way into, a saving relationship with His Son.

Chris’s article provides some valuable suggestions for crafting our testimony, offers a free download to help develop our story, and suggests some other articles that could provide beneficial help in our evangelism efforts. It definitely belongs with the other articles in my ‘Readables’ category.

Want More Help?

Got a testimony you want to improve? Don’t have a clue how to get started with your story? Not sure what a testimony is? If these or other questions apply to you, feel free to get in touch and I’ll do all I can to help. P.S. It’s Free!

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Who Knows You

Posted on July 28, 2019 by coachmc

Today’s ‘Character Challenge’ is all about letting others know what’s going on in your evangelistic endeavors. Thom Rainer wrote an article several years ago that still is worth thinking about today.

He said that believers who effectively share the gospel exhibit clear patterns of behavior which he terms “the seven characteristics of highly evangelistic Christians.” We’re looking at one of them today…

Be Accountable to Someone for Your Evangelistic Activities

We all probably know how easy it is to decide on something that needs to be done only to see the completion of the project never materialize. Good intentions aren’t always the cement that binds our list of things to do. But there is a way to increase the likelihood of a task getting done.

Give a friend the right to check-up on your progress and you just might find the necessary motivation to carry through with your plan. You could meet weekly or monthly with your partner but the main thing is to grant them the authority to ask you, very specifically, how much progress you’ve made.

What Are Some Things They Could Ask

You’ve told them one or more of the following steps you want to take…

  • I want to pray for a friend daily
  • I intend to share the gospel with my sister
  • I need to learn how to be a better communicator of the gospel

At an agreed upon time, they check in with you and ask for updates on your plan of action. Now, doing evangelistic work because you don’t want to admit to your partner that you failed to meet your goal, is not the best reason to work on sharing your faith, but it’s better than not being evangelistic at all, and, over time, you could find that the accountability factor gives you the encouragement you need to be out there for Christ.

What Else Might Challenge You

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Quick Rick’s – It’s Ok to Be Less than Perfect

Posted on July 21, 2019 by coachmc

“Often we think of evangelism as sharing our strengths, having it all together spiritually. We think that’s what it means to be a witness.”

With those words, from Reimagining Evangelism, Rick Richardson gives us the start of a wonderful lesson when it comes to sharing our faith…it’s ok to be less than perfect. In fact, our imperfections and how God is helping us change or deal with them, can be a wonderful asset.

For instance, you’re in a hospital after a terrible accident, and the doctor has told you the balance of your adult life includes a wheel chair. A good friend WALKS in and, after spending time with you, tells you everything is going to be ok as they saunter out the door. Don’t get me wrong…they care for you and it’s good to offer encouragement but wouldn’t you feel better if the same words were spoken by a person who wheeled themselves into your room in the same type of device you’re going to be spending the rest of your life in?

There’s a connection with shared experiences that’s hard to deny and that’s the essence of Rick’s quote we’re looking at today. His comments continue with these mighty words of wisdom…”Our weakness, our story of struggle, even the truth about the cost of our choice to follow God–these are the greatest gifts we have to give to others in their journey.”

Some Other Things to Consider

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Who You’re Talking To

Posted on July 14, 2019 by coachmc

People can be such idiots…hard to talk to, difficult to care for, impossible to love…yet loving them is God’s great command to His children of faith. The author’s of Irresistible Evangelism, using a thought from C.S. Lewis’ book, “The Weight of Glory”, point out that, “other than the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, the spirit of the human being to whom you’re talking is perhaps the holiest thing you will ever encounter.”

Keeping that thought in our mind and, more importantly, our heart, will help us to approach spiritual conversations with the type of care and respect needed. Because of the uniqueness that is humankind, the writers concluded, “so take off your shoes as Moses did at the burning bush. Treat the conversation with sacred seriousness and Christlike calm.”

What Else Can You Do?

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