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Aldridge Road Church of Christ
Kingdom Courier
Volume 3 Issue 33 August 23, 2009
PERSONAL EVANGELISM AND BLACKBERRIES
By: T. Pierce Brown, The Old Paths Archive
While picking blackberries, the thought occurred to me that there are many lessons that relate to principles of personal evangelism. First, if you are more concerned with being bitten by chiggers, stung by yellow jackets, scratched by briars or other trivial things, than you are with picking berries, you will never be a great berry-picker. If anything is more important to you than glorifying God by being a fisher of men, you will never be a great soul-winner.
Second, you may find them where you least expect it. If you are really interested in picking berries, you will discover them by the side of the road, in little patches hidden here and there in a field. It does not really matter if you are ready. 1 Peter 3:15 says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear".
Third, you either get them when they are ripe and ready, or you do not get them. In my 50 years of experience in trying to do personal evangelism, I have noted two significant things, both of which are bad. There are those who are always procrastinating. They plan to try to win some soul for the Lord when the time is ripe. The times never gets ripe, and those who would obey the gospel if it were presented to them are forever lost. On the other hand, there are those who are so eager to get someone baptized that they "pick them while they are green." A person who "obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered" to him (Romans 6:17-18) and then is made free from sin, must first be taught. It is true that he does not need to know all that he will learn in the next 50 years, but he has to understand the facts of the gospel and realize what it means to accept Jesus as Lord. In the 50 years I have been picking blackberries, I never remember picking a green or red one that ever ripened properly. I doubt that I could find many persons who were baptized without having been taught properly who ever matured properly.
A fourth lesson came to me as I was leaving one clump of vines. I had picked all I saw as I was going in, but as I was coming out, I saw almost as many more. The principle is: if you think you have done all the good you can do by using one approach, and have not been very productive, it might be worthwhile for you to look at things from some other angle. This applies not only to the methodology by which you set up a Bible study, but the techniques by which you study with an individual.
Fifth, occasionally I found a whole bunch that was ripe, and it appeared that they could all be picked with one clutch of the hand. Many times when such is tried, half of them are dropped, and many mashed into a pulp. It is generally better to pick one at a time, so individual attention can be given to its welfare.
Sixth, learn to stick to one bush until you get the maximum good done. If you are always looking around to find more likely places to find berries, it may be you will cover half an acre and not get a bucket full. There are preachers who almost always think the grass is greener or the field is more productive on the other side of the fence, but one needs to try to finish what he starts to the best of his ability before flitting around.
Seventh, be gentle and careful. It is possible that if you step on all the briars that get in your way, or jerk and slash unnecessarily, you will not only destroy many future plants that would be productive, you will actually shake off many berries you could be picking now. Another interesting side effect may be that one of the briars you jerk around may slip loose and slap you across the face with its sharp thorns. Colossians 4:6 says, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." There are many other references that teach the same principle. Some people evidently feel that most of their remarks to those of other religious persuasions should be seasoned mostly with pepper.
WELCOME
TO OUR VISITORS
We are glad that you are here.
Please let us have record of your visit
by filling out a card and
placing it in the collection plate
when it is passed.
Please come back
and worship with us soon.
Privileged to Serve - AUGUST
Sunday - August 23
Scripture Reading: Assigned by Austin Essner
Serving the Lord's Table
1st Prayer Charles Treadwell
2nd Prayer Bill Reiss
3rd Prayer Charles Treadwell
AM Prayer PM Prayer
1st Lynn Terry Joe Espenscheid
2nd Buddy Partain Austin Essner
Wednesday - August 26
Prayer Bill Reiss
AUGUST SPECIAL EVENTS
3rd Alex Espenscheid's Birthday
4th Karen Haywood's Birthday
5th Ceal Hawthorn's Birthday
5th Pat Treadwell's Birthday
9th Men's follow-up meeting @ 3:30
10th Martin Harrison's Birthday
19th Ed Partain's Birthday
20th Leona Mitchell's Birthday
23rd Potluck and Men's Meeting after
25th Jack and Karen Haywood's Anniversary
25th Marty Smith's Birthday
27th Josh William's Birthday
29th Ed and Genevia Partain's Anniversary
NEWS
Don't forget to bring non-perishables to replenish the Children's Home pantry.
Please check out our website: http://www.churchofchristspa.com/.
Building Maintenance and Preparation of Communion Trays
August 16 - August 29
Lynn and Mary Lynn Terry
August Service Assignments
Baptismal Assistants Bill and Ruth Reiss
Flowers and Food Bill and Mary Jane Hunter
Nursery Attendants 2nd Beth Pope
9th Marty Smith
16th Kaci Baker
23rd Nona Long
30th Vickie Walters
Prayer List
Bill Walters and family, his mother passed away 8/8
Lavenda Spencer, in Houston for treatment
Travis Turman, at home,
Ed Partain and Genevia Partain, at home
Susan and Becca Reiss, in medical mission field
Tabetha Espenschied, at home
Cami Kostelaz
Sonya Goldetsky
Renee Burtsfield
Kim Stevens, friend of Mary Lynn Terry's, cancer
Jackie Ross, in Quapaw Rehab/ blood clot in lung
Pam Avala, aunt to Melissa Partain, health issues
Pam, aunt to Kaci Baker, health issues
Catherine Ritchie
Janet Broadwell, undergoing chemo therapy
Harold McFarland
Shelly Magness, issues with hip replacement
Connie Campbell
Brenda Jordan
Linda Woodson
Valerie Albaugh
Jim Alford, friend of Dan Smith, cancer
Bela Tarr, friend of Dan Smith
Ken Stiles, friend of Dan Smith
Walter Starker, friend of Dan Smith, cancer
David Dodd, friend of Haywood's, brain cancer
Caroline Mitchell, friend of Ed Kostelaz - doing better
Bill and Vickie Walters wish to express
their appreciation and heartfelt thanks for
all of your prayers, visits, cards, and
phone calls during this time of grief in the
loss of Bill's mother.
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