Christianity

Tactics – Book Recommendation

moremarsh1 Comment

There are a lot of great resources and books out there on Evangelism. But recently, I was incredibly encouraged reading the book Tactics by Greg Koukl. This is a resource every Christian should read, and I pray they are encouraged by the simplicity of sharing the gospel with others.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the way Koukl talked about sharing the gospel. Very quickly, he removed the pressure of sharing the gospel yet made a compelling argument to simply “put a rock in someone’s shoe.” The premise of his tactic in sharing the gospel is simply to ask good questions and get people thinking more deeply about spiritual things than they have previously.

“When I talk with people about spiritual matters, I’m not looking to close the deal with them. I’m just looking to do a little gardening in their lives. That’s all. I want to get them thinking. If I can do that, then I’m satisfied, since I know they are ultimately in God’s hands.”

Koukl, Loc 211

It can be easy to quickly get overwhelmed with the idea of sharing the gospel, especially if you have never done this before. Maybe you have been following Jesus for a while and yet you have not shared the gospel before. Maybe there is some fear you are holding on to that is preventing you from sharing with your family or co-workers or friends. That is normal but it is also a scheme of the enemy. What I love about this book is the encouragement that Koukl gives to believers to simply have a conversation. He reminds Christians that “if anyone in the discussion gets mad, you lose” (Loc 461). His goal is never to “win someone to Christ” but rather to engage in conversation.

Koukl also gives a few really simple and basic questions for Christians to ask when they are talking to others about the claims of Christ or the beliefs of Christians. Questions are a really valuable tool to use because they provide extra time and clarity in your conversation. One great question to ask is, “What do you mean by that?” This allows the other person to provide clarity in their argument and helps you understand where they are coming from. The second is, “How did you come to that conclusion?” This will help you understand why they believe what they believe and allows them to evaluate this as well.

It is clear that Koukl has a lot of wisdom and knowledge in how to have helpful discussions with non-believers and he offers a myriad of questions and tactics to practice as you share the gospel. I have tried to highlight a few of my key takeaways from this book here, but again, I highly recommend this book to all believers. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of his tactics, the ease of sharing, and the overall tone of his book. And I pray that this book encourages you to step out and share the gospel, not from a place of shame or disappointment for not doing this in the past, but rather from a heart of excitement and eagerness for others to truly hear about the grace and love of Jesus! “At the end of the day, a person’s deep-seated rebellion against God is a problem only a supernatural solution can fix” (Loc 3114).

Buy it HERE on Amazon!

Hey Sis.

moremarshLeave a comment

I am now 29 years old and have been working with middle and high school students in a discipleship environment since I was a teenager. I remember being one of the few high school students in our small youth group growing up, which meant I was also a leader for our middle school groups. I remember having bible studies with neighbors and leading our middle school group when I was just a junior in high school, never imaging that God would allow me to be paid to disciple students, teach the Bible, and walk with parents through these crazy teenage years.

Over these years, I have met with dozens of girls for discipleship and I have seen them all come from a variety of places in life. I have also had the privilege of getting to know them and their families so well that I call them my little sisters. These girls are an inspiration to me because of the faith they have in Christ and the desires they have to live out the gospel in this crazy world.

This new series is written for all the “little sisters” out there who need some encouragement and guidance in this world. I may not know you personally, but if you are a follower of Jesus and desire to seek him with all your heart, then this series is for you.

My hope is that this series will talk about things that are relevant to the teenager of today, begin conversations at home and with friends, and encourage the sisters we have in the next generation to live counter-cultural. This world is really hard, and life can throw a lot of things at you. But lil sis, I believe in you. And I believe that you can stand up for God in a world that seems to hate him and ignore him. I believe that you are part of the generation that will have an incredible impact on history. And I believe that God made you for a purpose to represent and reflect him in all you do.

Prayer: God, you are good, wise, and loving. You know the state of this world. You know what the next generation of leaders needs. You know how difficult it is to follow you in this world. I pray that you would send your Spirit to guide, teach, and encourage all of the young girls out there who need to hear a bit of truth in a world of lies. Go before them, and make them a generation of courage! We love you and trust you! Amen.

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV)

The Significance of Touch.

moremarsh1 Comment

One day, Jesus had just finished teaching and healing a lot of people. A man with a skin disease (called a leper) came up to him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me well.” Jesus looked at the man and told him he was willing. Then, Jesus did something amazing. He touched the man and the man was clean! His disease was gone and he was healed! (This story is taken from Matthew 8:1-11.)

As I studied this story this week, I looked more into lepers and their place in society. I knew they were considered “unclean” and “untouchable” since their disease could be spread easily. I knew they lived outside of the city in communities with other lepers. And I knew they often didn’t have any human touch. But the thing I discovered this week was that there was a law that said lepers had to stay at least 6 feet away from other people! SIX FEET!

Now, if you are reading this in the Covid-19 season, you see the significance of this. Right now, most places require a 6 foot distance between you and another person not in your household. Apparently there is something to the whole 6-foot rule after all! 😉

Reading this during the pandemic has given me a new perspective on this story. It is so significant that Jesus reaches out and touches the man. He goes against what the law said. He goes against what society said was good and right. He goes against what those around him said was appropriate.

And Jesus touches the man. He touches someone who has probably not had human contact in years. He puts himself in a vulnerable place. This is significant.

During this pandemic, we are asked to stay six-feet away from others and wear masks in most public places. These are laws that have been put in action to keep people safe and reduce the load the health care system is caring right now. I know these are not my favorite or your favorite rules, but if they help make others who are immune compromised feel safe, I will continue to do this when around them. But, this is not meant to be a post about masks, or no masks, or the division masks have created in our society.

Instead, this is a post simply noting that ways Jesus interacted with others. He leaned in. He stepped in. He stood in the gap. He put himself in a vulnerable place by touching someone with an infectious disease.

So I ask you to consider, who around you do you need to lean into? Where can you stand in the gap? How can you go the extra mile and love someone well?

In this pandemic, maybe that means giving a hug to a single person who is living alone and doesn’t have much human contact right now. Maybe that means spending extra time on phone calls with friends and family who are spending time by themselves. Maybe it means checking in on people more frequently, or inviting neighbors into your home. Maybe it simply means saying hello to people at the grocery store or a restaurant, even if the whole mask thing is hard and feels restricting. As Christians, we can continue to be people who love well in this season, masks or no masks. The commands of Jesus are the same: to love Him and love others. And I can tell you, as a single person, that touch is significant and I have loved getting hugs from friends and family! Even for those who don’t “love” hugs, right now, I bet that most people you know would love another hug. 2020 has been a hard year for everyone.

God created us for community… community with Him and community with one another. We do not need to let this season create further distance and isolation between us. We need to see those who are prone to isolation and lean in. We need to reach out and touch them, reminding them that there is hope.

This pandemic will not last forever, and this pandemic was not a surprise to God. He is fully aware of our lives right now, and how they were different 9 months ago, and what they will be like 9 months from now. In every season, we can have trust that God is in control. We have hope that goes beyond this broken world, and this is the season the world needs to hear of this hope.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 (ESV)

Gentle and Lowly – Book Recommendation

moremarsh1 Comment

Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund may have become one of my favorite books over the last few weeks.

This is a book that, as the title suggests, tells about the heart of Jesus. Dane is pastoral in his writing and there is a tenderness about this book. He relies heavily on two key theologians: Thomas Goodwin and John Owen (with some John Bunyan and C.S. Lewis sprinkled throughout). The works of these two men in particular are works that I was not completely familiar with prior to this book. After reading this book, I feel like I understand the writings of both Goodwin and Owen with much more clarity, though I still have not directly read their works.

When I describe this book to others, I typically say that it’s a book about the attributes of Christ. Yes, the attributes of Christ are the same as those of God because Jesus is God, yet this book reveals a lot about Jesus’ humanity and God’s true heart towards us. As I read this book, I felt my soul become lighter, unraveled, and more at peace. I didn’t feel like I was being condemned or shamed by God, but rather, like I was being invited to simply sit and rest, as He healed the brokenness of my soul and my misunderstanding of who He truly is.

This book reminded me over and over again that God does not look on us with disappointment and frustration. He does not shame us or push us aside. He does not remove His love from us despite our sin. I was reminded that our very sin is what God draws near to. He sees us and cares for us in the very lowest of lows.

One of my favorite lines in this book is a quote from Goodwin. He says, “O therefore come in unto him. If you knew his heart, you would.” How beautiful and secure is that promise. If we truly knew the heart of the one who gave up everything for us, we would not hesitate to run to Him, even in (and especially in) our sins and failures.

Overall, this is a book I would HIGHLY recommend. But please, do not rush through this book, flipping page after page just to get through it and on to the next one. Sit in this book for a while. Let the words of Christ marinate in your heart and wash over your soul like a refreshing drink of water. Let Christ invite you into truly see His heart for you. For He is gentle and lowly, and His arms are open wide for you.

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund