Last week’s TGIF message was all about Christians finding contentment and happiness in our lives, in spite of all the negative issues we face in society today. Then, last Sunday, I was blessed to lead our church service at Covenant Church, as Pastor Don was out of town. I felt God pointing me to continue that topic in my Sunday sermon because there was still so much to say. As I thought more about the message God wanted to share I also felt Him telling me to also address those who were not yet children of God.
Then on Sunday morning during our Prayer Request session, Missy Mauldin, a long-time teacher and Asst. Principal, asked for prayers for the family of a local high school graduate at her high school this past spring who had committed suicide over the Christmas holiday. Her prayer request confirmed that God wanted me to also speak to the many young people (school age, college, and beyond) in our society who feel lost in this crazy world we live in today. Many of these people are trying to find some meaning for their life, and too many today are living their life through social media rather than through life experiences with other people.
If you have any interest in hearing my message from last Sunday, it should be available soon at https://gainesvillecovenantchurch.org/ and then choose Sermons on the home page, and then choose the sermon you want to hear. You will also be able to hear the Sound of Hope anthem that day, I Surrender All, sung by the Covenant Choir and led by Tina.
I ended the message last Sunday with a tease by saying you would need to wait for this week’s TGIF message to find out my final thought on this topic. That is because I did not have that answer completed yet, but knew I wanted to find the right information to share with individuals looking for hope and meaning in their lives.
To that end, we need to be ready when we come across someone who feels lost and is searching for meaning in their life. That meaning can only come from a personal relationship with God, so how can we provide support to people seeking God. I think there are 4 areas we can use to support helping those in need of God. Those areas are (1) sharing our personal story and walk with God, (2) prayer websites, (3) devotionals, and (4) books. I will address each of these areas below.
Share your personal story – The single best way to get someone’s attention is through your own personal story on your relationship with God. If people see your light shining for Him, they may want to also find the peace and hope that you are displaying. Some people are not comfortable in this approach, but that is why I provide three alternatives below for you to share with others interested in finding God. These methods can also help someone that you have shared your story with about your walk with God to also find their own best source of additional information that they can access regularly to help them move forward in finding a permanent relationship with God.
Christian online prayer sites – Today there are a number of excellent Christian online prayer sites to help others. Below, I provide a few of them.
https://BillyGraham.org – I see this one advertised on TV frequently, they also give a phone number (855-255-PRAY) anyone can call anytime for someone to pray with the caller.
https://Harvest.org/bible – I give this one because it is run by Greg Laurie, the Pastor who starred in the 2023 movie Jesus Revolution that was very popular nationwide. If you can talk to someone about this movie, they may be more likely to try this website.
Here are a few other websites I came across when I googled “Christian online prayer site” that looked reasonable to me. Try your own Google search to find your own websites you can recommend to others.
https://crossroads.ca/247prayer/ or https://www2.cbn.com/prayer or https://www.christtherock.org/let-us-pray-for-you/
Devotionals – Daily devotionals are another good way for people to get started in knowing God. Most of us are quite familiar with Sarah Young, who wrote both Jesus Calling and Jesus Always. Note that Covenant Church always has copies of Jesus Calling available to take and hand out to anyone in need. Please feel free to take any copies to hand out to others, and we will restock more copies as needed.
Here are two additional devotionals I highly recommend, one written by a highly acclaimed Christian author, and one by an accomplished athlete that may be the right messenger for a younger person or athlete.
Calm Moments for Anxious Days: A 90-Day Devotional Journey – Max Lucado, or
One-Year Devotional: Mission Possible – Tim Tebow
Books
Bible – The perfect book to startan unbeliever in God’s Word!
Holy Moments, Matthew Perry – This is the book I introduced you all to last year, and Covenant members shared over 100 copies of this book with other people.
The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy, Jon Gordon – Tina Pinkoson recommended this book last Sunday after my sermon as a very easy to read book with 10 simple rules to follow in life. Google it to learn more about it.
I hope these examples are helpful to you in moving forward in your walk to share God with others around you, both believers and those yearning for something meaningful to believe in.
Deuteronomy 4:29 – But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.
Finally, Cindy and I will be gone the next 2 weeks to our favorite spot on Hilton Head Island, so my next TGIF will be on February 4. Have a blessed two seeks while we are gone!