Showing posts with label Gospel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gospel. Show all posts

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Please Pray for me!



I am preaching at two Lutheran churches tomorrow on the doctrine of Hell. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would open people to receive the truth of the gospel and be motivated by the reality of hell to get out and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone who will give them a hearing!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The Wonder of a Divine Appointment

Today I rose at 4:45 a.m. as is my custom and during the course of my time in the Word and in Prayer I prayed that the LORD would give me an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I was not out of the house more than an hour today when the LORD answered my prayer in a way that stirred my heart to praise his holy name.

I was meeting with my former landlord this morning to walk through my old apartment. After we finished my former neighbor came over and wanted our new address so she could send us a card. We began to talk and she shared that she and her husband felt that they had a real connection to us and that they were interested in continuing a friendship. (this was a surprise to me!)

We began to talk about my work as a church planter and I was able to share the gospel with her. She started asking all kinds of questions. I suggested that maybe we could get together and read the Bible together and seek out the answers to her questions.

She was very interested in this and suggested that some of her friends might be interested in joining us.

My prayer is that we would launch an Evangelistic Bible Study in the next week or two. Join me in praying for the salvation to come to this woman, her family and her friends.

I marvel at the grace of God who was pleased to open the door for the gospel to go forth. Praise the LORD for his grace.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Apartment Adventures

We have lived in apartments our entire married lives. After six and a half years we are finally moving into our first home next week.

Tonight Anne & baby, Asher and I were sitting down having some good cuddle time when there was a knock knock knock at the door. It was April, our neighbor. She had a look on her face that told me that she would love to be anywhere in the world at that moment other than at my door telling me what she had to say.

After some embarrassed mumbling she told me that her son had urinated in Anne's shoe!

How do you respond to that? We just busted a gut laughing. This was seriously funny. Not so much that my wife's shoe was filled with pee, but that totally awkward situation this boy had put his mother in. She was horrified!

She told us she would pay for a new pair of shoes and she apologized over and over again. She also told us that her son would be over to apologize after his time out.

We shut the door and just laughed. Anne did not know how to respond to this boy when he came over so we talked about it for a couple of minutes.

Just then we heard April say, "go ahead knock." He did. We opened the door to see a clearly embarrassed and ashamed young boy. "Go ahead" April said. "I, I'm sorry" he said. "For what." she said. "I'm sorry I peed in your shoe."

I was dying to know, so I asked, "why did you do that?" Then came the famous answer. "I don't know?" "How would you like it if someone peed in your shoe?" No answer!

Anne spoke up, "I forgive you."

"Now take those shoes to the garbage" April said.

And with that it was over. Another wild apartment adventure!

We are so excited about our move into our own home next week!

Saturday, March 8, 2008

What is the Gospel?

The ‘gospel’ is the good news that through Christ the power of God’s kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world. When we believe and rely on Jesus’ work and record (rather than ours) for our relationship to God, that kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us.”

~ Tim Keller

Thursday, January 3, 2008

This is Why I am a Church Planter!!!

This morning I was praying and asking God to give me an "open door" for the gospel. I pray this prayer almost every day and the LORD is good to grant me my request. This morning I also asked the LORD to let me see his salvation come upon someone.

Tonight our community group met and one of our flock, who has been a Christian for only a few months, brought two new friends to the group. He soon got a call from a friend whose car had broken down and was asking for a ride. So he and one of his friends went to help the friend and they left Charlie all alone with us.

We could tell he was a little uncomfortable and we tried to put him at ease. He was eager to be there and we proceeded with our time in the word. Knowing that Charlie was not a follower of Christ we changed our regular format and read our passage and I asked if anyone had any questions about the passage.

Someone asked why Jesus had to suffer and that opened up an opportunity to talk straight forwardly about the gospel. We challenged Charlie with regard to his sin and asked him if he would like to receive the forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ alone. The Spirit of God was moving powerfully among us and Charlie indicated that he wanted to repent of his sins and commit his life to following Jesus Christ.

Hallelujah!!! The angels are rejoicing in heaven!

Please pray for Charlie. Pray that the LORD would give him new life and that the Holy Spirit would take up residence in his soul.

Praise the LORD! This is Why I am a Church Planter!!!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

On any given day!

On any given day you may experience something that dramatically changes the course of your life! Thursday August 2nd may turn out to be one of those days for the Erickson family.