The Everyday Club

8/20/10 Asente and Carla, both about 25
On my way home after work I stopped at a Burger King to initiate a gospel conversation. A young man who couldn't speak English (Asente? -not sure of spelling) agreed to help me practice my Spanish and answer my questions. He was patient and seemed to agree with all the points I made, though the language difficulties often make it easier to simply agree rather than try to express a different opinion. Finally his girlfriend (Carla) sat down with us, and she could speak English well. It was so much easier to talk to her but she didn't bother to interpret for Asente. He did nod at certain points like he agreed so it may have been that he could understand English more than he could speak it. Carla was in full agreement about her sin, her accountability to God on judgment day, His righteous justice in response to sin, and now she agreed that only Jesus would be a worthy sacrifice in place of the punishment we deserve. She grew up Catholic, and I really felt like her background had helped prepare her to hear the gospel, but she had never understood it. Like the good soil in the parable of the seed sower, her heart has been prepared by her church upbringing. On the other hand, so many church people seem to have hearts of hardened or rocky soil, having learned only those parts of the gospel that are easier to accept. They don't truly understand their sin and desperate need for a savior. Carla received the gospel, at least intellectually, and I now trust the Holy Spirit to bring the rebirth that will transform her heart. As for Asente, he was thankful for the Spanish Bible I gave him,and I trust that God's word will not return void.