6/19/12
Lawrence,
Kenyatta both about 24
After finding all the items on my list I
decided to start a gospel conversation before going up front to pay for my
groceries. I gave a "million
dollar" gospel tract as a conversation starter to Lawrence, who was
shopping with his girlfriend, Kenyatta.
He told me he believes he will go to heaven eventually, but if he were
to die right now he hasn't quite "got it together" yet. "When do you think you'll "get it
together" I asked. He talked about
some anger issues and his lack of patience.
He attends a non-denominational Bible church and just a few nights
before he had called his pastor in the middle of an argument with a friend,
seeking advice, and his pastor referred him to some different passages of
scripture. He had read them and they
have helped keep him calm in the middle of this conflict in which he has been
unjustly accused. Lawrence is well aware
of his imperfections, but he was still under the impression that if he can
"get it together" by fixing his bad habits, he will only then then be
heaven bound. When I reminded him of
God's justice and why Jesus went to the cross - for sinners, not for
"good" people - Lawence was quick to affirm his trust in Jesus. I don't believe he has been purposely taught
to ignore the hard topics such as sin, judgment, and the cross, but my guess is
that his church emphasizes how the Bible addresses the "felt needs"
of daily life instead of our even more real need of forgiveness and a right
relationship with God. Is Lawrence a
Christian? I believe he probably is and
I prayed for God's blessing with him, right there in the baking aisle, as a
brother in the Lord. However, if he is
to have any hope of growing his faith and accurately sharing the Gospel with anyone
else he will have to "get it together" when it comes to understanding
and communicating the good news of God's grace in Jesus.
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