Author: Russell Lightner

What’s Your Story? ‘I don’t want to forget this feeling!’

Back in August, when the Delta COVID variant was going strong, I tested positive and just kind of felt like I’d be okay.

And then my wife tested positive at the same time. I wasn’t feeling horrible. I just couldn’t get my fever down. So I went into a hospital here in Dallas. I figured I’d get some oxygen and that was going to be it.

After a few days, I got on a ventilator, but it didn’t help. I got worse until they needed to sedate me to see if that would help. A couple of days later they had to lay me on my stomach so my lungs could work. It’s one of the last things they do to somebody to try to save them. They called my wife, Vanessa, and said, “We’ve done all we can do. His lungs are like bricks.”

Then I had COVID pneumonia. They gave me 100 percent oxygen, and my body still wasn’t responding. I was on the ventilator for 22 days. By the time Vanessa got that call, I’m unconscious. When I later heard her part of the story, I felt so much for what she went through. It was harder than what I had to go through—we have two kids and she’s talking to the doctors and nurses on the phone, hearing the worst-case scenario, and trying to hold it together.

Vanessa decided when she heard that bad news that God was speaking to her: “This is not final. This isn’t what I have planned. You’re hearing this, but don’t take that to heart.” She gathered everybody she could to pray and our church just stepped up and prayed and prayed.

She went to sleep that night not knowing if I was going to make it. Overnight, things dramatically changed. The nurse told her I was able to cut back to 50 percent oxygen. I wasn’t out of the woods, but I was a lot better than I was the day before. I came off sedation, but she still hadn’t been able to come up and visit yet.

She did get to start coming in September. From that day on, she came every day, and that’s just another testament to our church. Our church made sure our kids were picked up and taken to church and taken back home and taken to their activities so she could come to be with me at the hospital.

And God, throughout everything, gave us peace, gave me peace.

Mark Warren Tweet

I was in the ICU for two months. After I had come off sedation my heart rate and oxygen still weren’t very good, but that gradually got better. And then my lungs had issues. My right had so much damage from COVID that even on the ventilator it would collapse. I had to get chest tubes twice.

With the various treatments for my lungs, down my throat and trachea, the doctors were saying, “I don’t know if he’ll be able to sing again” because they knew I was a worship pastor. The pulmonologist thought he might have to remove my right lung.

But God said, “That’s not happening, so don’t take that to heart.” And God, throughout everything, gave us peace, gave me peace.

I’m grateful for that experience because it was a sweet time with Jesus. He was there, and how many times can I count where he was so, so close? He made me “lie down in green pastures.” And I know it gave me so much more empathy for what people go through because I’d never experienced this type of ordeal.

I was in a hospital bed, but at peace. The doctors and nurses saw that and felt it. The nurses would come to our room just to be in our room. They would come to get away from the death and darkness they saw every day. Of course, we knew what was going on, and God was with us. I spent a third month in long-term, acute care, which means you’re getting better but still need care. The only difference is you can go down and do physical therapy in a gym.

When we finally got to come home, the church came in a church bus and welcomed us into our driveway. It was very emotional and … our church has just been through a lot after losing our pastor [Jimmy Pritchard]. I know God used my story here at church to give some hope in a way.

After coming home, I did outpatient therapy, just learning to walk and praying about, “What does it look like when I can come back to church? What am I going to be able to do and when?” But through it all, I had peace about my future. There were so many answered prayers and so many things I could point to that were miraculous; God had his hand in all of it.

I was made to be in relationship with God and continually learning that nothing in life matters as much as that relationship.

Mark Warren Tweet

January 16 was my first Sunday back. It was emotional, it was prayers answered—it was just a great day. I was walking out in the dark, you do a bumper intro, and people are standing up and clapping just to see me. It was great. It was all glory to God. It’s just that he saved me and uses me still. What can be better than that?

It’s a victory for me to be able to come back and be here. So that was an amazing day. I don’t want to forget this feeling. I always want to remain grateful in this.

I went to the pulmonologist two weeks ago and my lungs are doing OK. The pulmonologist said, “You’re going to heal over and then you’re going to be fine,” and even “It’s good that you are using your voice and singing.” So, it’s all green lights from here.

So what’s my story? I was made to be in relationship with God and continually learning that nothing in life matters as much as that relationship.

Want to share a story of what God is doing in your life or your church?

Share your story here

For Houston man, it’s business–but not as usual

Margarito Balon, a business owner and member of Champion Forest Baptist Church, has been able to share the gospel with different professionals in the Houston area by offering a personal and organizational training through John Maxwell’s leadership course.

“I can’t keep quiet about what God did in my life!” Balon said.

His business offers maintenance and repair for commercial kitchen and refrigeration equipment, serving an average of 100 restaurants. Balon said all his clients are now his candidates for sharing the gospel through the leadership workshops he offers.

Balon was born and raised in a town in Mexico called Tetelcingo, and came to the United States at a very young age. When he migrated to this country, he came with many dreams but said he made bad decisions that led him to become a drug dealer and work for the mafia. He was in jail for a while and on the verge of seeing his family—his wife, Marta Guzman, and their three children—destroyed.

While he was immersed in alcoholism, his family came to know Christ through his son’s girlfriend, who is a Christian. Through the persistent invitation of his daughter-in-law, Balon was the last in his family to receive Jesus as his Savior. She invited him to church, and he agreed to go until, little by little, he surrendered to God’s love.

Now he is doing the same work, walking people toward the cross through the second chance God gave him. “I have seen many people come to Christ through this leadership program,” Balon said.

“I can’t keep quiet about what God did in my life!”

Margarito Balon Tweet

For five years he has served in this ministry accompanying his pastor and mentor, Esteban Vazquez, who is the Conroe campus pastor for Champion Forest. Vazquez is the director of the Leadership program “Un Millón de Líderes” (A Million Leaders) in Latin America and John C. Maxwell’s “Más Allá del Éxito USA” (Beyond Success – USA). Balon was trained by Vazquez and he assisted the pastor for several years before becoming a trainer and course leader himself.

“At first, I didn’t want to because I didn’t feel qualified, but with God’s help and the support of my pastor, I was able to begin to share with others what I learned,” Balon said.

He said the pandemic did not stop him from continuing with the trainings. “There are no excuses; it is a matter of wanting to.” Balon began to teach the course to family members in Mexico via video call and at the same time began contacting the owners or leaders of the restaurants that serve as his clients. Balon has been leading the courses for two years. During that time he has trained about 10 businesses, in addition to former colleagues and family members, and seen an average of 40 people come to Christ in Houston and other countries.

Balon is now in charge of the Texas area to raise up leaders so they, too, can teach others this evangelistic leadership course. “We use the model of Christ, who prepared his disciples so that they could then go and prepare others,” Balon said. “Many are surprised that this course is free of charge, but it is. My pastor once told me to never dare charge for this course because the gospel is free.”

Those interested in obtaining more information about Balon’s ministry or needing leadership training can contact him at lidereusa1@gmail.com
or contact Pastor Esteban Vázquez at lidereusa@gmail.com.

Let’s charge ahead with confidence

As a former athlete and coach, I have competed in games that demanded a strategic plan to win. At times, this required multiple options—a Plan A and a Plan B—while at other times we needed to be committed to a singular strategy to bring us victory.

When it comes to fulfilling Jesus’ mission of redemption, we have been given one clear game plan: become disciples who make disciples. This is his Plan A. There is no Plan B! Jesus has commissioned us to go and proclaim the gospel, inviting people into relationship with him. We see this in the Great Commission in Matthew 28.

Jesus’ final words to his disciples before ascending was a call to go and tell the world his story. Jesus is the hope of the world and has sent his followers to be his Plan A to take him to the world! In this announcement, there is one clear and emphatic imperative: “make disciples.” Our primary calling is connecting people to Jesus and his ever-restoring life, teaching them to obey, and sending them out! So, all our going, baptizing, and teaching is about making disciples who make disciples. This is overwhelming when you recognize the responsibility with which the church has been entrusted. However, there are two truths that give us confidence to pursue his mission.

We must be a people who seek his presence through prayer and ask his Spirit to fill us.

Jayson Larson Tweet

First, we have been sent by his power. In verse 18, he says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Jesus declares that ALL authority has been given to him. Jesus is Lord of the universe! In his earthly ministry, Jesus shows power over disease and sickness, wind and waves, and demonic powers. But most importantly, through his death and resurrection, Jesus has power over sin, death, and hell! There is nothing in all the universe he doesn’t have authority and power over, and this includes every nation. And with his power and authority, we are sent. This is our confidence as we engage the world. We do not have to be afraid, worried, or intimidated. Our confidence does not rest in our abilities, accomplishments, or aptitudes but in his authority! We have been sent by the one who is in complete control of the universe!

Second, we are sent with his presence. In verse 20, he says “… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” How is Jesus with us? Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence is with us. He is Immanuel, God with us! This is where our confidence is found. Just as the Lord comforted Moses and Joshua with his presence when he sent them to conquer the land, Jesus is sending us to conquer the land and usher people out of bondage. All authority has been given to him and he is with us!

This is why prayer is so essential to the Great Commission. It is vital for us both individually and corporately. We are called to a task beyond our capability; therefore, we need the power of God that is only found in the presence of God. We must be a people who seek his presence through prayer and ask his Spirit to fill us. We don’t have to be afraid; he is with us!

Pastor to Pastor: The bi-vocational call is different

In my experience, bi-vocational ministry has been exceptionally challenging. In my secular vocation, I have a company with goals to grow and make a profit. Of course, this comes with many expectations, and I am employed to provide a return on investment.

The role of the lead pastor in ministry includes preaching, counseling, leadership development, evangelism, church finances, meetings, vision casting, and more. One has to give an account to God for how they shepherd his flock—not to mention my calling to my family.

Managing the task of going to extracurricular activities, dating your wife, being present spiritually and emotionally to your family, raising children, doing homework, and more can be a challenge at times. As a result, there are many sleepless nights, early mornings, and challenging days.

Over the years, I have learned so much about being a bi-vocational pastor through trial and error. Here are a couple of things I have learned:

Balance does not exist. Focus on priorities

There is this thought that one has to balance their schedule to make sure that each vocation gets a set amount of time and energy. Unfortunately, I have found this impossible to accomplish. There are times and seasons when I need to be more available to my secular vocation vs. my nonsecular profession (and vice versa).

For example, as a sales professional, large deals require maximum effort. At that moment and time, focus is necessary to close this deal. This means that something else is going to receive less time and energy.

Pastors can have a lot of guilt in bi-vocational ministry. One can feel like they are robbing Peter to pay Paul. But in bi-vocational ministry, this is a normal cycle. Instead of trying to balance, I focus on priorities. What is required of me in this season?

I have made an effort to prioritize my focus on preaching, teaching, leadership development, and vision casting. Other tasks are delegated to our team, outsourced, or put on hold until a leader develops.

“Pastors, don’t be so hard on yourselves. Give yourself lots of grace.”

Joe Ogletree, Image Church in Cypress Tweet

Give yourself grace

Due to busy calendars and divided attention between vocations, there will be times that you completely miss the mark. Missing the mark can show up as an incomplete task, a sermon that is not your best, missing an assignment, etc.

Without grace, rough days turn into despair. Despair shifts into discouragement. If you had a rough day at work, go to sleep and try again tomorrow. In this performance-driven society, we can determine our worth by our work and have an unnecessary and unhealthy attachment to growth. At the end of the day, our worth is not defined by our work but by the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Pastors, don’t be so hard on yourselves. Give yourself lots of grace.

Don’t compare your ministry to others

Most pastors fall into the trap of comparing their ministry to those around them. This is especially true of bi-vocational pastors.

The bi-vocational pastor must accept that his ministry will not look like that of a full-time pastor. Comparing will make the bi-vocational pastor add events to the church calendar and be discontent with what God is doing in his ministry.

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), each man received a different number of talents. God does not give talents equally, but he does expect us to be faithful over what he has entrusted us.

Bi-vocational pastors, your calling is different. Make disciples, reach the lost, preach the word, lead with prayer, entrust the work to God in your context. It is God who adds to the church and provides for your family. In this season, he will give you the strength and the wisdom to endure.

Ministry of Reconciliation: West Columbia church plant walks toward those who have walked away

People who left the church after difficult experiences and are hesitant to return are a main focus of West Oaks Church in West Columbia, a church plant striving to meet people where they are and fill a need in an average Texas town.

“We’ve said all along we want to be a church for the unchurched and the de-churched, the skeptics who just don’t trust the church,” Colby Wallace, pastor of West Oaks, said.

West Columbia is about an hour south of Houston, and within a span of 10 years the town has grown from 4,000 to 7,000 people—attributable in part to an expansion by Chevron Phillips Chemical Company.

“What has been really cool is to see people who were burned by the church begin to come back and life being breathed into broken marriages and people coming to know Jesus,” Wallace said. “We have a really broken community because our community is predominantly shift workers, and they have a really high divorce and debt rate. Just seeing those families finally have a church where they feel welcome has been exciting to see.”

Wallace grew up at First Baptist Church in West Columbia and served as a student pastor there for 10 years before God led him, through the suggestions of his pastor and a few others, to plant a new congregation in the same town two years ago.

“We went to the deacons, and the deacons said, ‘Can we be your sending church?’ No one in the deacon body was against it,” Wallace said. “They were unanimous: We want to support you to plant a church in our town, and we want to give you seven families to help you make this happen.”

Though West Columbia had several churches at the time, none of them were full on Sunday, Wallace said. “Let’s say you made all of them full. You still weren’t reaching half of the community.”

Wallace identified a significant need in small towns: a place for people to go after they had been “burned on traditional church.”

“For us, we just said, ‘We need to go to where they are, and we need to help them see they can come to church if they’re a mess.’”

Colby Wallace, West Oaks Church in West Columbia Tweet

“For us, we just said, ‘We need to go to where they are, and we need to help them see they can come to church if they’re a mess,’” Wallace said. “It’s OK if you’re a mess. You don’t have to get dressed up to come to church. We just want you to be there, and we want to just know you.”

West Oaks launched with 250 people in February 2020 and met at a high school five Sundays before COVID shut them down. During that time, they got creative with outreaches, such as asking people to sign up online if they would like to receive Easter egg baskets.

“We took over 250 Easter egg baskets, just drove and dropped them off to people,” Wallace said.

At the two-year mark, West Oaks has 100 members and sees 250 to 300 people most Sundays, the pastor said. They’ve had more than 35 baptisms, and they recently purchased 14 acres of land in town for a future campus.

“There’s a hunger in our community for authentic Christianity ... We want to build relationships. People are responding to just interacting with Christians who are normal people who love them and are listening to their stories.”

Colby Wallace Tweet

“There’s a hunger in our community for authentic Christianity, so our entire approach to ministry is relational,” Wallace said. “We want to build relationships. People are responding to just interacting with Christians who are normal people who love them and are listening to their stories.”

Wallace emphasized to the core team the importance of community involvement in order to reach people. He became president of the Little League board with that goal.

“I joined that with the intent of meeting those people,” he said. “Now all but two of them go to our church, and none of them really went to church before.”

Others are involved in city organizations such as the chamber of commerce. West Oaks has won first place for best float in the past three local parades, Wallace said.

The pastor told about an older couple whose grown children joined West Oaks. The couple hadn’t been to church in more than 35 years, but they started attending because their children asked them to go.

The woman “kept saying, ‘We just feel welcome. In the past, every church we were part of, we just felt like we weren’t good enough. We didn’t fit the part. In this one, we actually feel like we’re wanted,” Wallace recounted.

When First Baptist sent Wallace and seven other families out to start West Oaks, it averaged around 125 people on Sundays, he said, so it was an act of faith.

“It’s a church that took a chance to send some of their best people out to do something like this, which is a really tough task,” Wallace said. “I’m grateful for them because their desire is to see God’s Kingdom come, not just their church’s.”

Lone Star Scoop • March 2022

‘Who’s Your One’ campaign leads to 41 coming to faith at FBC Henderson

Pastor David Higgs wasn’t sure if 2021 was the best time to launch a major evangelism strategy at his church, First Baptist Church of Henderson. After all, the world was still undergoing a pandemic and some members of his community were still hesitant to attend public events. In hindsight, the timing probably couldn’t have been better. After attending a “Who’s Your One” evangelism training at Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview with his entire staff, Higgs led his church to participate in the effort that aims to challenge each member of a church to pray for and share the gospel with at least one person they know. Three hundred church members signed up to participate, and the church recently reported that 41 people have come to faith so far as a result of the campaign. “We achieve more if we get all the people of God to do all the work of God. The more people we can get engaged in evangelism, the more we will reach,” Higgs said. “It reminds me that God does reward our evangelistic efforts.” —NAMB

Giving through SBTC increases in 2021

As it closed the books on 2021, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention celebrated giving numbers that were up across the board. In 2021, $40.6 million was given through the SBTC, with $13.88 million staying in the state to reach Texas and $26.72 million sent outside the state to impact the world. Of those figures, $27.2 million was given through Cooperative Program efforts while $13.3 million was given through special offerings. Both of those figures represented a 12.66 percent increase. “It’s incredible what SBTC churches are doing to reach Texas and impact the world together,” SBTC Executive Director Nathan Lorick said. Receipts for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering were up about 8 percent ($8,812,458); Annie Armstrong Easter Offering giving was up 18.5 percent ($2,902,492); and Reach Texas giving was up almost 30 percent ($1,604,411). —Texan Staff

Pastor, founding SBTC board member Sutton dies at 79

William “Bill” Blaylock Sutton, who served as pastor of multiple churches until his retirement in 2021 and served on SBTC’s Executive Board in its formative years, died from complications of pneumonia Feb. 2. He was 79.

A longtime resident of McAllen, he most recently pastored Trinity Baptist Church, helping a 75-year-old church relocate from a landlocked urban site to 10 acres along prime frontage property donated by a deacon. Prior to what he considered a “nine-year interim pastorate” at Trinity, Sutton was the longest-tenured pastor of First Baptist Church of McAllen, where he served from 1986 to 2008 and was named pastor emeritus upon his retirement in 2008.

Other pastorates included North Hopkins Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs, Texas; First Baptist Church of Pine Hills in Orlando, Fla.; and Windsor Park Baptist Church in Fort Smith, Ark.; as well as associate pastor of Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala.

Sutton is survived by his wife of 54 years, Martha; and sons William Blaylock Jr., Richard Bryan, and Stephen Davis. The Suttons additionally have eight grandchildren.

—Texan Staff

Creekstone Church moves into permanent building 5 years after being planted

Creekstone Church, planted in Keller in 2016, moved into its own building in North Richland Hills recently, providing its members with a permanent location and much-needed space. The congregation held its first service in its new building Feb. 6. Kason Branch, the congregation’s lead and founding pastor, said the new building is a result of “the faithfulness of our God.” “The journey over the last five years, in church planting years, this was quick,” Branch told members during the first service. The church has experienced 47 baptisms over the past five years. “The Lord has given our church a practical gift. It’s not a gift to be wasted or shown off,” Branch said. “… He has a purpose and a plan for our church and he has given us this church that we may stay on mission for him, reaching people for Christ and doing good works in his name. He has blessed us.” —CreekstoneChurch.org

Pause Retreat for bivo pastors set for Amarillo

A Pause Retreat for bi-vocational pastors is scheduled for March 18-19 at the Courtyard Amarillo Downtown. There is no cost to attend this event, which is sponsored by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

Speakers will be Will and Ali Heath and Alex Gonzales. Mr. Heath will speak about navigating conflict. He is the founder of Sherpa, a coaching company that helps ministries steward seasons of pastoral transition.

“Bi-vocational pastors make up the majority of pastors across the Lone Star State and country,” said Gonzales, who serves as a ministry associate with the SBTC. “Like countless pastors, they are spread too thin mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Therefore, we try to network with bivo pastors across the state as well as offer a retreat once a year for them and their wives thanks to the generosity of SBTC churches that give to the Cooperative Program.”

Space for this event is limited. To register, visit sbtexas.com/pause.

—Texan Staff

AAEO adopts ‘United’ theme as offering approaches

This year’s Annie Armstrong Easter Offering Week of Prayer is March 6-13, and the theme of this year’s offering is “United.” Gifts to the offering support more than 2,200 missionaries and their families as they reach North America with the gospel and enable hundreds of churches to be planted and thousands of disciples of Christ to be made. The 2022 offering goal is $70 million, and 100 percent of the gifts given go directly to the mission field. The offering’s namesake was a bold advocate for missionaries and their work, championing missions support among Southern Baptist churches while helping to create a rich legacy of people awakened and responding to God’s call to pray, give, and go. —Texan Staff

We need not fear evangelism

When someone says the word “evangelism,” followers of Christ tend to tighten up. Why?

Evangelism scares us. When we’re not regularly telling others about Jesus, we feel guilty. When we are, we wonder if we’re doing it right, if the person we’re sharing with is going to reject us or, worse, ask us a biblical question for which we won’t have an answer.

I think most of us fit into at least one of those scenarios. If so, here are a few things to consider that may help jump-start your evangelistic efforts:

Are you praying?

“Prayer,” E.M. Bounds once said, “is the mightiest agent to advance God’s work.” There’s no greater starting place in evangelism than prayer. Prayer has no step-by-step process and isn’t hindered by a lack of interest on the part of others. One praying person can make an eternal difference.

Regardless of your resources, the size of your church, and all else, you can pray. “God, I want this person to love and trust you” is enough. In evangelism—and everything else—prayer ought to be our first response, not our last resort.

Are you preparing?

Scripture instructs us to give an account for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15). At the same time, it’s common for followers of Jesus to say things like, “I don’t have a good testimony.” If the Holy Spirit of God lives within you, you’ve got a story to tell.

The problem is not that God isn’t living and active. The problem is, we often don’t recognize all the times and ways he is at work in our lives. That’s where church leaders can have a huge impact. You don’t need video modules, guest speakers, expensive curriculum, campaigns, or emphases to sit down with believers and teach them how to be intentional about reflecting on the struggles they’ve survived and how God carried and provided for them through those times.

The more you help your people view life through a spiritual lens, the more you’ll equip them to dwell in the peace Christ promises when the next storm comes. There’s great value in helping someone unpack the past so they are ready for the future. In fact, there’s a word for this kind of practice. It’s called “discipleship.”

In Luke 12, Jesus tells his disciples to not worry because the Holy Spirit will give them the words to testify about him in any given moment.

Jayson Larson Tweet

Are you empowered?

Our evangelistic hesitations are often rooted in a fear that, when the time to share our faith arises, we won’t know what to say. Scripture continually pushes back against this kind of fear. In Luke 12, Jesus tells his disciples to not worry because the Holy Spirit will give them the words to testify about him in any given moment. In Acts 1, the disciples are told that they will receive power to be Jesus’ witnesses when the Holy Spirit comes upon them.

I dare you to make a head-first, eyes-closed leap into a conversation with someone about Jesus. I don’t believe the biblical promise is that you’ll become a majestic spiritual orator in those moments. I believe the promise is that the Holy Spirit won’t waste whatever words you use. Isn’t that worth the risk of looking foolish?

Are you ready?

I believe there’s a heavy guilt carried daily by not just followers of Jesus, but pastors and church leaders who feel like they’ve missed the mark when it comes to evangelism. No matter what has happened in the past, God will put people all around you today who need to meet Jesus.

Tell somebody about Jesus in your life today. He will take care of the rest.

EMPOWER ’22: Wilkin, Story inspire crowd at Ladies Conference

IRVING—Author and Bible teacher Jen Wilkin challenged listeners to embrace the “upside-down” Christian life, while songwriter Laura Story shared what happens when life doesn’t turn out as expected to some 300 attendees at the Empower Conference Ladies Session on Monday.

Wilkin: Doing Over Being

Wilkin, executive director of family and next generation ministries at The Village Church in Flower Mound, spoke on 1 Peter 2:11-17 and Matthew 5.

Peter’s message to the five churches in Asia Minor is relevant for an evangelism conference, she said, as Peter writes to believers dispersed by persecution and experiencing discomfort. Stressing Peter’s emphasis on good deeds, Wilkin said the apostle exhorts Christians to “be do-gooders” that they might be recognized for who they are.

In the passage, Peter, the former firebrand, uses language echoing Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus had been preaching a message of repentance prior to his longest sermon, Wilkin said.

As for the “blessed” life depicted in Matthew 5, the disciples expected the Messiah to restore the Jews to a place of ascendancy as a warrior king. Jesus’ words were “the last thing [the disciples] would have expected to hear,” Wilkin said, introducing her theme of the upside-down life illustrated in the beatitudes.

Evangelists must focus not on having the right words, but on being the right people, she urged.

In the beatitudes, Jesus inverts traditional expectations to describe the character of a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, called to be holy. The Lord pushes back on the idea of self-sufficiency by calling blessed those who are poor in spirit.

The Lord also warns against self-satisfaction. The citizen of heaven must grieve sin and those who mourn their sinfulness shall be comforted. “You cannot be comforted if you have not first grieved,” Wilkin said.

“Blessed are the meek,” she continued, nothing that the pattern of the upside-down kingdom is poverty, grief, submission, and adding that Jesus also argues against self-determination by extolling meekness, or “strength under control.”

Next, rather than engaging in self-righteousness, kingdom citizens must hunger and thirst for righteousness, she said.

“In order to be filled with the Spirit … the positive presence of God, we must first learn to be emptied of self.”

jen wilkin Tweet

“In order to be filled with the Spirit … the positive presence of God, we must first learn to be emptied of self,” Wilkin added, offering the prodigal son as an example of salvation and ongoing sanctification.

While the first four beatitudes emphasize the needs of kingdom citizens, the final four focus on deeds, Wilkin said, the lessons moving from the vertical plane to the horizontal. Believers, once needs are addressed, operate from a place of abundance and show mercy, becoming dispensaries of the things of God.

Wilkin posed the question: “Do you see yourself as a terminus or distribution point for God’s blessings?”

Believers must also be pure in heart, purified though not perfect; and peacemakers reconciling man to man and to God by telling the good news. Finally, they should expect persecution for the sake of righteousness because the very goodness of their lives indicts the sinful world. Heavenly reward is promised, too.

Wilkin closed with descriptions of what it means for believers to be salt and light amid inevitable persecution: “Even a bare-minimum Christian ends up being a reproach in a world that grows increasingly dark.”

She suggested modern Christians may find themselves less free to speak than in prior decades—not an “entirely terrible” circumstance that will challenge the church. She urged listeners to “live a life that sheds the gospel” and invites others to inquire about the reasons behind the hope.

Story: When It Doesn’t Happen As It Should

The afternoon’s second session featured Christian songwriter and worship leader Laura Story Elvington, whose song “Blessings” won a 2012 Grammy award.

“I never stay anywhere this long,” Story said, chuckling, noting that she had been in Texas for four days and praising the Lone Star State’s Buc-ee’s travel stops and hotels with Texas-shaped waffles.

She moved quickly to the heart of her message: “How do you evangelize or live an empowered life when your story doesn’t look like what it was supposed to?”

Calling herself a lifelong Baptist, the Spartanburg, S.C., native who today serves as worship director of Atlanta’s Perimeter Church, recalled people giving testimonies in her childhood church.

“Someone would talk about this really tough thing that happened, and then how they put their trust in Jesus. And all of a sudden, everything is so much better. And they have a time share in Tahiti,” she said with a laugh. The idea that “if you just trust, if you have enough faith, then God will deliver you” informed her notions of evangelism.

“What the Lord has taught me over the years is that’s not the only kind of testimony,” Story said. “It’s not just trusting him, him fixing it, and then you telling everyone how good God is.”

“We are called to give testimony to the goodness of God in the midst of the trial.”

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Even more often, Story said, “We are called to give testimony to the goodness of God in the midst of the trial,” describing her family’s struggles following her husband’s health crisis during their second year of marriage.

Story, a musician, met Martin, a baseball player at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes function during high school.

“I’m still not sure how I made it to this FCA event,” said Story, noting she wasn’t an athlete. “I wanted to fellowship with a good-looking Christian athlete. And I did.”

Tragedy struck the young married when Martin was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“We were so young. So naïve. We wanted our marriage to glorify God,” Story recalled. The pair determined to trust God and assumed that eventually, they would “get back on the road, which is this wonderful plan we had.”

It didn’t work that way. An anticipated five days in the hospital after surgery stretched to three months. Martin experienced short-term memory loss doctors had warned might happen. While he remembered Laura, he did not recall being married to her.

“They were tough days. Funny days. Days of being grateful that Martin was surviving,” Story said. The day of his release brought mixed emotions. Though grateful to leave the hospital, the couple knew things were not the way that they were before.

A doctor gently explained to Story the “new normal” when she asked why her husband was being discharged when he was not back to normal. Martin suffers from memory and vision deficits yet today, Story admitted.

Loss and altered dreams are common to many, yet may leave us wondering what to do with situations the Lord has not fixed, Story said, turning to Philippians 4 and the apostle Paul’s own trials as he lived out his faith. She recommended the four Rs for the empowered woman:

Rejoice: Not pretending to be happy when things are hard, but responding as David does in Psalm 13;
Be Reasonable: Putting the energy of our minds towards profitable thought, enlisting other believers to help “rein in the crazy” when necessary;
Present Requests to God: Being persistent, asking with “shameless audacity,” knowing that the size of God never changes based on the size of [one’s] faith;
Rest: Which comes when the peace of God surpasses all understanding and guards hearts and minds in Christ Jesus—“the only place in life where rest can come before resolution.”

“True soul rest happens when souls rest in Jesus,” Story said, paraphrasing Augustine and emphasizing that resting in Christ is possible long before a problem is resolved.

She urged the audience to choose the open hand rather than the shaking fist when responding to God through the trials allowed in our lives.

Story closed by performing “Blessings” and leading attendees in a chorus of “I Surrender All.”

Additional conference music was provided by Brandon Ramey, worship leader at MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church, and his wife, Bunni.

“We had a marvelous time,” Laura Taylor, SBTC women’s ministry associate, said afterward. “I am so impressed by both [Wilkin and Story] and the tools that they gave us and empowered us with to share the gospel. It’s not just your words, but it’s your actions. And it’s letting God shine through your story.”

EMPOWER ’22: SWBTS evangelism prof says, ‘Nobody knows your story better than you’

Others need to hear how Jesus has changed your life, SWBTS professor says

Jayson Larson: Let’s start here: what is evangelism?

Matt Queen: I’m glad that you asked! Evangelism is that Spirit-
empowered activity whereby all disciples of Jesus Christ give an intentional, complete, and verbal witness to his life, death, burial, and resurrection, exhorting unbelievers to become baptized, obedient disciples by repenting of their sins and placing their faith in Christ alone for salvation. Evangelism must be Spirit-empowered. If we do evangelism in our own power, we get our own results. A lot of us are trying to find the words to start evangelism when, if we asked the Holy Spirit, he would give them to us. We’re trying to find the courage, but if we would just trust the Spirit for a boldness, he would give it. We’re all to do it. We’re to give full gospel presentations about Jesus. And the end result is not a decision, not a prayer prayed, but we’re really looking for baptized, obedient disciples in the end that come to belief.

JL: You’ve often said and written, “If you know enough of the gospel to be saved by it, you know enough of the gospel to share it with others.” Can you flesh that out a little bit for those who really want to be more effective in telling others about Jesus?

MQ: I’m very grateful for all the evangelism training I’ve had. It has made me who I am today. But an unfortunate consequence of the way Southern Baptists have done evangelism is that we have made evangelism equal to memorization or formal training. But as you look in the book of Acts, there was no formal evangelism training, yet everybody was evangelizing. So I began to wonder, “How did they know what to say even though they hadn’t gone through any training or had a memorization outline or anything like that?” As I read God’s word something struck me. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul gives the gospel and says, “For I delivered to you as a first importance that which I also received: Christ died for our sins according to scriptures, he was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to scriptures.” Paul believed what someone had told him, and then he could tell others so that they would believe. When we hear the gospel and believe it, that is our evangelism training. Listen—I’m not against evangelism training. The SBTC does evangelism events and I’m going to be helping train some of those. I train professionally, so I’m not against evangelism training. But no one can say, “I’ve never had any training in evangelism” who is a believer, because if they’ve heard the gospel and believed it, that’s what somebody else needs to hear.

I’m not against evangelism training. But no one can say, ‘I’ve never had any training in evangelism’ who is a believer, because if they’ve heard the gospel and believed it, that’s what somebody else needs to hear.

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JL: How do you personally start gospel conversations with people you don’t know?

MQ: We don’t ever have a problem starting conversations about things we want to talk about. It’s easy for us to talk about things we want to talk about. So I think starting gospel conversations may be not so much a matter of “how to” as much as it is “want to.” What I do, sometimes, is one or two different things. My favorite kind of go-to is to say, “Hey, has anybody taken the time today to tell you that God loves you?” And unfortunately, most people say “no.” That gives me an opportunity to say to them something like, “I want to be the first person tell you that Jesus loves you. I know you don’t know me and I know I don’t know you, but here’s how I know God loves you.” And then I go into the gospel. That’s one way. Yesterday I asked somebody, “Have you heard any good news today?” Most people will tell you “no,” and that can give you an opening to say, “Well, you know what? I’ve got some good news for you” and just go into the gospel that way.

JL: We often think about personal evangelism as something that happens in a single moment and, when that moment is over, our responsibility with that person is over. There are certainly moments when the gospel is verbally shared, but can you talk about how we can develop relationships with the motive of sharing the gospel with others?

MQ: I think there’s two extremes in evangelism. One is what you mentioned, a one-and-done evangelism. The other one is what some call “friendship evangelism,” but all it is is friendship. What we want to do is find the sweet spot between those two extremes. I’ve always found personally that when I’m doing friendship kind of evangelism, life-on-life evangelism, it’s always easier for me when I first start that relationship to begin with the gospel. I’ve done it whenever I have maybe met people in the neighborhood or something like that, where I intentionally insert the gospel in conversations from the beginning. Because what I’ve found is, as we keep going in a relationship and don’t share the gospel, we start to feel like the relationship may be at risk if we do share the gospel. When you first meet your neighbor, a co-worker, something like that, give just a brief testimony about Jesus. Then later in the relationship, you’re able to come back and say, “Hey, do you remember when we first met and I told you about that decision I made for Jesus? Have you come any closer to making one of those?”

A helpful way for somebody to think through sharing with others is to share three things: your life before Christ, how you came to believe in Christ, and then your life since Christ became your Lord.

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JL: What advice can you offer to people who might need help developing their own testimonies so they can share what God has done in their lives?

MQ: Nobody knows your story better than you. A helpful way for somebody to think through sharing with others is to share three things: your life before Christ, how you came to believe in Christ, and then your life since Christ became your Lord. When people share like this, they tend to share a lot about their life before Christ and how bad they may have been. Do talk about your life before Christ, but the real focus of a testimony that’s evangelistic is that middle part—how you came to Christ. What was it that someone else told you that you believed? The functions of the gospel, the sin, the Christ event, dying, being buried and raised and then the call to repent and believe. That’s really where the gospel is. And by the way, that is the testimony. We’re testifying to what Jesus has done in us. Then talk about your life afterwards. None of us are perfect. Our spouses, our children can attest to that. But talk about the ways that Christ has not only changed things in your life from what you use to do, but also what he is doing to give you greater intimacy and a Spirit-filled life right now.

JL: Teaching believers to share their faith is something that should happen in the ongoing process of discipleship from the very beginning. How can church leaders do that?

MQ: We are never more ready to share the gospel and willing to share the gospel than when we first receive the gospel. I remember when I first got saved, I ran out of the church and was telling everybody, “I’m saved! I’m saved!” and I wanted a microphone to tell everybody how they can be saved, too. I think a pastor or even a lay person that leads somebody to the Lord, right from the very get-go, right next to baptism, needs to talk to them about who is someone that they know who needs to hear this message because they need Jesus, too. Encourage them to go tell at least one person they know about what has happened to them. I also think that pastor or lay leader needs to begin to take that new believer with them to actually do evangelism. I’ve been a pastor, I’ve been an associate pastor, been a youth pastor, I’m now a professor, and I will just tell you the tried and true method that I’ve seen is not just evangelism taught in a classroom experience. It’s when someone else takes someone along and they observe evangelism and talk about it, then that other person lets them start doing a little bit of the introduction when they’re sharing the gospel with someone and then talk about it, and then the one who took them now begins to observe them doing the evangelism. I’ve done that with countless people, and they’re still doing evangelism today. One other thing I would say is we need to be encouraging people to start praying for the lost, because that’s when we get a burden for lost people.

5 Thoughts to Spark Your Personal Evangelism

I’m a professor of evangelism and missions in a seminary whose motto is, “Every classroom a Great Commission classroom”—but that doesn’t mean evangelism always comes easy to me. I’m highly introverted, and I have to work at the task. Here are some approaches that help me:

1

Recognize the battle of evangelism—and know you cannot evangelize in your own power
The apostle Paul often described non-believers in terms of spiritual conflict: they follow the prince of the air (Eph 2:2), live in darkness (Col 1:13), are blinded by the god of this age (2 Cor 4:3-4), are caught in the devil’s trap (2 Tim 2:26), and live under the power of Satan (Acts 26:18). Nothing we do in our own power can free non-believers from their darkness.

2

Enlist some believers to pray Ephesians 6:18-20 and Colossians 4:2-4 daily for you
Paul, the missionary extraordinaire, asked believers to pray he would share the gospel boldly and clearly and God would open doors for his evangelizing. If Paul needed that kind of prayer support, I suspect you and I do, too! Knowing others are praying this way should encourage us to hold ourselves accountable to them and watch for opportunities to share.

3

Always have the names of five non-believers on your prayer list
I generally have at least five names, but the number is not the primary issue; having a burden for several people by name is. A generic, nameless burden is hardly a burden at all. From my five names, I am usually most burdened about 2-3 people. Today, for example, I ask you to join me in praying for my sister, Sherry, and for Jorge, a young man who is like a son to me.

4

Always be developing at least one relationship with a non-believer
I try to have at least two such relationships at a time, but all of us must start with one. My goal is to get to know someone, spend time with him (usually doing a hobby like hiking), gain his respect, and seek opportunities to share the gospel with him. I do believe cold-call evangelism still works, but I also want to build relationships with intentionality.

5

Don’t be afraid to ask for an opportunity to share
I’ve now come to the place where I’ll simply ask, “You know I’m a follower of Christ. One of the things Christians do is tell others what Jesus means to them. May I take a few minutes and tell you what Jesus has done for me—and for you?” If my friend says “no,” I thank him and prayerfully wait for another time. If he says “yes,” I know the door is open to evangelize.

Chuck Lawless is dean of doctoral studies and vice president of spiritual formation and ministry centers at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. For more from Lawless, visit chucklawless.com.