Apologetics Class 2/25/2018

Today in the Apologetics Class, Lord willing, we will be watching the video Sharing Your Faith- Embarrassing, Inappropriate and Unprofessional (Amy Orr-Ewing of RZIM Trust is the speaker):

Here is the note-taking page I handed out before the class:

Sharing Your Faith – Embarrassing, Inappropriate and Unprofessional – Amy Orr-Ewing RZIM Trust, February 25^th 2018

1. A_______________ comes from Greek word “Apologia”, 1 Peter 3:15 “Always be prepared …”
2. Describes what a defense lawyer would do in a court – give a reasoned, persuasive d_________
3. Why is it unusual for us to feel unembarrassed, naturally to talk about Jesus?
4. Sometimes there is an “inner cringe” at the fear and a______________ of evangelism

2 “Motions” that happen in evangelism at our work places:

1. The P____________ Effect – be ready, so that when opportunity comes, you’re able to take it. You’re pulled into conversation about your faith.  4 characteristics of the kind of person:
   1. Spend time with the Lord in p_______. “Coincidences” happen a lot to those who pray
   2. Something different about them – their lives call forth questions. They r______ Christ.
   3. People for whom “everything is on the altar” for the Lord-completely on f____ for Him.
   4. People who are in c_____________ with other believers, where the quality of Christian love in that community speaks to their work colleagues.
2. The P____________ Effect – being pro-active. We are to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19).  We worry about seeming “weird”, we worry about being o_______________. Few ideas about how we can be pro-active in sharing our faith:
   1. Pray daily for o_______________ and breakthroughs. We should have a mentality of expectation that God has put is in our workplace (or school) and wants us to be there and wants us to speak for Him.  Sometimes, we’ll sow seeds that others will reap.
   2. Ask people q______________. Sometimes we feel afraid of evangelism because we think, “I don’t know all the answers” and “I don’t know what I should say”.  In the Gospels Jesus asked 1___ questions. Everyone can ask questions.
      1. Questions can help “i____________” apathetic people (John 1:38)
      2. Questions can help get a friend really t____________. Thinking is not the enemy of evangelism (Luke 18:19 – “Why do you call Me good?”)

• Questions can bring the f______ to J_________ in a conversation. We want people to encounter the person of Christ, to introduce Jesus into the situation.

22. A question can “r______” an i_______. Especially in “tense” situations – sensitive topics.  Jesus did this in Matthew 22:15-22.  Lady on train in Britain asked, “What would it take for you to believe in God?”
23. A question can demonstrate e______. John 11:34 – “Where have you laid him?”
24. A question can reveal m___________ (John 5:6 – “Do you want to get well?”).

• A question can open up frank discussions about b________ to belief (John 8:46)
• A conversation needs questions-just talking/p____________ won’t work.

Conversations I’ve Had at Work and How They Got Started

Sharing Christ with my boss over lunch

1. We were alone together in the company cafeteria eating lunch
2. V. was on talking about a church shooting in N.C. (shooter in Bible study prior)
3. He characterized it as “he was sitting there listening to and reading the Word of God and yet he still did that”. This led to an extended conversation (~ 1 hour), & sharing the Gospel with him

Another conversation with Boss at end of the day

1. Conversation about weekend-I was preparing for class I teach at church & other church activities
2. His comment was, “Wow, that’s a lot of religion!” Then he admitted, “I’m not religious…“
3. This led to a 5 minute conversation about our respective spiritual histories

Conversation with an Associate at Work Before We Were Leaving for the Day

1. Talking about what we were doing this weekend – she was going to see a movie
2. Talked about “Silence” – Liam Neeson – missionary in Japan & missionaries killed by drowning.
3. Then I asked her if she’d ever seen the Passion of the Christ
4. Led to a conversation about why Jesus had to die on the cross.

Conversation with an Agnostic Former Youth Pastor

1. Conversation about football-mentioned having season tickets interfered w/ church activities
2. Led to him sharing why he became an agnostic due to the “problem of evil”
3. I was able to share a response to his objections and he later attended a Bible study with me

Conversation with Atheist in Lunch Line at Work Cafeteria

1. I can’t remember exactly what started the conversation
2. He was bringing up all these objections about Christianity (in a rapid fire fashion)
3. Suggested we go out to lunch. He sent calendar invite and we went to Espo’s
4. 1 hour talk about Christianity-I shared testimony & answered his questions about the faith.

Conversation with an Agnostic at Work

1. We were making small talk at my desk.
2. The topic came up about feeling old and things that make you feel/look older
3. This led to a ½ conversation walking around the lake (at work) talking about Christianity

Other conversations

1. With an ex-Catholic while on a business trip to San Antonio
2. With a Mormon (LDS) who sat next to my cube
3. With a Chinese lady while on a business trip to Germany
4. With an British work associate on a trip to Manchester
5. With a Muslim who mentioned his Friday weekly prayers
6. With a Hindu couple from work whom my wife is watching their middle school child
7. A Hindu couple over lunch at Aunt Chilada’s
8. With Hindu lady asking her about Karma/Reincarnation– led to talk about faith
9. Several Roman Catholics while serving at St. Vincent de Paul with them
10. A Chinese atheist and a Malaysian Roman Catholic while on business trip in Australia
11. With German guy who didn’t want to become Christian b/c he’d have to give up beer!

You can read more about these at: https://1peter41216.wordpress.com/category/conversation/