Witnessing

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

WITNESSING REPORT 3

Submitted To Dr. Gustavo Suarez

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Completion Of

EVANS 525-D07

CONTEMPORARY EVANGELISM

By

Clarence Hudson

August 17, 2015

Witnessing Report 3

This report was hard to acquire due to death of a friend, working 8 hours a day, coming home and being a father figure to my grandsons. However, an opportunity did present itself, when my oldest son Rocky came in town for the weekend. Rocky and his mother went truck shopping on Friday.  They found a truck, and now, the issue of how he was to return to Madison Heights, VA with two vehicles. Well, as usual, his mother, my wife received an honest estimate, that is for Rocky, her and I drive different vehicles too Petersburg, Virginia, the halve way place. It just happens, and on the way, back my wife starts talking about religion and her beliefs. My wife believes in Jesus Christ and that he died for our sins, however, her major problem is how people that claim to be religious pick certain scriptures and use them for their purposes. A purpose different from what it was enunciated in the bible. I listen for about 20 minutes and thought this was a chance to witness to her. So I ask her ask her; do you have any kind spiritual belief? She said, I believe there is a God, but do not understand why he allows bad things to happen to good people. Diana continued talking about things that had happened in her life in the past and during gout 33 years of marriage. I listen and nod my head a few times. Feeling, she will open up to me more on her belief, I ask her, to you, who is Jesus? Of course, she said, he is the son of God who died for our sins. She starts telling me about her pastor in college, how knowledgeable he was and the things he told them. This was over 35 years ago and she remembers the way he explains things that made it easier for her to believe. I have been down that road with her earlier and how she feels about religion.

I thought I would get to the scripture and take in her response. First, I ask her to get the small New Testament bible out of my bag and to read the tab label 1 aloud. Roman 3:23 and it said, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glorification of God.” I asked her what does this say to you. Diana stated that we all have sinned and need to repent. I wondered, why doesn’t she read the Bible with me, or go to church, she knows a lot about the bible and that we need Jesus. Not desiring to force her away, I ask her to read tab three (John 3:3) aloud. She read, “Jesus answered and said to him. “Truly, truly. I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” I ask her what does this say to you. She replied I know where you are going with this, but to answer your question, A person must confess their sins, be baptized and be saved before they can go to Heaven. Diana was more responsive than I thought she would be, but before I can ask her to read another passage, she look up and notice, we missed our exit home. I told her that I would like to finish this another time. She said no problem, but wanted me to remember what she had been telling me for years since I have changed my life for the better. Rock, “you and I are walking two different paths toward the Lord, and please do not attempt to force your belief onto me. I believe that we are individuals with our own way of loving God.” I told her that God loves her and wants her back. I need her to be with me on this journey and on the same path.