One Step Closer

Debbie and I are enjoying and growing as a result of the teaching we are receiving at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism in Asheville, NC. One of the presenters, Dr. Lon Allison, is the director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. He and several others have recently shared this definition of witness: To witness is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and others to lovingly bring a person one step closer to Christ. That’s a definition that should encourage us all! It may take 7-10 witness encounters (or more) before a person steps over the line of faith, but every encounter can move them one step closer!

Lon also shared how he prays for God to allow him to engage in at least one spiritual conversation each week with someone outside of the faith. He quoted John Maxwell who uses a “10 minute rule:” If I am in conversation with someone at least 10 minutes, I will take that as God giving me an opportunity to raise spiritual issues.”  That keeps us from the error of thinking that every passing encounter requires us to force a spiritual conversation.