Episode 8: How hope and prophesy can build bridges

Greetings my Renew Friends!

I’ve been learning recently how “story” plays a part in how to approach people in our culture to build a bridge for Jesus to cross over and enter their life and mind. Bridges are needed because the fundamental assumptions about the world are different for them and this causes the canyon between you and them. (We say that we have different worldviews.)

One bridge that I’ll be teaching the adults in a couple of weeks is hope. In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter writes “… always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect..” The Christian’s hope is to be so shockingly different than the world’s that they will be motivated to ask you why. There are a variety of different ways you could prepare an answer and I will address some of them in future posts.

Until then, I want to encourage you to read this article. In every good story, we yearn for a hero to save the day. But there is a contrast, because nobody needs a hero when everything is ok. The worse things are, the more expectant we are for the hero and the more thankful we are when the hero arrives and saves us. Jesus is the biggest hero of all of history! One long story, thousands of years in the writing, then he shows up and saves the day! The story is not quite finished. The victory is secured, but there are still skirmishes and rebellions before the final resolution. A story like this with real, strong, durable hope at the core, might capture the attention of people in the culture today. Is your hope big enough and on display?

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/overlooked-argument-christianity/

Sincerely,
Uncle Doug