The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: TRUST (07/21/16)
I sat in the jury box, a novice to the process. The first witness took the stand, raised his hand and swore to, “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Witness after witness took the same oath. As the jury, we were expected to distill the truth and render it back to the court.

Truths—real indisputable truths—change everything in this world. When the truth is known, people are set free. There are seven indisputable spiritual truths that can rock your world and the world of everyone around you.

Everyone knows there is a God. Need proof? “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood…so that people are without excuse…” Romans 1:20-21 (NIV). One of the seeds we are all born with is to know there is a God. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way the second part of Romans 1:21 takes place, “…but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Everyone knows there is an eternity. According to Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV), “…He has also set eternity in the human heart…” Somehow, we know that things will go on. Yes, they may change, but we know that unlike a jury trial that has a conclusion, there is eternity in the cycle of life.

Everyone knows they are a sinner. Could anyone dispute this? Parents can easily watch the innocence of children evolve to little white lies as toddlers to full-blown sin as teens and adults. The apostle Paul speaks to the Romans saying, “They (Gentiles) show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness…” Romans 2:15 (NIV).

Everyone is afraid of death. This is something that hits me personally. My mother, at 85 years old, feared her last days. She was a Believer, yet somehow a reality had not seeped into her soul that death was not to be feared. I saw her fear and was saddened at how it consumed her final days. In Hebrews 2:14-15 (NIV) we read, “… by his death he might…free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Everyone has a hole in his or her heart. Society today feels the pain of this reality. Unless the hole in a person’s heart is filled by the love of God, they will spend their whole life searching for something or someone to fill that hole. Paul, speaking to the Romans, says, “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it…” Romans 8:20 (NIV).

Jesus is already speaking to everyone. Because we are all products of the Creator and we hold His DNA inside of us, we know that there is a connection and that He communicates to us. John 1:9 (NIV) speaks that “The true light that gives light to everyone…”

Everyone who is lost expects something from us. In Acts 3:1-10 we read the story about the lame man at the gate called Beautiful. As Peter and John were going to the temple for daily prayer, the lame man called out to him and asked them for money. Peter responded, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you” Acts 3:6 (NIV). Those who are hurting and in need look to Christians, knowing intrinsically that we have loving and giving hearts. Those who look to us need us.

If the facts were placed before the jury, one-by-one they add up to a very simple conclusion. Since:
• Everyone knows there is a God and
• Everyone knows there is an eternity and
• Everyone knows they are a sinner and
• Everyone is afraid of death and
• Everyone has a hole in their heart/soul and
• Jesus is already speaking to everyone

Then what is there left but for us to be the answer to their expectations and present the final case with the truth that they already intrinsically know. It is just connecting the dots of truth with them. We are not telling them anything that is going to shock them. We are helping surface the truth within them. God has already done the hard part. Our responsibility is to give them what they expect from us as Believers—the unconditional love and truth of God. Let us not disappoint.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 460 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Francie Snell 
07/29/16
What an inspiring approach for evangelism. Your points are clear and make great sense. This is very good.
Judy Sauer 
08/01/16
An interesting story. Early in the story, you mentioned seven spiritual truths. It would have been helpful to number them, or bold them (html coding is before bold type and when the bold needs to stop type

Your summary had six bullet points making me wonder if you meant six or seven spiritual truths.

This sentence near the end confused me. Perhaps it's the wording. I'm sure if you reworked it, you'd find less words to convey your message. Here's the sentence you wrote.

"Then what is there left but for us to be the answer to their expectations and present the final case with the truth that they already intrinsically know."

It is obvious you put a lot of time, and effort, into this story. Nice job.
Judy Sauer 
08/01/16
Ok, the html coding took my examples and applied them to my comments. Let me restate using the html commands in parenthesis.

To start bold, type ""
To end bold, type ""

Hope this helps. As you can see from my previous comments, some of the text is bolded. This is what I am trying to convey. You could have numbered each spiritual truth, and bold the wording of it.
Judy Sauer 
08/01/16
Well this system is just too smart. Even in parenthesis, it applied the commands.

Let me try another way.

To start bold, type the < carrot the with no added space, type the letter b, then close the command with a > carrot.

Hope this example works just ignore the spacing


To end the bold, you would add a diagonal slash after the < carrot - to look like this carrot.

Here is an example, again just ignore the spacing
Judy Sauer 
08/01/16
Seriously, this is frustrating. I apologize for the multiple comments. Once I know who you are, I will send a private message with the start and end commands for bold.
Pat Small
08/02/16
I thought this was good but am not real sure how well it fits the topic.Maybe it's just me.
Pat Small
08/02/16
I thought this was good but am not real sure how well it fits the topic.Maybe it's just me.
Chris Goglin
08/04/16
Very informative and a wonderful outreach lesson! Speaking about your Mom...My Mom also passed away in her eighties, and was a strong believer. She often told me she was not afraid of dying, but was just afraid of "how" she would die. Good job!