EBC-7 Update

EBC Update 6



Sunday we where at the park as I mentioned in a previous post. I did my first opne air preaching of the weekend Sunday at the park. It was not the first one I ever did, I did two previously in Birmingham. It was however the first in Seattle, and it would be the first one I did in front of people that have experience doing it. So I had the normal fear and anxiety, added to the not wanting to mess up in front of my peers.

A young man from Mississippi, Wes, also wanted to do his first one that day. We had worked together the previous day on 1-2-1 witnessing and worked well together. We decided to tag team. I would draw the crowd and give the law. He would then give grace. I guess you could say good cop bad cop, or more truthfully bad good then good cop.

One of my fears was that my voice would not carry, people have a hard time hearing me because of projection and volume. My volume actually get worse when I get serious, and I find the gospel to be very serious. I was worried I would not carry very far, and the previous two times in Birmingham I had not carried very far.

When the time came and I jumped up to start drawing a crowd, my voice boomed and startled me. It was like it had not come out of my mouth. The crowd came and we where off to a good start. As I went through some trivia questions, and then selected a contender for the “good person test”, I noticed a Familiar man approaching. I realized that I had seen him the day before when he was loudly heckling the preacher at the Bumpershoot. God being graceful, and due to the prayers of those that recognized him, he did not say a word but sat down a few feet away from me.

After walking the “good person” through the “test” and showing her that I could not give her the money because like the rest of us she was not really all that good, I told her to hold on because Wes might be a little nicer.

Wes jumped up and began to share the concept of grace. He gave the woman the money even though she did not deserve it. He did say and do far more than recorded here. He did a great job, especially they way he handled the previously inactive heckler.

Mr. Heckler jumped up after I got down and walked in front of Wes. Wes calmly stepped forward to the edge of the ledge we where using. This prevented Mr. Heckler from coming between him and the crowd again. Not only did he do it calmly, he did not miss a beat preaching.

Then Mr. Heckler approached Wes trying to get him to move. Another sower placed herself between Wes and Mr. Heckler. She then danced in a semi circle behind Wes with Mr. Heckler. I and other sowers are continuously praying for the situation. Mark, a sower, ended up placing himself behind our female sower and Mr. Heckler because it was looking like he might hurt her. Mr. Heckler asked Mark if he knew what martial arts was, then lifted his foot in the air, kind of like a Karate Kid pose. Mark stepped closer, but staying clam and nice.


Mr. Heckler then slinks off, and Wes finishes just a few minutes later. This was another situation where the Christian showed gentleness (strength under control) to someone that was obviously sent by the enemy to distract and cause havoc.

Know for the best news. The Lady that I went through the “good person test” with, talked to our team leader afterwards. The actions by Mr. Heckler was used to show her how much someone did not want her and others to hear the message. She placed her faith and trust in Christ that day.

That day in the park, I talked to people and did share 1-2-1 but it felt off most of the day. I felt like I was not doing enough, that I was failing. Looking back I realized that it was teaching me that the number of people is not as important as the love and time I give each one. Every time I looked around I would see a seed sower talking to someone, many times for 30minutes or even an hour. I saw people praying together and I saw one of the shyest most reserved people I have ever met talking to more than 1 or 2 strangers that day.

I thank God for my time in the park. He gave my soul great comfort seeing that others were in the fight. I also found comfort that when I did not immediately respond the nudge to go and talk to someone another sower took my place. Along with the comfort that God will use someone else when I do not respond, I also was convicted to listen harder and respond quicker when God directed me to someone.