PK PODIUM
CALLED TO TESTIFY
FEATURES
SPREADING FAITH IS A TEAM EFFORT
03 Following the Evidence
BY KIRK GILES
14 Raising Christ Followers 17 Re-imagining Church
W
hen I was a child, my life was disrupted by the grace of God. Somehow, in my little mind, I knew I had sinned — my sin deserves death — God so loved me He sent Jesus to die in my place – and Jesus died and rose again, so I can have eternal life. I remember walking downstairs to see my mom sitting in the kitchen and asked her how I could know for sure that I have eternal life. In our kitchen, my mom prayed with me and led me to Jesus. Looking back, I recognize how there were so many people involved in bringing me to this place of faith and growing my faith beyond that moment. There was a pastor who consistently taught the Good News of Jesus. My Sunday School teacher who loved me. My parents and other friends who consistently spoke of Jesus. Together, they disrupted my life with the grace of God. When Christian men are asked if they share their faith with others, the most common answer is “rarely.” When we probe a little deeper we find out the reason is quite often because we fear the reaction or response of the other person, or we fear not having the right words to say. Do you see the common element here? Fear. We should never be controlled by our fears, we should be compelled by our love. The results do not rest on your shoulders, but the effort does. In 1 Corinthians 3:6-8, Paul talks about how he planted seeds, Apollos watered those seeds, but God gave the increase.
8 SEVEN JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019
23 Do You Know What You Believe? Paul and Apollos each had a role to play in people coming to know Jesus, but it was God who brought the harvest. I have heard men say, “Share the Gospel, and if necessary, use words.” That’s a nice idea to encourage faithful living in our actions and not just our words. However, it has also become an excuse to never talk about Jesus. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel” (Mark 16:15). This is not a command given to the elite Christians, it’s a calling to every Christian to speak and testify to the message of Jesus. Every time a man who attends one of our conferences decides to begin a journey in following Jesus, I am reminded of this truth. Many other men will have walked with these men long before they ever attended one of our events. Spreading faith is a team effort, and God gets the glory. In the past few months, I have seen so many men respond in faith to Jesus. As our conferences and other events continue across the country in the coming months, my question to you is — who are you investing in with the message of Jesus? Who can you bring with you to a conference? Let’s work together to disrupt other men’s lives with the grace of God.
COLUMNS 08 // PK Podium 28 // Sports Scene 30 // Out of My Depth 31 // Lives Worth Leading 32 // No Man as an Island
DEPARTMENTS 10 // The Pulse 33 // Music Reviews 34 // Power Play
EDITORIAL Questions and comments regarding editorial can be sent to ssukkau@promisekeepers.ca, or mailed to Promise Keepers Canada at the address provided. DESIGN DEVON WAGENAAR Devon J Andrew Design Inc. djadesign.ca PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA 210-3027 Harvester Road Burlington, ON L7N 3G7
/ KIRK GILES is the president of Promise Keepers Canada. However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel.
(905) 331-1830 info@promisekeepers.ca
