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Volume 3 . Issue 21

COUNCIL OF REFERENCE JustSimple

Walk Across the Room
Steps Pointing People To Faith
Dr. Richard Averbeck

Rev. D. Stuart Briscoe

A Quick Focus
Dr. Paul Cedar

Mr. Dave Coleman

The Book's Purpose
Issue a call for all believers to
Dr. & Mrs. Larry Crabb engage in life’s greatest mission~
Mr. Roger Cross telling others about Jesus
Rev. Samuel Farina
Teach evangelism principles that
Jesus modeled
Dr. Kenneth O. Gangel
Show believers how they can build
Rev. & Mrs. Lud Golz relationships with those who do
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks not profess Christ
Mr. Olan Hendrix Encourage believers every day to
listen for the Holy Spirit’s prompt-
Dr. David Jeremiah
ings “to walk across the room”
Rev. Knute Larson
Teach Christ-followers how to
Dr. John C. Maxwell frame their story for telling others
Dr. Bruce McNicol
The Book’s Message
Mr. Dean Merrill Just walking across a room to engage in
Mrs. Elisa Morgan
conversation may be the very catalyst God
uses to change one’s eternal destiny. There is
Dr. Ray Ortlund no greater divine mandate than telling others
about Jesus. And there is no greater joy than
Dr. Luis Palau
playing a role in someone’s life-changing de-
Dr. Gilbert A. Peterson cision.
Rev. Wes Roberts With so much at stake, why don’t more
believers proactively share their faith with
Rev. & Mrs. Jamie
Rassmussen
others? After all, most Christians acknowledge
that God has given them this responsibility.
Mr. Jim Warren At some point, what the Bible clearly teaches By Bill Hybels
Dr. Rick Warren
must collide with one’s level of obedience and Zondervan Publishing House
prompt him to take that walk across the room. ISBN 0310266696

VIII
Publishers
David & Catherine Eight Main Points
Zondervan Publishing House
Martin
Take a Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Telling God’s Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Editors
Evangelism’s Highest Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Learning from the Greatest Teacher . . . . . . . . 6
Michael & Cheryl 3-D Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Grander Vision Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chiapperino The Power of a Good Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Walking Through Open Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
 22
Our Challenge to Walk

takeawalk
What is the one thing you’re
living for? What matters the most
to you? The mind of Christ was
focused on one thing~people. Peo-
ple who face a Christless eternity
must consume our minds as
well. If we really believe that
God can redeem and transform a
The average person takes about ten thousand steps a day. In a lifetime, person’s life, then we must do all
that’s four trips around the earth. However, the question of the hour we possibly can to connect people
is: Will he use his steps wisely? What if ten steps across a room could to Him.
impact eternity?
Introducing someone to Jesus
That thought stunned me as I listened to a Muslim tell his story of is life’s supreme mission. No task
how he came to Christ. He was at a party, standing alone, when a Christ- is greater or more rewarding. Think
follower from the other side of the room broke away from his clique of about it. Someone walked across
friends and introduced himself. The two became instant friends. Over a room to introduce you to Jesus.
the course of time and after many spiritual conversations, the Muslim Jesus walked across the whole uni-
felt compelled to pray to God, and He gave His life to Jesus Christ. This verse to save you. So, take a walk
happened all because a follower of Christ was willing to walk ten steps yourself and watch what God can
across a room. do through you.
CBS
A Walk in the Zone of the Unknown
Every week I hear salvation

“What if redirecting
stories, but this particular one about
the Muslim kept racing through
my mind. God must have surely
evangelism’s
a person’s forever been speaking to me. As I reflected
on the story, I began to realize highest
really is as simple
as walking across
that this follower of Christ saw the
man across the room, heard the
Holy Spirit direct him, and actually
value
a room?” felt something inside his heart that
Evangelism fads come and go.
prompted him to take the walk.
We’ve seen the days of tracts, bus
He moved away from the comfort zone of his circle of friends and ministry, and televangelism, all of
started to move in the direction of the Zone of the Unknown. He had which God has used. And I’m sure
no idea what would transpire. He just knew the Spirit was telling him there will be new tools for the fu-
to walk. Isn’t it amazing that evangelism can be as simple as taking a ture. I am convinced, however,
walk and that those steps can result in extraordinary outcomes? that evangelism’s highest value is
listening to and cooperating with
Christ Took a Walk the Holy Spirit.
God took a walk across the vast cosmos when He became a man. By
doing so, He stretched His arms out to sinful people just like us. In or- Attuned to the Spirit
der to rescue us, Jesus took the ultimate walk, a walk to the cross. He Acts 1:8 teaches that the Holy
went to great lengths of suffering to demonstrate His love and forgiveness Spirit will empower Christians to
to the sick, the lonely, the wandering, the addicted, the depressed, and be God’s witnesses. With these words
the hopeless. Jesus taught us that we don’t need
street smarts or book smarts be-
Imagine the horror the woman caught in adultery must have felt cause we have within us life-trans-
(John 8). Her sins were displayed in the public arena for all to see. The forming power. Galatians 5:25 in-
Pharisees thought they had Jesus in a bind when they asked Him what structs us to “keep in step with the
they should do with the woman. He ruined their day when He told Spirit.” In other words, by tapping
them to let the one who was without sin to be the first stone thrower. into His power, we receive His guid-
ance, inspiration, and motivation.
Alone with the woman after all her accusers left, Jesus did not con-
demn her. He offered her a brand new life, a life of freedom. Our primary How do these words apply to
mission in this world is the same. We are called to serve people and point evangelism? They remind us to
them toward faith in Christ. keep our eyes open daily for God-
continued on page 3
 3
EVANGELISM’S HIGHEST VALUE
continued from page 2

ordained opportunities. Daily we The key to success is to keep

must listen for the Spirit’s whisper, planting seeds, because, as Jesus
“Speak to that person….Go help taught in the parable of the soils,
that person….Take a walk.” We some seed will eventually fall upon “True joy in the Christian
should wake up each day and pray, fertile soil. In this story Jesus reminds adventure unfurls when
“Spirit, use me today to point some- us that many walks across the room you play the role that the
one to You.” may leave us feeling completely
fruitless. But we must never give Spirit asks you to play.
The motive to this approach is up. Keep walking. Always be ready Your job~and mine~
not to see how many people can to leave your comfort area to the
get saved. “My objective is to is to say, ‘God, I am open
Zone of the Unknown. You never
walk when He prompts me to know when you will have that magi- for whatever role you
walk, talk when He says to talk, cal experience of being present might have me play.
fall silent when I’m at risk of when the fertile soil of someone’s Whatever it is, I’m
saying too much, and stay put heart collides with your strategically
when He leads me to stay put.” available to be used.’”
placed seed.
I don’t pretend to understand
how the Spirit operates. For exam- CBS
ple, one day I was getting a haircut
and looked for an opportunity to

3dliving
strike up a spiritual conversation.
Nothing opened. On the other
hand, one day while hiding away
in the back of a restaurant studying
for a message, the Spirit prompted
me to invite the waitress to our
Christmas Eve service. I was floored
the next time in the restaurant when Most Christ followers agree that God expects them to en-
she approached me and expressed gage in evangelism, but only a small percentage actually do anything about
how much she and her daughter it. Most believers struggle with how to get the job done. To help our peo-
enjoyed the Christmas Eve service. ple at Willow Creek, we have designed a strategy to encourage our people
It is this dynamic that makes a life- to take the gospel into their neighborhoods. We call it “Living in 3D.”
style of evangelism an exciting ad-
venture.

Different Roles
Some folks believe that a conver- “Simply put, if you are a
sation has been unsuccessful unless
the plan of salvation has been clearly Christ-follower, then you are called,
explained. Yes, it would be nice if equipped, and expected to share
every contact led to a life-changing
decision. But that’s not how the the gospel.
Holy Spirit operates. Sometimes
He wants me to be the seed planter;
No exceptions!”
other times He wants me to be the
middle man who waters the seeds. Develop Friendships
And sometimes, thankfully, I’m The first concept is to develop friendships. Unfortunately, trends in-
the one who gets to pick the fruit dicate that the longer a person attends church, the fewer evangelistic con-
from the vine. versations he engages in. The typical excuse is, “I’m just not wired for
this evangelism thing.” Believers subconsciously bargain with God by in-
We all play different roles in undating themselves with Bible studies, ministry projects, and volunteerism,
leading people to make decisions thinking that engaging in all this activity absolves them from their duty
that change their eternal destiny. to share their faith.
God might want me to lead some-
one from a negative eight to a neg- 3D living always begins with love. The more like Christ one becomes,
ative six on the evangelism scale. the greater his love for the lost should become. What God treasures first
He may use you to take the person and foremost is people. The same should be true for us. Like Jesus, we
the rest of the way. should see people’s potential beyond their obvious flaws. He saw potential
in someone like Zacchaeus. He looked beyond Saul’s vengeance against
Christians and saw a powerful force for the kingdom.
continued on page 4
 4
3-D LIVING
continued from page 3

We need to develop friendships Discern Next Steps

with the same spiritual goals in mind. Once you have heard someone’s Any ten-minute conversation will
Instead of avoiding the next-door story, be sensitive to possible next reveal dozens of ways you can pro-
neighbors, we need to see them as steps you can take to bring the per- vide resources. Most people send
those for whom Christ died. We son closer to Christ. In conversation, very clear signals. You need spiritual
need to believe that the old can be- one of the greatest temptations is radar that will track the Holy Spirit’s
come new, the fallen can be restored, to keep everything on a surface level. promptings as well as the person’s
and the derelict can become a dis- God wants you to move deeper. needs. The key is to have a willing
ciple. heart to provide any resource possi-
Most conversations will encounter ble to help the person better connect
Start small with a non-threaten- a fork-in-the-road moment. In these with God. If the person doesn’t make
ing gathering of neighbors. Invite moments what will you do? Keep a decision for Christ, no big deal.
them to a cookout. Allow friend- the discussion light and end it with But you will never know where things
ships to emerge. It might be you a half-hearted joke? Or will you take could possibly lead unless you take
that the Holy Spirit will use to bring the next step that will allow you to the risk to be a resource provider.
someone into the kingdom. have a deep impact on the person’s
life? CBS
Discover Their Stories
As you develop friendships with

thepower
those far from God, the next step
is to discover their stories. Before
bridges can be built, you must prac-
tice the “potential of close proxi-
mity.” In other words, you can never
be an effective evangelist unless you
put yourself in the paths of those
who do not embrace Christ. But
once you develop a friendship, you
of a good
story
must learn what life has been like
for them. Discover their stories.

When you build relationships the one probing your

with others, it is critical that you faith. You need to be ready
use the style you’re comfortable to tell your story with great
with. Don’t try to fit into the mold Stories have a way of captivating clarity and sincerity within
of someone else’s method of evan- our minds and hearts like nothing 45 seconds.
gelism. God simply wants you to else can. They give us fresh eyes to
take the walk across the room and understand the world around us.
be authentic. They raise questions that force us
The key to engaging in spiritual
to think about life. “Living in 3D
dialogue is to listen carefully to the
other person’s story. Look for the
The Greatest Storyteller plants the seeds
open window of opportunity. Some- Jesus knew the power of a good
story. To communicate the most im-
for evangelism
times the situations become awk-
ward. Sometimes you’re faced with portant issues of the human soul, to take root,
He told everyday stories that any
questions you don’t have a clue how
to handle. But no matter how un- listener could easily understand. but being able
comfortable things may become, Whether He talked about a compas-
sionate shepherd, a rich young ruler,
to tell an
discover the person’s story. Why? effective story
“Because you just might be the or a woman baking bread, every
single flame in someone’s dark story pointed to the grander vision is what bears
night who reminds them that of God.
there is a God who created them, You have a story to tell, and the
the fruit.”
who loves them, and who yearns story fits into God’s greater vision.
to relate with them, starting from The Power of a “Bad” Story
What happens when someone asks We’ve all heard someone with
right where they are.” you why you’re so fired up about good intentions share a faith story
God? Are you ready with a well- that probably would send one fur-
prepared response? These moments
could very well define eternity for continued on page 5
THE POWER OF A GOOD STORY
5
continued from page 4
ther away from God than closer.

tellingGod’s
For example, don’t start your story
with some weird spiritual experience
you had with God. Strange things

story
do happen, but most likely someone
living far from God will never be
able to relate to what you’re saying.
Most stories are far too long.
The listener would actually prefer Since the beginning of time,
that his clothes still be in style when people have sensed that a great chasm
you’re done. Three minutes (or exists between them and God. They have an inner compulsion to
even shorter) should be your target. bridge the gap. But how? Most attempts to solve this dilemma be-
Then make sure you allow time for gin on the humankind side. Study all the religions and you will discover
the listener to ask you follow-up a framework by which man must perform works in order to appease a holy
questions. God~that is, every religion except biblical Christianity.
Many stories are too fuzzy. Make God has a story to tell. He took the responsibility upon Himself to
them simple. Don’t include a dozen build the bridge. In order to reach sinful man, He sent His Son, Jesus
plot lines. Keep the storyline moving Christ, to die on the cross. His death became the ultimate bridge by which
in one direction. Also, be cautious sinful man could enter into a relationship with a holy God. “And there
of using religionese, words that may is no higher honor in life than to be message carriers of the greatest
mean much to you but absolutely news known to humanity.” The whole reason we exist on this earth is
nothing to the listener. And you to spread the news that the bridge has already been built.
should be aware that coming across
with an air of superiority will cer- Effective Gospel Presentations
tainly communicate that you don’t To be an effective witness, every believer needs to have under his belt
really care about the person you’re several different ways to communicate the gospel message. Pictures work
talking to. the best. One very effective tool is the bridge illustration. Draw God on
one side of the paper, man on the other, and a great chasm between them.
Before and After The chasm represents the sin that separates us from God. Draw a cross
Your story should tell very simply that bridges the two sides to demonstrate that only Jesus can bring a per-
what Christ means to you. What son into a relationship with God. Whoever walks across the bridge will be
difference has He made in your life? granted the gift of eternal life.
You probably wouldn’t listen to an
overweight person tell you about a Another effective method is the “Do versus Done” presentation. Every
diet plan. In the same way, no one religion except Christianity requires that you do enough good things to
will listen to you unless he knows merit the favor of God. Christianity, on the other hand, can be spelled D-
that your life is genuinely different. O-N-E. What Christ did on the cross is sufficient for our salvation. His
death satisfied God’s requirement for a perfect sacrifice.
Don’t make your story dramatic.
Very simply state what your life was The morality ladder presentation demonstrates the universal longing
like before and how your life is dif- for God. Picture a ladder. On the top is God because He is perfectly moral.
ferent since you decided to follow On a couple of the upper rungs write the names of Billy Graham and
Christ. A great before and after story Mother Teresa, two individuals that certainly would rank high on the
is found in John 8, where the for- morality ladder. On the bottom, put serial killers. Put your own name in
merly blind man said, “I once was the middle. Then ask the person where on the ladder he would mark him-
blind, but now I can see.” Think self. Then ask how he plans to make up the gap between him and God.
about Zacchaeus: “I used to steal Choosing to follow Christ is the only way to bridge the gap.
from people, but since I became
a Christ-follower, I now care for Evangelism Dysfunctions
people, especially the poor.”
Most Christ-followers sincerely believe that God’s story has the power
Basically, a solid story contains to change lives. But a troubling contradiction exists in churches across
three prongs: what your life was America. As much as we believe in the power of Jesus to change lives, too
like before, the fact that you made few are willing to tell the good news to others. I call them the avoiders.
a decision to follow Christ, and the They might take a walk across the room but then mysteriously be tight
difference He has made in your life. lipped when God opens a door to share their faith.
Work on your story. Hone it and
shape it. You will be amazed how continued on page 6
God can use it to bring others into
His kingdom.
CBS
 6
TELLING GOD’S STORY
continued from page 5 Changing the World
I wonder what the end-of-the-
day conversation was like between
On the opposite extreme are Jesus and His disciples. They raised
the erupters. They mean well, but question marks about Him dia-
they erupt any time someone walks loguing with a sinful woman. Don’t
“Although most across their path. They walk across you imagine He used the evening
Christians say that the the room sometimes when they to talk about the harvest and how
gospel really can renew, shouldn’t. Once they have their ripe it is and how it includes those
victim in grasp, they cut loose and from different backgrounds?
save, and transform spew out the gospel message like
lives, they get all timid rapid gunfire. Erupters must learn Use your imagination to picture
when it comes to living to let God do the orchestrating of the woman at the well fifteen years
as though it is true.” the moments. removed from her conversion. May-
CBS be her whole family has gathered
together for a great time of fellow-
ship. The woman, one more time,
tells her story of how Jesus met
her and gave her living water.

learningfrom Once the woman met Jesus, she

shared her experience with others.
Many came into the kingdom be-

thegreatest cause of her witness. With great

boldness, she tried to change her
world by telling others. God wants

teacher
to use you to change your world.
Are you willing to let Him use you?
No one has
ever modeled evan- Go back in time and think about
gelism better than your own story, how Jesus entered
Jesus. In John 4, we read the story of an immoral woman whose life was your heart and gave you a brand
transformed in an unlikely setting. The story of the woman at the well new start. Who was the one person
presents us with excellent lessons on evangelism, demonstrated by the who walked across the room to tell
greatest Teacher. you the gospel story? Are you ready
to walk across the room to help
Lessons from the Master someone else find Jesus? Christ
First, Jesus bridged the chasm. Most Christians have been taught from shed His blood for every person
childhood to insulate themselves from the world and to steer clear from you see each day. When will you
the wrong crowd. In this story Jesus taught us that we don’t have to allow put some action behind your faith
the world to intimidate us. He sought to build bridges instead of making and take that walk?
the chasm deeper between the great divides. He could have shied away
from talking with someone from a completely different background. But
He didn’t.
Second, Jesus asked a question. He was very intentional in how He
initiated spiritual conversations. He asked questions to test the waters. “Our job is to stay the
He didn’t barge through doors that were not opened. Christ-followers
must learn from Jesus’ example and ask thought-provoking questions that course, walking when
can open the door to deeper conversations. we are prompted to
Third, Jesus did not travel down rabbit trails. When the conversation walk, talking when we
got a little tense, the woman tried to steer Jesus onto other subjects. He are prompted to talk,
stayed focused. Today, people throw up many smoke screens. You don’t
really believe that Jesus is the only way to God, do you? What about all staying quiet when
the hypocrites in church? At that moment, believers must discern whether silence is required, and
the questions are genuinely sincere or merely an effort to get the conversation trusting God with the
off-track.
outcome of redeeming
Fourth, Jesus gave hope to the hopeless. She was thirsty, and He offered
her living water. People today are filled with shame. We must communicate his broken and sin-
grace and forgiveness. People today are addicted with destructive habits. scarred people.”
We must let them know that Christ can set them free. People today are weary.
We must teach them how Jesus can give them the rest they long for.
CBS
 77

grandervisionliving
Luke 5 tells the story of Simon Peter on the lake fishing but not hav-
ing any luck. After teaching a large multitude on the shore side, Jesus told
notes, books, and tapes as I sought
to lead him to Christ.
Peter to give the fishing one more shot. Reluctantly, he and his friends
put their boats out a short distance from the shore. Before long they had During this hospital visit,
caught fish in record numbers. They are beside themselves with excitement. I pleaded with him to give his life
Jesus used the story to challenge them to a vision that far superseded their to Christ and not to let another
fishing experience. moment pass without being certain
of his eternal destiny. I was amazed
Fishing for People as he sincerely opened his heart to
As excited as His followers must have been, Jesus in essence said to Jesus. Less than twenty-four hours
them, “Guys, you haven’t seen anything yet.” Then he challenged them after his decision, he was gone.
to a grander vision of fishing for men, a journey that would change people’s This experience compelled me to
souls. He asked them to leave everything behind and follow Him for the cry out to God. I asked Him to
sake of people’s eternal destinies. help me to live every day with that
same sense of urgency regarding
people’s
eternal
destinies.

“Are you going to throw your one We can

learn a lot
about this
and only life into pursuing small fish, grander vi-
sion from
or will you risk tossing your nets Matthew.
When he
out there in anticipation of catching left the tax
collecting
business,
the human-sized ones?” he didn’t
abandon
his ungodly friends. He threw a
Peter accepted Jesus’ call. He left career and family behind to pursue party that included Christ-followers
life’s greatest mission~seeking the lost, loving the forgotten, and serving as well as his lost buddies. He in-
the poor. The story of Chuck Colson can be compared to Peter’s grander cluded people that the religious
vision living. Chuck sought to fulfill the emptiness in his life through leaders would have deemed outcasts.
everything but a relationship with Jesus. Through the witness of a busi-
nessman friend, he gave his life to the Christ who showed him the joy We make a big deal at Willow
and fulfillment of fishing for men. Imagine the scores of prisoners whose Creek about throwing Matthew
destinies have changed because Chuck was able to see beyond crime and parties, putting ourselves in social
failure to men who possessed tremendous potential for the good of the settings where believers can mingle
kingdom. and build relationships with those
who have yet to embrace Christ.
What we need is a shift of focus. The Father’s heart always leans to- It all boils down to this~am I will-
ward people~and, yes, lost people. We need to see all people as those for ing to get out of the office and out
whom Christ has died. The grander vision leads us to serve the needs of of my regular routines to include
others and to speak up at every prompting of the Spirit. people who desperately need Jesus?
To invest your life in anything but
The Urgency of the Grander Vision people is to pursue a vision of lesser
The longer we walk with Jesus, the greater is the urgency we have value. The choice is yours. Will
toward eternal realities. We recognize that the time is short. One day you accept God’s invitation to go
I felt an overwhelming sense of urgency to visit a friend’s father in the after the big fish?
hospital. He had colon cancer and the prognosis was not good. The father
and I had developed a strong relationship. I had put in his hands many CBS
 8
walkingthrough
opendoors
Famous last words. Sometimes final words represent an attempt to
communicate what the person wants to be remembered for. To put in a
capsule the “walk across the room” lifestyle, I have chosen several verses
from Paul’s final words to the Colossians (4:2-6). Volume 3, Number 21

Prayer and Evangelism Publisher

To stay rooted in the faith, the Apostle challenged them to devote David & Catherine Martin
themselves to prayer (v. 2). Prayer and evangelism are closely intertwined.
If we want to be successful leading others to Christ, we must be devoted
Editors
to prayer. We must not even think of doing evangelism unless we are Michael & Cheryl Chiapperino
prayed up.
Throughout the day we should communicate with God as we intersect Published on the World Wide Web at
with people. “God, is this an open door? Do you want me to say anything? ChristianBookSummaries.com.
Direct me.” On the other hand, we also need to invest time in closet pray- The mission of Christian Book
ing where get alone and enter into times of uninterrupted dialoguing with Summaries is to enhance the ministry
God. These times help us recalibrate our world to God’s world. of thinking Christians by providing
thorough and readable summaries
What Should We Pray For? of noteworthy books from
In verse 3 we get a clear picture of Paul’s passion for the lost. He asks Christian publishers.
the believers in Colossae to pray for God to open doors so that he can
fearlessly proclaim Christ to others. Paul knew from experience that you The opinions expressed are
cannot cram the gospel down the throats of people who are far from God. those of the original writers
He knew that only God can open the doors. and are not necessarily those
of Christian Book Summaries
We need to make Paul’s prayer our prayer every day. “God, will you or its Council of Reference.
please open up doors for me today? Will you allow me to engage in spirit-
ual conversations with someone? Send new people into my life that will Just Walk Across the Room: Simple
allow me to build bridges for You.” God loves that kind of praying. And Steps Pointing People to Faith by Bill
He answers. The more you pray, the more you will be attuned to the Hybels, copyright 2006 by Bill Strobel.
doors the Spirit is opening. Summarized by permission of the publish-
er, Zondervan Publishing House, 5300
Walking through Open Doors Patterson Avenue Southeast, Grand
We can’t bust doors open. That’s God’s job. However, when He Rapids, Michigan 49530. 224 pages.
opens the door, we absolutely must take advantage, and we absolutely $19.99. ISBN 0-310-26669-6. Available
must speak the message with greatest clarity. Verses 4-6 stress that we at your favorite bookseller or by calling
must seize every opportunity. However, our conversation must be filled 1-800-727-3480.
with grace and seasoned with salt. And we must be prepared to answer
any question raised. The author: Bill Hybels, founding and
senior pastor of Willow Creek Commu-
Sometimes the open doors are extremely obvious to spot. They might nity Church in South Barrington, Illi-
come unexpectedly, but we know the door is wide open. We must walk nois, is the author of 17 books. He is
through the door and speak up and trust that God will give us the words chairman of the Willow Creek Associ-
to say that will accomplish His purposes. ation's board of directors. Bill received
a bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies
The conversation may turn in many directions. However, there are and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity
three irreducible truths I always try to convey. First, God loves you. Second, from Trinity College. He and is wife,
Christ chose to pay the penalty for sin. Third, the decision is yours. One Lynne, are the parents of two adult
cannot drift into salvation. He must make a conscious choice. children & have one grandchild.
“No trophy, no promotion, no pleasure, no possession will ever hold Summarized by: Ken Kelly. A graduate
a candle to the thrill we feel when God uses us to touch another of Southwestern Baptist Theological
human life for eternity.” Seminary, Dr. Kelly has served as senior
pastor of Chapin Baptist Church in
As a follower of Christ, one day you will speak your final words and Chapin, South Carolina since 1986.
be ushered off into heaven. When you get there, imagine the street talk.
When you ask someone, “How did you get here?” wouldn’t it be awesome
to hear, “The day you walked across the room was the starting point for
me”? For that scenario to happen requires that you start walking across
the room today. What are you waiting for? CBS