I’m not sure if this is allowed but here goes. Haha! One of our subjects in seminary require us to write a journal of what we learn month per month regarding the course subjects. This course is Building Disciples. The focus of Journal 1 is what we learned about God, ourselves, and others from class sessions 1 and 2.
Here’s my answer and I hope it blesses you.
As a person who was won through evangelism, I couldn’t wait to learn how I can also win more people to Christ effectively. I’ve always felt that I’m lacking in skills in sharing the true and complete gospel, and how right I was! In our first sessions, Kuya Tom’s testimony and the Theology of Gospel, I learned that indeed, the gospel and the Holy Spirit are so much more powerful than I’ve described and shared to other people. This is not to say that I can fully expound about His power, I recognize that no amount of words can fully describe God.
In our first session, Kuya Tom shared his testimony of building a life group in Baguio and evangelizing his brother’s murderer. I learned that God freely uses people who are willing and available to advance His kingdom, no matter what their personalities are. It is God who empowers His servants and appoints them to the right people who need to hear the gospel. This subject is where I first heard the word “Person of Peace”.
Through this, I got a revelation that it is truly God who prepares everything before us. God was already working on the place even before we go! And if we co-work with God and not just for Him, He will reveal to us His plans and ways firstly through connecting with a person of peace. As if His testimony about their life group in Baguio wasn’t enough, Kuya Tom also shared how he forgave and prayed for the man who murdered his brother by the power of the Holy Spirit. We all knew that it wasn’t Kuya Tom who could’ve done that. It was the Holy Spirit who’ve already worked in him throughout the years of service and the Holy Spirit who hugged the person and extended God’s love to his brother’s murderer.
What a loving, merciful God I serve.
Kuya Tom said that we serve the same God and He is at work in us and through us as He is with him. I remember going in the first class empowered because of our TAM orientation assignment to share 4 Spiritual Laws with two people. (Both of them accepted, praise God!).
But after that first class with Kuya Tom, I felt more than empowered. I felt sent. Activated. The God I serve is a God that saves and is able to do more than I imagined. He loves people more than I do and He wants to use me to reach out to the blind and lost.
In the second session, Ate Leah shared the Gospel of Christ. Before I go into what I learned from her lecture, I was amazed by how structured the structure of winning souls and making disciples in the Cru system is. I love that it is bold and direct, and how it’s straightforward to make it easier for all to follow. I learned that God is also a businessman, He’s in the business of winning (reconciling) the whole world back to His presence.
He truly did not leave us alone when He ascended into heaven but also left us a blueprint for doing the great commission, following Him wherever He sends us. When Ate Leah shared with us the illustration of the Gospel (cross in the middle, parallel lines of God’s love and God’s justice), I fully understood what Jesus came here for. It took me 10 years to fully understand, ah this is what the Lord did! A genius and mastermind!
After this, I had a clearer view of what I’m doing for the Lord– helping people in their journey, turning people to Jesus who restores us to eternal life, and partaking in His ministry.
Every class in IGSL, not just Building Disciples, is an affirmation that I’m in the right place and I’m learning what the Lord wants me to learn for His Kingdom. After sessions 1 & 2, and writing my personal testimony, I literally lost my shyness to share the gospel to anyone.
I know I’m sharing the greatest treasure in the whole world. The sessions helped me share during our TAM and connect with people better. It is the Lord I’m presenting. It is the Lord who saved me and sent me. What should I be embarrassed about or be afraid of? This is the greatest news. That we were on the way to eternal wrath because of our sins but Jesus descended from heaven to commune with us, die on the cross, rose again, and save us. Jesus invites us all to turn from our way that leads to death and turn to Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He’s the God who loved us that He gave His life for us so we can spend eternity with Him.
Hallelujah!