1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk Devosional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is how it's 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: important for you to share your stories of faith authentically 4 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 1: with other people. We'll return with the devotional after a 5 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: brief lessage from our sponsors, Your Witness Matters, written and 6 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: read by Whitney Hoppler. After that, he appeared to more 7 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the 8 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: same time, most of whom are still living, though some 9 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: have fallen asleep. First Corinthians fifteen six and IV. When 10 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: I was first learning about journalism as an editor for 11 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: my high school's newspaper, I read a story that my 12 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,559 Speaker 1: fellow student Scott submitted and marveled at all the great 13 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: quotes he had included. But none of those quotes featured names. 14 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: They were all followed by the phrase one student said, 15 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: So I asked Scott to attribute the quotes. It was 16 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: then that he revealed the one student was himself. I 17 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: had to explain to him that he couldn't just make 18 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: up the quotes he wanted to feature in the story. 19 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: Scott learned about the importance of authenticity and credibility that 20 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: day and I had to laugh that he had even 21 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: considered we might run his story without proper attribution. I 22 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: love reading the Bible stories of Jesus's appearances to many 23 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: different people after his resurrection. One of my favorite reports 24 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: is in First Corinthians fifteen six, which mentions that the 25 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: resurrected Jesus appear to more than five hundred people at once, 26 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: and that many of those people were still living at 27 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: the time. This verse was written so those who read 28 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,399 Speaker 1: it could seek them out and hear their own stories 29 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: of witnessing Jesus personally. All of those witnesses together offer 30 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: credible evidence that Jesus really was resurrected from the dead 31 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: and visited many people afterward. You are also a witness 32 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: to the fact that Jesus is alive. While you didn't 33 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: see him appear physically during Biblical times, You've seen Jesus's 34 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: work in your life. You've experienced how Jesus answered your 35 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: prayers in all sorts of ways, such as by sending 36 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: you guidance, giving you peace, or encouraging you. By sharing 37 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: your stories of witnessing Jesus's work in your life, you 38 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: can help other people discover that Jesus is still living inactive. 39 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: Sometimes you may hesitate to share your stories because you're 40 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: afraid someone will ask a hard theological question you can't answer. 41 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: But look back at that group of five hundred people. 42 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: They weren't experts, they were witnesses. A witness's job isn't 43 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: to be the judge, the jury or the lawyer. A 44 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: witness's only job is to say, this is what I 45 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: saw and this is what happened to me. When you 46 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: dare to share honest stories about how Jesus meets you 47 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 1: in your struggles, you give others permission to be honest too. 48 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: Your authenticity can inspire others to walk closer to Jesus theself. 49 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: This verse mentions that most of those five hundred witnesses 50 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: were still living. This was an open invitation for skeptics 51 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: to go and investigate by talking to them directly about 52 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: their experiences with the resurrected Jesus. Today, you are the 53 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: still living proof for the people in your own life. 54 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: You are the witness in your office, in your gym, 55 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: in your family group chat, and wherever else you can 56 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: share your stories of Jesus at work in your life. 57 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: Jesus wants you to share his gospel message in fresh 58 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: ways whenever you have opportunities to do so. Just sharing 59 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: simple ways that Jesus has given you hope lately, or 60 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: answered a specific prayer to help you can make a 61 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: significant positive difference in other people's lives. You don't have 62 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 1: to give people a sermon, just witness authentically about how 63 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: Jesus is working in your life. No one else can 64 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: tell your stories of what Jesus is doing in your life. 65 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: If you stay silent, some credible reports of God's goodness 66 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: stay hidden. But if you witness to others about how 67 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: you've seen Jesus, you can plait many people toward hope. 68 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 1: So go ahead and share what you've seen. You'd never 69 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: know whose life might be changed by your witness. Intersecting 70 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 1: faith in life, As you consider how important it is 71 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: for you to share your authentic stories of faith in God, 72 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: reflect on these questions. When was the time you saw 73 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: Jesus at work in your life that you haven't yet 74 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,359 Speaker 1: shared with anyone? What's the biggest fear that holds you 75 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 1: back from talking about your faith with others? How can 76 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: you overcome that fear with God's help? Who in your 77 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: life right now needs to hear you witness about the 78 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: hope that Jesus offers. How can you share a story 79 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: with that person about how Jesus has given you hope. 80 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: How does the idea of being a witness who just 81 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: says what you've seen put less pressure on you than 82 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,679 Speaker 1: being a teacher or preacher? What credible evidence can people 83 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: see that shows them Jesus is alive and active in 84 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: your life right now? Further reading Acts one eight one, 85 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: Peter three point fifteen, Psalm one O seven to two, 86 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: Relation twelve eleven, Mark five night, Geen, Thanks for listening 87 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: to today's devotional. 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