Dialogue not a Debate

I played basketball at the park today for about an hour with a couple of guys in their early twenties. When we finished playing we talked for about 45 minutes. We started off talking about struggles and victories in basketball and ended up talking about struggles and victory in life. We had a very authentic and open conversation about how each of us sees God at work in our lives, or in one man’s perspective, not at work in our lives. As one of these young men put it, “Wow, some of this is pretty heavy stuff. But I feel like it’s okay the way we’re talking about it.” And it was okay. We had a dialogue not a debate. We shared our stories, we talked about what we believe and we had opportunities to ask each other honest questions. I am grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to visit with these young men and based on the way our conversation ended and the way they took my contact information, I am pretty sure I will get to talk to them again. I am praying for these young men, thanking God for their openness to talk to me today and I am asking Him to make His perfect will known in their lives. I invite you to pray with me and pray for me. Pray, that just as Paul said in Colossians 4:3, I will have even more opportunities to share the gospel, and that when I share it will be in a manner filled with His grace.

2 Responses to Dialogue not a Debate

Riz says:

February 26, 2017 at 2:02 am

I am going for L5-S1 surgery on Monday. Hoping for a miracle it can be reversed some way or other,. Not afraid but apprehensive if that works. Looks like everything went well for yours. Have you had any mishaps,
Peace

- pastorpstephens says:
  
  February 26, 2017 at 8:06 am
  
  Good morning,
  My surgery was a very good decision for me and I wish I had done it years earlier. I played basketball yesterday, ran earlier in the week and am still walking like a normal person this morning without any pain other than what a normal 53 year old male probably feels. The surgery was almost 6 years ago. I have to do stretching exercises and do have to be careful not to lift too much or squat down on the floor to work on tasks too much. That seems to aggravate my lower back but other than that I feel really good.
  
  I will be praying for you to have a good outcome and an easy recovery. I had some nerve pain off and on for the first 6 weeks or so as the nerves began to heal. I wrote about it. It is probably in the Archive section of the blog. Hang in there and keep praying. Follow the doctor’s orders and do not try to do too much too fast. Be patient. Let me know if you have any specific questions. God blessed me in many ways following my surgery, may He bless you as well.
  
  In Christ,
  Pastor Phillip

2 Responses to Dialogue not a Debate

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