Today’s Leadership Thought took only a few seconds to write. (Please
don't write me and say, "it shows”). Read until the end and you’ll see how
I did it. I’m amazed, and I think you will be too.
Dear Friends,
Today, I want to share a thought on evangelizing unbelievers. It's a
topic that can often make us uneasy, yet it’s one of the most important
responsibilities we have as followers of Christ. The truth is, if we truly
believe in the hope of the Gospel, then we must be compelled to share it with
those who haven’t heard or accepted it yet. We must be willing to step outside
of our comfort zones and love others enough to speak the truth in love.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gave us the Great Commission, saying, "Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I have commanded you." Notice, He didn’t say to wait for people to come to
us, but rather to go to them. Evangelism is an active command, not a passive
one. We are to go out into the world and make disciples—introducing others to
the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
But how do we do this? In 1 Peter 3:15, we are reminded, "But in
your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a
defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you."
This passage reminds us that we are to be prepared. Evangelism isn’t about
having all the answers; it’s about being ready to speak about the hope we have
in Christ. It’s about living lives that reflect His love so clearly that people
ask us about the difference He makes in our lives.
So, as you go about your day, think about who in your life needs to hear
the good news. It might be a neighbor, a coworker, or even a family member.
Don’t shy away from sharing the hope you have—sometimes the smallest word of
encouragement can plant a seed that grows into something much bigger.
Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
See below how this message was produced
To produce this message, I simply clicked on Chat.gpt and
typed the following: "Provide me a leadership thought in Tom
Crenshaw's style of writing that deals with evangelism to the unchurched and
includes two scripture verses." Almost instantaneously I was amazed to
discover the answer to my request appeared on my computer screen in the form of
today's Leadership Thought.
The background for this message was derived from recent conversations
with professor Bob Whitesel, my church consultant mentor and friend in North
Carolina, and my son, Tommy, who is a history teacher and who is involved in a
risk assessment study of the positive and negative consequences of using A-I in
the classroom. The question for today’s educators is how can you grade a
student's writing if you are not certain whether it was self-produced and not
just the result of A-I plagiarism?
A-I, which is like google search on steroids, is going to produce
seismic changes in the way our world will function. This is just one such
example when it comes to communication.
And no, in case you are wondering, I will continue to write and express
myself “the old-fashioned way,” thinking, reflecting, researching and sometimes
laboring to write something of biblical leadership value for those who might be
on the reading end. However, I must confess that there may be some early
morning times, when like today, I find myself tempted to click on ChatGPT, send
out a Leadership Thought and secure a few hours of added sleep!
Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
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