Winning Ways -- Hillcrest Baptist Church

Five Reasons Sharing Your Faith Strengthens Your Faith
by Tom Goodman
December 2, 2009

Sharing our faith makes us sure-footed in our battles against temptation.

That's what we discover in Ephesians 6. There Paul lists six pieces of armor that a Christian ought to wear at all times: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit -- and we are to make sure our feet are fitted with "the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." In other words, be ready to communicate our faith whenever the opportunity arises.

Most of us think that communicating the gospel is for the benefit of others, but it benefits us, as well. Sharing our faith makes us sure-footed in our battles against temptation.

But some of us have an Achilles' heel at this point.

Why do we call someone's weakness their "Achilles' heel"? From my college days studying Greek and Roman mythology, I remember the legend of Achilles, who fought so fiercely against the Trojans. His mother, the sea nymph, Thetis, made a request of Vulcan, the armor-maker and blacksmith of the gods. She asked Vulcan to make divine armor for Achilles. The next day, when Thetis brought it to her son, he received it with joy and went out to fight. In his special armor, he won battles with Hector and then with Prince Memnon against Troy.

But then one well-placed arrow did him in. Paris shot an arrow at Achilles from the wall of Troy, and the god Apollo guided it so that the arrow struck the one unprotected place on Achilles's body: his heel. That is why we call someone's weak spot his "Achilles heel."

When those in recovery from addiction reach the final step of the Twelve Steps, they learn to carry the message of victory to others. In other words, one of the best ways to maintain your recovery is to communicate to others what God has done for you.

This Sunday @ 10, we'll look at five reasons why sharing your faith strengthens your faith:

It publicly identifies you with the kingdom of God.
It reinforces the decision to belong to Christ.
It clarifies and solidifies your beliefs.
It reassures us of the presence of God
It gives you an immediate and visible reason to set an example of righteousness.

Join us this Sunday at 10 a.m. for this important study. And return at 6 p.m. for "The Christmas Country Spelling Bee" performed by our Kids Music Theater team!

--Tom

Weblog: Check out my blog, "Get Anchored." Some things to look for...

Song of the Week, posted every Sunday.
Links to Your World, interesting and informative links, posted every Tuesday.

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Five Reasons Sharing Your Faith Strengthens Your Faith by Tom Goodman December 2, 2009 Sharing our faith makes us sure-footed in our battles against temptation. That's what we discover in Ephesians 6. There Paul lists six pieces of armor that a Christian ought to wear at all times: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit -- and we are to make sure our feet are fitted with "the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." In other words, be ready to communicate our faith whenever the opportunity arises. Most of us think that communicating the gospel is for the benefit of others, but it benefits us, as well. Sharing our faith makes us sure-footed in our battles against temptation. But some of us have an Achilles' heel at this point. Why do we call someone's weakness their "Achilles' heel"? From my college days studying Greek and Roman mythology, I remember the legend of Achilles, who fought so fiercely against the Trojans. His mother, the sea nymph, Thetis, made a request of Vulcan, the armor-maker and blacksmith of the gods. She asked Vulcan to make divine armor for Achilles. The next day, when Thetis brought it to her son, he received it with joy and went out to fight. In his special armor, he won battles with Hector and then with Prince Memnon against Troy. But then one well-placed arrow did him in. Paris shot an arrow at Achilles from the wall of Troy, and the god Apollo guided it so that the arrow struck the one unprotected place on Achilles's body: his heel. That is why we call someone's weak spot his "Achilles heel." When those in recovery from addiction reach the final step of the Twelve Steps, they learn to carry the message of victory to others. In other words, one of the best ways to maintain your recovery is to communicate to others what God has done for you. This Sunday @ 10, we'll look at five reasons why sharing your faith strengthens your faith: It publicly identifies you with the kingdom of God. It reinforces the decision to belong to Christ. It clarifies and solidifies your beliefs. It reassures us of the presence of God It gives you an immediate and visible reason to set an example of righteousness. Join us this Sunday at 10 a.m. for this important study. And return at 6 p.m. for "The Christmas Country Spelling Bee" performed by our Kids Music Theater team! --Tom Weblog: Check out my blog, "Get Anchored." Some things to look for... Song of the Week, posted every Sunday. Links to Your World, interesting and informative links, posted every Tuesday. Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways? Just forward this e-mail to them! Have you subscribed to Winning Ways? You can subscribe by clicking here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail. FRESH NEWS AT HILLCREST UPDATED WEEKLY: www.hillcrestaustin.org LISTEN TO RECENT SERMONS: Click here. MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: Click here. If you do not have access to the web, please send a note to newsmaster@hbcaustin.org to tell us of any changes you would like to make.