Atheist to a Believer's 
HEART

ATHEIST to 
a believers HEART

Going from a hardened atheist to a tenderhearted follower of Jesus Christ in a matter of a few minutes is quite a miracle!
It happened to me! 

My HEART was immediately changed-
Here's how...

A Chaplain gave me a Gideon's Bible to read. I started reading it just to be well read as an atheist, without the slightest interest in God. However, one night after I had been reading it a few days, I sincerely told God "If you exist I would like to know you" After 2+ weeks of non stop reading I went to a Chapel- now knowing I was a sinner. I made sure that no one was around and claimed Jesus Christ as my Savior with great emotion. I was not the emotional type. I had come from a broken home (eventually 4 times) and didn't know my real father, had a degree in Psychology, and was definitely hardened. But...

I WAS BORN AGAIN...BIG TIME!!

John 3:1-8-

 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him,  "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is  born  again he cannot  see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
 
*****
 
Those verses are precisely how I felt...I was
  BORN AGAIN !!

I continued pouring over the WORD morning,  noon and night

Let me quickly point out...
I was dramatically changed but didn't know how to express my new faith except I loved the WORD OF GOD and JESUS was my Savior....

I kept reading...I had a growing believers HEART...
I personified UNBRIDLED ENTHUSIASM about my new found faith.  
Life became deeply meaningful and for the first time in my life I knew what love was...John 3:16

Tudi and I were married and attended her church in Inglewood, Ca. Every week I would sign an attendance card and week after week I would write in large letters across the page...

"I WANT TO WORK WITH THE YOUTH OF THE CHURCH!" 

I worked as coach and recreation leader for years while going through high school/college during the off-season of the basketball and baseball schedules. My goal was to be a major league baseball pitcher..I loved sports

I got deeply involved in Christian Business Men`s Committee (CBMC) and eventually served on the National and International Boards of the organization 

 

THREE VERY SAD EXPERIENCES:

1- A few of the church leaders came to me and said "Ted we applaud your desire to share your faith whenever and wherever you have the opportunity, but we strongly recommend you limit your conversations about Jesus Christ to Sunday only"

2- The second church we went to made Tudi and me high school youth directors. We were also involved in adult Bible studies. I met weekly with leaders of the church including the Pastor for Bible study and fellowship. One morning the Pastor said "TED YOU ARE IN SIN...because you are in the CBMC group of men who are not all of the same denomination that we represent!"

3- For the first year I was a Christian I would desire to talk about my faith in Jesus Christ over a cup of coffee with another Christian businessman who I knew went to church...  only to find church goers always changing the subject away from their personal faith to the events of the day...I would often ask Tudi "what did I say wrong?"
 

To say I was greatly confused and deeply disappointed by the three negative experiences above is an understatement.


HOWEVER, A GREAT POSITIVE CONCLUSION:

God led me to CBMC (Christian Business Men's Committee) of the USA and I found a wonderful group of men in business who were not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Praise the LORD! My HEART was so encouraged!

ALSO CHURCH INSIGHT:

What a  church believes about Jesus Christ 100% of the time (John 14:6) and has  sound weekly teaching and preaching from the Word of God as the authority of our lives and conduct (2 Peter 3:18) is usually the kind of church that is healthy and most likely a good church to attend. 
A huge bonus is finding a church that has a heart for sharing the Gospel locally...although unfortunately it is rare. That's why I wrote the book based upon working with over 100 churches of varying backgrounds and size... 

IF WE ARE THE LIGHT, WHY IS AMERICA SO DARK?


 TO ORDER YOUR COPY, CLICK HERE: www.condeopress.com
 

My CALLING RE: HEART


THE BLIND SPOT IN THE CHURCH- believers are not making Jesus known naturally, compelled by love, where people live, move and have their being
 
Having genuine "HEART for the gospel and people"  is so important and essential

We have been to many wonderful churches and met so many very special believers. Tudi and I have been blessed...and we know fellowship is a vital part of the Christian life, but we must also know we are "...to seek and to save that which is lost" as Jesus said and did 
-Luke 19:10

WHY IS "HEART" SO IMPORTANT in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

When I was a new believer I didn't know how to share my faith but I had a HEART for people to hear about Jesus- so we would invite people to hear someone else share their faith because I was not yet equipped with the basics. 
 
There are no valid excuses to not share your faith if you have HEART

It's like the...
WOMAN AT THE WELL:
John 4:6-30

"Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town  to buy food.)
 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water....
 
...THEN LEAVING THE WATER JAR , THE WOMAN WENT BACK TO THE TOWN AND SAID TO THE PEOPLE "COME SEE A MAN WHO TOLD ME EVERYTHING I EVER DID. COULD THIS BE THE MESSIAH? THEY CAME OUT OF THE TOWN AND MADE THEIR WAY TOWARD HIM." 
 
Bottom Line
 I want to be a person with HEART who personally experiences Jesus, like the woman at the well , and after her encounter she immediately went into the city telling people about Jesus ...that's who I want to be!!! 
 
HOW ABOUT YOU?
 
In my observation of believers who are most fruitful in their witness of their faith in Jesus Christ...are those with HEART  driven by the grace of God in their lives...and through the Holy Spirit they are more bold and natural  because they are driven by love not duty
 


MAY I ASK YOU:

...Do you have a HEART for people to hear the GOOD NEWS?

...Do you excuse yourself from sharing your faith...by saying it's not your gift, you don't know enough...or?

...Do you get embarrassed about saying the name of Jesus?

...Does political correctness knowingly or unknowingly dominate your conversations?

...Have you ever prayed for boldness to share the name above all names?

...Have you asked others to pray for you as you pray for them?
 
 
 
HERE'S SPECIFIC HELP FROM GOD'S WORD...

 
Colossians 4:2-6

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 
Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
 
*****


Along with John  3:16,  the Colossian verses can be the WITNESS foundation of your faith in Jesus Christ...

you'll have a growing HEART for people....
and make the GOOD NEWS known WHERE YOU LIVE, MOVE AND HAVE YOUR BEING!

Ted Sprague

witnessbreakthrough@gmail.com