Yesterday, a large group of area churches locked arms together and reached out to the downtown Raleigh community in an event known as the "Convoy of Hope." Over 6000 people came to the event,and by all accounts, it was a huge success. As I looked out over the masses of people, I could not help but be touched by the fact there were so many people in need, most of which probably did not know Christ. My heart goes out to these men and women and everything within me desires to see them come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Many thanks to the men and women who put this event together and were so willing to give of their time, energy and talents at this event to make it possible!The event offe
red participants free hotdogs and drinks, free bags of groceries, free haircuts, health assessments, and prayer for any and all who wanted it. The picture to the left is the tent where the health assessments were being done. There was also live music, courtesy of Daniel Renstrom and Shelly Moore. If the participants went to receive the groceries, they had to spend a couple of minutes in prayer with the volunteers, where they would likely be presented with the Gospel.
red participants free hotdogs and drinks, free bags of groceries, free haircuts, health assessments, and prayer for any and all who wanted it. The picture to the left is the tent where the health assessments were being done. There was also live music, courtesy of Daniel Renstrom and Shelly Moore. If the participants went to receive the groceries, they had to spend a couple of minutes in prayer with the volunteers, where they would likely be presented with the Gospel.God blessed me with the opportunity to attend the event for a couple of hours 
(thanks to my Mom being willing to babysit...:) thanks Mom!)While I was there I was blown away by how many people had showed up and were simply in need of so much. I was also amazed at the sheer kindness of all the volunteers, giving of their time and energy to such a worthy cause in 93 degree weather. I thought "This is how the body of Christ is supposed to work. Meeting the needs of people physically, but also aware of the fact that they have a much larger need....the Gospel. They need Christ." The picture to the left is part of the gang from Providence. These guys were cooking and serving the hot dogs, handing out drinks, and helping in any way possible. Thanks for being such humble servants!
While I was down there I was able to speak with several different attendees. My first conversation was with two young gentlemen by the name of Louis (center) and George (right). Both of these guys were from Ohio and had been in the area for only a couple of months. As we began to talk they told me about how they had grown up in church but had gotten away from going and were hoping to start back soon. As I dug deeper it became clear that they did not know the Lord. They both told me that they were good people and the way that a man gets to heaven is by doing good things and living a good life. I was able to then tell them that about how God was going to judge them not by their good works, but by his moral law, also known as the 10 commandments. As we went through a few of the commandments, it bega
n to become very clear to these young men that they had fallen way short of God's standard. They began to see that their situation was hopeless and that if things continued the way that they were going, that they would die and go to hell. But, (and this is my favorite part!), it was then, once their hearts and consciences' were pricked that I was able to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them; how He had come and died upon the cross, taking their sins and their penalty of death and hell upon himself, and paying our fine in His life's blood. I told them how He rose from the dead, defeating death, and how if they would repent of their sins and place their trust in Christ alone, that He would wipe away every sin, and give them a new heart with new desires. They both seemed to really be paying attention and asking questions, but especially George. He seemed to really be thinking about what I was saying and I think that the Holy Spirit was truly working in his heart. I pray that God would grant them the ability to repent and would give them the faith necessary to place their trust in Christ.
(thanks to my Mom being willing to babysit...:) thanks Mom!)While I was there I was blown away by how many people had showed up and were simply in need of so much. I was also amazed at the sheer kindness of all the volunteers, giving of their time and energy to such a worthy cause in 93 degree weather. I thought "This is how the body of Christ is supposed to work. Meeting the needs of people physically, but also aware of the fact that they have a much larger need....the Gospel. They need Christ." The picture to the left is part of the gang from Providence. These guys were cooking and serving the hot dogs, handing out drinks, and helping in any way possible. Thanks for being such humble servants!While I was down there I was able to speak with several different attendees. My first conversation was with two young gentlemen by the name of Louis (center) and George (right). Both of these guys were from Ohio and had been in the area for only a couple of months. As we began to talk they told me about how they had grown up in church but had gotten away from going and were hoping to start back soon. As I dug deeper it became clear that they did not know the Lord. They both told me that they were good people and the way that a man gets to heaven is by doing good things and living a good life. I was able to then tell them that about how God was going to judge them not by their good works, but by his moral law, also known as the 10 commandments. As we went through a few of the commandments, it bega
n to become very clear to these young men that they had fallen way short of God's standard. They began to see that their situation was hopeless and that if things continued the way that they were going, that they would die and go to hell. But, (and this is my favorite part!), it was then, once their hearts and consciences' were pricked that I was able to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them; how He had come and died upon the cross, taking their sins and their penalty of death and hell upon himself, and paying our fine in His life's blood. I told them how He rose from the dead, defeating death, and how if they would repent of their sins and place their trust in Christ alone, that He would wipe away every sin, and give them a new heart with new desires. They both seemed to really be paying attention and asking questions, but especially George. He seemed to really be thinking about what I was saying and I think that the Holy Spirit was truly working in his heart. I pray that God would grant them the ability to repent and would give them the faith necessary to place their trust in Christ. By the end of the day, I spoke with several more men, namely Neil, Kenny, William, Vernon, and Joseph. Each of them were unique and had their own certain needs. But, again, I fear that none of them, with the exception of Joseph, really and truly know Jesus Christ. I am constantly amazed by how so many people simply do not have a correct understanding of the Gospel, why Jesus died, what that means exactly, and how that applies to them. Pray that God would open these men's eyes to the truth of the Gospel and would bring them into His kingdom. I trust that seeds of the Gospel were planted and that God's word will not return void. Praise to be Him that He has chosen someone so undeserving as myself to be an ambassador of His. Praise to Him for all that happened at the Convoy of Hope!
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