The Three Circles- Restored to God

 

   Hello, my brother; hello, my sister, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

Very shortly after I understood the Good News of Jesus, repented of my sins, and put my trust in Christ, I was challenged to memorize a verse from the Bible.  The very first verse I ever memorized as a new believer was the words of Jesus recorded in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Even though I was young, I wanted an abundant life.  I wasn’t sure what all Jesus meant when he offered an abundant life, but I understood him to mean that if we let him be the King of our lives, he would lead us into a life of peace, joy, and purpose.

The Three Circles Gospel Presentation tells us that the world we live in is broken. The thief, Satan, has killed, stolen, and destroyed lives.  The second circle tells us that life in our world hasn’t always been broken.  The third circle tells us that if we crown Jesus as the king of our lives, we can be restored to God and live according to his original design.

But what does it mean to be restored to God? To be restored to God means to live in peace with God. It means to live as a child of God.  To be restored to God means we know God as a good and kind Father. To be restored to God means we know that He will never leave us or forsake us. To be restored to God means we can live an abundant life in this world and live eternally with God in the world to come. To be restored to God means to walk in his presence from here to eternity. People who are restored to God walk with him and learn to obey him. As we walk with him, God in his goodness transforms our way of thinking and our way of living so we reflect his goodness in a broken world.

As a village church planter you have the glorious privilege of helping people be restored to God.  The word of God is powerful and that power to redeem and restore people to God is in your hands. You have the wonderful privilege of helping people stop rebelling against God and start living the abundant life Jesus promised. So as you go to minister to people who are suffering and without hope, go out full of hope.  Though the world is broken, you know the way to restore people to God.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #John1010 #ThreeCircles

www.vcpencouragement.org

The Three Circles Crowning Jesus as King

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

When I was first trying to understand the Good News of Jesus, I kept hearing preachers and teachers say that we “must believe in Jesus.” I could tell from their enthusiasm and their repetition of this phrase that it must be really important to “believe in Jesus.” But I didn’t know what they meant when they said it.  Did they mean we must believe that a man named Jesus lived 2,000 years ago? I believed that and really liked the things that he did and the things that he taught. Did they mean that we must believe that Jesus rose from the dead? I struggled to believe that. Did they mean when they said we must believe in Jesus that we must follow his teachings?  I liked his teachings, but I wasn’t ready to follow all of them.

So, I was perplexed. My teachers were telling me I should believe in Jesus. And they were telling him that I must make him the Lord of my life. I knew that what they were telling me was important. But I didn’t know what to do.

Then one day, through prayer and reading the New Testament, I realized that Jesus did rise from the dead. I realized that I could trust Him. I could trust and obey Jesus because he is good, he is full of love, and he is alive. So, I prayed a prayer like this:

“Dear Jesus, I am sorry for the way I have been living my life. Please forgive me. Make me a new person. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Amen.”  My prayer was simple, but it changed everything. Now I knew that I believed in Jesus. I not only believed that he lived and died and rose again, I also trusted him. I was born again!

When we share the Three Circles Gospel Presentation, we invite people to “turn from their rebellion and crown Jesus as the King of their lives.” Of course, Jesus is already King. On the day of Pentecost, Peter said, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies a stool for your feet.’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Jesus is Lord; Jesus is King! But his people are in rebellion. When we ask people to crown Jesus as King of their lives, we are asking them to stop rebelling against God and instead trust and obey Jesus.

Would you take a moment right now to tell Jesus that he is your king? Would you tell him again that you love him, you trust him, and you want to follow Him?  Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you as you do so.

Then, with great love and much joy, invite others to crown Jesus as King of their lives.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #CrownJesusKing #TrustAndObey

The Three Circles and Repentance

 

    Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast

that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

When I first began to understand the Good News of Jesus, I loved hearing

message about “abundant life.” One of the first Bible verses I memorized was

John 10:10. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that

they may have life and have it abundantly.” I wanted an abundant life, a life

full of meaning and hope. But it seemed that all the people who shared the

Gospel with me kept telling me that I needed to turn from my sins and put my

trust in Christ. Then I could experience abundant life. The problem was, I

wanted abundant life without repentance. I remember on several occasions the

preacher was talking about the blessing of being a child of God. Those

messages got my hopes up, but then they he would say that dreaded word,

“Repent.” I was struggling.

Finally, I did repent. I did tell God I was sorry for my selfish way of living. I told

him I would turn away from my sins. I asked Jesus to forgive me. And that is

when my abundant life in Christ began. I had peace with God. I knew I was his

child. When I read the Bible, I understood it. The words that came out of my

mouth changed and so did the way I treated my friends. I was born again.

One of the most beautiful parts of the Three Circles Gospel Presentation is the

arrow that goes from the broken world to the bottom circle that tells the story

of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. That arrow represents repentance. When

we share the Three Circles, we say, ‘If you will turn from your sins and crown

Jesus as King of your life, he will restore you to God.” This means, if you

repent of your rebellion against God and put your trust in Christ, God will

forgive you and give you abundant life.

Many people are amazed that God would receive us back after we rebelled

against him. And that is pretty amazing. But even more amazing is that God

gives us grace and strength so we can repent. Because of God’s love, we can

change. We are not bound to keep living the same fruitless life we lived when

we were in rebellion against God. We can turn away from evil and selfishness

and sin, we can begin to live a righteous, generous, loving life if and when

we put our trust in Christ.

So, when you share the Three Circles Gospel Presentation, draw the arrow to

show an end to rebellion and a turning back to God. Tell people that they can

repent, they can change, they can turn from evil to God. Let them know that

God is delighted to give us the power we need to trust Him and obey Him.

The Christian life of repentance and faith is a beautiful thing. I am so glad I

repented; I pray that hundreds and even thousands of people will repent and

trust Christ as you share the Good News by drawing three circles and telling

God’s big story.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, who will you share this

Encouraging word for today?

The Three Circles The World is Broken

 

Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden. I have learned many things throughout my life, and one important thought is. I cannot fix everything because this is a man's default. If my wife shares a problem, my mind goes into action. How can I fix this to make it better or right? There are some things that no matter how you try, you cannot fix. It is amazing how far man will go to try to fix things with money or possessions, trying to fill the void, and yet it will not happen. WHY? 

The three circles have such a great object lesson for us to learn from. We can not fix what is not ours to fix. We live in a broken world, the second drawing in the three circles. 

God did not design our world to be broken, and through sin, it is broken. We live in a broken world, not as God desired. God’s design was different than the place we live in now. He desired our lives to be filled with His presence, for He walked with Adam in the garden and talked with him. Our bodies to be healthy and strong, but because we live in a broken world, we have frailty. He desired us to have perfect union with Him and for our families to be whole. We could go on and on with the brokenness of our world and how it affects us. 

We live here in this broken world, and that is where we are. This is such a suitable place to share with someone because they cannot deny that this world is broken. You can invite them to share with you what they see and how brokenness has touched their lives. We can easily share this point and how we got here because of the rebellion of man’s heart. We are all born into this broken world, and so that makes us all in need of fixing. 

This fixing is not something this world can give us because it is broken.

The three circles are such a powerful tool to bring out so many good conversations about God’s love for each one of us. It is an eye-opening and heart-opening conversation that will be such a powerful preparation of the heart to receive God’s love and the good news of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that when it comes to drawing and explanation of the broken world, you spend time there so that the point is well-received. We can not fix this; only Jesus can do this work in the hearts of those to whom we share this.

This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today? Lord bless you!

The Three Circles on Paper or Sand

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. The Three Circles Gospel Presentation is an awesome way to share the Good News of Jesus and invite people to crown Jesus as King of their lives. I encourage everyone I teach to practice telling God’s Big Story over and over again so it becomes automatic. Practice telling The Three Circles so often that once you say “The world we live in is broken” and you draw the circle that looks like a cracked egg, you easily remember all the words to say and all the illustrations to draw from start to finish.

Practice telling The Three Circles Gospel presentation on paper. You can use pages from a student's notebook and cut them into small pieces. You can use large sheets of newsprint or flipchart paper with markers. The important thing is to be able to tell the story clearly and draw it easily. As you practice drawing on paper, practice drawing each figure. At first, it may be hard for you to draw a heart. It may be difficult to draw a stick figure of a person who has rebelled against God or who is kneeling in prayer. Don’t get discouraged; don’t say “I can’t do this.” Just practice. Practice when you are alone, practice with members of your family. Practice at church.

You don’t even have to use paper and pencil to draw The Three Circles. You can draw them in the sand or in the dirt as you simply share God’s Big Story and invite people to crown Jesus as Lord of their lives. Find a stick. Cut it or break it off to the right length. 70 – 90 centimeters works for most people. Then practice sharing the Good News as you draw circles in the sand. 

I remember the first time I shared The Three Circles in the sand. I went to a recently planted church in Togo. When I arrived, I asked a young man to get me a stick. He looked surprised. He asked my translator to say it again. I confirmed I needed a stick. He came back with three, and I chose one that was sturdy. I broke it so it was the right length. The members of this new church had just built a roof they could meet under. There were about 25 or 30 people present. I was the preacher. I started my message and gave some introductory remarks for about six or seven minutes. Then I invited everyone to come stand in the front of the church as I drew in the soil. The circles I drew were about 60 centimeters in diameter. The whole diagram was about three meters wide. The sandy soil under the roof was loose. I had to be careful not to step on the circles I drew.

But I knew that the power of The Three Circles is not in the stick or in the soil. The power is not in how perfectly the drawing is made. The power of the Three Circles is in the Gospel Story it tells. So I drew and explained and told the Gospel as well as I could. The Spirit of God did his work and eight people indicated decisions to make Jesus the king of their lives. You too can expect the Holy Spirit to work as you tell the Good News illustrated with three circles. So, practice telling it using a pencil and small pieces of paper. Practice telling The Three Circles using a stick and loose soil or sand. Then look for opportunities to share The Three Circles with others. Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel; it’s the power of God for salvation. The Spirit of God will do his work in the hearts of those who watch and listen. And you will be an instrument of His grace.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #TheThree Circles

The Three Circles for Discipleship

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. 

The Three Circles Gospel Presentation is an awesome way to share the Good news of Jesus and invite people to crown Jesus as King of their lives. 

You are learning how to tell God’s big story as you draw the diagram, one circle at a time. Keep learning, keep drawing, and keep telling the Good News! 

But did you know that you can use the Three Circles diagram as a tool to help you make disciples? You can! 

Our goal, as church planters, was described well by the Apostle Paul. He said about Jesus, “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” The Three Circles can help you lead a person to Christ. And, it can also help you discover where a believer is on their pathway to full maturity in Christ. Here is how: 

First, show a believer in Christ the Three Circles diagram. Then, starting with the circle at the top right side ask: How did you discover that the world we live in is broken? How were you trying to escape brokenness before you met Christ? Listen carefully. Ask follow up questions, show empathy and offer encouragement. 

Then point to the arrow between the broken world circle and the Christ circle. Ask your friend, “When did you turn from your rebellion to humble yourself and pray to Christ asking him to be your Lord and King?” Talk with the believer about his or her repentance and faith. 

After this, confirm that Jesus is indeed the King of your friend’s life. 

Finally, point to the person with the points of light around him. This figure represents a person who has been restored to God. Then ask your friend, “Have you been restored to God? Are you experiencing the New Life Jesus purchased for you on the cross? 

The Three Circles of Evangelism

 

Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden. When I find something good, I like to share it, and when I know something is easy to use and effective, I cannot help but share. Today, we want to look at a valuable tool for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. God gives us things that help us share the good news of Jesus with those who have not yet heard of His love for them. The tool we have today is the three circles. This is a powerful tool for sharing Jesus Christ with anyone. 

The three circles are simply a drawing as you share about Jesus Christ. There are ten simple steps to share, and the three circles can be drawn on a piece of paper or even in the dirt. Who does not like a good picture? That is what the three-circle tool is all about. We get to share about God‘s design, how he created the world, but we live in a broken world because of sin. As you use the three circles, you can share the complete story from creation to the cross. 

This gives us an easy tool for any one of us to use. As you draw out the circles and explain them, it makes it easy to understand. It also gives us the opportunity right there to ask them if they are ready to receive Jesus Christ. This tool is powerful and useful, and the best thing about it is that you do not have to memorize scripture. If you do memorize the scripture, that is great, and you can share it. I love how creative the Lord is to help us be able to share God’s love with everyone. 

He gives us tools that make it easy to share with others. When we want to prepare a field to be planted, we would never go without bringing our tools with us, and then we must use them to be able to plant. This is the same with the Three Circle tool God has given us. We need to practice putting this tool to work, and as you use the three circles in your evangelism efforts, it will be easier every time you do.

 I know God will use you, and it will be effective for His Kingdom. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today? Lord bless you!