Telling The TRUTH
062814 Telling The Truth 28 Minute Program
[music] You're listening to "Telling the Truth" from Triple T. Christian Youth Ministries, "Telling the Truth to and Through Teenagers." Here is Triple T. Founder and President George Dumes. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. God's Word teaches us how to live. Listen to Romans 12, 16, New King James Version. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. So many people get conceited thinking that everything revolves around them. But that's not true. It all revolves around God. And the formula we share time and time again, I want to share again today. Joy. Jesus 1st, other 2nd, yourself last. Be of the same mind, one toward another. Don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to think. And that's what the Bible says next. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with a humble. Do you know some humble people? I do. I know some people that have a lot going for them. They put Jesus 1st and other 2nd. And I watch those people as they glorify the Lord in their daily living. And then, do not be wise in your own opinion. Don't think that you have all the answers. God does, you don't, and I don't. We can get the answers from the Word of God. You need to be praying diligently, reading the Word of God, and then fellowshiping with other believers and being willing to share the truth with people who don't know the Lord. Will you? Has someone done a dastardly deed that has devastated you? Be careful. Be prayerful. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. Romans 1217, the King James Version. What God is saying here is, don't try to do somebody in who is trying to do you in, but rather have regard for good things. There is something about those persons that are not really kind to you, that you can look at and find something appealing, something attractive, and something excellent in them. Good things in the sight of all men. God wants us to take a long look at life itself. And in those people who are living around us, be careful and be prayerful. Know that people are watching you. Make sure that you are praying diligently and you have time alone with God every day, letting him speak to you through his Word. Find a prayer partner or partners who pray to gather with you and you with them, and especially for people who don't know Jesus, but who could if someone like you would tell them. Will you pray for God to make you usable and use you today? God is willing, if you are, simply present your body a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is the most reasonable thing in the whole wide world you can possibly do. Listen to the Lord's admonition. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 1218, the King James Version. That's tough to do, but it can be done or God wouldn't have put it in his Word as a way to live successfully. Live peaceably with all men if it is possible. Now, there are people that make it almost impossible to live peaceably with. They are always stirring up strife, conflict, difficulties, but love them anyway. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Go to people and let them know how much God loves them and love them because he loves you and because he loves them. Pray for them, and if possible, pray with them. Find another believer in Christ who will pray with you for the people who might be causing problems and then do everything you can to let the Word of God speak to your heart. And then when possible, go to those people in person and let them know God loves them. Christ died for them. He was buried. He rose again on a third day and if they will trust in him, they can live forever. Tell them, somebody is waiting to hear the Gospel. Somebody is waiting to hear God's good news. That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he rose again on the third day. Would you tell someone? Beloved do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Romans 1219, New King James Version. God wants us to understand that he is going to take care of us. He will repay in his own way and in his own time and we don't have to do it. Don't take things in your own hands and try to get even with somebody but rather give place to wrath. God wants each one of us to live peaceably. Sometimes it's difficult. Sometimes it's very, very hard to do because the person that is giving you problems and adverse circumstances is in all probability, not a Christian, not a believer, but they need to be loved and they need to have the gospel of Jesus Christ shared with them. So will you be the one? Let them know that the Bible says that everybody is a sinner. You are, I am, they are. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried and he rose again on the third day. So tell them that story. That is the gospel story they need to know how to get to heaven. They need to know how much God loves them and let them know you love them too. Get someone to pray with you for that person and watch God work wonderfully. As you pray, expect answers. Sometimes the Word of God gives us instructions that are almost impossible to fulfill and even to comprehend. One such instruction is Romans 1220, New King James Version. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head. Time and time again, I watch the Lord take this action of giving food to people who are really not friendly, kind or considerate, and giving a drink to thirsty people. We go to county fairs in the summertime and give cups of cold water to fair gores. Hundreds and hundreds of cups of cold water, thousands over the course of the five weeks will be at county fairs, but it's wonderful to serve the Lord this way. And in doing this, you will heap coals of fire on the heads of unbelievers. You will share the gospel. A cup of cold water in Jesus' name has changed many hearts and moved them toward God. Do it prayerfully. There's somebody out there who's hungry or thirsty, and you can be the one. You can be the catalyst. You can be the deliverer of this food and drink to someone who needs to know that God loves them and you do too. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12-21, New King James Version. Is that difficult? Yes. Should it be done? Yes. Should it be done in every circumstance? Yes. How can you do it? You can pray and ask God to give you the wisdom, the strength, the courage, and the fortitude to do right. Don't let evil overcome you. Overtake you or overwhelm you. But you turn the tables and overcome evil with good. When somebody does something that is anything but good news, pray for that person and then do something very, very special for that person. Recently, we had a privilege of doing something neat for some kids. It was a special but a very simple gesture, but it really, really accomplished what God would have us to do in changing attitudes. Pray, get a prayer partner, and then together determine how you're going to share God's good news with folk who need Jesus. Somebody out there needs to know how to get to heaven. If you know the way, then share the truth. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." No one comes to the Father except by me. Share Jesus today. Having a debt owing something to someone or an institution is not a good idea. Pray a lot and ask God to show you what to do. Try to do the best you can to live according to Romans 13, 8, New King James Version. Listen. Oh, no one anything except to love one another. For he who loves another has fulfilled the law. There are people out there waiting to be loved. They need to know that God loves them so much that he sent his son the Lord Jesus Christ to live perfectly. To be born of a virgin and then to die the cruelty of the cross, but he didn't stay dead. After his burial, he rose again on the third day. That's the story that people need to be told. That's something you can do. That's the greatest love you can share. God is love. God loves people. God loves you and he loves the people that you could love for him, if you will. So find Christian people who will pray with you and then very, very directly. Go to share God's love and your love because he loves you. God so loved the world that he gave. His only begotten the son. Her believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Tell someone today. Every Saturday at 7.27 p.m. you are invited to attend a live youth event at Triple T. 13,000 US-41 North at Boone Building Harmony Road, Midway between I-64 and Evansville Regional Airport. Every first Saturday, a good news club for ages 6 to 9 is available in a separate room. For more information call 812-867-2418 or visit www.tripletchristianyouth.org. One of the big blessings that God gives to me is to give to people. I especially like to give away books, meaningful books, books that have really impacted my life. And so I'm able to distribute these to other people. We're working right now on a wonderful campaign that God has laid on our hearts to do. And we're going to be giving items, either books or DVDs or CDs to pastors and youth workers who will come to Triple T and who will bring teenagers or pre-teens with them. And when they come, they're going to be the recipient of a gift. Just saying thank you so much for caring enough to bring kids to hear the gospel to be a part of our mission and our vision. The vision, every youth, before turning 20 to have the opportunity to hear the gospel with an invitation to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The mission, join the truth to through teenagers. To win them to Christ and train them for Christ, teaching them how to share their faith through their local churches, on their campuses, throughout their communities and into their world wherever God leaves them in their future. And we're seeing it happen again and again and again as we train youth to reach their friends for Christ. It's marvelous what God has done and is doing. But sometimes because I give books, I receive them from people that care, have a friend that's a pastor, a very faithful pastor. Faithful not only in the ministry that God has entrusted to him, but faithful in transporting teens and pre-teens to Triple T Saturday after Saturday after Saturday. What a blessing he has been and is now and we hope will continue to be. He's even giving two weeks of his time, the first week and the last week of fair share of the five weeks that were going out. Provide his own services and a van from his local congregation to take teenagers to transport them to the fairs. And he gave me a book, it's called Home Run. Learn God's Game Plan for Life and Leadership by a pastor named Kevin Myers and John Maxwell, the guru of leadership, a man that I had the privilege of meeting on the platform of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Wensburg, Virginia. Jerry Falwell was the pastor then, he's in heaven now, but he said, "George, have you met John Maxwell?" And I said, "No." He said, "Well, meet him. Here he is." And so I shook the man's hand and I listened every day to him because he sends me a one minute video and I see him and I hear him every day. And he is the co-author of this book and the contents are so special. I want you to listen to these nine chapters. Nine innings in a ballgame and nine members of each team. Listen. One, the life you want. Introduction by John C. Maxwell. Two, hopes, dreams, and delays. Three, God's Game Plan for winning at life. Four, parables, baseball, and the Home Run Life. Five, home plate, how to win with God. Six, first base, how to win within. Seven, second base, how to win with others. Eight, third base, how to win results. Nine, scoring, how to keep living and winning God's way. It's been my privilege to take James and Tammy when they were much younger to watch the Chicago Cubs in action. And it was a very, very interesting game and I didn't know the players because I'm not at all the baseball fan that both of my kids are. But they were yelling the name of somebody and I said, "Is he supposed to be good?" and they laughed at me because he was supposed to be very good anyway. We've had lots of privileges and I remember as the kids were very young, we would go out in the yard and they would pitch me a ball and I would bat it. And then I would pitch balls to them and they would bat. And so we had a great time playing baseball of our own making and it wasn't the real thing. We didn't have a team but we had fun. And so God helps us to understand that we can have wonderful experiences as we do things at the right place at the right time. A long, long time ago and most of you will probably not even remember the names but I was privileged to interview Bobby Richardson. He had just knocked a home run in a World Series game and they called it the Grand Slam because the bases were loaded and he was not at all known as a hitter. He was a second baseman. He was a utility player. He knew what to do and how to do it and he played a long, long time for the New York Yankees. So later I had the privilege of being taken to a ball game in Chicago to watch the Yankees in action as they were playing the Chicago team. And as I watched the White Sox and the Yankees at that game I was sitting by a guy and he said boy I'd like to meet Bobby Richardson and I said how would you like to meet him now after the game. He said how can we do that? I said well because I happen to have a press pass with me and I believe that I can get you in to the dugout. I believe I can get you in to the locker room after the game. I'll certainly try. And so I showed my press pass to the guards and they said yes go on through and I told them we were going to interview Bobby Richardson. We didn't have an appointment but I knew that he knew me and I knew him and so as we were moving there this guy said wow this is really something. I never thought I'd have this experience and I said well it's not what you know it's who you know and God has given us this opportunity today in a very special way. So when we got there Bobby was one of the first ones in and I introduced him to my friend whose name was Larry and I said Bobby this is Larry he's always wanted to meet you and he said well I'm glad to meet you but he said the guys are coming in now and so he said I'll point them out to you if you don't know them well I certainly knew who they were. The first one that came through the door was Mickey Mantle. I'm then a guy named Roger Maris and then the catcher Yogi Berra and what a delight to see these guys close up and in person. Bobby Richardson has recently written a book called Impact Player. It's his life story and one of the most significant things that is in the book is what happened as Bobby reached out to one of those players. He was called the bad boy of baseball, Mickey Mantle. He had a lot of problems, drugs and alcohol and yet God reached him and he was very very ill and we knew that he was dying. And Bobby went to him and he shared the gospel with him again and again as he had many many times as they were on the same New York Yankees team together. But this time it took hold and Mickey Mantle said yes to Jesus Christ. He received him as his personal Savior. He said I'll admit that I've said that's not hard. I just don't know how God could forgive me and Bobby said because Jesus died so you wouldn't have to live forever away from him. Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again on the third day and he shared the plan of salvation. Mickey said not only have I received Jesus but he said Bobby I'm going to be dying very soon and I want you to preach my funeral. And Bobby was not a preacher. He was a baseball player but he was a tremendous Christian communicator. He had been the coach after playing with the Yankees for the baseball team at Liberty University. I remember another occasion when Jerry Falwell was introducing me to Bobby. He said I want you to meet Bobby Richardson and I said Jerry I know Bobby Richardson. I interviewed him a long time ago right after he did his grand slam for the Yankees. And so it was a wonderful thing that happened because not only did Bobby have the privilege of preaching Mickey Mantle's funeral as they call it but television cameras were there. And it was broadcast worldwide on the sports network. What a tremendous thing to see the gospel going to thousands and probably millions of people that day because Bobby was a faithful witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'll always be grateful to the Lord for allowing me to meet folk like that and to be able to reminisce and to know that only was an impact player but he's an impact person representing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The impact means I must personally advance Christianity today. Stay tuned and we're going to be telling you some more stories and some more ways that you can pray with us and for us and be a part of what's going on. Some Monday fair share begins for Triple T Christian Youth Ministries. God willing will be going out to County Fair after County Fair for five weeks. We're bringing in some people from across America. They're from California to the east coast and from north to south and there are 34 of them. There are teachers, preteens, college students and adults and they'll be working with the travel and tigers. Those are preteens and teenagers from right here in the tri-state who will be going out to the fairs together. Along with the adults that God has put into the picture that are giving of themselves. One of our board members and his wife are giving two weeks this summer to go every day to fairs. Others are a part of what's going on and we're so delighted. I want you to know where we're going so that you can pray and tell us that first week, July 7 through 11, God has opened the doors in Richland County, Illinois at Albany and at Gibson County, Indiana at Princeton and Perry County, Indiana at Tall City. So our teams will be giving away free ice water. They'll be sharing the good news of the saving power of Jesus with people. They'll be giving away Bibles and they'll be taking surveys and again they'll be letting people know how to get to Heaven. Week 2, July 14 through 18, again God has opened the doors for Warwick County, Indiana at Booneville, for Dubois County, Indiana at Huntington and Posey County, Indiana at New Harmony. So we're going to be again giving away the free ice water, sharing one-on-one with people, taking teams. We'll have three teams going out each of these days, going to the three different fairs that we'll be attending for those places that first week and then the second week and then the third week, which is July 21 through 25, God has opened doors so far in six different counties. So we'll be sending out six teams that week. We'll be going to Clay County, Illinois in Flora, Celine County, Illinois in Harrisburg. We'll be going to Edwards County, Illinois in Albion, Knox County, Indiana up at Bicknell, Pike County, Indiana at Petersburg, and Davies County, Kentucky over at Philpott just down from Owensboro. Again, God has been gracious and good and wonderful and we'll be sending all these teams out. And then the group from Teen Missions will be leaving. We're taking them on the 28th of July to Holiday World and then they'll be departing to go on to the Creation Museum over in Cincinnati and going back to Teen Missions in Florida. We're also that week though, going to be going to the Lawrence County, Illinois Fair in Sumner and the White County, Illinois Fair in Carmine. And then the last week, week five, August 4 through 8, we'll be wrapping up fair share at Ag Days, Wabash County, Mount Carmel, Illinois. And so as we go, we need your prayer support. We know that for every $13, we can get the gospel to one more youth. We can share God's good news with them. We can give them a Bible. We can tell them how to get to Heaven. We can do all the things that we do at Triple T. And so we need your support and your prayers. Why don't you determine that you're going to at least give $13. We had one gift in the mail. It was a $13 check. The only one that we've gotten for just $13, most times people give more. But that's significant because that means that one more can be reached. Another person gave $26 to reach two kids. Others have given $100 or 50 or more and were thankful for what God has done and is doing. But why don't you determine that you want to be a part of all this? If you make it $20, you will be a Tiger teammate. $20 will provide a scholarship for another 10 to 19 year old to let them know how they can be used of God to share the gospel. Our address is TTT Christian Youth Ministries. 13,000. That's 1-3-0-0-0 US Highway 41 North, Evans, Indiana 4-7-7-2-5. If you want to have a wonderful, wonderful experience, come to Triple T tonight. Meet some of the world's greatest teenagers and understand more about what God is doing and wants to continue to do as folk like you get involved. So we'd be delighted to see you. We have a gift for you. We have a copy of God's Word for every person that comes the first Saturday at 10. And if you're a pastor or a youth worker, we have a very special gift for you, a book or a DVD or a CD. So come praying to be a part of what God is doing. Christ through you can change the world. Every Saturday at 7.27 p.m. you are invited to attend a live youth event at Triple T, 13,000 US-41 North at Booneville and Harmony Road, midway between I-64 and Evansville Regional Airport. Every first Saturday, a good news club for ages 6 to 9 is available in a separate room. For more information call 812-867-2418 or visit www.tripletchristianyouth.org For your free copy of The Telling the Truth newsletter call 812-867-2418 or write Triple T, 13,000 US-41 North, Evansville, Indiana 477-25. Tune in to Telling the Truth next week at this same time on This Same Station. [Music]