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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for August 28, 2009
“Be a Witness at Work”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Bobby Bowden was at our church Sunday.
And he brought the Seminoles with him.
Now when was the last time you rounded up the roughest and toughest guys where you work and invited them to church?
Yes, I realize Bobby Bowden is in a unique position as the head coach of the Florida State football team, and one of the winningest coaches in football history. But listen, there are plenty of strong people who suddenly grow very weak at the thought of sharing their faith. And if you are looking for excuses not to, there is an endless supply.
But right now I want to give you a great excuse to share your faith. Now listen to this little line and take it to heart. Here it is.
Never underestimate the thirst in someone’s soul for God.
See, you just never know what is going on inside a person, no matter what they look like on the outside.
This week I heard a great story about Coach Bowden on the national radio show Family Life Today.
The guest on the show was Mark Richt, who is the head football coach for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, one of the top teams in the country. And before that he was under Coach Bowden at FSU.
Well Coach Richt is very thankful that Coach Bowden was not afraid to be a witness at work!
Back in 1986, while Richt was still a graduate assistant, FSU lineman Pablo Lopez was shot and killed. The next day Coach Bowden had a team meeting and talked about the shooting.
Then he talked about eternity and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Coach Bowden shared his own testimony with the players. Then he pointed to an empty chair. He said, “Pablo used to sit right there and now he is gone. If that had been you last night instead of Pablo, do you know where you would spend eternity?”
And there was Mark Richt, the grad assistant, in the back of the room thinking, “I know where I am going, and it’s not a very good place.”
Coach Bowden invited the players to come see him if they wanted to talk about it. “My door is always open,” he said.
So the next morning Mark Richt went to see Coach Bowden and said, “Coach, I want to accept Jesus.” And that’s what he did, right there in the coach’s office.
The St. Petersburg Times wrote an article about Coach Bowden, saying he keeps a Bible right there on his desk at work. And the article quoted him as saying, “If you knew the cure for cancer, would you tell somebody? You wouldn’t keep it a secret, would you? No, none of your would. Cancer can kill you. And salvation can save you so you can live eternally.”
The coach went on to say, “God didn’t just pick ministers to preach. He picked you. And He picked me.”
Now you might say, “But Doug, I have no idea how to be a witness. And I sure don’t want to stir up trouble at work. What do you want me to do, stand up and preach from my cubicle?”
I like what they said at the end of Family Life Today. They said that if you know someone who is a big football fan, get them a copy of that radio show featuring Coach Richt. They said, “Give them that CD just because you know they are a football fan. Find out how God will use that in their life. It may open the door for you to have a spiritual conversation with them. It may get them thinking about the fact that there is more to life than football. But it is something that they will be interested in because they are football fans.”
Or you can get them a book like “Quiet Strength” by Tony Dungy.
But I think you see the point. You don’t have to preach from your cubicle to be a witness at work. It can be as easy as slipping someone a book you think they might be interested in.
Like I said, never underestimate the thirst in someone’s soul for God. Someone may look on the outside like they are on top of the world, but you don’t know what’s happening on the inside.
So how to be a witness? Start by praying for people. And look for ways to love them, to be kind to them. Watch for opportunities to shine a little light, and to share some of your own story. Even just being interested in someone goes a long way.
Just don’t keep it to yourself. Like Coach Bowden said, if you knew the cure for cancer, you wouldn’t keep it a secret.
And the job of witnessing isn’t just for pastors. Coach Bowden said, “God didn’t just pick ministers to preach. He picked you. And he picked me.”
So pray about it, and watch for opportunities. And if you have any doubts, just ask Mark Richt; because it’s true – lives will be changed as we find ways to be a witness at work.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
The Family Life Today script from Wednesday:
http://www.familylife.com/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dnJHKLNnFoG&b=3789887&ct=7273187
And today:
http://www.familylife.com/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dnJHKLNnFoG&b=3832113&ct=7273195&DCMP=BAC-FLT+HP+Broadcast+Link&ATT=BoxLink
The St. Petersburg Times article: http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/13/Sports/Relying_on_faith.shtml
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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