C07 Walking over the bridge

List of the Online Lessons:    A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H   

C07 Walking over the bridge

(—– LENI, TADY NEDĚLEJ TITULKY, ZATÍM NECHÁME JEN TEXT! —–)

I imagine you have just finished the illustration for your George, including a challenge and example of how to get back into beautiful contact with the Creator: “Through his sacrifice Jesus became a bridge over the gap of human evil. All we have to do is cross that bridge – by inviting Jesus into our lives. Tell him, ‚Jesus, thank you for making the sacrifice, so that you can invite me into your Kingdom. Please forgive me for all the bad things I have ever done, come into my life, lead me. ‚Do you want to say this to Jesus right now?“
Then I’ll just wait for George’s answer. I don’t know if you’re more of an introvert or an extrovert. Especially extroverted (and otherwise talkative) temperaments I encourage to be really silent… Silence is very important tool at this stage! Your George has probably never thought about such things before! So don’t say anything. Let him struggle his inner tension!
If George shows that it attracts him, I will look to the ceiling and without further comments say again: “Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice that so you could invite me into your Kingdom. Please forgive me all the bad stuff I have ever done, come into my life, and lead me…“

A) According to my example, some George himself begins to pray timidly. Another „talks it around“ for a while. Addressing Jesus is an unknown phenomenon for him: „You mean, I should say that out loud, now?“ „Yeah, I’ll tell it to you straight: Jesus is waiting for you to tell him that…“
If George answers the question „Do you want to say it to Jesus now?“ in rather negative way, it is time for a supplementary question: „Where do you see yourself in this picture?“ I point two basic options with my finger: “Have you already crossed the bridge, which is Jesus? Or are you still far from the Creator? ”

B) Some George points to the picture on the right: „I think I am with God.“ I definitely do not question George’s statement! I ask, enthusiastically, “That would be great! Do I understand correctly that you asked Jesus to forgive you and come into your life?”
Serious things are sometimes revealed here, to which I then respond with all kindness. For example, there will be an effort to „live a good life“ – and thus please God. Or „do one good thing for one bad deed“ and similar „patches“ that we will cover in other lesson.
Georges from religious background sometimes say, „I pray similar prayer every day,“ meaning, I ask God to forgive me. „And do you think God has already forgiven you?“ „I don’t know, I’m trying.“
This is the standard response of religious people. Here I open 1 John 1 and let George read paragraphs 7–9. „To his friends John writes important principles of how God’s forgiveness works: ‚If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.‘
I will highlight two things here: One could only be done by Jesus: ‚The sacrifice of Jesus cleanses us from every sin.‘ And the other can only be done by me: ‚If we confess our sins‘ When I confessed my bad things to Him, that’s all I could do to be forgiven: ‚He is faithful and just, He forgives us our sins, and He cleanses us.‘“