Spiritual Transition from toothpicks

Okay, this is the time in the Striving Fraternity Academy class, those who watch live

at Monday nights 8 o 'clock, get to give me something they think that I just can't possibly transition to the Gospel

to.

So they give me something in the chat room and I have to transition from whatever they give me

to the Gospel.

You get to hear it live because I don't know what I'm transitioning to just yet.

That will be given to me hopefully in moments while I explain the introduction.

The reason we do this is because most people find it easy to get into a spiritual conversation

once it turns spiritual or easier to guide themselves in a conversation to the Gospel once it's spiritual.

But it's how do you get from the natural world, starting a conversation with someone and transition that to the Gospel.

So, my topic for tonight is toothpicks.

I have to transition from toothpicks to the Gospel.

So the idea is I've just gotten into a conversation, maybe started talking to someone, maybe I saw them with a whole handful of

toothpicks, I want to get to the Gospel.

This is how off the top of my head I would do it.

The thing about toothpicks is that, you know, I guess the thing with toothpicks that I always think of

is they're very disposable, right?

Toothpicks are something that are not meant for reuse over and over and over.

They're a disposable item.

They're a thing that, you know, we take for granted.

We just use it and then toss it away.

You find them, well, you find them usually at Chinese restaurants I guess, but you find them in restaurants and places like that

where you can get a toothpick, use it.

It's actually also the one thing that most people use for everything but what it's meant for.

You ever notice that about toothpicks?

People use it for everything but what it's designed for with your teeth.

And the thing though is, is that that's actually the reality that we have,

is that we have something that most people take

for granted, don't even really think about it.

And when they do go to use it, they usually use it incorrectly.

What am I talking about?

The very words of God.

See, God has spoken.

He wrote it down.

We know it as a book called the Bible.

And yet though most people ignore it, most people don't even think about it.

They reject it and they take it for granted.

And when they do go to use it, well, like go watch any politician.

What do you see?

The politicians use the Bible wrongly, right?

They always want to sound like they know the Bible because they think that's going to help them get elected.

And we see it.

We see people that use the Bible to take it out of context, to make it try to say something it doesn't say so they can

attack it.

But what does the Bible actually say?

Well, here's the main message of the Bible.

The main overarching message of the Bible is that you and I have broken God's law.

And in breaking God's law, we would be punished.

We would have to pay an eternal fine because God is infinitely holy and

therefore we have an infinite fine to pay.

However, God himself became a man to pay that fine so that you and I could be

set free.

You and I, though we did the crime, we don't have to do the time.

God actually did it in our place.

That if we turn from trusting ourselves as a good person, turn from trusting our good works, and turn to

trusting Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross, then we can have eternal

life.

That's how I would transition from toothpicks to the gospel.

How would you go about it?