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The Power of Your Hope Story with Ron Hutchcraft

• Doug and Brad Hutchcraft

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This new episode is something really special - we’ve got arguably our favorite Hutchcraft on the show today, Ron Hutchcraft. Did you know you have one of the best M.A.D. tools with you all the time? It’s your Hope Story, and it’s powerful in Jesus’ hands! 

Recently, Ron and Doug hosted a six-session video series called, “Your Hope Story.” “Your Hope Story” is all about how to use your story to lead others to Christ. Ron and the bros interact with some of the interviews that are featured in "Your Hope Story,” and land us with some truly helpful principles for sharing Christ with people in your world. If this sounds like something you or your church would like to engage with, go to YourHopeStory.com or check it out on RightNowMedia.org 



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Speaker 1:

Hey friends, jesse here, producer for Go Mad. Today's episode is something really special. We've got arguably our favorite Hutchcraft on the show today, Ron Hutchcraft. Recently, ron and Doug hosted a six-session video series called your Hope Story. Your Hope Story is all about how to use your story to lead others to Christ. Ron and the bros interact with some of the interviews that are featured in your Hope Story. Welcome to Go Mad with Doug and Brad Ready, let's go mad.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to Go Mad with Doug and Brad. Doug, as always, is here right next to me. Hey, everybody, hey, so we just wrapped up Easter and Doug, what's one of your favorite things about Easter?

Speaker 3:

I'm going to share with you real quick the most humiliating thing about one of my Easter's. I was never good as a child, apparently, at finding all of the candies and everything that mom and dad put out.

Speaker 2:

Putting it nicely, you were awful.

Speaker 3:

Putting it nicely. So literally one Easter morning, I wake up and they have taken colored pieces of yarn and stretched them from one place to the next, guaranteeing that I will find it no joke. Two years later, I was mowing a lawn mowing our lawn and I ran over a huge chocolate bunny that I had missed.

Speaker 2:

I forgot that. So, apparently I never learned. I never appreciated you stole my string that year. I'm like I didn't get a string, doug got two.

Speaker 3:

That's weird. Doug, now remember this is your color string and I was like they're all my color Dad.

Speaker 2:

Well, folks here we go. Whether you are a longtime listener to the podcast, first of all, thank you If you've been listening for a while and if you've written a review or rated us, given us a five-star rating, then we appreciate you, Thank you.

Speaker 2:

But whether you're a long-time listener or brand new this week, our goal is always the same to talk about practical ways to make a difference. As an ambassador of Jesus Christ, for the people you know and the people you meet, you are the face of Jesus, the voice of Jesus and the hands of Jesus wherever you are, and today we're going to be looking at one of the most effective, high-impact ways to make a difference your hope story. We think you're going to leave today's episode with a greater understanding of the power that is in your hope story and practical ways you can share it with others. And we're also going to let you know about an incredible new resource you can get absolutely free the exciting thing that, along with Doug and obviously, jesse here with us and myself, we have our very special guest with us today Ron Hutchcraft also known as Dad.

Speaker 6:

Hi, I'm visitor boy. Visitor boy.

Speaker 3:

Hi Brad, we should probably mention, yes, free resource. If you want it sent to you, it's $98 shipping.

Speaker 2:

But no cost, no, it's free. Do people ship things anymore? I don't think so. Actually, we're going to be talking about what is called your Hope Story. Now we're talking about your Hope Story and we're talking about yourhopestorycom. You can find a lot of information, free digital resources, order this product, whatever at yourhopestorycom. But we'll get into more of that.

Speaker 6:

Did you think that up, having the same name for the website? I'm not that smart. That was someone else. That's very clever. Wow, just take credit man.

Speaker 2:

But we get to hear also from some wonderful friends today along the way. So let me start with this. I'm actually going to slide into a little bit of an interviewer role today if that's okay with you guys Are we interviewees you are.

Speaker 3:

I think so. Let me Google that. Have you been?

Speaker 6:

promoted.

Speaker 3:

Yes, that makes us interviewees Brad, I'm going to say real quick, if you're listening, today I'm going to make a guarantee. I just want to say real quick, if you're listening, today I'm going to make a guarantee. I'm going to guarantee, no matter who you are, no matter what your background is, you're going to hear yourself this morning. You're going to hear something you've thought, something you've struggled with and an answer to, maybe something that you've been wondering about for a long time. You will hear about yourself on this episode, that is a good guarantee right there for sure.

Speaker 2:

Let me share with you guys a quick story that I think I've shared with you guys but I feel like this is a time to come clean with the audience.

Speaker 6:

Is this a hope story?

Speaker 3:

or a nope. No, this would be a nope story. This is a nope story. Yeah, this is a nope story or a dope story, I don't know.

Speaker 6:

Yeah, Okay, there we are.

Speaker 2:

Let's look at the positive. I was sharing Jesus with someone when I was about seven years old.

Speaker 6:

All right, wow, so I had a friend that came over.

Speaker 2:

I had asked Jesus into my life when I was six I still remember on the front steps with mom after church, and then I had a friend come over, seven, eight years old and I'm sitting there. We had just been playing probably with like Dukes of Hazzard figures or something like that, and I said I will change the name, because I'm not even giving last name, but we'll call him Billy, all right. So it was not Billy. I'm like hey, billy, can I share with you something? And I said I believe in Jesus and there's two places that people go after they die they go to heaven or they go to hell. Billy, right now I think you're going to hell. That was smooth.

Speaker 3:

Brad, can I mention something Yourhopestorycom? Go to yourhopestorycom for training.

Speaker 2:

Why didn't I have this and?

Speaker 3:

Billy ran home crying.

Speaker 2:

I want you to know I've learned a lot. No, Billy didn't come over actually ever again I'm so sad about that. Lord, please get to Billy.

Speaker 3:

I've actually prayed that.

Speaker 2:

I have prayed that because what I learned from that is that I was making sharing Jesus with people harder than it needed to be, and I just didn't take the time to learn an effective way to do that. You guys just sat down recently in the studio on video and got to do this really awesome project. Talk to us about what this is, this resource, and what you guys are talking about.

Speaker 3:

We do it all the time making it too difficult, thinking that we have more to do with someone responding to the gospel than we do. Yes, I remember Dad sharing when I was young, about sharing the gospel. He says it's show and tell. So you're going to fail show and tell in kindergarten if you only show something or if you only tell about something. It's our job to tell, it's God's job to work on that heart. What I love about your Hope Story on yourhopestorycom is that these are practical ways that you can kind of get past those struggles, those roadblocks that you've had to sharing the gospel, whether it's someone next to you at your work, at your dinner table, a friend you're playing with, named, let's just say, billy Sure. But I'm excited because the people that have responded to this there's been wonderful response so far have said I get it. Now. I know how I can and in fact when I was listening, when I was watching, I thought of this person and went that's how I'm going to do it.

Speaker 2:

Amen, and that's why this is so exciting, because it really is breaking it down in a practical way, and what we're going to do here today is we're going to talk about some of the basics in this, but you want to check out the full resource, because there is so much more packed in there.

Speaker 6:

You know, I think most of us have somebody in our world that we work with, we live next door to of us have somebody in our world that we work with, we live next door to, we go to the gym with whatever it is that. We have the heart. We want them in heaven with us someday. We know deep in our heart that Jesus is the only way they're going to get there. We know that somebody's going to have to tell them about Jesus for them to get to Jesus, to get to heaven. The problem is we have a heart but we don't have a how, and it's scary. Let's just be honest. It's scary because reading your Bible isn't particularly scary. Praying isn't particularly scary. Going to church isn't scary Well, it depends, but no, what is scary is I'm kind of risking things now.

Speaker 6:

If I'm going to start talking about Jesus, I don't know if they want to hear what I have to say. I might mess it up, and so on. All of our fears, if you add them all up, all have to do with me. This has to do with them. This has to do with somebody that I want in heaven with me, and I've been thinking about what's going to happen to me. If I talk to them, I'm going to think about what's going to happen to them if I don't. And so here's where this is kind of an anti-fear thing that we're talking about with your hope story.

Speaker 6:

Here's the good news, and you guys have already hit it, you already have. You don't have to go to seminary. You don't have to learn 29 more Bible verses although that's a good idea. You already have what you need. If you would just say God, use it now to help my friend go to heaven with me. So here's a neat thing. You've seen me do my little glove trick. I have gloves, they don't do anything, they lay their floppy sole and they're useless until I put my hand in that glove and all of a sudden, that glove does amazing things. It picks up things, it puts down things. Why? Because it's my hand doing it. It's just the glove that I'm using to do it. Here's the good news You're the glove. You are not the hand. It is God's hand in your personality, your experience and, above all, your own story that he will put his hand in that, make it something supernatural and help it change somebody's eternity.

Speaker 2:

That's good, dad, doug, thank you so much for summarizing just the importance of sharing our hope story, this unique tool that only you have, because it's your hope story. Now, this resource we're talking about is we're about to dive into some of the real practical helps of how to do this, this resource, your Hope Story, at yourhopestorycom. It's a just six sessions, six brief sessions, where Dad and Doug just cover a lot of these practical things and we have some of our friends share with us. They join us for this journey. As part of that series, we're going to get to hear from just a small number of them today, starting with Carol Jean. Let's check out what she had to say.

Speaker 9:

My name is Carol Jean Sperling and this is my story from the last few months. Seven months ago, I was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and both Bill and my husband and I just couldn't believe it. We cried about it, we denied it, even though the doctors kept showing us proof of this, and there wasn't anything we could do except listen. So I started treatment. I started really praying to the Lord and asking him what do you want me to do and how is this going to benefit you and me in having this cancer? And I kept praying that there was something that the Lord wanted me to do with this, that it wasn't just about me, it was about him. And then, finally, he woke me up to look around the room I was in and I wasn't alone. There were other women sitting there, connected to tubes, just like I was. And finally I said hi, my name is Carol, what's your name and how long have you been coming here?

Speaker 9:

And it opened up a door that allowed me to pray with these women. I realized you know, this is an opportunity for me. I can talk to you about my testimony. I can talk to you about what God's done in my life so far. I tried praying with her and she said oh yeah, that's fine, you can pray for me, that's fine. But she really wasn't interested. But she was so alone and she was so sad and I think it was because she was empty of hope, she had nothing to look forward to. God's given me an opportunity to bring the word to her, and then it's up to him to actually open up her heart and soften it. There are other women that are out there that are lost, that I have no hope, that are sitting at home just waiting day by day until it's over.

Speaker 2:

God has given me an opportunity. Carol Jean, stage four cancer. God has given me an opportunity. Dad and Doug, how can someone look at dealing with cancer as an opportunity?

Speaker 3:

What kind of heart hears the news about having cancer and says here's an opportunity the Lord has given me? Only a heart infused with and changed by the love of Christ can do that. If you listen to the podcast, you might remember when my son was born. He had a very deadly heart condition and we were told by doctors he most likely wouldn't even make it out of the birth canal. So we're in the intensive care unit at a children's hospital and I'm very, very focused, even kind of feeling bad for us. Very focused inwardly, very focused inwardly.

Speaker 3:

There was a moment on an elevator where I met a gentleman who was wearing a beeper and he told me his life now is that beeper, waiting to hear if there is a new heart for his daughter, who was born with a heart that doesn't work. In that moment God woke me up. So in that moment God woke me up, saying this time here is not just about you, it's not just about Taylor, it's about this gentleman and, by the way, all the folks on this floor, including the nurses and doctors who are all struggling with something. And all of a sudden, when I said, lord, I get it. This isn't about me, this is about the guy next to me. This is about the nurse coming in to check on Taylor and all of a sudden I'm seeing opportunity after opportunity, door after open door, to share the hope Jesus has given me in a very stressful time, you know.

Speaker 6:

Jesus said you shall be my witnesses. Now there's something he didn't say there. He didn't say you shall go witness. Witness is not an activity, it's our identity. It's like who I be. Well, you always be what you be. And so if I am his witness, that means I'm never off duty. Wherever I go, my situation is my assignment. Okay, I'm scheduled to go on a plane. Doug's supposed to go with me. I'm in 9A, he's in 9B, turns out he gets sick the day before he can't go 9B.

Speaker 6:

A lady comes in she must have had a last minute assignment and we joked a little bit about sharing pretzels for dinner. And then I said she asked about me and I said something about our Native American work and I said well, where are you going? She said well, every year my sisters and I, my three sisters we go for a special trip together. Oh wait, this year it'll only be two. Her whole mood changed. I said oh, really, why two? She said my sister died the past few months.

Speaker 6:

All of a sudden I realized that God has placed me next to someone who's in the same club that I'm in, that no one wants to be in, because, you know, I lost your mom Suddenly, just like she lost her sister. I began to share with her what that experience was like for me and the anchor that I had found because of Jesus. She said I used to believe in some of that when I was a kid. She said but my dad died and I left and I just walked away from all of it and I said well, could it be that American Airlines didn't seat us? Could it be that God seated us here, do you think?

Speaker 6:

And the neat thing is she said you know, my dad was Native American. It's the first time she'd said that. And she looked and she said she'd been looking at my watch. She said he had a watch, this turquoise watch, just like yours, come on. And we ended up on this full airplane in saying 9A and 9B, praying together about a relationship with Jesus. And so you talk about a divine assignment. I mean literally, my seat on a plane was a divine assignment. You go in an elevator, carol Jean, in the cancer ward. This is a pretty exciting way to live God's positioning you to help somebody know you're Jesus man.

Speaker 2:

Your situation is your assignment. Carol Jean's story shows us that. Let's hear from Karen, our friend Karen, and hear what our next practical step is for your hope story.

Speaker 8:

I'm a major picture taker. I love to take pictures and I record everything.

Speaker 7:

And they love it.

Speaker 8:

And it opens a door. It just opens a door.

Speaker 7:

Once we make a connection with someone and befriend them, the most important thing would be to kind of tell them about Christ, if I can. It's waitresses, it's people. I play racquetball with. It's people when we're on vacation.

Speaker 8:

And then, when those doors open, I'll say Do you have email? Do you do Facebook? Do you do that? And then I exchange it and it gives me an opportunity to have further connection with these people when I go home. It's pretty amazing. It's pretty cool.

Speaker 7:

Reading what the Bible says about knowing Christ has completely changed my life and brought peace, and there's nothing more I want than to help you get to know Him like I have, and it has changed my life from top to bottom.

Speaker 8:

I always know that Jesus is the answer, the hope that I got. So I use my social media as a platform to represent Jesus, faith, positivity and just hope, hope out there, your hope story, and I love those words, your hope story, because it's the hope that's in you.

Speaker 7:

One thing we've learned, too, is like is there something that we could pray for you about?

Speaker 8:

And almost always, they say yes, and I will pray for them right then. And there I have seen people over and over and they're just crying because they've never heard their name mentioned in prayer before.

Speaker 2:

I love Karen's heart. I love Karen's heart. I love Karen's heart. She talks about especially praying with people. Doug, for people who are listening and wondering what's the connection between prayer and my hope story, Talk to us.

Speaker 3:

A huge part of getting an opportunity to share the love of Christ with someone is getting into a situation where you're giving God a chance to move. Is there something I can pray for you about? You know, in my experience people won't say no, even if they're relative strangers. I remember hearing this for the first time and being like, oh, come on, everyone's going to say no. And then I started trying it. I'll just say give it a shot. They might be surprised a bit that you're asking them, but they don't say no. There's something about them hearing their name mentioned in the same breath as the name of the God that made them. That pulls a lever, that opens a heart.

Speaker 2:

If you think I'm crazy, go try it and you know, I just wanted to say there was one time because we do talk a lot about there's almost never a time where someone's like no, don't pray for me. It happened to me once with an Uber driver and it was actually my family, was in the car with me and even in that he was from a different country and he had been struggling with a lot. Even in that, I'll be honest, I was discouraged for a minute. I was just like what did I do wrong? And I was like you know what? That guy walked away from that, knowing someone was willing to pray for him, and I just left it as that's okay, I'll be praying for you and at least so, even if someone says no, which is very rare, very rare just know that God can use even that to start to work in their heart.

Speaker 6:

You know, sometimes when I have prayed with somebody, when I open my eyes, there's tears in their eyes and the reason, I think, is that they have never heard their name in a prayer and they have just heard you, have your relationship with God, and I think it gives them a desire like I wish I could talk to God like that. But there's also praying for people and this is a powerful prayer and you've probably talked about this on the program before, but I'm the visitor boy so I can get away with this. But Colossians 4, 3, and 4, paul says pray for us, that God will open a door for our message and that we'll proclaim it clearly, as we should. Here's a three-open prayer and I know that Karen prays this all the time. The gal that we just heard from Lord open a door, which is a natural opportunity to bring up Jesus. She uses her camera for natural opportunities and God will answer that in a lot of different ways.

Speaker 6:

Secondly, lord, open their heart, get them ready to hear about what I'm going to tell them. Thirdly, here's the big one Lord, open my mouth and give me the courage, give me the words, give me the tone, and what you don't have to pray is Lord. If it is your will, it is. And so, lord, open a door. Lord, open their heart. Lord, open my mouth. That Lord open their heart, lord, open my mouth. That prayer, let me tell you. God will answer that in amazing ways and open natural opportunities for you to bring up the difference Jesus is making in your life. This is so doable because it's all God doing it.

Speaker 2:

Your situation is your assignment. Prayer is a powerful tool in sharing your hope story, and now we get to hear from a dear brother of ours, john, take it away.

Speaker 5:

My heart has been broken for people who are going to be lost eternally. I look for the opportunities. With everybody I come into contact with, usually I open my mouth so that I can speak Jesus into their life. One of the tribes that God has positioned me to reach are other professionals. They don't mingle with other people and I have that open door because I am a professional. I'm one of their peers. I think a lot of the people that I deal with I know that are kind of intellectuals or they're successful people, but I feel like what's most important is that they hear about Jesus. One of the tribes that has really been part of my life is this tennis tribe. I actually pray for the people I play tennis with and I pray for an opportunity to speak Jesus, this tennis tribe that I have. These people, they're lost, they don't know who Jesus is and I feel like I'm the only opportunity that they have to hear about Jesus. I had this one player that he was telling me a lot about his daughter and it seems like a hopeless cause they have to turn to. I have an opportunity to share Jesus with people that I normally don't know, but I know that they don't know Jesus.

Speaker 5:

One of my favorite sports is skiing and I do a lot of skiing. I ride the chairlift with somebody and it's about a five minute ride to the top and it's amazing how many times I've shared the gospel with somebody sitting next to me in the chairlift and I said isn't this a beautiful place? And I said who do you think created this beautiful spot? And that opens the door for them to tell me what they think. And then I said you know, do you realize that you were created by God, for God? And they go what are you talking about? And I usually try to weave Jesus into there, because Jesus is the redeemer that restores the relationship that we lost because of our sinful nature with God, and so I can usually share Jesus with somebody on a chairlift event.

Speaker 6:

It's like supernaturally natural man.

Speaker 2:

John, there is sharing, he's living the three open. He even says the open my mouth in there and everything and he's looking for the opportunities. Now he does talk about and we cover this in your hope story a lot but he talks about these tribes that he's part of. Just maybe someone's hearing that for the first time. What does that mean?

Speaker 3:

If we think we don't have natural opportunities to share the hope of Jesus with the many around us so desperate for his hope, we are not trying hard enough. Take a moment, maybe even write down the groups of people you regularly interact with, really the tribes you belong to. The book of Acts says something fascinating. It says God determined the times set for us and the exact places where we should live. God did this so men would reach out for him and find him. You are part of that tribe on purpose, and being part of that tribe automatically gives you an open door, an opportunity to share your hope story of how Jesus can change a life, amen.

Speaker 6:

So you're in an occupation tribe and you're in a recreation tribe, which you do for fun and recreation and exercise. You're in a generation tribe because of you know how old you are. I mean, you're in an avocation, your hobby, you know. So you're in all kinds of tribes really, and that is not random. You've been divinely positioned just by who you are. See, this is so set up by God for us to do this and it makes our every day suddenly into something eternal. And you wake up in the morning and go God, you got somebody for me today and it's just, and it's truly an exciting and eternally significant way to live.

Speaker 2:

We talk about your situation as your assignment, and what you guys were sharing before was really key because it is our assignment in these unique situations. But your situation is your assignment in your every day, with your tribe. It's not just in specific situations, it's every day where the Lord has put you.

Speaker 6:

You know, when Jesus wanted to reach people in Samaria, samaritans weren't really excited about Jews and Jews weren't excited about Samaritans back then. But Jesus goes to Samaria on purpose. And how does he reach people? He doesn't go into the village and start preaching he's good at that, he could but instead he reaches a Samaritan, that woman at the well. She goes back and says you got to meet this guy that I just met. Tells the story of what he said to her and here's what the Bible says. Here's the exact words of the Bible. And many of them believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony, her hope story. So how does he reach Samaritans? He sends a Samaritan to tell them about it, because Samaritans listen to Samaritans and moms listen to moms and business people listen to business people and teachers listen to teachers. How long can you want me to go on with?

Speaker 6:

this so we listen to people with shared life experience. So your life experiences have qualified you to be the best person in their life to tell them about what Jesus did for them.

Speaker 2:

We've got two more friends here from Briefly and two more very practical, helpful tips. Hang with us here as we hear from Natalie.

Speaker 10:

I think the cool thing about stories is that we all have one. You don't have to be a special person to have a significant story. We are all living, breathing stories, and in simply choosing to open your mouth and talk with someone else, you're inviting them into that journey with you, and they're doing the same for you. And so I love coffee dates. I love going out with people and just sitting with just a drink between us, and for me, that has been one of the big ways that I share.

Speaker 10:

My story is I take time to sit down and just talk to someone. I tell them what's going on in my life, where I've been before, where I'm at now, and I ask them to do the same. I think for me, the cool thing about stories, especially as a believer in God, is the power of the Holy Spirit and how he moves through our stories, and so I think sometimes I get nervous like Lord, did I say the right thing, or did that come across the way that I wanted it to? But God always reminds me that he's the one that does the work, and He'll take my story way farther than I ever could.

Speaker 11:

I became a banker in my early 20s and worked under an incredible community banker named King, and King not only told me how to be a good banker, but also taught me how to just make a difference in the world, and he was on fire for God. He was so excited about God that he could not keep it to himself that it would just naturally come up in conversation. It was just part of him. King had incredible influence and knew a lot of people, and as bankers we don't deal just with people's finances. A lot of times they share personal struggles, marital struggles, health struggles and spiritual struggles, and I think God placed him just uniquely with a huge center of influence to make a difference in people's lives, to make sure people didn't miss the most important thing, which is our relationship with God, how it can make a difference now and forever.

Speaker 11:

There's no doubt that a mentor can influence your faith, and King certainly did mine. I found strength and peace and promises in God's word that are totally relevant every single day that I can't imagine now not living with. You know hope that each day is brand new, that I don't have to be perfect, that Jesus did everything that I couldn't do. King's openness in sharing his faith also led me to be more open in sharing my own, both with coworkers and customers and family members. It made it okay to speak about my beliefs in the workplace and to use my influence to help somebody. I think he was really good at using I statements. People can't argue with an I statement. You know. When you said this is the difference it made for me, you know they can't argue with that because you're just sharing your experience.

Speaker 2:

Man, I love Natalie's story. She says that coffee is an important part. That's not why I love the story, even though I'm a fan. But talk to us about using things like coffee and those different everyday things we have as evangelism tools, as sharing your story tools.

Speaker 3:

Here's a simple idea If there's someone you want to share the love of Jesus with, share the gospel with, bring them out for coffee. That's grounds for rejoicing.

Speaker 6:

Oh, I thought we could get through one.

Speaker 3:

I can't help myself. Oh the puns Bad puns with Doug and Brad. The cool thing about stories is that we all have one Hold on. The cool thing about a hope story is that we all have one. You don't have to be a special person to have a significant story. We're all living, breathing stories. When we open our mouths, we're inviting people into that journey we're having. When you share your story about how Jesus changed your life, you give the Holy Spirit and remember he's the one that does the work the opportunity to move in that person's heart. Who knew that getting a cup of coffee with somebody could change a life, change an eternity? People can argue about religion, they can argue about church, they can argue about the Bible, but they can't argue with your story, Doug.

Speaker 2:

You've done an excellent job, because we grew up in New Jersey and for us, we've worked hard on coffee because I mean, otherwise it would be coffee. So you've done a great job.

Speaker 3:

Now, I'm going to pronounce it that way the rest of the day.

Speaker 6:

I was trying. You know it's not your story ultimately that will get them to heaven. It's Jesus' story. It's not your story ultimately that will get them to heaven. It's Jesus' story, it's his story, it's the gospel, it's what happened on that middle cross and what happened to that empty tomb. But the way you can tell about it in a world that is more and more hostile to anybody, seeming like they're trying to convert me, well, you're not talking about them, you're talking about me. This is first person, so it's disarming me. This is first person, so it's disarming. But then to say you ultimately are going to tell how his story, what happened on that cross, was what changed your story. So it's all wrapped up in your story. It's his eternity-changing story that is wrapped up in your life-change story of how he has made a difference in your life. So it works this way that you tell how his story changed your story and could change their story forever. This is dynamite.

Speaker 6:

It's so doable, it's doable.

Speaker 2:

It really is. And one thing I would add to Natalie's approach is make it natural. Don't make coffee awkward, don't make whatever you're doing with them awkward, but just maybe take them out once where you're just talking and then the next time share your story, but just do it in a natural way.

Speaker 3:

We're talking about people who you're connected with here, so not what flavor creamer would you like you need Jesus, who you're connected with here. So not what flavor creamer would you like you need Jesus? Not quite that. That's a great point, Brad. You're not treating this person like they're a target for evangelism. You're with them because you love them and maybe even in that conversation there's not a natural opportunity, but there might be one in the next one You're getting to know that person simply because God loves them and you love them. Don't treat them like a target. That's good.

Speaker 2:

All right, and then we're going to wrap up our time with our friends here by hearing from Luciano. You're going to love what he has to share.

Speaker 4:

Knowing that they are going to hell and maybe they don't know Jesus and that's why they're going to hell. That just crushes me and that breaks my heart, and God broke my heart for that a few months ago. And now I can see that there are lost people and there's a lot of people that are lost. I believe that's why God wanted to use me in this aspect, and also because I know how it's like to be lost and not know it. I remember what it's like to be lost and I wish somebody would have told me this good news, the best news ever that Jesus died in the cross for our sins.

Speaker 2:

You hear it there and the reality is we hear it in Luciano's voice. But we've all felt that. We've all felt that desire for our friends, our neighbors, our family members who don't know Jesus to know him. His broken heart is so clear there. But the hard thing, dad and Doug, is I mean he starts talking about eternities and the reality of this eternity without Jesus. It's an important part of sharing our stories to know what we need to share and what we do need to include about Jesus, the eternity that we face with or without Jesus. How do people deal with that? How do they tackle that?

Speaker 3:

When you consider someone that you love that doesn't know Jesus, does it crush you, does it break your heart that they're headed for eternity without the God that paid the price to have that eternity with?

Speaker 6:

him. You know, after the Titanic sank, there were, you know, 1,500 people who died, 700 who survived. At the office of the ship line they had two boards outside their office and they were slowly putting names on there for loved ones who were waiting to find out what had happened to their dear one. And the board said one said this those known to be saved. And the other one said those known to be lost Everyone, even though when the ship sailed they were first, second, third class and crew. All that mattered now was those who were saved and those who were lost was those who were saved and those who were lost. Everyone in your world, everyone in my world, is on one of those two lists. The Bible says in 1 John 5, god has given us eternal life and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life. Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life lost. Except, they could still change lists as long as there's breath, there's hope and a rescuer could be the difference. You could be the difference.

Speaker 6:

We take a team of Native Americans out every summer. We go to many reservations, as you know, we'll be going soon and we were on a particularly hard reservation and one of our young ladies was about to go out and share her hope story with a pretty intimidating crowd around a basketball court. She came in for prayer and I thought, boy, she's really scared. She went out there and she just like took over. I was like what just happened in a couple minutes since we prayed? When she came on I said what? Just what happened out there?

Speaker 6:

She said well, I remember the prayer you taught us and I went and prayed it by myself and that is God, help me see what you see when you see these people, and go ahead and break my heart for whatever breaks yours. She said. I went out there, I looked in their eyes and I saw lost. And she said, all of a sudden, I didn't care what they thought, I just had to tell them about my Jesus. And I thought, you know, I wish each of us could pray that and perhaps, perhaps, perhaps you want to think about that, if you're listening, lord, go ahead and break my heart for the lost people around me and help me see them, not as their political views or not on their, whatever they view culturally, whatever what their lifestyle is known to be saved or known to be lost. And then I think you will look in the mirror and be able to say these words tonight I am someone's chance, I am someone's chance at Jesus and I'm not going to let them down and I'm not going to let him down.

Speaker 2:

Dad and Doug, what you have shared here today is so important for people to know that they can share their hope story. But the reality is we know there may be someone listening to this who doesn't have that hope story yet who is saying I don't know if I've started this relationship with Jesus. You guys have been talking about it today. I've heard from Carol, jean and Karen and Luciano, but I don't know if I have that relationship yet. I just want to lead in a prayer. If that's you right now, this can be your last day without Jesus, your last moment without him.

Speaker 2:

If you believe that he died on the cross we just wrapped up celebrating Easter If you believe he died on the cross, that he defeated death and rose again and that he died on the cross for your sins, for the things you have done that have separated you from God, if you believe that you can start that relationship with him today, just pray something like this these aren't magic words, but something like this and just in your heart say Dear Jesus, I'm sorry for running my life my way. I know you call that sin. I know that you died on the cross, so I don't have to pay that penalty for sin if I just choose to believe in you. I believe, jesus, that you rose from the dead, that you conquered death and that I can be forgiven if I just choose to have this relationship with you, forgiven. If I just choose to have this relationship with you Today, lord, I choose to turn from my sin of the past and to face you. Jesus, please come into my heart, come into my life and show me more about you In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.

Speaker 2:

If you just prayed that prayer, would you please just shoot us an email. It could just say simply I prayed in the subject line to gomadshow at hutchcraftcom gomadshow at hutchcraftcom and we'll send you some helps just to get you started. We'd love to even send a Bible your way if you hear this and you prayed that prayer. Dad and Doug, thank you so much for walking through some of these initial steps to your hope story. Remember, folks, go check out yourhopestorycom. You will hear some of this and so much more that will help you be able to feel confident about taking these next steps and sharing your story.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, check it out. If it delivers that for you, would you please also share it with friends? The whole reason we did this was just because God's people are God's way of getting the gospel out to the world.

Speaker 2:

Please go check it out, and it's even set up for churches and small groups. So share with your church, small group leaders, all of that. It's the how for your heart You've got the heart. Here's the how. So, from all of us to all of you, until next time, go MAD.