We are studying the book of Acts together as a church and have enjoyed learning how new churches were started in the 1st century. One recurring trait that was evident in the life of Peter, Paul, and their associates was boldness. Often times boldness is thought of as harsh and abrasive speech yet Luke records a group of people that were winsome and freely speaking about who they love, Jesus. There is an example of this thought in Acts 4 when the believers finished praying that the Holy Spirit filled them “and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” If an individual is filled with the Holy Spirit there is no doubt that love (the first of the fruits of the Spirit) will be dominant no matter the situation.
So what does this look like in today’s culture? There is a story that a new believer in Jesus shared with me that fits well. Recently he was standing in Borders bookstore when a gentleman asked him about a tattoo on his arm. His response was short and ended with the words, “Do you believe in Jesus?” The man somewhat surprised replied, “no I'm not really into that.” Not shaken by the strangers coldness he simply replied, “You should really consider Jesus. He’s awesome.”
When I heard this story and thought about it for a minute this young Christian nailed the meaning of boldness and had never studied the meaning of it. He just freely spoke about Jesus!
Pray that Restore Church freely speaks about Jesus. We want to be a people that are so led by the Spirit that to not talk about Jesus with those far from God would be awkward.
"And also for me [Paul], that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel." - Ephesians 6:19