Feature
Life on the Edge
Scott Moore
08/30/2010
After speaking for a recent week of prayer at Fountainview Academy, I settled into my seat on the plane. It was time to fly home to Florida.
Next to me, a young man played video games on a PlayStation Portable (affectionately known by gamers as a PSP). Lost in a flashing world of make believe, he jerked and scowled while shooting police and running from the ever-chasing red and blue lights. As his battery slowly drained—on his game and on his life—I sat back and sighed. It was a world in which I had no interest.
I turned and began studying materials I’d been given at Fountainview. When the young man’s battery life drained its last dreg, he shoved the PSP into its holster and leaned back, confronted by the dreaded prospect of boredom.
By that time, the little “desk” in front of me was covered with Fountainview’s Bible-related materials. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the young police evader peeking over my shoulders at the scattered papers. With subtle purpose, I turned my study guide so he could read it without straining his neck.
At that moment, I felt impressed to pull out my laptop, so I did. When I opened the lid, my set of LIFE on the EDGE videos automatically opened. I’m the director for LIFE (Lay Institute for Evangelism), and we produced the LIFE on the EDGE series to equip people to be effective soul winners.
On a whim, I asked the young man if he wanted to watch a Bible study video. To my surprise, he said, “Yes!” His enthusiastic response was not what I’d expected. He pulled out his earphones, plugged them into my laptop, and began watching presentation number three on the Great Controversy.
I glanced at the upper right corner of the screen and noticed that my laptop had only 28 minutes of battery power left. Each LIFE on the EDGE presentation is 58 minutes and 30 seconds long. I closed my eyes and began to pray—hard—that God would extend my laptop’s battery life.
When I opened my eyes, I looked at the screen again. This time it said the battery had 1 hour and 28 minutes left. I praised the Lord and began praying for the young man!
He watched the video with the same enthusiasm as when he’d played the PSP. He was engaged. He was intent. He was convicted. It was written all over his face.
I had never expected the LIFE on the EDGE series to appeal to a non-Adventist, but how silly was that? When Jesus is the focus, He keeps His promise to draw all men to Himself.
When the study ended, my laptop battery had 28 minutes left. I asked the young man if he wanted to view the next study on my iPod. Again, with enthusiasm he answered, “Yes!” At the end of the second study, he asked, “Where can I get the rest of these videos?”
Later, I reflected on how God’s plans are always greater than ours. We originally created LIFE on the EDGE as a training tool—not as a witnessing tool. We filmed the series during one of LIFE’s two-week Bible study courses, intending it for people lacking the time or money to attend a LIFE training program. The series is patterned after Jesus’ method of teaching, which caused his listeners’ hearts to burn within them (see Luke 24:32).
Clearly, that young man’s heart had burned within him as he listened to the teachings of Jesus and opened his heart to the Holy Spirit. That experience left me with a whole new perspective on what it means to witness.
