tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329408579460570583.post5829945200194142703..comments2023-08-08T06:45:13.513-07:00Comments on Fish With Trish: How did it all start?Fish With Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04278929770287008838noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329408579460570583.post-79376113475689952522008-03-07T16:52:00.000-08:002008-03-07T16:52:00.000-08:00Thank you Trish for emailing me back and sharing y...Thank you Trish for emailing me back and sharing your story here! It's so encouraging for me as a new Christian because I too nearly had heart failure giving out my first gospel tract (I gave it and practically ran out the door!) I'm sure by God's grace I will get more confident with it. <BR/>Thanks again!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329408579460570583.post-55306900892439599152008-03-05T14:17:00.000-08:002008-03-05T14:17:00.000-08:00Hi Mark! Of course you can share your story. This ...Hi Mark! <BR/><BR/>Of course you can share your story. This is great. Thank you for writing about it. <BR/><BR/>You said, "I know that God does the saving, but it is His good pleasure to use us in the process..." <BR/><BR/>Isn't it just amazing! The Lord is so good to us.Fish With Trishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04278929770287008838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329408579460570583.post-62973654634134449722008-03-05T13:43:00.000-08:002008-03-05T13:43:00.000-08:00Are we all allowed to share our stories here?I was...Are we all allowed to share our stories here?<BR/><BR/>I was saved in 1993 (well, technically I was saved before the foundation of the world, but I digress.)<BR/><BR/>When I was saved, I was discipled to share the "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for you" message and even went on a missions trip to propagate that message.<BR/><BR/>Then I went to visit my Uncle and Aunt who were the only other Christians in my family. I lived in NH and they in MD, so we didn't see each other very often. But when I was down there, they shared a video about evangelism that they got at a Bill Gothard convention called "Ten Canons of God's Law." Yup, it was Ray Comfort, giving essentially the "Hell's Best Kept Secret" message. I thought it was quite different than my "God loves you" message, but didn't think too much about it.<BR/><BR/>A few years later (1995 or so) I was a volunteer staff with a large parachurch organization that used "God loves you", and I even lead a seminar on how to share "the gospel" that way.<BR/><BR/>A friend of mine gave me a cassette tape of "Hell's Best Kept Secret" and told me I "had to listen to it." I listened to it about 10 times! Rocked my world.<BR/><BR/>As an aside, I like this version of HBKS much better than the one that's now on the WOTM website. The tape version I have is longer and Ray shares more examples and supports his message better, in my opinion. If you want this older version of HBKS, you can download it <A HREF="http://www.sohmer.net/media/hbks.mp3" REL="nofollow">here</A>. (Right-click on the link and save to your hard drive.)<BR/><BR/>So starting around 1995, I began listening to HBKS fairly regularly (at least once or twice per year). I would visit raycomfort.com from time to time before there was a "Way of the Master" and I tried to put the Biblical principles in place in my evangelism as best as I could. I basically had a mish-mosh of the 10 Commandments, and God loves you and has a wonderful plan for you.<BR/><BR/>The watershed happened when the TV show came out. I watched the episode on WDJD and then I realized how practical this was and that I could do this.<BR/><BR/>I was hooked! I bought tracts, books, DVD's, and realized that people were dying and going to hell and I got a heart for them. I wanted to do what I could to be used by God in the process.<BR/><BR/>I began giving out tracts in public. I was so scared the first time, I still remember. I gave a tract to the lady at the deli counter who cut my turkey. I said thanks, and gave her a million dollar tip and just about died of anxiety! It's gotten MUCH easier since then, though I still struggle with fear, as we all do.<BR/><BR/>I know that God does the saving, but it is His good pleasure to use us in the process, and I wanted to be used by God!<BR/><BR/>When I heard about the Evangelism Boot Camps, I thought, "How cool would that be?" Finally there was one somewhat near me (NYC) so I decided to go. Going to boot camp and open air preaching on a NYC subway, and on the Staten Island Ferry, and in Time Square was a life-changer for me.<BR/><BR/>I'll never be the same, and I praise God for that.<BR/><BR/>The funniest part of EBC was when I got to meet Ray. He was my hero in the faith, and so there he was, next to me, and he put out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Ray." And I was thinking, "Yeah, no kidding!"<BR/><BR/>Very humble, and funny guy. He even laughed at my jokes, which shows he is merciful as well. ;)<BR/><BR/>I thank God for the ministry God has given Ray, and I hope to be used by God to reach the lost and to encourage other Christians to do so as well.Mark Sohmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12700004825482517728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329408579460570583.post-61341365390740690482008-03-05T11:32:00.000-08:002008-03-05T11:32:00.000-08:00Thanks so much for your encouragment! "BTW, you re...Thanks so much for your encouragment! "BTW, you really need to get Todd to plug your site more." Shoot him an email at The Way of the Master Radio and tell him :-). That would be great :-)Thanks for reading my blog!Fish With Trishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04278929770287008838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3329408579460570583.post-34037181195566727762008-03-05T06:02:00.000-08:002008-03-05T06:02:00.000-08:00Thanks for sharing this Trish. I was first expos...Thanks for sharing this Trish. I was first exposed to the "short little man with a funny mustache and catchy accent" a little over a month ago and it has change my life...and not in the "Best life now" kind of way. I guess it is more like a "best life for eternity" type of way. ;)<BR/><BR/>I just wanted to thank you for your ministry and contribution on WOTM Radio. BTW, you really need to get Todd to plug your site more. :)Wretched Sinnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05888613744021329745noreply@blogger.com