31 DAYS TO

Contagious Living

A Daily Devotional Guide on Modeling Christ to Others

R. Larry Moyer

Grand Rapids, MI 49501

31 Days to Contagious Living: A Daily Devotional Guide on Modeling Christ to Others

© 2000 by R. Larry Moyer

Published by Kregel Publications, a division of Kregel, Inc., P.O. Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501. Kregel Publications provides trusted, biblical publications for Christian growth and service. Your comments and suggestions are valued.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Bible Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Moyer, R. Larry (Richard Larry).

31 days to contagious living: a daily devotional guide on modeling Christ to others / R. Larry Moyer.

p. cm.

1. Witness bearing (Christianity)—Prayer-books and devotions—English. 2. Devotional calendars. I. Title: Thirty-one days to contagious living. II. Title.

BV4520.M66 2000 242′.2—dc21 00-035725

CIP

ISBN 0-8254-3172-3

To my fellow brothers and sisters in the family of God
worldwide who want to live in a way that attracts people
to Jesus Christ. May God use this book to encourage you
in holy living, and may God use you to introduce
multitudes to the Savior.

No doubt you’ve heard it said, “All we have to do is live the Christian life around non-Christians. That in itself will bring them to the Savior.”

I could not disagree more. Even if you lived a perfect and Christlike life, it would not explain to the non-Christian how to come to Christ. An individual can observe a dedicated Christian for fifty years and be impressed beyond description. But until somebody explains the gospel to that person, he or she has no idea how to come to the Savior.

Evangelism, biblically defined, means sharing the gospel with the intent of seeing the other person trust Christ. Until we present the gospel through spoken or written witness and invite people to trust Christ, we have not evangelized them. Whether or not they come to Christ is ultimately God’s responsibility. But our job as evangelists includes both information and invitation.

At the same time, no one would deny the importance of living a life that attracts non-Christians to the Savior. Paul the apostle alluded to that very need. He says in Philippians 2:14–15, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Then he adds, “Holding fast the word of life.…”

His point is rather ...