ASI Virtual 2020: Three Angels' Messages - In Times Like These

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John Bradshaw

David DeRose

Denzil McNeilus

Donna McNeilus

Brian Schwartz

ASI Spring Chapter Conference - Sabbath Afternoon

We are empowered by lay-driven leadership, connecting lay ministries and business people to share Christ in the marketplace in support of the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Welcome to the virtual Spring chapter meetings for ASI.

We have been inspired, been blessed, and encouraged by all the great speakers, testimonies, missions and actions and beautiful music that we have received so far in this program.

And unfortunately, this is our last meeting.

It has gone very, very rapidly, and I know that you've been blessed as much as we have been blessed being here.

But before we start, we'd like to start with a word of prayer.

Our Heavenly Father, we want to thank you for the privilege of knowing you, for the privilege of being able to tell others about you and your soon return.

Lord, bless us as we talk about your work and your ministries, but Lord, most of all, we pray that all honor, glory, and praise will go to you and you alone and help us to be inspired to do more to tell others about you and your soon return.

My faithful Father, Enduring Friend, My faithful Father, enduring friend, Your tender mercy's like a river With no end it overwhelms me covers my sin.

Each time I come into your presence, I stand in wonder once again.

Each day I fall on my knees Cause your grace Still amazes me Your grace still amazes me O patient Savior Oh, patient Savior, You make me whole.

You are the author and the healer of my soul What can I give you?

Only to offer you my Only to offer you my praise Your grace still amazes me Your love is still a mystery Each day I fall on my knees Cause your grace still amazes me Your grace still amazes me He is deeper, He is wider He is stronger, He is higher It's wider, it's stronger, it's higher, it's deeper, It's wider, it's stronger, it's higher than anything.

Your grace still amazes me My name is Denzel McNeilis.

I'm from Dodd Center, Minnesota, and I am a banker by trade.

Me as being a businessman, I thought that my first job was to make money and give it to the church and let the professionals do the work.

I didn't realize that there's this whole opportunity of sharing Christ in your own marketplace.

And So I just get inspired by my own brothers and sisters that are involved in business that are doing not just giving money, but they're giving, and don't get me wrong, you need to support the church.

You need to be giving your money because that's part of who you are.

But the real focal point is, what are you doing besides giving your money?

Where are you giving your own personal Bible study?

Because let's face it, the Lord doesn't need our money, Because He has it all, right?

And what we need to do is be giving not just of our money, but of our time.

We're a family-owned bank, so we're a community bank.

Our main focus here is to take care of our customers and to be a light in this community for Jesus.

I believe the Lord is using this business.

I believe that We as business people have an opportunity to share Christ where we are.

And I believe every person is put in a position to reach people that no 1 else can reach.

On the banking side, people tend to be a little more vulnerable when they're discussing their financials and so they'll let their guard down a little bit.

That can filter into other types of discussions.

Obviously, religion would be a component of that.

Because we call these divine appointments, these opportunities that he gets us to share.

I feel that if God calls you into a place where you are working with the public that he does expect you to share him.

Well, sharing Christ in a marketplace can't just be a meaning.

It has to be a lifestyle in what we do as a family.

I always make it a point of when a customer asks me, how are you doing?

Because that's kind of a standard answer.

And they'll say, well, how does it get better and fantastic?

And so I know with the Lord coming, it's going to get better than that.

Or another person will ask, well, how are you doing?

I had a customer say to that to me He goes that's right.

I really would like to talk to you about your faith Can we can we meet and talk about your faith?

And so just by answering questions like that in a way that creates opportunity for opening the doors, I think is very, very important for us to open doors to be able to share the gospel.

Our friend Dwight Hildebrand says the best.

He says, once you share Christ, It's like a disease and there is no cure because you want to do it over and over and over again Because it's such a joy Well Don on Denzel that was just a fabulous intro to a Members in Action segment, 1 of my favorite ones, and we don't even have to move.

So Denzel, that was just really warm my heart, but just give me some examples of how you've been very intentional in your business to set up the way to share Christ.

Well, Brian, you know, we just built a new corporate office, as you saw in the video, And what we've done is we've made that an intentional way.

We want to use everything in our office to be able to witness to Christ.

So our artwork, the literature that we have in our offices all lead to Christ.

Plus another thing that I've learned in all these ideas we actually got from other ASI members coming to ASI conventions.

But 1 thing I did learn is that when you go into a customer's office or someone comes into your office, they want to find some common ground.

So they always want to look around your office and see what they can see that they can talk about and ask you about.

So what I did when I built this new office is designed it so that No matter what you point to everything on in my office can lead to a conversation about Jesus Yeah, that's excellent.

I know I haven't been to the new office, but in your old office I remember seeing things from mission trips in Philippines and Thailand and different places.

So each 1 of these things is designed to spark an interest and generate a question.

Can you tell us any examples of how your clients or people that have come into the bank have actually responded to these things.

I'll show them like here I have money from different countries that I carry in my Bible to remind us that money is not really that important because it's just really a piece of paper.

Well, the Zimbabwe 1 is very interesting because it's a $100 trillion bill.

And the worst part about this was in 1978, the exchange rate was 2 Zimbabwe dollars to 1 US dollar.

Gives new meaning to don't put your trust in money.

I mentioned that I always try to lead with a question like I've been blessed.

And 1 time I was talking to a customer, I said, I've been blessed.

And he said, I would like to learn more about your faith.

And we've now had about a series of about a half a dozen lunches since that time, and we've been able to talk more and more about our faith and got into some very deep theological discussions and it's been a real blessing.

So you can actually engage with a client who comes to you for a loan or for a banking need and actually wind up giving Bible studies.

That's incredible, very powerful the way that you guys are using your ministry.

And Donna, you've been cooped up at home with this COVID thing, but how have you been dealing with us?

ASI Spring Chapter Conference - Sabbath Afternoon

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