INTRO-HOME PAGE
 ARTICLES-REVIEWS
 HOMESCHOOL INFO
 GRADE LEVELS
 LINK LIBRARY
 MORE LINKS
 LEARNING FOR LIFE
 PRODUCT CATALOG
 ABOUT US
|
The Way of the MasterThe Way of the Master is a 30-min. television show hosted by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. The original two 13-episode seasons are available on DVD, the third season was released on DVD in the Fall of 2008, and in September 2007 they completed filming the fourth season in Europe. (13 episodes in 13 different countries in 13 days!) We were introduced to the program by an assistant pastor friend of ours at Calvary Chapel. (Thanks, Karl!) At first we borrowed the DVDs from his church library, then we purchased our own copies and have been watching them over and over again. We are finding these shows to be just as fascinating with each viewing! You may remember actor Kirk Cameron from the television sitcom “Growing Pains.” He also starred in the Left Behind movie. Cameron was at one time a devout atheist before he became a Christian. Ray Comfort grew up in New Zealand where he was an avid surfer. Today, he is an evangelist and open-air preacher in the Los Angeles area. On weekday mornings, Ray often preaches to the crowd waiting to enter the Bellflower courthouse building. He regularly goes to the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica on Friday nights to street preach, and to Huntington Beach on Saturdays at noon to preach at the pier. Ray and Kirk’s backgrounds made them an ideal team for evangelizing Southern California! In their television series which is aired nationwide, Kirk and Ray walk viewers through the basic steps of biblical evangelism while showing actual “man-on-the-street” interviews. This blends the high interest appeal of reality TV with the classic teachings of Christianity. The way in which they tackle a serious topic with a healthy dose of humor and a hip sense of style makes for a program that is both entertaining and enlightening. In fact, The Way of the Master has received numerous awards including the “People’s Choice Award” and the “Best Program of the Year Award.” Ray and Kirk generally begin by approaching someone with one of their eye-catching tracts, saying “Did you get one of these?” Then they casually inquire, “Have you had a Christian background?” This leads the conversation to the moral cornerstone of the Ten Commandments, which is meant to bring about the person’s acknowledgement of their sin and serve as a powerful wake-up call in regard to their need for God’s grace. No wonder atheists want to get the Ten Commandments out of the public’s eye! The acronym WDJD in The Way of the Master logo stands for “What Did Jesus Do?” as well as the first letter of each of the four main talking points:
While this program mainly tells how to evangelize others, it also speaks to the viewer’s conscience and helped open up my own eyes. For example, I was brought up in a Christian home and always considered myself to be a “good” person. I don’t use the Lord’s name in vain, I haven’t committed adultery, I’m not a murderer, etc. So I never fully comprehended why Jesus would have personally died on the cross for little ol’ me, since I never did any real serious sins. It was other people who had the dramatic life-changing testimonies. But The Way of the Master made me realize that I’m actually pretty bad, too – especially when it comes to the part where hate is "murder at heart." In my self-righteousness, I just never thought of it that way. I’ve never heard anyone preach the Ten Commandments on such a personal, down-to-earth level like Ray and Kirk do. Believe it or not, some detractors question Ray Comfort’s credibility as an unordained minister and Kirk Cameron being a former child actor without any qualifications. However, their ministry has been commended by such great evangelists as Franklin Graham, D. James Kennedy, and Josh McDowell. Ray and Kirk are effectively doing exactly what Jesus commanded – fulfilling the Great Commission and spreading the Gospel. (“Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” ~Mark 16:15) As Christians, that’s what we’re all supposed to be doing! In addition to their television show and DVDs, The Way of the Master ministry has a radio show and an informative website. Ray Comfort himself is the author of more than 50 books, and his organization has published numerous gospel tracts. They also produce basic training courses for small groups, Sunday school classes, and churches. These come with study guides and selected video clips from The Way of the Master. Another branch of their ministry is The School of Biblical Evangelism which equips Christians to share their faith. This school is available both online and in textbook form. For more information about the joint evangelism / education ministry of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, please visit www.thewayofthemaster.com.
P.S. Our whole family likes The Way of the Master – this includes mom, dad, and children ages 7, 12, and 17. Because of its upbeat music and message, my husband watches it every day during his morning workout. However, I would say that our teenage son Peter has become the most zealous follower. It all started when he was on an internet forum in which someone wondered what happens when you die. Peter simply said that you either go to heaven or hell, which set off a huge debate on the existence of God. At first he kept getting caught up in endless intellectual arguments, and that’s when The Way of the Master was recommended to us. Since then, Peter has enrolled in the School of Biblical Evangelism and has spent hundreds of hours practicing “online evangelism” in forums and chat rooms. (When doing this, if you are asked a difficult question you can always go to www.livingwaters.com and click on “Free Evangelism Resources,” then “Free Answers Tool.” There you will find answers to 100 of the most common questions and objections to the Christian faith. These can be freely cut and pasted into e-mails.) If you are a fan of The Way of the Master, you should visit their Christian evangelism ministry headquarters in Bellflower, CA (L.A. area). We called ahead to see if we could visit them while we were over there on vacation. Most of the crew was in Europe filming the fourth season, but we were treated to a quick tour of the ministry. (Click here to see a few photos.) They are such a nice group of people! They really made us feel welcome and even had a sign in the lobby saying “Welcome Rich Olsen & family from Arizona.” We got to peek inside Ray Comfort’s office, the soundproof studio, telephone call center, packing and shipping department, meet their graphic designer, and purchase a bunch of resources direct from the source. If you want gospel tracts, boy, do they have an amazing variety – at least 70 different unique tracts and conversation starters! There are Ten Commandments coins, IQ tests, optical illusions, million dollar bills, pressed pennies, celebrity test, Round Tuits, Spanish tracts, humorous tracts, and assorted booklets. They also have a sample pack filled with one of each so you can decide which ones you like best. Visit their website at www.livingwaters.com to see the complete collection.
ARIZONA | LEARNING FOR LIFE | PRODUCT CATALOG | LINK LIBRARY | ABOUT US | CONTACT
These pages are a continuous work in progress.
Visit my other website - www.ArizonaEdventures.com - click here to explore Arizona!
|
Thanks for your votes!
and purchase items via our affiliate links. Thank you!
|