By David Rogers. July 11, 2011. BLOWING ROCK -- An engaging John Guest lived up to his billing this morning as "the thinking man's evangelist." The featured speaker of Blowing Rock's Men's Connection Bible Study's annual keynote, everyone-invited special event, Guest held his audience -- nearly 200 men and women -- spellbound for an hour at Chetola Mountain Resort in Blowing Rock.

Guest recounted stories and delineated the logic of his beliefs. "There was nothing about my childhood that was religious," the Rev. Dr. Guest said. "I was never raised to go to church."

"I am here this morning," Guest said in opening his remarks, "because of a 1954 Billy Graham Crusade in England.   It revolutionized my life.  I went to church chasing a girl."  The girl dumped him, Guest told an amused audience, but not before he had begun to ask and have answered his many questions about the purpose of his life. "It his hard to imagine I was that clueless about religion and Christianity," Guest shared.  "But I was, and today my heart is always reaching out, trying to find that one person who is as clues today as I was back then."

Guest's central message was built around three promises God made to every person on Earth through Jesus Christ, his Son.

1. "I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2).  Heaven is available to us -- which is the heart of the Good News.
2. "It is finished." (John 19:30) All of our sins are paid for, in full, by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
3. "I will come in." (Revelation 3:20) If you open the door, God through Christ will come into your life.

"At the heart of our religious faith," explained Guest, "is a personal relationship with a living Lord Jesus."

To better communicate his messaging, Guest told numerous stories, most poignantly personal recollections.

Blowing Rock's Tucker Yates served as emcee for the event.  

Summer Men's Connection Bible Study leader Chip Cash, a director with Charlotte's Search Ministries, concluded the meeting with summary remarks and an open invitation to attend the Tuesday morning meetings at Chetola.

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