American Idol: On the Line

Four evangelists. One message. A mile long line of people.

Now that the American Idol auditions are over for the 2011 season, I thought I would show what happened last May when we visited the people waiting in line to get into the show’s Finale. From delivering the message on stair steps, to in the streets—even from a hedgerow—I agree with George Whitefield who said in the 18th century, “I hope I shall learn more and more every day, that no place is amiss for preaching the Gospel.”

See what else we did in previous years, including our videotaped confrontation with security on a public sidewalk.

Watch our video-taped American Idol dust-up by clicking here.

In 2009 we actually preached about 9 times on the Red Carpet! Click here to read about it.

And I just discovered this line, accidentally, in 2008. Read what happened, which includes the crowd turning against me, by clicking here.

Comments (7)

  1. Davy

    Reply

    Uhhh…how do you call standing in a bush preaching “out loud” not screaming at people and being peacefull? You are obviously not using your indoor voice and you are obviously by the expressions on some people’s faces disturbing the peace.

  2. Reply

    Davy,

    Thanks for visiting!

    While standing in the bushes we spoke calmly with a sound system. The look on those peoples face are more like, “What are those nuts doing here? I wish they’d leave.”

    And we certainly are disturbing their false peace that assures them that they are going to heaven because they are good. See this video for extra credit.

  3. Rachael

    Reply

    Love it! The Good News of the Gospel never gets old. It’s the most beautiful message in the world. Thanks for posting!

  4. vintango2k

    Reply

    @ Rachel

    How is, ‘Sorry folks, but unless you believe in God or Jesus, without any tangible evidence, you’re going to burn forever in hellfire, after sent there by said loving God’ a beautiful message exactly? Don’t you think, that if God really… and I do mean REALLY wanted you to get into heaven to be with him, he’d manifest himself like he did in the Old Testament. Burning Bush, parting the Red Sea, Tornado of Fire type stuff and reveal his presence to us, and let us know first hand what we should and should not do in order to appease him? Why leave it up to a text book that has changed many times over the centuries, and contradicts the laws of nature, physics, and testable, proven science?

    Steve I almost see your absolute dogmatic devotion to the text of the Bible as a form of idolatry. You hold up the Bible, a text book written by MEN, and different ones from different time periods at that, as the ultimate word of God when it itself is filled with flaws and inconsistencies that, if it was the Word of God would be completely infallible, true (meaning it would confirm what we know about biology, chemistry, geology, and physics), and without contradiction. But its not, the text of the Bible and the meanings of its passages have changed over time, don’t believe me? Do a search online for Bibles and there are numerous differing texts depending on which version of the Bible you choose, some with similar passages, others with the same, others are changed, and very rarely are two versions ever identical. Combine this with the fact that there are numerous different sects of Christianity, each of which can have their own statements of faith that can wildly differ from one another and almost each of which are ‘absolutely certain’ that their interpretation of the Bible is the true and only way to please God. Well I’m sorry Steve, but if God is all knowing and infallible, if he is so superior to us, so righteous, and if his love is greater than even the love of our parents, then he would not doom anyone to an eternity of perpetual agony, no kind or loving person with a conscious would do that to a person. Just imagine, if one of your kids decided to follow another faith Steve, maybe she decided she wanted to be a Hindu, a Jew, or even a Catholic, and she failed to meet the criteria you assert as the only way to get into heaven. What if she ended up in Hell and you ended up in Heaven? Wouldn’t it kill you inside, to know that you would be eternally separated from someone you loved with all your heart? To know that they were suffering without end while you were enjoying paradise without them?

  5. Davy

    Reply

    Ha Ha..there are other ways to get the message accross…i dunno how you expect people to take you seriously… so i was having this discusion with another religious person and i wondered why your group is so synical? What if you grew up on a island apart from western culture or their beliefs or any other countries and their beliefs for that matter? You grow up never hearing about the Bible..Jesus..God…that person would still go to hell? Doesn’t really make sense.
    I think Jesus wanted good in the world…and sacraficed himself and hung on the cross because he wasn’t happy with what the church was doing at the time. Oh and he wasn’t the first to do that by the way, and he wasn’t the last person to do that either who was unhappy with the way things were going with their church/government. But then again..you guys are using a different book than most.
    Oh man this is becoming more of entertainment for me now…you guys should start your own reality show.

  6. Reply

    Catherine Booth once said, “if we are to change the future, we must disturb the present”.

    That said, we must be sure we are lead by the Spirit and not just being presumptive. Press on toward the mark. \o/ – Lahry

  7. Val Scott

    Reply

    I like that: “if we are to change the future, we must disturb the present.” The idea some disagree with in using the Law is that pointing out peoples wrongs offends them without purpose, but the Bible says God gave the Law to call blind peoples attention to their sin. If the good news were not presented with the Law, that Jesus saved us from the curse of the Law, then all the Law does is condenm and leave no hope at all, because only the goodness of God leads people to repentance, that is, that God so loved the world that He gave Himself to be punished for our violations. This is a message that makes no sense if the people hearing it think they have done nothing wrong. And this is what some detractors claim, that “people already know their sinners and don’t need to hear the Law.” But if that is true, why did God give the Law? And why when you ask unbelievers if they will go to heaven, they say “Yes! because I am a good person!” Without the knowledge of a sickness, nobody will desire a cure. Anyone who denies their sin, God gave the Law for that person.

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