This has never happened to me. I could hardly believe it. God still works miracles…
As I sat in my van at Valvoline Instant Oil Change, Sonie the service writer asked, “How are you today?”
“I’m thankful. Are you?”
“Me?” she asked with surprise, “For what?”
“I don’t know, is there anything you are thankful for?”
“My [...]

Just who is that “Jesus Guy” with the “Jesus Truck” festooned with old Christmas tinsel and a million Jesus signs? And why does he leave his similarly decorated “Jesus Bike” in front of a parking lot in South Redondo for all to see? At Trader Joe’s I asked the checker, Skye, about him…
“You mean [...]

He stood on the side of the road in front of his car. The hood was open and his hands were out-stretched holding jumper cables desperate for someone - anyone - to stop and help…
I’m speeding north on Normandie Ave. and late already to a CPR class after dropping my kids off at a [...]

A lady had just rung up over $62.00 worth of groceries in the fifteen-items-or-less line at Albertson’s. Of course, I was in a hurry…
She said, “I hope you’re not in a hurry and if you are, tough bananas!”
My mind swirled. Shock and awe gripped me. Tough bananas? The nerve. What [...]

The unexpected occurred. It was awesome…
Part of my pastoral responsibilities at Hope Chapel include a weekly POD shift. As the Pastor On Duty from 1-5pm on Wednesdays, I field calls, answer Bible questions, pray with people and attend to those who come into the church with various problems.
Last week, three people came [...]

I steeled myself with prayer and loaded a Gospel of John into my back pocket while strapping my cellphone to the belt. As I straightened my back, I resolved to trust God or die. With the wind at my brow, I hunkered over to the Chinese fast food joint next to [...]

I went back to Chong’s last week and there behind the counter is…Andy, the Manager!
Out of courtesy, I open the door for a few people coming into the restaurant. Some stood around looking at the wall menu while others poked at the safety glass that seperated noses from food. Let’s see, [...]

When I go to Chong’s for some Chinese fast food I try to avoid one particular man as he serves up my order…
It’s not that he’s a bad guy. And it isn’t because I don’t like him. In fact it has nothing to do with his character. I have to admit though, that [...]

This is a departure from my regular “evangelistic adventure” of the week, but I thought with the new year I could share what I’ve learned in 2004 since I made this commitment to evangelize (nearly) everyday. It all started with a challenge from my pastor, Zac, in a New Year’s message entitled “Spiritual Game [...]

I had a short interview with the Daily Breeze last week and the reporter asked me what I thought of the current secular trend of combining the winter holidays and calling them Chrismakkuh or Chrismahanukkwanzakah. Here’s what was printed in the “Faith and Values” section on December 25, 2004:
“Christmawhat?” asked the Rev. Steve Sanchez of [...]

Children laugh with anticipation. Stockings are hung with joy. Chestnuts roast on an open fire.
Sleigh bells jingle. A list is checked twice. “Ho, ho, ho!”
Happy Hanukah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Winter Solstice! Happy Holidays!
BAH, HUMBUG!!!
It’s Christmas time and I’m going to do something about it. I’ve got a [...]

“So what do you think?” I asked the the cashier at Petsmart as I purchased a bottle of dog ear cleaner.
“Huh?” Rachel answered.
“Do you think dogs go to Heaven?”
“Oh Heaven. Definitely!”
“Then what about people?” I continued.
“Oh I don’t know. That’s up to them.”
“What about you?”
“I don’t know, really…”
“You know, with that answer, [...]

As I entered the doors of Target I asked two very serious security guards where I might find an item. Of course, I also had to ask my favorite question, “If you were to die today, would you go to Heaven or Hell?”
“Hell,” said Sid.
“Heaven,” said Daniel.
“Why are you going to Hell, Sid?”
“‘Cause [...]

I wanted to see who was truly thankful last week, why, and to whom. So I asked a few people and got a variety of answers…
At Joe’s I asked the waitress, “What are you thankful for?” She looked surprised and didn’t answer.
When she came back I asked her the same question. [...]

Sometimes a whole day can pass by without any opportunities to give the Gospel to an unbeliever because I’m holed up in the office or inside my home. What should I do then?
I could shout on a street corner, “REPENT!” Then duck for cover…
I could force a conversation with my neighbor: “Hi [...]

So there I was, sitting with the Scientologist “volunteer minister” hoping that the Daily Breeze or Easy Reader wouldn’t take a picture of us on stage together…
The Reverend Friend had asked me to give the invocation for the Redondo Beach Veteran’s Day memorial at Veteran’s Park last week and told me that I could [...]

Sometimes a simple prayer may be the best witness…
Nettie had a sad, somewhat grumpy face as I picked up the egg, bacon and cheese biscuit from the drive-thru window at McDonald’s. I wanted to encourage her a little and find out if there was a way I could lift her spirits. “How are you [...]

Kylee waited on me as I returned two heaters and a pair of jeans to Costco last week.
“Why the returns?” she asked.
I answered, “The heaters are a fire hazard, can you believe it? You can’t leave them in the kid’s room unattended and they can’t be around anything closer than three feet.”
She processed paperwork [...]

I went to See’s Candy in the mall last week and knew that I would give the Gospel to one of the two girls serving behind the counter. Standing in line, I reflected on why I waited until now to share. Why hadn’t I spoken of Christ earlier in the day when [...]

It’s been six months since I started writing these E-vangie Tales and it’s been a challenge to witness nearly everyday. To keep it fun and interesting, I like to experiment with various opening lines when starting a conversation about the Gospel. When I go to a place, I try to think of a [...]

As I was shopping at Albertson’s in Lomita, I noticed a little kid with a patch of flames sewn to the back of his pants. I caught a glimpse of the T-shirt he was wearing and was curious as to what it said.
“Excuse me. What does your shirt say?” As he turns [...]

While my daughters were waiting to get some teriyaki chicken at the Farmer’s Market, I happened to strike up a conversation with a wild-haired homeless man wearing cool sunglasses…
“Hey man, you know Jesus loves you?” I asked as he approached.
“Yeah”, he replied, “you told me before.”
“I did?”
“You know, I hear voices,” he explained. “At the [...]

It was a Monday night and my friend Tom came over with two teens to help me with some “Honey-Do” projects around the house. After the work was done we all sat down to chat because Ashley and Cameron (their real names, used with permission), had some questions that they wanted to ask a pastor. [...]

It was getting late and I still needed to find someone to tell about Jesus. At the week-end service we were reminded to ask God to bring someone into our paths each day and watch what He will do. I prayed, yet no-one had crossed my path so I was forced to take [...]

“The Passion of the Christ” was scheduled to be shown at our Sunday evening service and I was excited to host this evening since I had seen the film four times before. The “Thirst Band” had prepared some great Christ-honoring songs to prepare the hearts of those who would come and I had prayed [...]

Sometimes the unremarkable can be incredibly significant and wonderful…
My family and I had just enjoyed a great dinner at “The Spot” in Hermosa and then walked down to the beach under a brilliant moonlit evening. There had been no natural opportunity that day to share the Gospel and I wondered how I was going [...]

There we were, the two kids and I, ready to get some pizza in the little outdoor place at Costco, when a big burly bearded dude wearing a long black robe approached the order window…around his neck was a huge wooden crucifix, the vampire-repellant kind. Obviously this guy was a faker or a too-hip-post-modern-hippie [...]

I couldn’t believe it…I must have been daydreaming…somebody pinch me…
I have added a new weapon in my evangelistic arsenal that people actually appreciate and an opening line that causes everyone to respond with slight embarrassment. The weapon? A pocket-sized Gospel of John.
The line? “I’ll bet it’s been awhile since you’ve read [...]

Hi Justin,
What a great meditation you just wrote, it was very interesting and I can see you are a very bright guy. I want you to look up a verse and write back and tell me what you think it means, it’s very important in terms of understanding who God is and what He [...]

Justin’s Version:
Whoa. I’ve come a long way on this one. In fifteen years, I’ve gone from the absent-spirited acceptance of my birth-given Christian faith, appropriately titled “God-fearing”, to a journey through Buddhism that I am still traveling today, to a kind of lazy, rebellious attempt at breaking away from any religion to form [...]