For some reading this, apps are as normal to life as breathing. But others don’t even know, and might not really care, what an “app” is. For the latter group, “app” is an abbreviation of “application software” which is a computer program that helps a user perform a task.

Many apps are developed to connect consumers with producers. If someone has a product or information they want to make accessible to potential consumers, they produce an app that others can download to their mobile phones or communication devices so that consumers can access the products quickly and easily.

There are apps for everything under the sun—shopping apps, news apps, blogging apps, financial management apps, cooking apps, educational apps, and game apps.

Take a look at some “app numbers” so far:
- Apple opened their iPhone App Store on July 11, 2008.
- 500 apps were available in the first release.
- Ten million downloads of first apps were performed in the first three days.
- One billion downloads occurred in the first nine months.
- The Apple Corporation now reviews approximately 200,000 new app submissions every month!

The Witness App
So what does this have to do with us, and especially a with sermon series? Our theme for 2010 is Witness. In September we are focusing on how to give our personal witness to others. Perhaps the most famous example of this in the Bible is the Apostle Paul. Several times in the Book of Acts he shared the story of who he was before he met Christ, how he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, and what his life was like after that famous encounter.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul condensed his testimony into a powerful witness of the impact of God in his life (1 Timothy 1:12-17):

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

What strikes me most is that Paul found an “app” for his life. Through Christ he discovered a way to make all the experiences in his life count for something that really mattered.

Finding an App for the Dark Times
Most of us don’t mind sharing the good things about our lives when it seems appropriate to a conversation. We love to share stories about the wonderful people we know or the experiences and memories we hold precious. But what do we do about those dark and painful memories (or maybe we should call them secrets)? What do we do with those parts of our lives that seem better left unspoken?

Several years ago after a Sunday morning sermon, a couple approached me with a revelation and an offer. They shared that several years ago one of them had been involved in an extra-marital affair. Although they thought their marriage was “okay,” the affair revealed otherwise. They shared an overview of the grueling path toward reconciliation, healing, and the ultimate victory God had brought about for their marriage. I had great respect for this couple, and to be candid, would never have guessed that they had been through an affair and the difficult aftermath.

But then came their offer. They told me, “We believe God wants us to use what happened to us for his glory and to help others. We are prayerfully at a place where we believe we can help others. If you ever think we can assist someone who is going through this, feel free to call on us.”

I was blown away. I could tell that they had carefully and prayerfully come to this decision, and their humility was also evident. They didn’t come across as being experts or having all the answers. They simply wanted their lives to be a witness of the power of God to transform dark times and awful secrets into a meaningful witness for God.

Four months after their proposal, Susan and the kids and I were visiting Susan’s parents in Indiana when my cell phone rang. On the other end of the line I could hear a dear friend sobbing. I could barely hear the voice on the other end of the line, but the news was devastating. Their marriage was in trouble because that very evening, an affair was confessed. They needed our help, but we were in Indiana, and they were in Atlanta. As they shared their pain, I listened and prayed. My heart ached for them, and suddenly the distance between us felt immense, like we were on opposite sides of the world.

Then the Holy Spirit spoke into my spirit and reminded me of the couple who offered their help whenever I thought it was appropriate. I gently asked the couple sharing their hurt that evening if I could make a quick phone call and then get right back to them. They agreed, so I hung up and called the couple who had offered to help. I shared with them that we had a couple in trouble who could really use their help. I asked if they would be okay if I mentioned them and attempted to bring the two couples together. They wholeheartedly agreed.

I called the other couple back and told them that another couple had been through this and were willing to meet with them and walk with them on this painful path. First, they were amazed that this other couple had ever been through anything like an affair. Second, it was so touching to them that they were willing to make themselves vulnerable and walk with them through some things that could potentially bring up some painful memories. Third, they were so comforted that someone who could really understand them was going to be there by their side.

With everyone’s permission, I gave them each other’s phone numbers and let them do the rest. Later I learned that they got together that very night, and the love of God began to touch the hearts of all. By the grace of God and the dedication of both couples, they are reconciled, healing, and building strong marriages. They found an “app” for the dark times and turned those times into a powerful witness for God.

Uploading Resources, Downloading Experiences
What if your most challenging crisis, difficult defeat, or disabling secret could reveal your greatest cause and most effective witness? During the September sermon series we will focus on how to upload God’s resources so that we can download our experiences into a powerful witness for him. That’s His app for that!

Don McLaughlin