Outward Focused: Stories about the day I died

Steve Sjogren: Session 2 Notes on "The Day I Died"

Steve has a new book arriving early next year talking about the day that he actually died. ON the operating table, his heart completely stopped, and was dead for 7 minutes.

During that time, he had an encounter with God.

Steve explaings it as abook that will more than likely 'piss Christians off'! The book is actually not intended for a Christian audience, but for the Not yet Christians - as a tool to lead them to a better understanding of who God is.

There were many things that God spoke to Steve that day, and I can't do justice to the whole encounter ( you'll have to buy the book!), but he did give two specifics of things God wanted him to change. He did say that he was rebuked,and knew he had to change, yet felt encouraged and loved by a Holy God.

A couple things he heard that day:

1. Stop moving like a rabbit. Move like a turtle.

As a church planter, Steve was working over 100 hours a week. Several lunches a day, several meetings a day. God clearly told him to slow down. The Rabbit life doesn't pay off in the end. He lives that out since that day, and in his next church planting experience, hopes to continue a more turtle pace. Slow And Steady!

2. What are the names of your kids friends?

God spoke to him about getting to know his kids friends. During that time, they would be over at the house, but Steve never took the time to get to know them, to love on them, and be a good father figure, and Godly influence in their lives.

From his experience that day, Steve wanted to encourage people that there should be no fear in death. Many have fears of death, and from his 7 minutes (which to him felt like much longer) he knew he was in the presence of a loving God who cared for him.

After his experience, he spent many hours finding our what went wrong, what doctors did and didn't do. He has gained much wisdom about the experience. He encouraged all the men at the conference to take care of themselves, and be wise about their helathcare, adn ask many questions. Live with the Wisdom of Solomon!

Steve said he read a chapter of Proverbs a day for the past thirty years and Prays that "God would let him live out that wisdom is his life".


Steve Sjogren is the founding Pastor of Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, and loves servant evangelism.

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