by Mike Benson

"Frog Follies" sounds like something from an old episode of The Muppet Show, when in reality it’s the annual car exhibition held here in Evansville.

The display started back in 1975 when the Evansville Iron Street Rod Club hosted a “rod run” for local street rod owners. The event was dubbed “Frog Follies” due to the bullfrog race that was held at that initial show.

The very first FF registered 44 vehicles. Now, almost thirty years later, the event accepts between 4,000 and 6,000 entries, and is one of the biggest automobile swap meets in the Midwest. Owners bring their cars from as far north as Alaska and as far south as Australia. Proceeds from the event go to various charities and also provide scholarship funds for local high school students.

It’s not really necessary to look at your calendar and try to remember when Frog Follies comes about. Just wait—you’ll know when it’s in town. Those few days immediately proceeding the show, colorful street rods can literally be found all over Vanderburgh County. It’s not unusual to see dozens of flashy cars working their way through area traffic. Every vehicle seizes your attention; every street rod turns your head. Suddenly the family sedan seems incredibly lack-luster and boring.

In an odd sort of way, the best advertisement for the Follies is not the actual show itself when the cars are all together at the fairgrounds. Rather, it’s when those thousands of street rods are being driven throughout the community.

It occurs to me that Christianity is a lot like our local car show. Often times we think the best publicity for The Faith is the worship services held at the building each Lord’s Day. We reason that by virtue of the fact that we’re meeting as a group in one place, sinners will naturally want to attend. In reality, people are drawn to our assemblies when/as they see us in and around town (1 Pet. 2:12; 3:2). Our example (1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Pet. 2:21), the joy that we experience as members of the body of Christ (1 Pet. 1:8), the assurance we exude in terms of our salvation (Heb. 10:22), and the faithfulness we exhibit as we interact with our peers (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:15) prompts them to investigate our gatherings. Its not what happens behind the “closed doors” of the worship assembly that entices our friends to attend; it’s how the Word becomes flesh in our own lives.

Dear Christian, whether we like it or not, our lives are on display (Matt. 5:14;1 Pet. 2:9). If we really want to impact our friends for eternity and the sake of their souls, they’ve got to see us moving (1 Cor. 15:58) and heading in the right direction (Col. 3:1ff).

Are you just going to the local car show on Sunday, or are you driving around town during the week? “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47; cf. Eph. 5:8).