You want me to explain the gospel?
A default setting is one that we have so mastered, that it is second nature to use it.
A default setting enables us to explain a few points of the gospel clearly when its appropriate.
Using Tracts for Evangelism
A mother asked about using tracts for personal evangelism. Tracts may not always be useful in every context, but using tracts for evangelism can be a helpful conversation starter, a great seed planter, and the Holy Spirit can use it much later than the day the person received it.
6 Different Gospel Presentations for Personal Evangelism
We always want to be prepared to explain our faith.
We get better at it as we mature in Christ.
God's sovereignty is not an excuse to avoid evangelism, nor to be sloppy in our presentation.
Book Review: Offer Them Life
Having read a steady diet of popular church growth books, Dan Dunn’s Offer Them Life: A Life-Based Evangelistic Vision is different academic challenge. It is not a book to consume in one sitting, but a great book for those who want to think deeply on the biblical theme of Life. I love Dan’s passion for …
Are you a Genesis 3 Christian?
I listened to the testimony of an adult woman from Guatemala. She is 2nd from the left in the image. Her journey to faith brought me to tears, and once again aroused my desire to help other people share the good news of Jesus Christ. As you read or listen her story, ask yourself this …
30 Days of Prayer: Day 22 – Tell of His Love
My faith has found a resting place, Not in device nor creed; I trust the Ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead. I need no other argument, I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me. — Hymn, My Faith has found a resting place …
Video: Dr. Michael Green examines What is the gospel
Michael Green has had a tremendous influence on my ministry through his books that I read while in seminary. Michael gave the first talk at a recent confidence in the gospel event. If you have 18 spare minutes, listen to his challenge to us to be faithful to the Apostolic Gospel. Michael Green provides the keynote …
Video: Evangelism in the 21st Century by Nicky Gumbel
Nicky Gumbel, developer of the Alpha Course, addresses evangelism in the 21st century in this 13 minute video from the Capetown Congress. He shares his personal testimony about how the process of evangelism worked in his life. Gumbel grew up as an irreligious person. But after his roommate in university found Jesus, Gumbel set out to challenge him. In …
Is it ever too soon to share the gospel?
When I talk with some other evangelism trainers, we often encounter the question How soon do we need to share the gospel with some one? Because we believe in the radical importance of a person’s salvation, we want them to know now. But we don’t want to be a stubborn jerk or obnoxiously repulsive evangelist. …
Do I Need to Know My Spiritual Gifts before I do Evangelism?
Today’s Guest Article is from Jeffrey Johnson, author of Got Style? Personality Based Evangelism, who recently did a blog book tour (see related links at the end). See my review of Got Style at Personality Based Evangelism
Book Review: Evangelism in the New Testament
“Offenses ought to be pardoned, for few offend willingly, but only as led by some excitement” — Hegesippus, 300 BC. When a book on evangelism methodology starts with a quote about pardoning offences, I wonder why the author feels the need to start there with his reader. I finished reading Evangelism in the New testament …
Systematic Theology and Postmodernism
When I went to seminary, great importance was placed on Systematic Theology. I read works by Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology Millard Erickson, Christian Theology John Leith, Basic Christian Doctrine John Calivn, Institutes of the Christian Religion. The goal of reading such awesome works was to help organize and categorize the bible’s revelation of God in …
Review of Beyond Belief by Patrick McElroy
Beyond Belief by Patrick McElroy is subtitled Live a Consistent, Spiritually Powerful life. From the back cover: “a book about breaking free from a spiritually weak life to achieve the consistently powerful one that is available to every believer. It’s a Bible Study 101 that guides reader to a greater revelation of God.”
Talk about Jesus without Freaking Out
What is the gospel? An ex-Christian friend of mine turned to me and said “Chris, what is the gospel?” Excitement bubbled up within me. I’m an evangelist and this conversation was near and dear to my heart. However, I got too excited. The end result was confusing half thoughts, and verbal commas: “bluh, bluh, um, …
Divine Appointments Start with Noticing People
Divine Appointments can start where we are aware of the gentle prompting of the Holy Spirit to pay attention more carefully to a particular person.
8 Conversational Bridges to the Gospel
A blog had a great article ( “Gospel Connections in Suburbia“) that has evangelistic conversational tips. The problem posed is How can I take a natural conversation about common things and connect it to the gospel without it coming off like an abrupt topic change? The farther the distance between the subject matter at hand …
Evangelism Where You Live
A way of doing ministry in which Christ followers model, encourage, and equip others to be salt and light servants where they live
God’s Plan for Sharing — A Church Vision for Outreach
The North American Mission Board is developing a new evangelism initiative to fulfill their 2020 vision of “Every Believer Sharing, Every Person Hearing.” “God’s Plan for Sharing” is meant to encourage Christians to prayerfully and thoughtfully engage in the most effective approach for making Christ known. GPS lays out four biblical mileposts to lead your …
2 Attitudes for Small Church Transformation
Ron Crandall describes two characterics of what successful turnaround and transformational churches have.
Did Saint Francis of Assisi get it wrong?
One of my loyal readers wrote an interesting post: Today, I had coffee with a friend of mine who said, “I don’t believe that it is my responsibility to share the gospel.” He just wanted to live his life in such a way that people would be attracted to that example and hopefully come to …
Is your faith in your conversations?
Today’s guest article is provided by Paul Stokes, renewal advocate for the Group for Evangelism and Renewalwithin the United Reformed Church (UK), or GEAR. I am on mission work, conducting Evangelism Training Ministry in Nicaragua working with Young Life Leadership on the Healing Ministry of Jesus. ___________________________________________________________ Is it rude to listen-in on other people’s …
3 Areas of Evangelism with High Risk Children
Later in December, I will give a talk on helping churches evangelize in areas of extreme poverty, with lots of high-risk or at-risk children. At-risk or high-risk is defined locally as children who are Abused Addicted Abandoned Children of an addicted parent. Fourteen churches want to send their pastors and children’s workers to a day …
Is Neighborhood Outreach Evangelism?
In the course of my consulting and speaking at evangelism training workshops, I’ve encountered many churches that have very active outreach and community service programs: After school tutoring Shut in or Prisoner Visitation Habitat for Humanity work projects Medical outreaches for the community Participating in Crop Walks for Hunger Relief Food pantries, clinics, shelters for …
Scripted Evangelism Conversations
I remember a model of evangelism that felt like a sales pitch. I would attend a seminar and learn the newest script for evangelism. The idea is that I would learn a series of conversational steps that would help people See their need for Jesus Make a decision to follow Christ Repeat a prayer after …