This is part of the Not About Me November series. Check out the rest of the series here. Want to know one of the lies that keeps me from sharing the Gospel? "They don't want to hear it" or "They've already heard it." It's just so easy to believe. I hope I'm not the only one. And here's the crazy part... I KNOW it's not true. At the campus my husband do ministry on as well as our sister ministries in Durango and Grand Junction we do a ton of spiritual interest surveys asking questions like, "Would you like to get together with someone to talk about Jesus?" and "How interested are you in spiritual things?" And guess what? The vast majority are interested. And this is not the Bible belt mind you. This is places like super duper liberal Durango! People are created with a built in desire to have relationship with their Creator. And as followers of Jesus, we are the ones capable of telling them how to have that relationship. So if you're like me and that lie is a tempting one, just do one simple thing to expose it. Ask them. Ask them if they are interested in knowing God personally or something along those lines. About LauraLaura, the creator and host of Missional Women is married and has five kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 12 years serving with Master Plan Ministries. Laura is the Women's Development Coordinator and has discipled over 150 girls, led over 30 Bible studies and speaks to college and women's groups. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, and A Devotional Journey through Judges, a devotional to accompany the free online Bible study at TheBookofJudges.com. You can find her on facebook,twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram and her author site. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right. Sharing this over at these awesome blogs
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A couple of years ago, I learned that I was not drinking enough fluid, and this was impacting my health adversely. I ended up in the office of a specialist who sat me down and advised me that I needed to be more proactive about staying hydrated. Water is life to the body. Without it, the organs begin to shut down. You can’t run on empty for long. Similarly, it’s important to fill up spiritually with the living water of the Holy Spirit. If I am not mindful of this truth, I forget to drink up, and I start to grow unhealthy in my walk as a disciple. A pastor once told me that sharing our faith with others should come naturally out of “the overflow.” As we allow God to pour into our lives, His goodness splashes out to those in our circle of influence who are seeking to find a well for their parched souls. How do you live out of the overflow so that your life refreshes others? Love sacrificially “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2, NIV). “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1: 9-11). Worship with reckless abandon “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-19). “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Cultivate thankfulness “...always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19) “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). Lead a surrendered life of service “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). “ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6) This world is full of people who are craving for more. We have the water that will help them to thirst no more. As we love others and make melody in our hearts, our “overflow” will create an appetite in others for what truly satisfies. About LyliLyli Dunbar loves teaching. For 17 years, she mentored teenagers in the Christian school setting, and now she has serves as Associate Director of Curriculum at Trinity International University Florida. Lyli married her Prince Charming in her 40’s and has a heart for encouraging young couples and singles in God’s waiting room. She enjoys road trips with her husband, connecting with women through Bible study, and reading way too many books. Lyli writes about life lessons and faith on herpersonal blog. You may also connect with her on Facebook,Twitter, and Pinterest. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.
Sharing this over at these awesome blogs Muslim ministry does not necessarily mean this day and age you have to go around the world. In America today, many Muslim have immigrated to America. Also a percentage of Americans are converting to Islam. With the fastest growing religion in the world, how do we engage them with the truth of the Gospel? Do Not Fear In our culture today, the current perceived terrorist or big threat to the “American lifestyle” is Muslims. This may be true for a very small percentage but this fear has left a lost people group without many laborers. The enemy has used the horrible past catastrophes to keep people from interacting with Muslims. We must not stereotype of demonize a whole people group. Yet we all are people worthy of respect and have value only because we are made in Jesus’ image. It is a sin to think otherwise. Where fear is prevalent love is lacking. We fear what is unknown. When we are fearful we tend not to be confident with the Gospel. Yet, the Bible says “Be unashamed of the Gospel because it is the POWER of God.” You don’t have to be a scholar Sometimes we believe that Muslims have the whole Quran(Muslim holy book) memorized and that they can argue very well. Apologetics indeed has its place. But it is the Gospel that saves. I have firsthand seen it firsthand hear stories of believers who were Muslims. The Gospel saved me and if you are in Christ, the gospel saved you. We preach Christ and him crucified everything else is secondary (1 Corinthians 1:17). Of course there will be things we do not understand. That is okay. A really cool verse in Philemon 6, “Be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding.” In God’s loving wisdom he intended evangelism to thrust us deeper in the unfathomable richness of Christ. Be normal Make connections through means of where you are. For example, I volunteered as an English language partner. Similarly, I love Middle Eastern food therefore I went to restaurants and got to know the owners and frequent consumers. Actually there were many times I was offered a job. God used that as a platform to befriend Muslims and share the gospel with them. What are some practical things you can do to reach people who are Muslims in your stage of life? Whether it be the Muslim women who drops her children off at your child’s school? A predominately Muslim campus hangout place? Neighborhood? Be hospitable 85% of international students never step foot into a foreigner’s home. The nations are coming to us! Be welcoming. (Be mindful that more strict Muslims only eat halal meat(Muslim kosher). Simply ask and offer to go to restaurant of their choosing or eat at their home. Who are people you have come in to contact with that you can ask for coffee or lunch? What is stopping you from pursuing that relationship? Pray, Give, Go Pray! Oh we worship a living God who is so good. He hears us! "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16 Support other overseas missionaries. Go yourself (short-term or full-time) Beloved one thing I learned is that take the initiative through the power of the holy spirit and leaving the results up to God. About our Guest ContributorI was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. I lived, studied, and traveled in the Middle East/North Africa on and off for the last 3 years. I hope to move there long-term soon. I desire to mobilize people of all ages, social, and ethnical background to the work in the Muslim World. I love to hear stories that brag on God. I love to laugh. I love cajun food. I like potatoes and cheese(together or separate). I love where I fellowship now, The Embassy Church in Denver Colorado.
*Name secret for security purposes. Reading a recent article by Ann Coulter, I was disturbed by an attitude to missions I’ve seen over and over the past several years. She wrote about Dr. Kent Bradley’s struggle with Ebola and his effort to “do good” in Liberia. She went on to talk about other missionaries’ efforts to do good in other countries while completely missing the whole truth about missions and what mission efforts and evangelism – both local and abroad – should be about. Is this what we are called to do? Do good; meet medical needs, feed the hungry, and cloth the naked? These are all very important deeds. Jesus talked about this in Matthew 25 when He said: “…for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.” But if we only do good, we’ve missed the mark by a long shot. If we administer medical care, feed, clothe, visit the widows and orphans and yet fail to share the truth, we’ve allowed these precious souls to go to hell healed, full, clothed and comforted. This is an element we simply must not ignore: the truth and nothing but the truth. What is that truth? It is that all are sinners destined for hell; that all are destitute and broken without a Savior; that sin separates us from a holy God who is so holy that He cannot allow sin to abide in His presence even for a second, but He – being full of mercy and grace – chose to send His only Son to be tortured and kill by the hands of the very sinners He came to save. His blood – His pure blood undefiled by sin – was spilled out on the ground that day to make us pure so that we can now stand in the presence of God justified. Justified – that beautiful word that literally means: just as if I’ve never sinned. Have you ever heard such a lovely word? This truth must be weaved into every fiber of every good deed we do because good deeds void of this truth – this spoken truth – lack meaning and purpose. Because at the end of our lives we must all face eternity. Eternity is based not on the good we’ve done. No, that is simply impossible. The scripture says that our good deeds are filthy and defiled; defiled by our own selfish ambitions and impure motives. Scripture goes on to say that there is none that are good…no not one. Eternity is based solely on whether or not our name is written in the book of life. And this can only happen when we have admitted that we are helplessly and hopelessly lost, that the debt of our sin is far greater than we could ever pay, and that without a Savior we have no hope in this world or in that which is to come. By that admittance, the blood of Jesus freely washes our lives of our sin, pays the debt we owe, and we become friends of God. This is not a fable, it is not an allegory, it is not an illustration or a parable. It is the truth….and nothing but the truth! About RosilindRosilind is an American girl married to a Bosnian guy who lives in a small village just outside of Zagreb. They have two crazy boys 3 and under who are as opposite as boys can be. When Rosilind isn't writing, she is dreaming up recipes and searching for ways to organize her home better. You can find her at A Little R & R where she writes about missions, marriage and family, toddler activities, and her recipes. You will also find her onFacebook, Twitter and Pinterest. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.
Sharing this over at these awesome blogs If you know me personally, you know summer is my least favorite time of year. All the things I love about living in Orlando—al fresco dining, a great parks district, outdoor movies, long walks—lose their luster in the Florida heat. Summer leaves me dreaming of chilly Winter days, oversized lattes, and snow-capped mountains. And all this longing for a climate out of my grasp can leave me a bit blue. It's a bit like reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder.
When I was preparing to move to Orlando to do ministry Downtown, I felt an array of emotions. I was certainly excited to move from Small Town, USA to the city but I was also scared. I wouldn't know how to get from my home to the grocery store. I felt unprepared for the ministry we were called to (I was), and I felt unequipped to reach the people we would be ministering to (I wasn't). Before moving to Downtown Orlando we came to the city often. We observed the ministry of others and tried to gauge the culture. I came to learn that many of the people we would be doing ministry among were very different from myself. People ranging from the homeless, to the young partier, to the wealthy business man or elite of society, crowded the Downtown streets. At the time I believed I had nothing in common with any of these people and that belief only increased my fear of failure. So I did the only thing I knew to do; I prayed. I prayed these two specific prayers for months:
And you know what? God was faithful to answer both of those prayers. I carry in my mind a Rolodex of information on my city. I can tell you where to eat what you crave, what new businesses are opening or shutting down, what events are taking place, where to see the best art for free, and the perfect spot to drink a cup of coffee. People are often amazed by the wealth of information I remember about this place. I just love my city! And in order to love anything you have to get to know it well. God was also faithful to answer my prayer about breaking my heart for the people of Orlando. I wanted to weep for the things that made Him weep and I wanted to see beauty in the eye of everyone He created. I haven't always seen people clearly but now I see the story behind almost anyone I pass on the street or talk to at a business. I look into their eyes, listen to their voice, and can start to see God's heart for them almost instantly. There were a lot of things that could have been legitimate fears moving into this city. But being ineffective was not one of them. If you're wanting to love your city more and minister to it's people better, I highly encourage you to begin praying the two prayers above regularly. I know God will answer you and use them change the way you see your city. By the way, I did find the grocery store. And so much more. About JoyJoy is a missionary to Downtown Orlando with her husband, Jason, and drool covered Bassett Hound, Sam. She has a degree in Church Leadership and formerly helped manage the Church Planting office of Converge Worldwide. She teaches women how to intersect their faith and life through intentional missional living at joybrudolph.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top
right. Sharing this over at these awesome blogs When it comes to sharing the Gospel, there are what we call 4 sound barriers to get through. They are called sound barriers because each involves your need to speak. Each barrier represents a real point in every conversation where you will be tempted to give into fear and back down. It is important to analyze where you are in a conversation and trust Him to cross the next sound barrier. Once you learn them, it becomes easier to know how you can cross each barrier. 1.Meet someone and initiating a conversation: This can be done in a natural way with easy questions. The most common one that you use and probably don’t even realize is, “Hi! What’s your name?” But you can also think of different questions to start conversations in different scenarios. For example, if you’re standing in a line in a coffee, you can ask, “What’s the best thing on the menu?” Or if you’re outside standing next to someone, comment on the weather. Once you get the conversation started, keep it going with asking more questions about themselves. Think about “what” questions, like, “What brings you outside today?” “What do you like to do in your free time?” “What do you do for a living?” Try to find out their interests, hobbies, life, etc. and try to relate to them. 2. After starting the conversation, the next barrier is to transition your conversation into a spiritual one by asking more thoughtful questions. Ask “what” questions to find out more about their viewpoints, and “why” and “how” questions to clarify and find out more about how they came to believe what they do. What has been your experience with Christianity? What do you think about Jesus? How would you describe your spiritual journey? Do you have a religious background in anything? Why do you believe now? Why did you choose to believe that? How did you come to that perspective? What brought you to those conclusions? 3. The third barrier is actually getting into the Gospel. You can have a spiritual conversation for hours without getting to the Gospel. You can even talk about Jesus, the Bible, and about Christianity without actually sharing the Gospel. This can be the hardest barrier to cross because this is where the lie that, “They will yell at me” or “They don’t want to hear it” come into our minds. My biggest encouragement in this area is to never assume you know what someone does or doesn’t want a relationship with Christ until they say as much. There needs to be a good balance of exposing people to the Gospel and pushing through barriers, and imposing the Gospel when they clearly aren’t ready for it. But don’t skip the Gospel because you’re afraid of what they may or may not say. Ask “leading” questions to transition to Gospel from the conversation you are having. Examples: o If Jesus was standing here and He had one thing to tell you, what do you think He would tell you? Would you mind if I share what I think He would tell you? o Do you know why Jesus came to earth? Would you mind if I tell you His purpose in coming? o If a friend came to you and wanted to know how to become a Christian/to get to heaven, what would you tell them? Do you mind if I show you what the Bible says on how to become a Christian/get to heaven? o What do you think the Bible says about Jesus/being a Christian/getting to heaven/etc.? Can I show you what the Bible says? o Would you like to know for sure if you’re going to heaven or not? o Would you say you know God personally? Would you like to know God personally? Would you like to know for sure that you know God personally? This is where you can use the “Knowing God Personally” booklet. This is not the only way to share the Gospel, but it is an excellent tool that is a simple, concise and complete summary of the full Gospel. It begins with a positive – God loves you. It clearly presents how to receive Christ. They build your confidence in sharing the Gospel because you don’t have to rely on your own memory. You can show a person how to receive Christ in a short period of time. You can send the person home with it so they can read it after your time together. And they are a transferable method for teaching others to witness. 4. The fourth barrier is bringing the person to a point of decision. No presentation of the Gospel is complete without asking them to respond to Christ’s message. Good tools, like the KGP, always include this. Try to always explain the whole Gospel AND ask the person for a decision. At the end of your conversation leave the KGP with them. Even if they aren’t very interested, you can say something like, “Do you have a junk drawer? Would you be willing to take this home and put this in your junk drawer? If you’re ever curious about this later or come across it later you can read it again.” ALSO give them your phone number so they can call you if they have more questions later. (Gender safety) At the end of any discussion where the person accepts Christ or is interested or wants to talk more make sure they have your number and YOU GET THEIR NUMBER TOO!!For 15 great transition questions to get into spiritual conversations, click here. About LeahLeah works with Master Plan Ministries at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Other than watching college students' lives change, she enjoys getting her mind blown by God and His Word, watching sci fi, baking cupcakes, and spending time with her hunky husband. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right. Sharing this over at these awesome blogs I grew up believing that there was only one way to proclaim the Gospel. It was the way of extroverts and evangelists and I was failing miserably at it. At the time I didn’t know I was an introvert. I also didn’t know there was more than one way to share your faith. The way I was taught was you sit down next to someone on an airplane or walk up to them in the grocery store and the following “conversation” occurs: “Hey you, want to know about Jesus?” (Don’t wait for a response.) “Great! Because I’m a Christian and I’m here to tell you all about Him. You see, you’re a sinner. Here are all the verses that say so.” (Proceed to beat them over the head with the Bible.) “So, do you want to be saved?” At which point they either joyfully (or fearfully) accept your invitation and you can add another notch to your Christian belt, or they walk away, mumbling obscenities, and you can count the experience as your expected “persecution.” You know, the way Christ, and the early church were persecuted. Clearly I spent most of my life feeling intense amounts of guilt and shame over my failure to evangelize and convert thousands of people (of whom I just met at Starbucks). If you’ve been around the church anytime at all perhaps you’ve felt the same as me. But I have good news for you: you’re probably not an evangelist, you don’t have to be an extrovert, and you will certainly fail. In his book, The Five Habits of Highly Missional People, (available for free download here) Michael Frost discusses the apostle Paul’s two-fold approach to evangelism as described in Colossians 4:2-6. Frost sums up Paul’s description this way: “Contrary to the myth that every believer is an evangelist, Paul assumes a two-fold approach when it comes to the ministry of evangelism. First, he affirms the gifting of the evangelist (interestingly, not the gift of evangelism, but that the evangelist herself is the gift). And second, he writes as though all believers are to be evangelistic in their general orientation. He clearly places himself in the first category, seeing his ministry not only as apostolic, but also as an evangelist. But it doesn’t appear that he believes all Christians bear the responsibility for the kind of bold proclamation to which he is called... Rather, the evangelistic believer is to pray for the evangelists’ ministry, to be wise in their conduct toward outsiders and to look for opportunities to answer outsiders’ questions when they arise (verses 2, 5-6). When it comes to the spoken aspect of their ministries, evangelists are to proclaim and believers are to give answers.” If you’re an introvert or a newbie you can take a huge sigh of relief now. Over the past five years of living as a missionary in Downtown Orlando I’ve had some successes, my own share of failures, and learned a few tips for sharing my faith: Be honest. You don’t have to carry your Bible everywhere (although it’s reasonable that you would read it in public occasionally) or wear Christian t-shirts or a cross necklace everyday. But when you do get questioned about what you read, wear around your neck, or how you live, be prepared to share “the reason for the the hope you have.” Answer questions. When people ask you about your faith or want to discuss other religions, be open to the discussion. It’s okay if you disagree on their conclusion just do so in a loving manner free from judgement. It’s also okay when your answer to their questions is sometimes, “I don’t know.” Listen well. If people bring up God, faith, or a current struggle this is an opportunity. Not a chance to “Jesus juke” them but one to share honestly how you’ve handled similar situations and doubts. The good news? You will fail sometimes, Just remember to apologize when you do. God will still be glorified and bring people to Himself in spite of our failings. Oftentimes, He even uses introverts, newbies, and failures. For more on practical ways to share the Gospel read The Most Essential Element of Living Missionally. About JoyJoy is a missionary to Downtown Orlando with her husband, Jason, and drool covered Bassett Hound, Sam. She has a degree in Church Leadership and formerly helped manage the Church Planting office of Converge Worldwide. She teaches women how to intersect their faith and life through intentional missional living at joybrudolph.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.
Sharing this over at these awesome blogs God is at work in the lives of people around us, but it seems so often that our fears keep us from even getting into conversations with them to find out. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade says “Successful witnessing is taking initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to Him.” And really that is all we can do. God is the one that changes hearts, but He has called us to be part of the adventure of telling them His story. For ten years I did not share my faith. I would invite my friends to church and youth group hoping someone else would share the actual Gospel with them. Ten years is a long time to not be obedient to what God calls us to do. And like Romans 1 talks about, when we disobey God, our hearts become hardened. This is what happened to me. I went to college wanting to be involved in ministry. I liked the idea of girls coming to know Jesus and I wanted to be the one that would help them grow into strong disciples after they had given their lives to Him. However whenever the topic of evangelism would come up, I had a very arrogant attitude and would get angry at anyone who disagreed with me. I distorted the verse, "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have "(1 Pet. 3:15) and made that to mean that you don’t go to people, you let them come to you. As a result I would get very angry at people who were taking initiative to share the gospel. I honestly thought, “They are just making my job harder. Cause now the non-believer is offended and I have to win them back.” I am just so embarrassed I actually thought like this! And sad about all the opportunities wasted because of my arrogance. But praise God that He is able to soften even the hardest of hearts. I hope you are wondering what happened. How did God change my hard heart? Well, God blessed me with Austin. We met after I had returned from a missions trip and we hit it off. (It’s an incredible story of God orchestrating divine appointment after divine appointment). Austin and I were both student leaders for Master Plan Ministries in Durango. (The ministry we now have been on staff with for many years) Austin and our friend John were constantly sharing their faith. At first it bothered me, but I couldn’t argue with the fruit they were seeing, people were giving their lives to Christ. I couldn’t believe it! When I looked back on my Christian life, not one person had ever come up to me and asked me to share the gospel with them. Who knew? Sure, there were people that came to Christ because I invited them somewhere, but it was not because I took the initiative to start the conversation with them. So one day arms crossed and heart guarded, I said to Austin, “Ok, walk through with me what you say to people when you are sharing the gospel.” I was going to see if it would be something I would get offended at if I were a non-believer. God used that conversation to change my heart and attitude for life. Austin used the Four Spiritual Laws developed by Bill Bright in a conversational way. He was not cramming anything, it wasn’t a canned presentation, just a simple conversation. I thought, “I can do this.” So I tried it out. It felt totally normal (once I could get enough guts up to get into the conversation) and God blessed me with being able to see eternal fruit born for His kingdom by girls surrendering their life to Christ because of our conversations. I am not sure where your heart attitude is with sharing your faith, but I am pretty sure that you are probably not as hard-hearted about it as I was. And even if you are, will you be willing to let God shape your opinions about it today? To help us talk about many of the different aspects of evangelism, lets us a MAP. M.A.P. stands for Methods, Avenues, and Point The Method There are numerous means available to communicate the unchanging gospel message. Some tools are better fit for different situations. So we need to have a well-supplied toolbox so we can pull out what is needed in the time we need it. I recommend working with one tool until you are completely confident with it and then move on to another. Shoot for mastery. Some methods of sharing the gospel: Biblical presentations * Romans Road (Walking through Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10) * The Four Spiritual Laws/Would You Like to Know God Personally? Booklet. (Ordered here) * The Bridge illustration (Training on how to draw it is here) Testimonial presentations * The story of how you came to surrender your life to Christ. * Stories of how God came through for you and how you better saw His character (with the gospel (the why you needed Jesus to forgive you and the how you surrendered to Him put in the story) Philosophical arguments * Apologetics * Who is Jesus bible study * Trilema (Explanation found here) But in order to use these tools, you have to break four Sound Barriers which were developed by Campus Crusade. 1. Getting into a simple conversation. What’s your name, how are you etc.. 2. Swinging the conversation to spiritual things. 3. Sharing the Gospel. 4. Asking them to respond to the Gospel/asking for a decision. Questions are a great tool to help you break through each sound barrier. Here are a couple of examples. • Do you have any kind of spiritual beliefs? • If you died right now and were standing before God and He said, “Why should I let you into heaven” What would you say? • If what you were believing is not true, would you want to know? The Avenues As God works through believers in seeking to save the lost, there are three different types of relational avenues which give us opportunity to use our tools. These avenues are determined by the nature of the relationship between the believer and the unbeliever. 1. Organic: Getting into conversations with others in the normal course of life. Read the examples below and write down a few key words or a sentence reminding you what it says. John 1:40-51 John 4:1-42 Colossians 4:5-6 1 Peter 3:15 * Describe a modern day example. * What are some pro’s and con’s of this avenue? 2. Communal: Inviting non-believers to be part of your believing community. Letting them see how believers interact and using this to get into a spiritual conversation with them. Read the examples below and write down a few key words or a sentence reminding you what it says. John 17:21-23 John 13:34-35 Acts 2:42-47 * Describe a modern day example. * What are some pro’s and con’s of this avenue? 3. Missional: Intentionally taking the gospel to an individual you have not met. Read the examples below and write down a few key words or a sentence reminding you what it says. 2 Timothy 4:2 Mark 1:38-39 Luke 9:1-6, 10:1-17 Acts 8 Acts 11:19-24 * Describe a modern day example. * What are some pro’s and con’s of this avenue? *Through which of these avenues did you come to Christ? * Which of these does your community emphasizes? * Which one of these avenues is the most challenging for you personally? Why? * Are all three of these avenues necessary to saturate our culture? Why? The Point The way of Salvation. * This might seem elementary, but if we get this wrong, we totally miss it. So, what is the gospel message? What things does someone have to understand to be transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light? * What does Colossians 1:21-23 say the gospel is? What key points does someone need to understand the full gospel? * What would be the result if someone trying to understand the gospel did not understand each of the following truths? Romans 3:23 Romans 6:23 Romans 5:8 Romans 10:9-10,13 You are in the most strategic time in your entire life for setting yourself up for courageously living for God’s kingdom. The decisions you are making right now are becoming the foundation stones your life is going to be built on. The habits you are making now are the very things that will make you who you are, and the people you are allowing to influence you (whether real or fictional) are the very people you will become like, and what you are neglecting now is being set up in your life as a life long habit. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. (Philemon 6) When we share our faith we get to experience God and see His mighty hand working in peoples lives and “What’s done in this life echoes for eternity.” Russell Crowe, Gladiator. The element of sharing the Gospel is essential yet often the most neglected. Let us be women who courageously share the Gospel with those around us. Taken from Beholding Him Becoming Missional; Awakening to the Mission Through the Study of First Samuel by Laura Krokos About LauraLaura, the creator and host of Missional Women is married and has four kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 11 years serving with Master Plan Ministries. Laura is the Women's Development Coordinator and has discipled over 150 girls, led over 30 Bible studies and speaks to college and women's groups. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, and A Devotional Journey through Judges, a devotional to accompany the free online Bible study at TheBookofJudges.com. You can find her on facebook,twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram and her author site. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.
Sharing this over at these awesome blogs I was shocked. An international missionary of over 15 years just confessed that she still gets nervous when sharing the gospel. Talking to a group of women at a ministry retreat, the missionary confessed that each time she feels the Holy Spirit prompting her to share about Christ, her “armpits start sweating and [her] brain goes foggy.” Her honesty surprised me, because I never thought of a missionary getting the case of the jitters. But her truthfulness also encouraged me, because sometimes when faced with a chance to share my faith, my hands shake and my breath shortens. The stress I feel is enough to make me want to avoid evangelism altogether! But my friend’s confession made me realize that while the Spirit empowers and emboldens us in our task to make disciples, we aren’t necessarily promised an easy path. The important part is being obedient to the Spirit’s voice and prepared to share with others. To that end, my missionary friend shared a tool she uses when she’s in the middle of an anxiety-induced “brain fog.” The C.O.R.E. Drawn from 1 Cor. 15:3-8, the C.O.R.E is an acrostic to ensure you hit all the “bases” of the gospel message. C - Christ died for your sins “…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…” (1 Cor. 15:3) O – Christ’s death was an ordained event “…according to the Scriptures…” (1 Cor. 15:3) R – Christ was resurrected “…and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…” (1 Cor. 15:4) E – Christ’s death was evidenced (witnessed by others) “…and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” (1 Cor. 15:5-8) I am thankful my missionary friend shared this tool with me. With her encouragement, I now have a strategy to help me navigate past my nerves. But above all, I’m thankful she was transparent enough to admit she suffers from a common weakness, yet refused to let her fears disqualify her from the Great Commission. Have you ever let your fears disqualify you from fulfilling the Great Commission? What’s your favorite evangelism tool that helps you share the gospel? About MelissaMelissa’s motto as a Christian journalist and creative writer is to “tell of God’s marvelous works” (Ps. 9:1). And with almost 15 years experience in print and editorial services, God has embedded Melissa with passions gleaned from stories and experiences from the field. But helping women fall in love with the sweetness of God’s Word truly makes her heart sing. Two years ago, she launched HiveResources.com to help women sweeten their walk with Christ through Bible study, missions resources, and more. She recently published a 10-week Bible study,Daughters of the King, to help women find their place in the biblical story. Melissa has a M.Div. in Women’s Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University. She and her husband, Jonathan, are currently part of a church plant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have five-year-old twin boys, Zacharias and Jonah, who are unwittingly and joyfully shaping them into the image of Christ. If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.
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