Keeping the soul-winner's fire
The simple purpose of this broadcast is to encourage you, exhort you, and motivate you to share your faith in Jesus Christ with those who are lost around you. Even though we will share some instructions on how to witness for the Lord from time to time, we believe that most Christians do not need to learn how to witness for the Lord, they just need to go and do it; so our aim is more motivational than instructional.
Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is 1 Corinthians 1:18 which reads: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
Our soul winning quote today is from C. H. Spurgeon. He said: “To be a soul winner is the happiest thing in the world. And with every soul you bring to Jesus Christ, you seem to get a new heaven here upon earth.”
Our soul winning devotional is part 117 of our series titled “What Evangelism Is” from Dave Earley and David Wheeler from their book “Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence.”
Evangelism In the Early Church, Part 4
There are at least five basic characteristics of the New Testament Church revealed in Acts 1–4. Each of these principles should serve as a foundation for future generations to follow. We looked at the first three characteristics in previous podcasts, and now we will look at the fourth characteristic.
4. The Early Church Possessed a Convicting Boldness
With this in mind, consider what Scripture says in Acts 4:31–33:
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
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Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is Matthew 10:32 which reads: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”
Our soul winning quote today is from Watchman Nee. He said: “If a believer in Christ did not preach in his first two years of his conversion, he may not likely open his mouth again to preach.”
Our soul winning devotional is part 116 of our series titled “What Evangelism Is” from Dave Earley and David Wheeler from their book “Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence.”
Evangelism In the Early Church, Part 3
There are at least five basic characteristics of the New Testament Church revealed in Acts 1–4. Each of these principles should serve as a foundation for future generations to follow. We looked at the first two characteristics in previous podcasts, and now we will look at the third characteristic.
3. The Early Church Shared a Consistent Message
A close reading of Acts chapters 2 and 3 reveals that the early apostles never compromised the integrity of the gospel message. Even in the face of intimidation and possible death in front of the religious leaders, Peter refuses to back down.
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Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is Mark 16:15 which reads: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Our soul winning quote today is from Rick Warren. He said: “The way you store up treasure in heaven is by investing in getting people there.”
Our soul winning devotional is part 114 of our series titled “What Evangelism Is” from Dave Earley and David Wheeler from their book “Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence.”
Evangelism In the Early Church
There are at least five basic characteristics of the New Testament Church revealed in Acts 1–4. Each of these principles should serve as a foundation for future generations to follow.
1. The Early Church Ministered Through Constant Presence
Even a quick reading of the first few chapters of Acts reveals that the early church did not hide or run from the community they were called to serve. They engaged the culture.
Acts 2:46–47 says: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
Unlike many contemporary believers who seem afraid of mingling with the unsaved world, the early church was out in the community on a daily basis, thus creating a constant presence for the purpose of spreading the gospel. As a result, God added to the Church “daily.”
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Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is Exodus 20:12 which reads: “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
Our soul winning quote today is from John F. Kennedy. He said: “There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.”
Our soul winning devotional is part 98 of our series titled “What Evangelism Is” from Dave Earley and David Wheeler.
Depending on the behaviors you wish to promote in your family, you’ll find countless passages in Scripture on which to build your mission statement. The verses below, for example, deal with loving one another, encouraging one another, and sharing your faith.
John 15:12 says, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Philemon 6:6 says, “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
Having reviewed the mission, purpose, and commands of Jesus Christ, you now have a good framework for developing your family mission statement. Remember that this is a family effort; you will want to involve all members, produce something that is meaningful to everyone, and have fun doing it.
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Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is Colossians 3:20 which reads: “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.”
Our soul winning quote today is from Henry Drummond. He said: “The family circle is the supreme conductor of Christianity.”
Our soul winning devotional is part 97 of our series titled “What Evangelism Is” from Dave Earley and David Wheeler.
Evangelism Is…A Family Affair (Part 2)
Authors Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee insist that we should begin our family mission statement by studying the mission of Jesus, which stems from His purpose. The authors identify dozens of biblical passages in which Jesus states His purpose. In Luke 19:10 Jesus said, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” This tells us in a nutshell the two parts of Jesus’ mission. His first purpose was to seek. After willingly coming down from heaven, Jesus continually sought lost humankind even in the most unlikely and inhospitable places. Jesus’ second purpose was to save, to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.
John 18:37 reinforces Jesus’ mission, saying, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.”
Clearly this is a statement of His mission. We get more insight into Jesus’ purpose in Matthew 20:28, where Jesus says He “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” If we are to model Christ, we need to take on this mind-set of serving others with humility, gentleness, and patience, starting at home. And although we cannot give our lives like Jesus as a ransom, we can, through our actions and words, point others to the One who did.
Many other passages reveal the purposes of Jesus: to be a leader and a teacher; to fulfill the Law; to call sinners; to separate holiness from sinfulness; to provide rest for those who follow Him; to preach the good news, proclaim freedom for prisoners, give sight to the blind, release the oppressed, and proclaim the time of the Lord’s favor; to represent man before God the Father; and to do the will of the Father.
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Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is Joshua 24:15 which reads: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Our soul winning quote today is from John F. Kennedy. He said: “There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”
Our soul winning devotional is part 96 of our series titled “What Evangelism Is” from “Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence” by Dave Earley and David Wheeler.
Evangelism Is…A Family Affair
According to statistics from the American Family Association as stated in the book Family to Family by Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee:
• Only 34 percent of America’s families eat one meal together each day.
• The average father spends only eight to 10 minutes a day with his children. This includes television and mealtimes.
• Only 12 percent of America’s families pray together.
• The average couple spends only four minutes of uninterrupted time together a day.
If these statistics are accurate, no wonder the American family and the American church are being systematically dismantled. One result of this tragedy is the long-term impact on teenagers when they go off to college. According to Pipes and Lee, “88 percent of those who grow up in our evangelical churches leave at 18 and do not come back.”
While such statistics are alarming, there is hope for these teenagers and their parents. According to another study that is quoted in the Family to Family promotional video, “When parents lead their children in sharing their faith and engaging the spiritual harvest, the 88 percent fallout drops to less than 4 percent.”
If this is indeed the case, than families must become intently focused on a common mission that is passed to future generations. The obvious question is how.
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Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is Ecclesiastes 4:9 which reads: “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.”
Our soul winning quote today is from Joel Comiskey. He said: “The group aspect of cell or small-group evangelism takes the burden off the leader and places it on everyone in the cell or small group. It’s net fishing as opposed to pole fishing. Pole fishing is done individually, while net fishing requires the help of many hands. Net fishing is a group effort and results in catching more fish, while fishing individually with a pole catches one fish at a time.”
Our soul winning devotional is part 95 of our series titled “What Evangelism Is” from “Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence” by Dave Earley and David Wheeler.
Evangelism Is…Working Together
Doing evangelism with a group is another effective way to share the gospel. Reaching people through the power of a team is not merely practical; it is biblical. Luke 5:17-25 reads:
And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
Without his friends this man would not have met Jesus. He’d still be lying at home in grief, guilt, and depression. His life was changed because they brought him to Jesus. His sins were forgiven because of their faith. He was healed because they carried him to the house, they dug a hole in the roof, and they lowered him down in front of Jesus. Without his friends this man would not have met Jesus.
Few people come to Jesus on their own. Most of us meet Jesus because of the invitation of a family member or friend. Eighty-five percent of the people who meet Jesus do so because they were brought to him by a friend or family member.
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Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is 1 John 1:1-2 which reads: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us).”
Our soul winning quote today is from Toby Frost. He said: “The church has too often closed itself behind institutional walls. Evangelistic Block Parties provide churches with a ministry of presence and visibility as the church moves out of its building in Christ’s name to feed, teach, clothe, and evangelize.”
Our soul winning devotional is part 94 of our series titled “What Evangelism Is” from “Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence” by Dave Earley and David Wheeler.
Evangelism Is…Creating Opportunities for Gospel Conversations (Part 2)
Creating Opportunities Through Evangelistic Events/Ministries
Evangelistic Block Parties
Evangelistic block parties are among the easiest and most effective outreach events. They generally consist of a registration table (everyone gets registered in order to receive tickets for lunch or to win door prizes), a popcorn machine, a snow-cone machine, a cotton candy machine, helium tanks for lots of balloons, plus plenty of tables, chairs, and pop-up tents in case of bad weather. You can also use a grill for the hot dogs, hamburgers, or barbecue chicken; or you can prepare nachos, chili, or whatever is popular in your community. Typical activities include seven to 10 simple games, moonwalks, and face painting. The block party can be held on the church campus or preferably at a local park or school. Church members usually blitz the community with invitations several times in the weeks leading up to the party and always on the morning of the event. As people arrive, smiling Christians of all ages greet them and assist in directing the families to different activities.
In many cases these simple encounters lead to divine opportunities to share a brief testimony and, in some cases, to make a gospel presentation. This is why all workers receive training ahead of time and why you plan in advance to follow up immediately (within the first three to five days) with every registered nonchurch member. The follow-up is a good time to combine servant-evangelism activities by taking a small gift (cookies, McDonald’s gift certificates) when visiting the homes of registered guests.
An average block party will last approximately three to four hours. This is advisable for the stamina of both the workers and the participants.
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Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is Acts 4:20 which reads: “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
Our soul winning quote today is from David Wheeler. He said: “One of the keys to effective evangelism is creating opportunities for interaction that may lead to gospel conversations….This is especially true in contemporary culture where trust is elusive and busy people tend to isolate themselves from human contact.”
Our soul winning devotional is part 93 of our series titled “What Evangelism Is” from “Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence” by Dave Earley and David Wheeler.
In a day when crime is high and trust is low, busy people tend to isolate themselves from contact with others. This can make sharing the gospel challenging. While there are no easy solutions, creative thinking and subsequent approaches can open doors. Here is a collection from David Wheeler of best practices of activities that create witnessing opportunities.
Creating Opportunities Through Intentional Relationships
1. Community Groups
Community groups are a major outreach tool at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. The groups are designed to get unchurched and/or dechurched people in the church buildings for the purpose of meeting their needs and giving the gospel a chance to be heard by these people who need it most. The groups offer numerous types of educational and practical opportunities such as crafts, hunting and fishing, car repair and restoration, preparing tax returns, gourmet cooking, guitar lessons, golf, Moms of Preschoolers, and much more. The approach is a unique combination of both servant evangelism and ministry evangelism. While it is done on the church property, this effort requires incarnational intervention through the stair-step process we discussed in an earlier broadcast:
• Win the person to yourself.
• Win the person to the church.
• Win the person to Christ.
In addition, church members are encouraged to pray for participants, care for participants; and to share with unsaved participants. The groups meet on the church property for eight weeks, three times a year (mid-September to Thanksgiving, February through March, and May through June). Promotion of the groups and recruiting occurs in the off months. The sessions meet for one hour on Wednesday evenings, which includes a brief devotional (usually from Our Daily Bread).
As time goes by, the aim is to look for connection points during the weeks and eventually to invite people to come for Sunday services. Church members are prayerfully intentional but careful not to rush the process.
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The Soul-Winning Motivator 