“I hear you’re attending the Adventist church,” Fwachi’s mother greeted her. “I hope you haven’t been baptized!”
Fwachi stood silent, unsure what to say. She had come home from Zambia Adventist University planning to tell her mother that she had been baptized. Now what should she say?
Fwachi had grown up in a Christian home. Her sister invited her to visit the Adventist church, but Mother refused to let her go. However, when Fwachi finished high school, she wanted to study at [...]
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
This week we have been considering our personal mission field and our witnessing and evangelism potential. It is also important to grasp the truth that, because the church consists of all of the members, each one’s individual effort contributes to the church’s overall corporate evangelism. Are you aware of what strategies your church has in place in its work to lead people to Jesus? You may be able to invite people from your personal [...]
Image © Sally Weimer from GoodSalt.com
Do actions really speak louder than words? Yes, immensely so. It is true, therefore, that while a message can be given through actions without words, an equally strong message can be given through words with actions. There is something very powerful about a message that incorporates both actions and words that are in agreement. To profess to love God and then act as if you don’t is hypocrisy, and the worst witness that can [...]
Image © Janet Hyun from GoodSalt.com
When our personal ministries leaders call for volunteers to be involved in witnessing and evangelism, we often think that many people are more qualified and gifted than we ourselves are. Others seem more confident and capable. However, the Bible reveals to us that God is not necessarily looking for those who are the most qualified as much as those who are willing to be used, whatever their gifts and talents.
A good example of this [...]
Image © Consuelo Udave from GoodSalt.com
When Jesus looked at the crowds of people, He was filled with compassion (see Matt. 9:36). Sometimes we may think that Jesus simply saw the crowd, but, in reality, He saw each individual that made up the crowd. In the same way, we should be aware of the individuals in the crowds through which we walk and in which we live. Our church can be aware of individuals in the crowd only as church members interact on [...]
Image © Janet Hyun from GoodSalt.com
Our personal relationship with Jesus will have a direct bearing upon our success in witnessing for Him. It is so easy to learn some witnessing and evangelism formulas and then rally forth in our own assumed wisdom and strength. While God can still bless our efforts, we must ever remind ourselves that it is His work, and we accomplish it through His power. Do we want to merely impart knowledge (albeit important knowledge), or [...]
Read for This Week’s Study:
Acts 4:13-14; John 1:37–50; Psalm 139; 1 Pet. 3:1–15; John 4:37-38.
Memory Text:
“‘You are My witnesses,’ says the Lord, ‘and My servant whom I have chosen’” (Isaiah 43:10, NKJV).
Key Thought:Those who have the joy of assurance of salvation will want to lead others to experience the same.
Although many people will hear the good news about Jesus through a church’s witnessing and evangelism endeavors, there is a special sense in which the individual’s influence contributes significantly to the success of the corporate church [...]
Finding a Target Audience
By now you will have discovered that the evangelism strategy we are following week to week will take longer than one quarter to achieve. For instance, we would not expect that the local evangelistic training opportunities mentioned in lesson three will be discovered, planned, and attended in just one week. However, while you are considering training and where your ministry will fit into your church’s overall plans, it is important that you consider your target audience.
The following [...]
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
“Sometimes, I wonder if my mother has seen me but didn’t recognize me,” 16-year-old Ginny says.
Born in the Haitian countryside, Ginny was given up at birth. She lived in several different homes and even lived on the streets. When Ginny was 4, a woman took her home to live with her. “I got to go to school!” Ginny said. “But when Ginny was 10, the woman invited a man to live in the house. [...]
Image © John Baker from GoodSalt.com
Leading a person along in their spiritual journey is like preparing for a harvest. Anyone who has worked a vegetable garden knows that there is a definite time frame and sequence of steps to follow if the desired harvest is to be realized. We must dig in the soil, remove the weeds, plant the seeds, and water the garden. It is also necessary to create the right environment for the plants; some may require [...]
