Evangelism Zeal

Personal Evangelism | The Baptist Voice

2012-01-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

Habits of Fruitful Soulwinners - Paul Chappell

2012-01-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

Habits of Fruitful Soulwinners

7 Characteristics of Spirit-filled Soulwinners

Christ’s last command before He ascended to Heaven is found in Mark 16:15:“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Every person has an eternal soul, and it is our privilege and responsibility to share with them the good news of salvation. Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Although we do not save souls, we are to witness to them and lead them to the Lord who doessave them.

How can we take these biblical principles and practically apply them in personally leading others to Christ?

We must first realize that no one becomes a good soulwinner by accident. Fruitful soulwinning happens through Spirit-filled people who develop habits of being ready and available for God to use them.

Below are seven habits that I have noticed are consistently present in men and women who regularly lead others to Christ:

1. Fruitful Soulwinners Pray for a Burden

It’s so easy for our burden for others to get swallowed in the rush of a busy schedule. Don’t allow your burden for souls to get buried in projects, meetings, and memos. The only way that I know to sustain a heart-felt burden for souls is to daily pray for God to help me see lost people with His compassion. If this is not already on your daily prayer list, add it!

2. Fruitful Soulwinners Carry Gospel Tracts

One of the best soulwinners I know is my friend, R.B. Ouellette. The readiness with which he gives out tracts is a challenge to me. When we travel together, he has tracts at his fingertips and will almost always have given one out while I’m still reaching into my pocket for one.

Carrying tracts helps me be soul conscious wherever I go. Additionally, a Gospel tract equips you to easily begin a conversation about the Lord and salvation. Even if you only have a moment, at least you can leave the other person with a printed Gospel presentation.

3. Fruitful Soulwinners Schedule Time for Soulwinning

We should witness for the Lord everywhere we go, but I’ve noticed that our schedules reflect our priorities. Those who regularly lead others to Christ have made soulwinning enough of a priority that they place it in their schedule.

In my own life, I’ve found that if I don’t block off time for soulwinning on my calendar, I’ll never have time. Year round, I plan weekly time for soulwinning. But there are some seasons of the year (such as our church’s Open House outreach or our Christmas or Easter musicals) in which I schedule extra hours to go door to door with the Gospel.

4. Fruitful Soulwinners Keep an Updated Prospect List

I’ve written before about how a prospect list helps you strategically and wisely follow up on soulwinning visits. Our tech team even designed a smart phone appto make it easy.

But there is another benefit to keeping a prospect list—it’s an accountability tool that helps you monitor your own soulwinning. If you keep it updated carefully, you’ll easily see how tenacious you are in following up on prospects. You might even consider sharing your list with a friend for added accountability.

5. Fruitful Soulwinners Are Attentive in Church Services—Especially During the invitation

It is amazing to me that a lost person can attend a Baptist church and leave with no one having talked to him about salvation. Those who are soul conscious seek out visitors at church, befriend them, and specifically ask them about salvation. They don’t just assume that everyone they see is saved, but they make it their mission to find out!

6. Fruitful Soulwinners Are Hospitable

Some people are saved during a brief encounter with a soulwinner at their doorstep. But many require hearing the Gospel multiple times before they understand their need for salvation. Hospitality allows you to build a relationship that will facilitate multiple presentations of the Gospel. When you invite someone to your home or spend time with them across a restaurant table, it assures them that you are genuinely interested in their lives, and it opens them to hear your message.

Of course, hospitality is also an essential ingredient in discipling someone after they are saved.

7. Fruitful Soulwinners Involve New Converts in Soulwinning

Every unsaved person has unsaved friends. Fruitful soulwinners encourage new converts to reach their unsaved friends. They ask them who their friends are and help new converts share their testimony with their friends.

I’m sure we could add more habits of fruitful soulwinners, but these are some that have stood out to me recently.

Soulwinning itself is a habit! Only the Holy Spirit can convict hearts of their need for Christ (John 16:8–9), but He uses Christians who make time to talk to people face to face and share the wonderful news of salvation.

Good Soil?

2011-11-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

In Luke 8 we have the parable of the Sower going forth sowing his seed. The Scriptures tell us that the Seed is the Word of God and that we have a duty to sow His Word. Often though the seed falls onto stony or thorny soil. The problem - bad soil!

Instead of ignoring the bad soil and just trying to find 'good' soil - let's work harder at trying to prepare the bad soil for the seed. In this era when less and less have any understanding of the Word of God or who Jesus Christ is - we need to start at the beginning.

Eight key words that must be understood: God, man, sin, death, Christ, cross, faith, life. We need to make sure that the lost understand the importance and meaning of each of these profound truths!

Personal Evangelsim - R.B. Ouellette

2011-11-16T06:44:00.000-08:00

Personal Evangelism

Dr. R.B. Ouellette

There are those who would tell us that evangelism is a gift—some Christians may have it, and others do not. Yet neither Romans 12 or 1 Corinthians 12 list evangelism among the spiritual gifts. The office of the evangelist is mentioned in Ephesians 4, however, this is not a listing of spiritual gifts, but of gifted persons. The reason for the omission among the spiritual gifts is simple. God gave His command to every believer to preach the Gospel (Matthew 28:19–20). How can we personally and effectively share this Gospel?

Follow the Scripture’s Model

In many of our churches, it has become common to go soulwinning at a particular time each week. I think it is wonderful to have a definite, scheduled time to go out and give the Gospel to people. I believe that if we don’t schedule a soulwinning time, many of us are not likely to go. Just as we have a time to read our Bible and a time to pray, we should have a time to go soulwinning. However, we have not completed our mission or obeyed God’s command when we have gone an hour and a half each week. Remember, the commandment is that the Gospel is to be given to “every creature.” Please note these examples from the lives of our Lord and His disciples.

Their soulwinning was personal. Though the Lord Jesus addressed crowds on many occasions, He also spoke individually to the woman at the well, to Zacchaeus, to the man who was blind from birth, and to a host of others.

While the early Christians were personal in their witnessing, it did not limit the scope of their soulwinning. Look at how the Bible describes their witness, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house” (Acts 20:20). “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).

“…ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine…” (Acts 5:28). Paul said, “…I am pure from the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26).

While I have had the privilege to win people to Christ out soulwinning many times, some of my most wonderful experiences have not been during a scheduled “soulwinning time.” I’ve led people to Christ on airplanes, in restaurants, in the line at a grocery store, across the counter in a motel, and in hospital lobbies. Wherever there are people, there are people who need to hear the Gospel.

Listen to the Holy Spirit

While we are commanded to preach the Gospel to every creature, we must always be led by the Spirit in the way that we approach them. It is interesting to note how the Lord Jesus used the conversation about a well to turn a woman to Christ. The Apostle Paul used a statue to an unknown God to tell people of the true and living God and His Son, Jesus. Stephen gave a complete lecture on Hebrew history before making the Gospel application which so angered his persecutors that they picked up rocks and began to stone him. Each approach was different. Each approach was led by the Holy Spirit.

Just a few months after I had come to First Baptist of Bridgeport, I was feeling a bit frazzled with all I had to do. I needed to work on a Sunday morning sermon, a Sunday evening sermon, a Wednesday Bible study, a Bible school lesson and a Bible school skit. I asked the Lord which one of these I should work on next. The answer I got was, “Go visit John Bailey.”

Now, I had given a multiple-choice question to the Lord and He had answered as if it were a fill-in-the-blank! When I had visited Mr. Bailey just a couple of weeks before, he was kind, but he had made it clear that he had studied with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and was not interested in trusting Christ as his Saviour. As I reluctantly drove to his home in response to God’s fill-in-the-blank answer, I remember thinking, “What do I say to a guy to whom I’ve just given the Gospel a couple of weeks earlier?” I came up with an extremely clever approach.

When he answered the door, I said, “Hi, have you thought any more about getting saved?” (See how subtle and smooth I was?)

To my surprise, he answered “Yes, I have.”

That day, John Bailey not only got saved, but he became a faithful member of our church and his was the first wedding I performed.

Spread the Seed Everywhere

At first, it might have seemed that witnessing to John Bailey wouldn’t come to anything. But as we learn from Jesus in the Parable of the Sower in Mark chapter four, our responsibility is to spread the seed of the Word everywhere. Some were sown on the hardened path were people walked. Some were on shallow ground with only a few inches of soil covering rocks. Some were on thorny ground and some on good ground.

This distribution can seem inefficient. Why would the Lord want us to waste seed in places where it seems obvious that fruit cannot come? Because He wants everyone to hear the Gospel. In addition to that, we may not be as much of an expert at determining what the condition of the soil is as we think. Many with hardened exteriors have hungry hearts. That’s why we ought to give a tract to every person we can; to speak to every person we have the opportunity to, and not to disqualify anyone in our mind. Despite falling on several types of grounds which did not yield fruit, some did. “And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred” (Mark 4:8).

We plant, others water, but God gives the increase.

I am often reminded of a story that I heard Dr. Ford Porter, the author of God’s Simple Plan of Salvation, tell when I was a young man. He had ridden his bicycle to a bus stop and was passing out Gospel tracts. He began a conversation with a man on the bus. The man was interested and was listening to the Gospel but the bus was pulling away. As clearly as he could in a limited time, Dr. Porter explained the Gospel to this man and led him to Christ. He even rode his bicycle along the bus for a short time as it pulled away from the stop. Later on, someone said, “Ford, don’t tell that story. No one will believe it.” After all, the time was short, the conversation was rushed, and though Dr. Porter did the very best he could in the time allotted, it wasn’t what we would call a thorough presentation of the Gospel.

A few months later, Ford Porter was at the same street corner, this time without his bicycle, passing out tracts and trying to win people to Christ. He asked a passerby if he was on his way to Heaven and the man said, “Yes.”

“Wonderful,” said Dr. Porter. “When did you get saved?”

“Well,” he said, “A couple of months ago, I was riding a bus and a man on a bicycle came by and gave me a Gospel tract.” Let us give as much Gospel as we can to everybody we can and trust God, by His Spirit, to bring forth fruit.

Gospels of John

2011-03-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

I would recommend checking out www.ptl.org The Pocket Testament League. They have the Gospel of John attractively published in a variety of eye catching covers and ask only for a donation to cover the publishing cost.

Get them Lost by Mike Ray

2011-03-24T16:32:00.001-07:00

Get Them Lost

Recognition of Sin Must Precede Salvation

Mike Ray

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke19:10
Have you ever tried to get somebody saved who just did not see the urgency of making an immediate decision? Have you ever had anyone pray the sinner’s prayer and just couldn’t seem to get assurance after it? Or worse than that, after praying, they still talked about how they “still would have gone to Heaven anyway, even before praying ‘that prayer.’” What’s the problem? We did not get them lost before we got them saved. In the fifteenth chapter of Luke we have the key phrase—“that which was lost.” Three lost objects are the center of attention—a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. One of the big mistakes of some soulwinners is trying to get a sinner saved before he thoroughly realizes that he is lost.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus tried to reveal man’s lost condition before He revealed God’s salvation. Do you remember Nicodemus, the Pharisee, coming to Jesus by night? Jesus kept pounding away at the truth—“Ye must be born again.” Nicodemus was a good man who needed salvation. The more moral or religious a person is, the more we must emphasize the depravity of man. You don’t have to prove to a drug addict, gang member, or prostitute that they are lost and deserve Hell—they already know it. Pride stands in the way of people admitting their lost condition. Do you remember the woman at the well? She said, “Give me this water.” Jesus did not say, “Okay, here it is.” He said, “Go, call thy husband.” Jesus knew He had to deal first with the sin issue. Romans 3:23 and 6:23 must come before 10:13! We have idolized Romans 10:13 to the point that it is often taken out of context. It is only applicable when the truth of sin (Romans 3:23 and 6:23) is understood first. A prayer by a person who does not think he needs saving does nothing but waste words.
Salvation is not a prayer. Salvation is from the heart! (See Romans 10:10.) When unsaved people in a church service hear a clear presentation of the Gospel with an appeal to get saved, sometimes they are saved the moment they step into the aisle. The “prayer of salvation” simply confirms their decision. Why pray then? The prayer is claiming the promise of Romans 10:13! It also “nails down” the moment of salvation to keep the devil and doubts away.
Years ago two ladies were out soulwinning. The trainer knocked on a door where a lady answered, “I’m an atheist and don’t believe the Bible,” and then shut the door. They went to the next door. The trainer began witnessing to the next person and realized her “trainee” was missing. A few moments later the sincere, zealous trainee who was unknowledgeable about the Bible doctrine of salvation, returned saying, “She just got saved. I got the atheist to put her hand on the Bible and repeat the sinner’s prayer.” She showed her no Scripture. The atheist didn’t believe the Bible. Words were simply repeated. No salvation took place. Now don’t get me wrong. “I’d rather a Christian do that than not try to witness at all, but better yet is the soulwinner who works at getting them lost so they can clearly be saved!
Scripture says, “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ” (Galatians 3:24). Why is the Law in both Exodus and Deuteronomy? God wanted to emphasize and define the penalty of sin. D.L. Moody had a favorite sermon with four parts:

1. Man is lost and going to Hell.
2. Man can do nothing to save himself.
3. God does not require man to save himself.
4. Jesus did it all.

In years gone by, before the media and modern transportation, the average family farmed and stayed near home. Revivals were a big thing where entire communities came. They had much time to think about the sermons they heard. That is why Jonathan Edwards, Billy Sunday, George Whitefield, John Wesley, and others saw so much conviction with people weeping and crying aloud for mercy! The people realized they were totally lost—then totally saved.
We live in a day in which there’s little guilt for sin and little repentance. Jesus is thought of as someone who simply “brings happiness.” He is treated as an “additive to your life.”
Jesus was very gentle in leading openly wicked sinners to Himself (the woman caught in adultery, the Maniac of Gadara, etc.). But He was very hard on the Pharisees, scribes, and hypocrites. Do you remember the rich young ruler who came to Jesus? He said he had kept all the commandments (he lied). Jesus then put His finger on the idolatry in this man’s life—his riches. Did Jesus want him to be saved? Oh, yes! But He had to first get him lost. The rich ruler would not admit his lost condition and left sorrowfully.
How would a grown man in a four foot swimming pool feel about you diving in and dragging him to shore so he wouldn’t drown? He could resent it. But take the same man in treacherous rapids going under for the third time and he will welcome the rescue. We’re in no race to run people through the Gospel verses. Take your time to get them lost first!
Do you remember when Felix trembled as Paul witnessed to him? He realized his lost condition. The thief on the cross knew he was lost and was easily won to the Saviour. Can you imagine boarding a jet and the stewardess requiring you to put on a big back pack parachute? People would complain and be irritated. Why? Because planes rarely crash. When we get on, we don’t believe it is going to crash.
Now, take the same group of people after the pilot notifies them of engine trouble and a possible crash and see how easily received the parachutes are! There will be no complaining about how they look, their weight, or discomfort. So it is with the lost—once they realize their lost condition and danger of Hell, they easily take the parachute of salvation. By the way, once a person has the chute on, if the stewardess spills coffee on them it’s no reason to try to take the chute off! Salvation cures our biggest problem and dwarfs our other trials.

This article was copied from Ministry127.com

Reaching Muslims with the Gospel

2011-02-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

Monthir Abdullatif

Are Muslims inherently inhumane, savage, and evil? No, Muslims are ordinary people, just like anybody else. They are fathers, mothers, sons, and brothers. They are your coworkers and your next-door neighbors. Only a minority of Muslims commit acts of violence. It is important to understand that not every Arab is a Muslim; not every Muslim is an Arab; and not every Muslim is an extremist.

But why do extremist Muslims act violently? Their actions are rooted in a dangerous Islamic teaching called Jihad.

Jihad is one of many sacred duties Muslims perform. The word Jihad is an Arabic word which means “struggle.” Jihad can mean striving to become a better Muslim, but it can also mean fighting in the name of Allah (their god). In this sense, Jihad is the struggle for the cause of spreading Islam, using all means available to Muslims, including force. This kind of Jihad is often referred to as “Holy War.”

In resorting to force, Muslims will not have any problems finding passages in the Quran (believed by Muslims to be Allah’s word), and the Hadith (Mohammed’s sayings as recorded by Al Bukhari), that not only condones violence but also demands it.

But despite the acts of terror committed against us, as Christians we cannot allow ourselves to react with hatred and violence, lest we fall into the same snare. We need to understand that the Muslim people are not our enemies. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Muslims are men and women who are trapped in the enemy’s snares and need our help.

It is not the Muslim people we oppose. No, we love Muslims. Our prayers are directed against the religious system that denies the life and liberty which are found only in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

We must preach the truth without compromise. We desire peace, but we cannot deny Christ as the only way to salvation or turn our backs on Christians who are persecuted for their faith.

We need to know that Islam is a religion that has blinded and enslaved more than one billion people. The Bible teaches that all people are created in the image of God and are valuable to Him. Jesus Christ loves the Muslims and died for them.

Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to love our neighbor. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39).

After September 11, 2001, many Muslims began to recognize the vindictive and destructive spirit of Islam and want something better. They are disillusioned with Mohammed and the Quran, but they believe in the existence of God. What a golden opportunity you and I have to share the Good News of Jesus Christ! Muslim hearts are yearning for the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Monthir Abdullatif is a missionary to the Islamic community in the United States and the Middle East.

** Reprinted from the Baptist Voice - a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church

Great Discipleship tool from Striving Together!

2010-12-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

This is a link to the 'Daily in the Word' discipleship website. A great tool for helping new converts grow!

Daily in the Word - Discipleship program

Program: Communicate Your Faith

2010-11-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Great program called "Communicate Your Faith" produced by R.B.Ouellette. Visit his site at www.2fbc.com. On the home page you will find a link to his churches soul-winning program with downloadable forms and audio sermons. Great information available here.

Meeting people where they are

2010-10-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

Compassionate Witnessing: Meeting People Where They Are

Outreach

Jerry Ferrso

Do you remember what it was like to be lost? Do you remember the emptiness in your soul that you tried to fill with everything except salvation? It is easy to forget these things, but I want you to take a moment to remember them. Remember losing a loved one when you had no hope of Heaven. Remember the weight of sin on your conscience. As you remember these things, think about lost people who are going through these experiences right now.

THE FEAR OF BEING LOST

Lost is a frightening word. Have you ever been lost? Have you ever lost a child? Even if your child only strayed for ten minutes, you know that it is nerve-wracking! Your mind races and you have these terrible thoughts that you’ll never see your child again. Now imagine being lost for all of eternity. This is the cry of desperation from Isaiah 59:9, “Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.” This is a reality for those who do not know Christ as their personal Saviour. This is the reason Christ came to this earth. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

THE FRUSTRATION OF LABOR

There are multitudes of people trying to work their way into Heaven. No matter what they do, no matter how hard they do it, and no matter how long they do it, they will never reach Heaven. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Without Christ, their works will only condemn them. “…and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12). Salvation is a gift through Jesus Christ, not an effort of our labor.

THE FRAILTY OF LIFE

There are no guarantees in life. We do not have the assurance that we will be here tomorrow. James 4:14 says, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Lost people have trouble finding meaning in their lives which leads to a growing despondency. Many will live a fast-paced, sometimes reckless lifestyle to mask questions about their own life and death.

The lost go through the same kinds of pains and trials that a saved person endures—but without Christ. Imagine any of the worst circumstances you have faced in the last twelve months. Now imagine those same circumstances without the Holy Spirit to give comfort. First Thessalonians 4:13 tells us, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

Each of these emotions fill the hearts of those who don’t know Christ as their Saviour. Take a few moments today to walk in their shoes. Feel their pain, imagine their fears, and allow the Holy Spirit to soften your heart and deepen your compassion for the lost. Then, go out and share the Good News of Jesus with someone today.

A great resource to give to the unsaved

2010-08-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

This book from Striving Together Publications is a very thorough resource to give to the lost soul that is truly interested and yearning for the truth. This mini-book ( just under 100 pages ) is an easy read but will take considerably more time to read than a tract. It answers questions that are so often asked. This book sells for $2.95 but there is a bulk rate.

New media as great tools

2010-08-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

Technology has opened the door to so many new opportunities for witnessing. Giving a DVD tract like "Somewhere Forever" ( shown on page 2 of this site ) will not get thrown in the trash or dismissed as quickly as a paper tract. It costs a little more, but will be taken more seriously.

I have recently been going to a local bargain outlet store that specializes in overruns. They sell many good Christian books from major distributors for 3 or 4 dollars. Many are great evangelistic tools.

Facebook, blogs, sermon CD's and other media opportunities are many of the open doors for witnessing today.

The Anatomy of a Follow-up visit

2010-07-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Some of the most important work in soulwinning is done after a visitor comes for the first time. Just the fact that they came indicates that their heart is open. The follow-up visit is one of the best opportunities to lead them to Christ. Here are the parts that make an effective follow-up visit.

The best follow-up visit begins when you meet the visitor at church.

Be visitor conscious at church. After spending a few minutes getting to know each other in church, having that home visit is much more comfortable. Always be on the lookout for new faces in your services to meet.

Upon arrival at the home, discern whether they are saved.

This is the most important matter to talk about. You do want them to come back to your church, but more important is that they know without a doubt that Jesus Christ is their Saviour.

Express gratitude for their visit, and share some of the background of the church.

Talk about some of the history of the church and the pastor. Share when you came to the church and how God has worked in your life through the church.

Explain some of the philosophy of the church.

Talk about how the pastor preaches from the Bible and how you sing many traditional hymns. If they come from a denominational church, explain some of what it means to be an independent Baptist church. I will often talk about how we directly support missionaries instead of going through a denomination. You may even want to go through the Baptist Distinctives.

Listen to their questions.

Ask them if they have any questions. They may want to know more about separation, children’s classes, or the Sunday service. Try to anticipate their questions and have clear answers ready.

Invite them to fellowship in your home.

During the visit, ask them to come to next Sunday’s service and then out to lunch with you afterwards. The meal doesn’t need to be extravagant, even popcorn after the evening service is fine. People appreciate the personal touch.

Introduce them to other people in the church family.

Try to find other people with similar interests. When a visitor comes, they may not even realize that Christians are real people with jobs, hobbies, and families. Help them to connect with other people like them.

Seek a commitment.

Ask them, “Can I save you a seat in class on Sunday?” Help them take that mental step from interest to commitment.

Nurture the relationship.

This takes some initiative. A follow-up visit isn’t a task we can check off our list and forget about. Consistently write notes to people who recently started coming to the church. Call them. They need someone who cares about them and their spiritual life.

Disciples are made by other disciples. When God leads someone to your church, it is a sacred stewardship of a soul, or the souls of an entire family. Commit yourself to pursuing that new person.

Dr. Paul Chappell

Behind every door

2010-06-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

Unmet expectations can be discouraging. Whether it is a raise at work that never came through, or a disappointment in a personal relationship, these unexpected results can rob us of our passion. This is especially true when it comes to soulwinning. One of the primary hindrances of soulwinning is discouragement because of a lack of apparent results. We must be faith-filled, believing God will use us every time we go out.

* From 'The Baptist Voice' - a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church

Steps to being an effective soul-winner!

2010-06-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

Here are six ideas to help you be a better soulwinner.

1. Keep a prospect list.
This has the names of those you are praying for to be saved. It includes basic contact information and a record of your contacts with that person.

2. Pray every day for those on your prospect list.
This is the most important step, but often the most neglected.

3. Look for witnessing opportunities.
At work, at the barber, and anywhere you frequent, you already know many people in these settings—introduce them to your Saviour.

4. Know your church’s schedule.
Your Easter musical is not just something on the calendar—it is an event to invite your neighbors to. Ask someone to be your guest.

5. Use your church’s printed materials.
Gospel tracts, business cards for your adult Bible class, and musical tickets are great reminders for those you meet.

6. Open your home to unsaved and unchurched people.
Most people are simply looking for someone who will care. Show kindness by sharing a meal.

From Jerry Ferrso, Lancaster Baptist Church. Copied from Ministry127.com

Helpful Soulwinning tool - contact list from Paul Chappell

2010-05-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

The following link will direct you to a great soul winner's tool - a contact and follow up sheet designed by Pastor Paul Chappell from Lancaster Baptist Church. You can open and print from their site

http://thebaptistvoice.com/categories/outreach/soulwinning-tool-prospect-list

Expect a Harvest

2010-05-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

Jerry Ferrso

What do you expect when you give a Gospel tract? Rejection? Indifference? How would our soulwinning approach change if we actually expected someone to get saved that day? Paul said, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” (Romans 10:1). His heart’s desire was not just to leave an open invitation; Paul’s desire was to see Christ save them. Believing God will use you to lead someone to Christ is not the power of positive thinking. It is faith.

We work to sow a lot of seed. We print tracts, send mailers, and broadcast radio programs and internet podcasts. But all of these efforts are means to cultivate the ground so that we might tell the Gospel to receptive hearts. Someone out there is ready to receive Christ. Will you pray that you will be the one to lead him to Christ?

From the "Baptist Voice" - Striving Together Publications

Overcoming Fear ( of witnessing to others )

2010-05-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

Too often we forget that when we are witnessing for the Lord - we are not alone: The Holy Spirit is with us. The Word of God tells us that he convicts the sinner of their sin ( John 16:8 ), He confirms the truth of the Word of God in their hearts ( John 6:63 and 15:26 ), and He controls the believer ( John 7:38 ). The Holy Spirit does the work through a willing servant!

Pastor Wes

Why do people go to church?

2010-05-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

Here is something you may find interesting. The institute for American church growth asked over 10,000 people this question: "What was responsible for your coming to this church?" This is how they replied.

I visited there..................1%

I liked the Sunday School........1%

I had a special need.............2%

I just walked in.................3%

I liked the programs.............3%

Other............................5%

I liked the Pastor...............6%

A friend or relative invited me..79%

* From www.evangelismtools.org

Using 'Good' Tracts

2010-05-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

The following is from an article by Dr. David Teis on being an Evangelist. This quote was taken from the Ministry127.com website:

I believe the heart of an evangelist should be to get out the Gospel message and to challenge other people to get out the Gospel message. If you are an evangelist, you should never be without a Gospel tract. By the way, a Gospel tract is a tract that has the Gospel in it. Let me encourage you to read the Gospel tracts that you give out. Do your Gospel tracts explain to people that Jesus Christ died for their sins, was buried and rose from the dead having paid for their sin and was seen by hundreds of people. If it does not include these things, it is not a Gospel tract.

SOMEWHERE FOREVER - Heaven or Hell

2010-05-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome

2010-05-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 'Evangelsim Zeal'. My hope and prayer is that that site brings together resources to help you in your own personal evangelism of the lost. I will continually update this site with resources, quotes, videos, and new tools to help each of us with fulfilling the Great Commission.

Penn Gillette gets a gift of a Bible

2010-05-12T10:07:00.000-07:00