What are some practical steps you have taken to reach out to the lost?

September 30, 2011 - 9:00 AM

September 2011

Dear Sisters,

Nothing can compare with the joy of leading someone to Jesus Christ. To share the gospel and to see a person pass from death to life--Wow! What a thrill!

For years I have shared the gospel with my sister, praying that she would come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Recently she has responded to the message of grace and has begun attending Bible studies at a gospel-preaching church in her area. We discuss God's Word together and find ourselves encouraging each other's faith. My physical sister is now my sister in the Lord!

I think you will really enjoy the following articles by these ladies. These testimonies will whet your appetite to be involved in the greatest work of all-proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. May the Lord fulfill His Word through us: "The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host" (Psalm 68:11).

In Christ,

Sandy Hopler

What are some practical steps you have taken to reach out to the lost?

One of my most recent and fruitful steps in reaching out to the lost was responding to a Facebook post by a neighbor. She was going through a personally painful time, sharing details through her Facebook page. God moved me to respond to her, offering to be someone she could talk with, and be a help to her on her personal spiritual journey. She replied "yes" to me that same day.

My neighbor came over for coffee, and we talked for three hours. She also attended church with me that weekend, and we began the Bible study together, Begin In Christ. She brought her family to church the following Sunday, including her ex-husband and children.

The Bible study has been amazing. We went through the gospel of Christ thoroughly. Doing so unearthed so much: her family history, faith history, and her present set of difficult circumstances. I couldn't tell if she was truly saved, but she felt she was a believer and going to Heaven. I decided she had trouble 'believing' her position in Christ.

Long story short, two months later, when we got to the verse in Revelation 3:20 about Jesus standing at the door and knocking, saying "Open the door," my new friend stated, "God has told me to open the door to Him. I have been keeping Him at arm's length. I need to invite Him in." So there, at my kitchen table, she prayed and accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior!

It's been the most awesome experience. I've told people, "Everyone needs a friend like this in their lives, to take through a Bible study and see them get saved, and see them so hungry for God and responsive to the truth." And I also believe everyone needs to take someone through the Begin In Christ series of studies. It's so thorough.

So, from now on, instead of just reading through a tract with someone, I'm going to ask people if they'd like to do a Bible study. First Corinthians 3:6 says, "My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow." I have had the privilege and pleasure of seeing God work in someone's life, and save them, right before my very eyes. "He is the one (indeed!) Who makes the seed grow" (1 Corinthians 3:7).

Ask God to give you a friend like this! Your life, and their life, will never be the same.

--Mary Knox

As a pastor's wife, who raised a big family of seven kids, I often was on the "sidelines," so to speak, when it came to sharing my faith. I was busy with my little disciples. As our children got older, we worked to equip and train them in evangelism, but I was in my home. The kids reached out to their friends at school, and we had other families in our home a lot, saved and lost.

But I didn't get a lot of personal, one-on-one time to share the gospel.

Three and a half years ago, Rick and I left Colorado and moved to Manhattan, Kansas, on a small church plant. I looked at our small team and realized that I would have to do my part in inviting people to church and talking about Jesus.

I was surprised, shocked, and humbled to see God use me and bring people to church. I had two gals pray to receive Christ when we read through a gospel tract.

Our church has now grown and God has raised up several people who want to help reach our world.

For the first time ever, I took the Outreach Class this past summer. It was a big commitment and took a lot of time and effort over ten weeks.

I read, studied, did homework, and memorized-all summer long.

I missed several classes during the summer due to different trips, but I traveled with my notebook and studied while in Indianapolis at a conference, in Pella at a niece's wedding, in Salt Lake City meeting a new grandson, then in Denver helping with another new grandson, on a road trip to Wisconsin with my mom and sisters, and finally in Seattle on a church visit with my husband (not counting several day trips to Omaha).

I passed the final, just barely, but I passed!

Since then, I have had several opportunities to go through the Bridge Diagram with different gals, and I look forward to more opportunities.

So, my practical tips on how to reach the lost?

- Step out of your comfort zone.

- Study to give yourself some confidence.

- Open your mouth and believe God to use you.

--Neva Whitney

Since my husband pastors a campus church, where my daughter attends, and I have a son who dual enrolls at a community college, I have taken advantage of the opportunities these settings hold to reach out. Over the years I have taken the Outreach Class, a 15-week class using Ron Tewson's Outreach Manual, quite a few times to try to sharpen my tools for effective evangelism. We have had each of our kids also go through the program, sometimes starting as young as 4th grade, helping them to memorize the accompanying scripture and learn the Bridge Diagram.

During the school year, I have purposed to go to either to the community college or the university once a week for an hour to share the gospel. I usually take one or more of my kids, and meet up with my son and daughter, as well as some others. Typically, we use a questionnaire to engage in a conversation.

This determination to get up and go to campus has been such a blessing in developing a heart for the lost, not only in my life, but my children's lives too. God has whetted their appetite to be fishers of men and kept mine eager.

--Jan Gordon

Reaching the lost has been something I have been committed to for many years, but equally something that I have been "hit and miss" on. After a Faithwalkers conference two years ago I was freshly challenged to make the most of opportunities with unbelievers. This has resulted in two major changes.

First, I have made it a practice now to carry tracts in my purse. I have them in a pocket next to my wallet. When I'm at a store, garage sale, or "wherever" paying for my purchase or interacting with others, I offer a tract saying something like, "I'd like to give you one of these. It tells how you can know for certain where you are headed when you die. It's something great to know." Being cheerful, showing interest in that person, and smiling only reinforce the message that I am offering them.

The other practice that powerfully goes along with this is prayer. Before going into a store or to an event, I often pray that God leads me in my conversations with those I bump into. Also, after offering a tract and leaving that person, I try to pray for them...that they would read the tract, that the Spirit would speak powerfully to them, and draw them to be born-again.

My husband and I have tried to implement these strategies as we go through our days...whether traveling via the airlines, eating out at restaurants, or simply living in our neighborhood. We have invited neighbors over for meals, and had great opportunities to share the gospel or at least leave a tract with them during our visit. Praying for neighbors is also a powerful way to eternally influence their lives.

The most surprising thing has been the responses that I have received. Very seldom has anyone been surly or rude with me. Instead, I have found people to be very interested, or at least willing to take the tract and even talk about spiritual things. This has certainly made it easier to be bold with the gospel, and with the Spirit's help, I'll just keep growing and learning more and more how to be a better-equipped ambassador for Jesus.

-- Dawn Bovenmyer