What happens in a person's heart to make them decide to follow Jesus?

What was your journey to find Christ like? My own took some time and along the way I battled with the very truth that I was searching for. The evangelist Steve Hill once said, “Some people come to Christ easily while others come violently!” My journey to find Jesus certainly wasn't easy for me. Understanding what Jesus did for me took some time.

Over the last couple of days I have been considering what happens in a person’s heart to cause them to want to accept Jesus as Lord. What is it that brings them to that point? What happens to keep them following after the Lord and not looking back?

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13: 3-8

It is vitally important to remember about how we ‘sow’, if we want to reach people for Jesus so that they surrender their lives to the One who died for them. If we don’t understand this we will miss opportunities and even waste them.

People come to Jesus in many ways, some people in ways that are extraordinary, where they see Jesus in a dream, or experience a supernatural encounter. I know people who have found Christ in ways that are profound and almost unbelievable. The reality is revealed by seeing Jesus outworked in their lives. In other words, that the fruits of the Spirit (Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) are visible for all to see. This is the case for our own lives too; for without these qualities being demonstrated in our lives our credibility will come into question.

What is it then that causes a change of heart? It is simply the Gospel. Nothing else!

I often share my testimony on a one to one basis as well as to groups and churches. I am very grateful to God for the many decisions to accept Christ through it. God gets all the Glory!

One thing is certain –no one would come to Christ if all my testimony contained was what happened to me, interesting as it might be for some. It is crucial to explain the Gospel, that Jesus lived a perfect life and was crucified for our sins on Calvary, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. He is now in heaven, sitting at God’s right hand, interceding for us.

Sharing the Gospel is absolutely vital and incredibly powerful when explained using scripture - because it is the life changing WORD OF GOD!!

Key Point: It is the Gospel that saves and it the Holy Spirit who convicts hearts. Not you or me.

As a young Christian I was full of excitement, enthusiasm and passion, but I lacked depth in many ways. I wanted the world to know about Jesus and as a result I was a huge embarrassment to my then unsaved wife.

I would tell anyone and everyone what had happened to me. Somehow the Holy Spirit used me and my story of salvation to reach people. The few scriptures I knew at that time were vitally important and made the difference for the Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts.

I remember witnessing for a long time to a businessman who patiently listened to me. I told him about my church, what was happening there, how good the worship was, about the miracles I had witnessed and stories of people who had made decisions like me. I was enthusiastic, burning with passion and desperately wanted for this man, who was a close friend, to accept Jesus.

Sadly, nothing happened - because I didn’t share the Gospel. I didn’t bring it into the conversation nor link it in a relevant way to my testimony. Upon reflection, all I did was preach at him. Undoubtedly, this demonstrated my belief in Jesus even down to the point of adoration; but I wasted an opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel.

Your testimony, explaining about the church services, talking about the worship, miracles and countless other things, should do only one thing and that is to point people to Jesus. When we share the Gospel linked to stories and events, things will start to happen.

A pastor I know once made the point that some people can come into church service, get caught up in an atmosphere, experience a ‘God awareness’ and make an acknowledgement of Jesus, only to fall away when trials come along -  like the scripture quoted above. We shouldn’t be surprised about this because Jesus said it would happen. However, when the seed of the Gospel takes root in someone’s heart, a miracle occurs that is life changing!

I am so grateful to God that someone shared the whole truth with me in a way that was uncompromising. I needed to hear it because I was lost and headed for a terrible place.

Anyone who doesn’t know Christ needs to hear the truth of the Gospel because that is they only thing that will save them. If we have a heart for the lost, God will give us opportunities to reach them. Let’s make sure that we share the Gospel. All of the other things should point to Jesus. When we have someone in front of us who is willing to listen, let’s remember how to sow the Word – and the Holy Spirit will do His Work.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” Romans 1: 16

Where is sharing the gospel in your prioroty list?

Recently I have received numerous cold calls and, emails and also seen many advertisements on social media on how to make money, save money and all manner of things related to wealth. It can be very irritating to be bombarded with these things. In addition, I have people in businesses offering me money-making schemes and ‘opportunities of a lifetime that will increase prosperity and create a fantastic life’!

With every one of these, the people and companies are really enthusiastic, exhibiting a strong belief in their product, business or service.

All of this has made me ask myself, “What’s more important, making money, saving money or saving souls”?  Before you start thinking that I mean that we shouldn’t be motivated by doing well in our jobs and businesses. Let me make it clear, I am not saying that for a minute.

I worked in business for many years and was a very high achiever. I loved it: the excitement, the ups, the downs, the goals, just about all of it! We all need to earn money to live and hopefully have some left over to save for rainy days and for when we get old and grey.

I believe this challenging question about ‘what is most important?’ is something we seriously need to consider especially with the way that the world and society is rapidly changing. People need to know about the One who died for them and how He can help them in daily life. The vital part is that they come to know Jesus died a painful death so that they might have eternal life. God made a choice to use both you and me to share the all important message. If we don’t tell people, who else will?

The question is, where does sharing this important life changing news with others come in your list of priorities?

“I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3–4

Paul used the words, “Of first importance” when he wrote to the Corinthians explaining that Jesus died for our sins and how He was raised on the third day. Reading the scripture caused me to ask myself the question “What is of first importance in my life?”

Key Point: Ask yourself the question, “What is of first importance in my life”?

Having a sense of urgency is very important in any business, certainly in the sales industry where I come from. Working in sales means constantly seeking and creating opportunities to get appointments to sell.

My boss set a great example of how to remain focused and committed. When he was a sales person, he would carry five coins in his left trouser pocket. He would make appointments by cold calling, referrals or face to face and would transfer one coin to his left pocket each time he was successful. He would not go home until he had moved all of the coins from left to right pocket.

Remembering this made me ponder - what would happen if we as Christians had a similar focus on sharing Jesus in some way every day, let alone five times a day? What would happen?

I use exercises like the one below when I teach classes on self awareness. Being totally honest with your answers will tell you a lot about yourself.

Here is a list of priorities that I have written in a random order. Rate how you important these things are to you, numbering them 1 to 10.

·        Family

·        God

·        Prayer

·        Reading Gods word

·        Giving financially, supporting the church

·        Work

·        Hobbies and pastimes

·        Church attendance

·        Witnessing for Christ

·        Serving in the church

I have completed a list myself and it has made me examine my own priorities.

Recently my pastor and friend used a terrific prop when he preached a message about the subject of faith. He placed a chair in the centre of the stage and asked the congregation how they would pray if God was actually sitting there in front of them. How would we pray about a need or a desire that we had? Would we pray differently if we could actually see Him in the room?

Thinking along those lines, what would the Lord think of your list?

Can you honestly say follow my example?

I was deeply saddened by the recent news that the evangelist Steve Hill passed away after a prolonged fight against cancer. I first heard him preach many years ago when my pastor loaned me a cassette tape of one of Steve’s best known messages called “White Cane Religion”. Up to that point I had heard many well-preached evangelistic messages; but when I listened to Steve, I was deeply moved by his passion and zeal. From then on, I became a regular listener of his messages, watched his videos on television  and read many of his books.

Back then and even now as I write this, I am still challenged as Steve’s words make me consider my own passion and desperation for the lost. We have many examples both in scripture and in Christians we know, who demonstrate the reality of their faith through their lives.

I feel blessed to have come under his ministry in Pensacola during the revival as well as being part of two missions he led in Wales.  I was delighted to meet him on a number of occasions.

These scriptures come to mind when I think of Steve:

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

 1 Corinthians 11: 1

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

“But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” 1 Corinthians 9:15-16

I often say that I like to be challenged when people preach and without a doubt, when Steve preached the Gospel I always was!

Key Point: There are many great examples we can follow in Scripture and there will also be many Christians that model a godly attitude, have consistent prayer lives and much more.

As Christians we go through a process of sanctification as we follow Christ and His example. There are always areas we need to work on, parts of our lives we haven’t fully given to God. Steve was just a man like me, a sinner saved by grace.

Reflecting upon this, here are three examples he set that still challenge me. How do they challenge you?

Demonstrating that you believe what you say: When you talk to people who have not accepted Christ how do you come across? Do you show a deep conviction and passion for the one who saved you?

In my own case there are times when I don’t do this as I should. When we demonstrate passion and zeal for Jesus, inspired by the Holy Spirit, things happen! I remember being on a training course in a hotel some years ago. Relaxing after our evening meal with about ten colleagues, I introduced the subject of church and before long everyone in the group was listening intently. One of them asked “Do you really believe that the Bible is true?” I answered with real passion saying “I know that it is true! As I spoke they all fell silent, a number of them looking visibly shocked. That night I was able to share the gospel and as a result had many more opportunities to witness.

Passion and zeal for those who don’t know Jesus: Considering this I would say that I am passionate for the lost, but not anywhere as near as much as I should be. Sometimes I allow the business and daily events of life to distract me so that I lose focus.

You don’t have to look very far in the Bible to realise that we are in the end times. Jesus could literally return at any minute and I want to be ready when He does. Like the men in the parable of the talents who couldn't wait to see the master when he returned.

We should all have a desire to reach the lost and demonstrate that in our prayer life as well as talking about Christ to people who don’t know Him as Lord. I often pray asking God to give me just a little of the passion that Jesus had for the lost. I believe that with an impartation of just a tiny spark of Jesus’ passion would set me on fire.

An example to follow: I wonder, do people consider for even a millisecond the example that I set? Would my actions inspire another  believer? Would I want to be like me? 

Can I truly say like the apostle Paul when he said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Could you say it? Its good to be challenged isn’t it?

Commitment is a very big word. Especially when it comes to sharing the Gospel.

We live in a society that isn't that big on commitment today.  An example of that would be marriage versus co-habitation - these days, young couples move in with each other ‘to see how things go’, rather than make a commitment to each other. The world is changing rapidly as a consequence of this attitude in society.

I have been thinking a lot lately about commitment to the Gospel. When we know how vital it is to witness to others and that people need to about the One who can save them – does this knowledge renew our passion and commitment to share the good news?

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62

The scripture above is one that is extremely challenging. Jesus was speaking about commitment. When I was in sales and management we used to call it “Being blinkered”. In other words, someone being totally focussed on achieving their tasks or goals.

After the man said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go”, Jesus gave him a straight answer, which in today’s language would be “Think about what you are saying, following me is not going to be easy.”

I preached a message recently and asked the people listening “What do you think evangelism or witnessing is?” and received responses like “Sharing the good news” and “Letting people know about Jesus”.

I spoke about someone who once described it this way:

“Evangelism is the work of rescuing people from certain death. It is putting aside all fear and hesitance, knowing that we cannot stand by and watch people die without doing something to stop it.”

I am challenged by that statement and it made me examine my own commitment levels. Am I blinkered when it comes to sharing the good news? How do I view people that I come into contact with on a daily basis? Do I view them as souls either going to heaven or destined for a lost eternity? What if I don’t think about it and just get on with my day?

Being committed is hard. It requires resilience and effort. It is not an easy thing to do. We are often committed to specific TV programmes, activities, hobbies and family-time. But many Christians lack in commitment to prayer, reading the word, church attendance and that of sharing the Gospel.

Key Point: Don’t allow yourself to develop a loser’s limp!

When I was a sales manager I would spend many hours driving my car. During those times I would listen to sales training tapes or ones about maintaining a positive mental attitude. One of my favourite speakers was Zig Ziglar. He would often talk about the “Loser’s limp”. He would explain how a player in an American football game would be chasing someone with the ball, only to pull up, limping. He felt that sometimes the reasons were genuine and other times the chaser wasn’t committed and manufactured the limp.

The point I am making here is like the example of the man who said to Jesus “Lord, first let me go and bury my father”. We can get distracted, or we can find other things to do, or even sometimes find reasons not to be committed.

I once worked for a man in sales called Bob, who was a multi-millionaire. He would never listen to excuses, or allow any negative talk around him. As a result you always had to be positive whenever he was in earshot because if anyone spoke negatively or made an excuse, he would react very strongly.

He was not a believer, but I wonder what he might have said to people if he was saved, when people were struggling with their commitment to the Gospel. Here are a few examples of the kind of ways Bob would respond:

Believer: “It’s difficult to witness my colleague at work.”
Bob: “Well, meet them outside of work and share the Gospel!”

Believer: “I can’t find the time to witness.”

Bob: “Make time, how much time do you spend in front of the TV?”

Believer: “I am not sure what to say.”

Bob: “That’s easy, learn what to say. Spend some time with John who is great at that. He will help you.”

These answers might seem a bit extreme. But that is what he was like. Bob would never allow anyone to limp unless it was genuine. I am very grateful for having no nonsense bosses like him. They pushed me on to try things I’d never have dreamed of myself. In turn, I became the same with my people and developed them with similar challenges. 

 When it comes to the Gospel, how committed are you? What could you change?

Here are a few things you could commit to:

·        Intentionally give out a least one tract a week. By that I mean pray about who to give it to.

·        Build bridges with neighbours or colleagues to give you opportunities to share your faith with them.

·        Start inviting people to church.

·        Learn how to share the Gospel

·        Pray for opportunities consistently – and expectantly!

If someone asked you about your commitment, what would your answer be?

Would you like people to ask you about your faith in Christ?

In an ideal world it would be great if people were to ask you about Jesus, your faith or the church wouldn’t it? Do you think there is a way to open the door for that to happen? I believe that if you put the following suggestions into practice you will soon find that work colleagues, friends and neighbours will start bringing up the subject.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

1 Peter 2: 9

Have you ever noticed that when people meet a policeman, even in social situations that they soon start to tell the officer about some issue of the law that they may have fractured in a minor way. It is as if they can’t help themselves, it seems almost cathartic for them!

The same thing happens when people meet doctors. In no time at all they are telling the poor doctor about their ailments and complaints. My Pastor of many years used to call it the “organ recital”. In other words a person would explain in detail the problems that they were experiencing with their internal organs!

Recently some very good Christian friends and I were discussing my last blog on the subject of nailing your colours to the mast. In other words, letting people know that you have a faith in Christ.   

One of them reminded me of something that always happens when you let people know about your faith. In my own case it has happened with work colleagues in every place I was employed, neighbours and family……they will ask questions.

Key Point: Tell people that you have put your faith in Christ - and people will ask you questions about Him!

I am a part-time tutor and last week I arrived at our offices early, well before anyone else. The head of the college always turns up for work first and was surprised to find me already working in the office. “Wow, you must have got here early this morning” she said. I took the opportunity straight away and explained that I had been at a leader’s early morning prayer meeting and decided to miss the rush hour traffic by coming directly from the church. She sat down in her chair and within a couple of minutes she asked me about church.

I hadn’t planned to catch her out nor set an evangelistic snare. I simply said that I had been to church and had demonstrated the fact that I was committed by explaining in a subtle way that I had been praying while many people were still in bed.

You see, things like this often don’t make any sense to people who don’t have a faith. Neither do things like baptisms, sharing faith on the streets or being a regular church attender. These things can often challenge people to the core. In fact, I have watched people try to figure it out as their facial expression is one of “Why are they doing that?”

The cross of Calvary, where Jesus paid the ultimate price to save us from a lost eternity, is something that many people just cannot understand. Scripture says: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”.

1 Corinthians 1:18

When the mind tries to work out something that doesn’t make sense, it is a natural thing to want more information. So very often that is what people will do. They will simply ask.

Getting back to the importance of telling people about your faith in some way, there are times to be silent and times to speak. We need to live out our faith in our actions and attitudes, but we must also use our mouths.

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Romans 10: 14
  

A few months ago I was on the last of three connecting fights home from a preaching and speaking tour in Russia. I boarded my flight in Kiev and found a seat next to the window. The plane quickly filled up with people and eventually a very smart mature lady in business dress came along and asked if the seats were available. I welcomed her and invited her to sit.

After we took off she asked me if I had been working in the Ukraine. I explained that I was on my third flight home that day from Russia and politely asked what she had been doing in the country. She said that she was an international author and had been speaking at a number of events promoting her latest work.

After she had finished I told her that I was a preacher of the Gospel as well as an author of a couple of books. I quickly explained that I had spoken and preached in a number of cities and seen God do amazing things while I was there. As always after making a statement like that, I shut up and said nothing. Within a few seconds she asked me for more information.

The rest of the flight involved me sharing my testimony, explaining the Gospel and praying for her. I didn’t lead her to Christ, but I know she was challenged by what I had to say. I gave her a copy of my book which she said she would read.

When we take a step of faith and nail our colours to the mast amazing things happens. Where are your colours?

Christian, are your colours nailed to the mast?

There is an old saying which means ‘to defiantly display one's opinions and beliefs, or to show one's intention to hold on to those beliefs until the end’. You may have already guessed. It is “Nailing your colours to the mast”.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” Romans 1: 16

In 17th century nautical battles colours or flags were lowered as a sign of submission. It was also the custom in naval warfare to direct one's cannon fire at the mast of the opponent's ship, thus disabling it. If all of a ship's masts were broken, then the captain usually had no alternative but to surrender. If the captain decided to fight on, this was marked by hoisting the colours on the remnants of the ship's rigging, by 'nailing his colours to the mast'.

Whilst considering the well known verse in Romans which speaks about not being ashamed of the gospel, I remembered two people I knew who had worked at a company for quite a time, holding positions of influence, but none of their colleagues were aware that they were Christians. One of these people was a leader in a church and told me that he had never spoken to anyone about the church or Jesus.

Were those people ashamed of Christ? Well, my answer would be that they were not. They loved the Lord and it was evident in many ways. However, if they were not ashamed of Christ, what was stopping them speak of Him? In both cases it was clear to me that fear prevented them from witnessing. They were afraid of rejection and persecution by their work colleagues. Such things do happen, but most cases I am aware of have been very mild compared to what goes on in some countries, where people are tortured or murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ.

If people make their anti Christian feelings known because we share the Gospel, we need to remember what Jesus said in Luke 6: 22: “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!”

That means that we are blessed by God in those situations. What a truly wonderful promise! This clearly states that as believers in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we should always nail our colours to the mast. It is a must when you consider what Jesus did for us at Calvary. One day we will each have to give an account of what we did as Christians on the earth, just as in the parable of the talents, the Lord is going to want to know what we did with what He gave us. There is going to be a reckoning and we will have to give an account.

 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” 2 Corinthians 5: 10

Key Point: We have responsibility to witness about Jesus. We can’t hide our lamp under a bushel. We have got to start talking about Him. We have a responsibility to witness about Jesus.

We can’t hide our lamp under a bushel. We must witness, we must share Jesus because we don’t much time. He is coming back soon. The Message says plainly in 1 John 2: 28: “Live deeply in Christ. Then we’ll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives.”

I asked this church leader why he hadn’t let people know that he had put his faith in Jesus. He explained that he wanted his life to show that he was a Christian. I replied that witnessing through your lifestyle is a good thing to do. I then asked about all the people who had come and gone from the company. Had an opportunity been missed? Would those people have another chance to hear the Gospel? I say this to many people when I train them to witness and share the Gospel. Living a good life is a great example, but if you really want your colleagues, friends, neighbours or anyone else you come into contact with to know about Jesus, it will involve speaking about Him. There is really no way around it.

Are you playing it safe with your faith because you fear rejection of even a little persecution? I make a point of letting people know I am a Christian very early on. I make it clear so that they know there is no doubt. I could give numerous examples, but here are just two occasions that come to mind.

The first was when we moved into our current property. I was moving some furniture into my house with my Pastor and an elder from our church. My new neighbour was in her garden so I introduced myself and chatted about where I was moving from and so on. After a few minutes I had the opportunity to introduce my helpers. I said, “This is Colin, the Pastor of my Church and Joel who is one of our elders”. There was no awkwardness or anything like that. In fact over the next couple of years I had many opportunities to witness for Christ. They have moved to another house in the village, we are still friends… and oh, I still witness to them.

The second was at a meeting with a managing Director of Multi-national Corporation. This very successful man had just been made my immediate boss. He had a reputation for being tough on his people. I took the bull by the horns and at the right moment explained that I was a Christian who had a very strong faith in Christ. As I told him his expression was one of “Oh no not one of those!”. He said “ I don’t believe in God or anything like that, I think it’s all rubbish” I answered, “with respect, I don’t care what you think, I know what I believe”. The conversation ended there, but once again over time I had opportunities to share Jesus with him and the CEO. God is good!

Jesus was nailed to a cross for our sin. The question is where are your colours? Are they nailed to the mast?

Prepared or unprepared?

I have been doing some evangelism training in the last couple of weeks with a great group of people from my local church. We have had a fantastic time together and some very interesting discussions on the subject of witnessing. How confident are you about sharing your testimony or the Gospel with someone who does not know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour?

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10: 14-15

The responsibility is ours. We cannot rely on other people to do the work. We have been given a job to do that is vitally important and as Christians who love Jesus we are to obey His commands, one of which is to tell people about Him!

Key Point: Remember spending time learning and practising makes a difference.

With that in mind let’s consider once again a question I asked in an earlier blog: does being trained to witness and evangelise make a difference? In sales training I was taught this mantra Prior Preparation and Planning Prevents a Poor Performance. That statement proved to be so true! In my classes I often recount the story of the headmaster’s speech on my first day at secondary school. He gave his regular welcome and then, taking a large pitcher he poured water into an empty glass and explained to the eleven year olds in front of him that ‘you will only get out what you put in’.

The same applies to witnessing. What would happen if you studied and practiced sharing the Gospel or your testimony? Would you have more confidence to share your faith? Experience shows that it certainly does!

Being fully equipped means that a person is thoroughly prepared to do a task effectively. In preaching classes as a young Christian I was given instructions to spend twelve hours to prepare a thirty minute message. This involved time in prayer to seek God for a message, reading and understanding passages of scripture and researching what others have said from books such as commentaries. Finally by preparing the message, privately preaching to oneself followed by yet more prayer.

I have learned that twelve hours of preparation is better than one hour, three hours or even six hours. It definitely makes a difference. I have been in churches where someone has got up to preach and they have explained that God gave them the message the night before. Sometimes God has really given the speaker something from His heart and it is evident to all who listen. On the other hand, I have also heard preachers who have said the same and I have noticed their notes are scribbled on the back of an envelope. Very often the message has been one that is hard to listen to.

The memorable illustration of the pitcher and glass made a lasting impression because of its simple truth -  you only get out of something what you put in. Here are three key points that can be applied to witnessing:

Confidence: The Investment of time in study, practise and evangelism training will increase confidence in your ability to witness effectively. That time spent learning could mean you leading someone to faith. What a privilege!

Your Testimony: The story of your own salvation is a very powerful tool when you witness for Christ, because it is true and it happened to you. People love true stories. Explaining your own story with passion, excitement and conviction opens the hearts of the hearers to the Gospel. God has given each one of us a testimony to share. We must use it! Jesus made a wonderful promise to us:

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” Matthew10:32

I encourage students to divide their testimony into five simple and parts:

·        Have a good title for your testimony - it creates interest for the listener.

·        What happened before you came to Christ

·        How you found and accepted Christ

·        What has happened since that time

·        What scriptures sum up your testimony

Use simple bullet points to give a balanced account to share with others, which can be adapted in length depending on the situation. Plus it keeps you focussed and on what you are saying.

Sharing The Gospel: Knowing how to explain the Gospel in a simple and relevant way will dramatically increase your confidence levels. There are many simple methods you can use that are designed to keep you on track, explaining the important facts effectively.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3: 15

If you look through my previous blogs you will find two examples that cover this. They are called:

·        Leading someone to Christ through F.A.I.T.H

·        Help....I want to explain the Gospel

Time spent developing evangelism skills is very worthwhile  and sharing what Jesus has done in YOUR life becomes an exciting and rewarding experience!