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3 Ways to Reach People for Christ
“Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.” -D. Elton Trueblood
Here are 3 simple ways to reach people for Christ.
1) Pray daily.
The most important Person in any witnessing conversation is God the Holy Spirit. Without His participation, our words will be empty and fruitless.
Jesus described the Holy Spirit’s ministry in John 16, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me;” (John 16:8-9)
Effective witnessing doesn’t start with talking to people. It starts with talking to God.
Before you ever open your mouth, get on your knees, and pray that the Holy Spirit will work in their lives.
-Pray that He will make them aware of their personal sin and need for Christ.
-Pray that He will prepare their hearts to hear the gospel.
-Pray that He will remove any obstacles to them accepting Christ.
-Pray that He will give you an opportunity to share the gospel and a heart of compassion for them.
If you want to reach someone for Christ, start with prayer.
2) Invite them to your home.
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus ministered to publicans and sinners. He spoke truth both in the public marketplace and in the private home. Our homes can be effective centres for reaching people who may not come out to church.
You can invite someone to your house for coffee and dessert, for dinner, or for a bonfire. Treat them as you would a brother or sister in Christ—with kindness and acceptance. Be open about your faith in Christ.
Stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, and look for an opening to share your salvation testimony. Always stay focused on reaching them for Christ. When the time is right, explain the gospel clearly.
Also, you can invite them to do a six- or eight-week Bible study with you. You can order Bible studies about the family, marriage, etc. that include the gospel message. Ask your pastor for recommendations.
Inviting people to your home can be a wonderful way to show them the love of Christ.
3) Invite them to church.
Another great way to reach people for Christ is to invite them to church with you. If transportation is an obstacle, offer them a drive.
Attending church will expose people to both the truth of God’s Word and the influence of God’s people. They can hear the gospel and respond to it.
When your church holds evangelistic meetings, Christmas programs, or outreach events, invite people. You can text an invitation, hand out flyers, or share posts on your social media. But a face-to-face invitation is the most effective.
If you want to reach people for Christ, you don’t have to know all the answers. You don’t need a degree in theology or years of experience.
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Will you reach out to people to share the gospel? Join the friendly church family of Northside Baptist Church on Sundays at 11:00 am.
For more information, call (902) 736-6465 or email northside1178@gmail.com
Hymn Stories: “For the Beauty of the Earth”
At Thanksgiving, we often sing the classic hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth.” It describes the blessings for which we give thanks. And it praises the Giver of all good gifts. Here is the story behind this excellent hymn.
On a warm spring day in 1864, a man wandered through the countryside near Bath, England. His name was Folliett Pierpoint, and he was a scholar at Cambridge. As he walked, he heard birds singing sweetly and watched the breeze whisper over the hillside. The calm river Avon sparkled in the distance. Overcome with the beauty of God’s creation, he sat down and penned the words of this hymn.
For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies
For the Love which from our birth, over and around us lies
{Refrain}
Christ, our God, to Thee we raise, this our sacrifice of praise.
Instead of merely praising the beauty of nature, Folliett praises the “Love which, from our birth, over and around us lies.” He reminds us of the all-encompassing truth of Acts 17:28, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being…” Moment by moment, the love of God surrounds and sustains us.
Since he wrote it for use in the Lord’s Supper, Folliett addresses this hymn to Jesus Christ. According to the command of Hebrews 13:15, we offer a sacrifice of praise to Him.
For the beauty of each hour, of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light (refrain)
For the rhythm of day and night—each hour of precious, never-returning life— Pierpoint thanks God. For the flow of hill and valley and the cadence of sun, moon, and stars, he praises God.
For the joy of mystic harmony, sinking sound to sense and sight (refrain)
For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child,
For each perfect Gift of Thine, to our race so freely given,
Graces human and Divine, Flowers of earth and buds of heaven (refrain)
For thyself, best Gift Divine, to the world so freely given,
For that great, great love of thine, peace on earth, and joy in heaven: (refrain)
In the closing verse, Pierpoint draws our gaze to the heart of the Lord’s Supper….our Saviour, Jesus Christ. From His hand come all good gifts on this earth. And, through His death, we can have forgiveness, eternal life, and a home in heaven.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s take time to thank God for His great goodness to us!
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Will you thank God for His blessings? Learn more about God each week by worshipping with the friendly church family of Northside Baptist Church – Sundays at 11:00 am.
For more information, call (902) 736-6465 or email northside1178@gmail.com
3 Ways God’s Love Surpasses Our Own
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1 John 3:16)
Let’s examine 3 specific ways that God’s love surpasses our own.
God’s love is enduring and faithful. Ours is temporary.
Human love always has a point of beginning—when a baby is born, when kindred spirits find each other, and when a boy meets a girl. And human love often has an end.
We are pilgrims on this earth, and our love is fragile and fleeting at best. At any moment, tragedy may steal away the ones we love. Or sin may breach our trust and separate us from each other.
Yet God’s love is enduring. As Paul wrote, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Nothing—absolutely nothing—can estrange us from God’s love.
God’s love is unconditional. Ours is conditional.
If you love me, I will love you. But, if you are bad enough, I will stop loving you.
But God’s love is fundamentally different. He loves the respectable and the scandalous; the wealthy and the poor; the sought-after and the rejected.
His love is not based on status, power, or beauty. It is not even based on behaviour.
God loved you and I when we were rebels—ungrateful, irreverent, and self-satisfied.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
When we accept God’s salvation by faith, we gain access to the benefits of His love. We are adopted into His family and receive all the blessings and privileges thereof.
As God’s children, we rejoice in the truth that His love is unconditional. He will always love us the same—no matter how we may fail Him, no matter our weakness. He loves us because we are His.
God’s love is extravagant. Ours is limited.
As humans, we are limited by the extent of our pocketbook and the hours in our day. We cannot supply all that we long to pour out on the ones we love.
But God has no such limits. Do His children need resources? He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the diamonds in a thousand mines, and the stars in a thousand galaxies.
Nor is He limited by time. As Peter wrote, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8) God has enough time and attention to love each of us as individuals. He is never too occupied to hear and answer our prayers.
In addition, God’s strength has no limits. “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.” (Isaiah 40:28) When the road is rough and our feet are weary, God has enough strength to carry us. His strength is always sufficient.
God’s love is extravagantly generous. He does not dole out packets of freeze-dried chicken noodle soup. He doesn’t offer us week-old sandwiches or flat Coca-Cola. Instead, God spreads a lavish feast before us and invites us, “Come and dine.” (John 21:12)
God’s love is far greater than any human love, and He loves you! Rest in His tender love for you today, and trust His heart.
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Have you experienced the love of God? Join the friendly church family of Northside Baptist Church on Sundays at 11:00 am to learn more.
For more information, call (902) 736-6465 or email northside1178@gmail.com
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