Archive for lost people

Inviting Lost People to Your Group

A pastor correctly said, “Lost people matter to God. They should also matter to us.” In Luke 19:10, Jesus states, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost.” Inviting lost people to our group is a natural progression in our relationship with Christ. The closer we relate and imitate Jesus, the more compassion we will have for people who do not yet know Him as their Savior and Lord.

Inviting a lost friend or acquaintance to our small group can sometimes be an unsettling experience. All sorts of questions come to mind:

  • What if my friend doesn’t like my group?
  • Or even worse – what if my group doesn’t like my friend!
  • What if our group leader says something that might hurt my friend’s feelings?

I want to encourage you not to worry about the “what ifs” of inviting someone to your group. The chances are your friend already knows that you belong to a small group. In fact, they may be wondering why you haven’t invited them to come with you to your group!

Here are a few simple suggestions that may help…

  • Be intentional. Sorry, but inviting someone to your small group is not going to accidentally slip into the conversation. I enjoy fishing and hunting, but inviting someone to go hunting with me has never happened by accident. It is always intentional.
  • Be cordial. “Hey Larry, you know I have been intending to do this but sometimes it slips my mind. I would love for you to be my guest at our small group this Sunday if you don’t already have something planned.”
  • Be prepared. Your group should be ready for guests. Get in the habit of wearing nametags. Sit in a circle. Have extra Bibles available for guests. Never call on a guest to read, pray, or answer a question.

The simplest things can go a long way to easing any discomfort you might have about inviting a friend to your group. But one thing is certain…

They will not come if we do not ask.

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Bob Mayfield is the Sunday School/Discipleship specialist at the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Bob also has his own blog at bobmayfield.com.
Follow Bob on Twitter at @bobmayfield and on Facebook at facebook.com/thebobmayfield

Gospel Conversations With Lost People

Why is it so hard to have a conversation with a lost person about the Gospel? Honestly, it’s never easy. Please know this, God wants you to tell others your story. He wants others to hear how He changed your life so that they can know how to experience that same kind of relationship with the Almighty God. Let’s take a look at some of the dynamics at work when we share the Gospel.

There is a Spiritual Battle – In the spiritual realm, there is a battle raging for the soul of mankind. Satan wants to keep as many souls as possible out of Heaven. At the same time, God continues to direct our lives into divine encounters that draw others to Himself in an eternal relationship with Him. We may not see the battle that rages for the souls of those we encounter; but know it is always there. (Ephesians 6:12)

It’s your words, but God’s message – We get hung up on saying the “right” thing, knowing the “right” words. God is already at work in your heart and mind. God is also at work in the heart and mind of the person you are sharing with. They are hearing the Gospel even if our words are not as “perfect” as we would like them to be. Attending classes and training seminars on how to share your faith is important. Don’t, however, overlook the work that the Spirit of God is doing in our lives and in the lives of those we share with.

Just Share – I have had the privilege of training lots of people in sharing their faith. On every visit, I encourage those with me to take a leap of faith and just try. When it is all over, I almost always hear these words, “thanks for giving me the opportunity to share”.

You need someone to go with you? Get someone. You need to practice? Find someone. You want to learn how to share your faith? Just do it!

Sean Keith is the Sunday School/Discipleship Strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Sean has free resources available at www.louisianabaptists.org/churchgrowth and www.revseankeith.com. Follow Sean on Twitter @revseankeith.

Why Reach the Lost?

 

It is a simple question with a simple answer. Yet we ask, “Why don’t we see more of it?” or “Is it really my responsibility?” We understand what the Bible says about reaching the lost. We’ve read Matthew 28 and Acts 1. We hear the words of Jesus echo in our minds. We have seminars and provide conferences and resources. There are so many ‘how to’s’ that I think we have forgotten the ‘what for’!

Statistics indicate 92% of Christians will not share their faith. Why? It could be for a number of reasons, such as a fear of speaking—yet we talk about our favorite team or food. Perhaps it’s a lack of training, but when an evangelism conference is offered it’s the lowest attended training of them all.  Could it be that Jesus is just not that high on our list of things to talk about?

I don’t mean to sound harsh, but please agree that souls are at stake and we should be willing to do, or say, anything to keep them from an eternal hell. Remember, we are asking, “Why Reach the Lost?” I say, “Why Not!” Isn’t that part of the joy of the Christian life, walking this path so that we can bring others along with us? Even if people don’t agree with us or doubt what we’re saying, we can be like Philip in John 1 when he was asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” His response was only this, “Come and See!”

Dwayne Lee is the Associate Team Leader of the Bible Teaching/Leadership Resource Group of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio.