Cultivate, Stimulate, & Recognize Opportunities
Part 2
By Allan E. McNabb

In last Sunday’s bulletin, I started a review of the first lesson in our series on conversational evangelism — sharing God’s word with people in everyday conversation.

Review of Last Week’s Article
We learn from Paul that prayer is important in our efforts to bring people to Christ through the gospel.  He asked the Colossians and Ephesians to pray for him, and his efforts to spread the gospel.

We also need to be the world’s Bible by the way we live, to bring people to Christ through the gospel. When we talk to people about God, they are trying to determine if we’re credible.  They look at our lives to see if our religion is working in our lives.  They want to see whether we’re happy, how we overcome adversity, how we interact with family and friends, how we interact with brethren in and out of the assembly, etc.

As we go through our day-to-day lives, we need to recognize opportunities to share the gospel.

Tip #1:  When Someone Says “Church” . . . .  If someone says the word “church,” follow up.  This shows that they are interested in talking about church and spiritual topics.

Tip #2:  Conversations Regarding Moral and Religious Issues.  If someone starts a conversation regarding a moral or religious issue, follow up by discussing the topic while referencing the Bible to substantiate your position.

Tip #3:  Use Any Conversation. . . .
With a little practice, any conversation can springboard to a spiritual conversation about God, the church, salvation, etc.  Everything has something to do with God and religion; therefore, every conversation has something to do with God.

For example, when talking to someone about sports you can springboard to a spiritual conversation by sharing your thoughts.  In these situations, I often mention that sporting events on Sunday aren’t practical to attend because of church.

Tip #4: Ask, “Are you going to church right now?”
Whenever you’re in a religious conversation, ask, “Are you going to church right now?”  This question is an inoffensive way to find out if they’re looking for a church.

If they’re not going to church, you have the opportunity to invite them to go to church with you, while giving the reasons you like our congregation.

If they’re already going to church, you have opportunity to continue the conversation by asking a few more questions.  Questions like, “How are things at your church?” and “What do you like about your church?”

When talking to someone who is already going to a church, you can still invite them to visit with you.  Sometimes I’ll say, “I’d love for you to come to church with me when you have a chance!” or “If you’re ever looking for a church, I’d like for you to visit with me!”

Homework
While you continue praying for opportunities to share the gospel, concentrate on recognizing opportunities to have spiritual conversations with people you contact in everyday life.  Don’t worry about talking to people regarding religion — just try to recognize the opportunities.

• Listen for people to say the word “church.”
• Listen for conversations regarding moral and religious issues.
• When talking to people, think about what you might say to communicate a spiritual lesson.
• When talking to people, think about whether you could ask them if they’re going to church right now.

After you feel comfortable recognizing opportunities to talk about God, you’ll find yourself taking advantage of the opportunities more and more. And you’ll discover how fun it is to talk about God and His church, and how eager people are to talk about something meaningful in life.