Cultivate, Stimulate, & Recognize Opportunities
Part 3
By Allan E. McNabb

In this article, we continue to review the first lesson in our series on conversational evangelism — sharing God’s word with people in everyday conversation.

Review of Previous Articles
We learn from Paul that prayer and being the world’s Bible by the way we live is important to bring people to Christ through the gospel.

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

• Tip #1:  When someone says “church,” follow up.
• Tip #2:  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 to 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.
• Tip #4:  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 church.  And if they’re already going to church, you have an opportunity to continue the conversation by asking a few more questions.

Cultivate and Stimulate Opportunities
Besides recognizing opportunities, you can also cultivate and stimulate opportunities to share the gospel with others. 

Cultivating evangelistic opportunities is like fishing.  You drop clues and send signals that tells people you’re interested in talking about spiritual matters, and see if anyone responds.  You can send the signals to everyone you contact, no matter where you are or what you’re doing, confident the Lord will help you when people responds.

Tip #5: Use a Spiritual Vocabulary
Many people you contact throughout the day are interested in having a spiritual conversation.

In a poll submitted by Jerry De Luca to Preaching Today, 49% of people want to talk about moral issues, and 42% of people want to talk about spiritual issues and beliefs.

A poll in the 2001 Roper Youth Report, reveals that more kids and teenagers are interested in church than surfing the Web, watching a movie, hanging out at parties, or going to the mall.

• 53% of respondents ranked religion and spirituality among their top personal interests.
• 58% said churches and religious groups are an important influence on their moral values.

By using words like “church,” “God,” “Jesus,” and “salvation” in everyday conversations, you let people know you are spiritually minded, and that you’d like to have a spiritual conversation.

People who are interested in having a spiritual conversation will often reply by using spiritual or religious words.  In such cases, you can follow up, as discussed earlier in this series.

Tip #6: Talk About Moral and Religious Topics
When you’re talking about moral and religious topics, reference the Bible to substantiate your point.  It’s usually best not to give the chapter and verse, or quote the Scripture, because many people think you are talking down to them or preaching at them.  But if they ask where the Scripture is in the Bible, be ready to tell them, and possibly show them — this could be your first Bible study together.

By referencing the Bible in a conversation, you show people that you are committed to God’s word, and that it’s the ultimate authority for your life.  This shows them that you are a sincere and faithful Bible student, and allows you to graciously interject basic principles, such as:

• We both can’t be right, but both of us can be wrong.
• I just want to know what the Bible says.  I’ll change if I’m wrong.
• Someone who believes God, obeys God.

Tip #7:  Relate God to Secular Topics of Discussion
Every topic relates to God in some fashion.  The more conversations we can relate to God and the Bible, the more successful we’ll be at finding people who are interested in talking about God.

You can practice by replaying conversations in your mind and asking, “How could I have taught a spiritual lesson during that conversation?”  Then, practice what you could have said during the conversation.  Soon, you’ll find yourself teaching these lessons in everyday conversation.

Tip #8:  Tell People About Jesus’ Church
In spiritual conversations, you can often interject something about Jesus’ church and our congregation.

Like a sower sows seed in a field, talk about God, Jesus, and the church with everyone you can.  If someone cares about God enough to have a spiritual conversation with you, they’ll appreciate talking about His church.

To prepare for these conversations, make a list of basic things everyone should know about the Lord’s church, especially how it differs from other churches.  And make a list of reasons why you like being a member of our congregation.  Memorize both lists, frequently review them, and you’ll begin talking about them.