evangelism

A Life Worth Questioning (John Dickson on Evangelism & Good Living)

 

Before we can give answers about Christ, we must be asked questions. Find out how to invite more questions in this excerpt from author & pastor John Dickson's book The Best-Kept Secret of Christian Mission (eBook).

 

Living a Life that Stands Out

The apostle Peter's "be prepared to give an answer to everyone" sounds very much like the apostle Paul's "know how to answer everyone". It is as if the two of them got together on this issue to make sure they told their congregations the same thing: be ready and willing to answer those who do not yet believe…

[It is] worth noting that both apostles' exhortations to speak about Christ appear in the context of instructions about living godly lives. [Peter writes,]

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing. (1 Peter 3:8–9)

 

Christians will not stand out in this world simply by being "nice" …

The life out of which we are to speak [about Christ] is not simply a moralistic life. It is a life of humility, compassion, nonretaliation and so on: in other words, a life of love. Christians will not stand out in this world simply by being "nice" and "ethical", but they will if they live the life described here, the life epitomised by the Saviour himself.

The point is simple: we are to live lives worth questioning and then offer answers worth hearing. 

As Christ did, give off light that brings questions

 

- John Dickson

 
Question: What's the difference between being "nice" and living by Jesus's example?

  

Learn More about The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission eBook Learn More

Learn more about The Best Kept Secretion of Christian Mission eBook

- Adam Forrest, Zondervan

 

(Images & some styling above are web-exclusive features not included in the text of Best Kept Secret. Image attribution: video by CarbonNYC under creative commons license, via Flickr, and special thanks castingoutnines.wordpress.com. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

 

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Scared to Share Your Faith? 4 Good Reads on Evangelism

 

Evangelism has been on my mind this week, ever since I saw the results from Zondervan Blog's "Am I a Christian Atheist?" Quiz. Of the 402 people who took the quiz so far, two responses have proven especially popular. Take a look:

Christian Atheist Quiz Results
 

By a long shot, the top two picks are "I worry often" and "I am hesitant to share my faith with others."

Do these results surprise you? Not me. I can worry about anything, including evangelism. So I thought about some reasons I've been nervous about outreach (i.e., I didn't know how the other person would react; I didn't want to sound judgmental; I was afraid I would get branded as a religious weirdo; I just didn't know what to say!). Since I'm not alone in these fears, I wanted to share some books that have helped me take steps into more actively sharing my faith.

Does the following list leave out your favorite book on evangelism? Drop your recommendation in a comment on this post.
(-Adam Forrest, Zondervan Internet Team)

 

4 Good Reads on Evangelism

1. The Faith
by Chuck Colson and Harold Fickett
If you find it difficult to answer questions about some of Christianity's basic truths (Who is God? What did Jesus do for us on the cross? Why do Christians trust the Bible?) then you will find The Faith both interesting and useful. Here's a key quote from the book: "We pray that the Kingdom of God will rule in our hearts and once again transform the places in which we live. That will happen only by knowing and living the faith. To the best of our ability, then, here is what Christians believe, why we believe it, and why it matters." Read Excerpt

 

 

The Faith

2. The Best-Kept Secret of Christian Mission
by John Dickson
The best-kept secret of Christian mission is that there are more ways to promote the gospel than verbal outreach. While not all Christians are called to become full-time evangelists, we are all called to promote the gospel through a wide range of activities that include prayer, good deeds, godly lives, public worship, financial stewardship, daily conversation, and more. This practical, biblically-based book will help you discover how you can be involved in spreading the good news of Jesus. Read Excerpt

 

The Best-Kept Secret of Christian Mission

3. Just Walk Across the Room
by Bill Hybels
Hybels shows us simple steps that can make huge differences in peoples' lives. Central to Hybels' book is what he calls "Living in 3D" — Developing friendships, Discovering stories, and Discerning appropriate next steps. I haven't read this book myself, but I know several people who've said it helped them get over what intimidated them about evangelism. Read Excerpt

 

 

The Prodigal God DVD

4. Organic Outreach for Ordinary People
by Kevin Harney
"The starting point of effective outreach is not a system, a program, or a specific presentation," says Harney. "It is a heart deeply in love with God and with people." Staying true to this belief,  Harney's book offers insight into how you can fully embracing God's love, then share it in ways that fit your own personality and unique calling. The related Organic Outreach for Churches comes out this fall. Read Excerpt

 

 

Has Christianity Failed You?

PS – I recently discovered Lee Strobel is kicking off a newsletter about investigating the reasons for faith. Learn More

 

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Reaching Out to Your Mormon (LDS) Neighbors

What does the Book of Mormon teach? How does it compare to the Bible? Why does this book appeal to many people? Former Mormon Ross Anderson addresses these and other questions in Understanding the Book of Mormon, guiding readers in an exploration and assessment of the Book of Mormon and offering a Christian response to its teaching. In the video below, Ross explains how his book can help you reach out more effectively to your Mormon neighbors.

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Dan Kimball Teleseminar on Evangelism and Innovation December 1!

Click for more information about Dan KimballJoin authors Eric Michael Bryant and Dan Kimball for a live teleseminar on Evangelism and Innovation December 1, 1:00 p.m. Pacific time.

Eric Michael Bryant, the author of Peppermint-Filled Piñatas, oversees the leadership team at Mosaic in Los Angeles, a church known for its diversity and creativity. In addition, he teaches at the Southern California campus of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and is working on his doctorate of ministry at Bethel Seminary.

Dan Kimball is the founding pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA and has authored several books including They Like Jesus But Not The Church, The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations and Emerging Worship: Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations.

More Information  |  Register

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Internet Evangelism Day is April 27, 2008

Internet Evangelism Day helps Christians learn to use the Web to reach the world. Internet Evangelism Day also encourages churches to hold a web awareness focus day on or near 27 April 2008, to explore this huge potential. Their site offers free downloads (PowerPoint, video clips, drama scripts and handouts) so that churches can create a custom program of any length from two minutes to an hour. "I am glad to commend Internet Evangelism Day," says Dr. John Stott.

Please visit this link for further details on Internet Evangelism Day:
http://ied.gospelcom.net/index.php?partner=zondervan

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