Recently in Evangelizing the Lost Category

hcsp.jpgIt is one thing to read about how to witness to someone; it is another to put into practice what you've learned. I tell my students, "If you want to witness, then go witness." That is the best, though not the easiest, way to learn. I call it "Trust and Go." Trust God and go witness. My very first evangelistic endeavor was just such a case. This is what happened.

Miracles by Ray Comfort

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Read the Bible in a year: Genesis 28-29, Psalm 33, Matthew 18

According to the secular media miracles happen regularly. An ocean-liner sinks, and days later someone is pulled to safety. This is hailed as a "miracle." While the media usually keeps the mentioning of God to the minimum, they do know that miracle stories lift ratings. 
hcsp.jpgI am the dean of a school that focuses on missions and evangelism, but evangelism does not always come easy to me. That is surprising to me now, as sharing my faith was quite easy when I was a young believer. In fact, evangelism was never difficult until I became a pastor - when the multiple tasks of ministry seemed to get in the way of evangelism. The more involved I was in leading my church, the less involved I seemed to become in evangelism.
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In a recent issue of Outreach, I wrote about the seven sins of dying churches. The response to the article was significant, but one response was recurring: "Thom, now that we've heard about the characteristics of dying churches, can you tell us about the characteristics of healthy churches?" I went back to my research of over 2,000 healthy churches in America to find unifying features, and I am excited to share them with you.
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The church is not sent on a mission by God, rather God is on a mission and the church is called to join him. This is an important distinction, as much of what the church is about is trying to do stuff for God instead of letting Him do stuff through us. 
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I was recently on an airplane sitting next to a lawyer who specialized in "toxic tort" cases. That means he sues large chemical corporations who've hurt everyday people by neglecting to take proper safety precautions, often winning settlements of millions of dollars for his clients. He was a very sharp-minded and eloquent orator who also happened to be a Christian.
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Missional is not an event we tack onto our already busy lives. It is our life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life: "As you go, make disciples...."; "Walk wisely towards outsiders"; "Let your speech always be seasoned with salt"; "be prepared to give a defense for your hope." We can be missional in everyday ways without overloading our schedules. Here are a few suggestions:

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