Japan!

Everyone is talking about Japan! What a tragedy. Before I go any further, please remember to pray for those in Japan and please donate to the relief effort. That being said, there are a lot of people all over the world wondering how something like this could happen. They are searching for hope! Some are asking how a good, loving and all powerful God could allow this (for great answers to that question, listen to our most recent episode of "The God Solution" by clicking here). Each one of us should be sharing the hope we have with them! A great way to get to the gospel in this situation would be to bring up Biblical prophecy about these types of issues. Earthquakes, tsunamis and much more are prophesied in scripture. God’s Word prophesies sickness and disease, earthquakes and famines, tsunamis and hurricanes, hail and fire will destroy most of earth’s plant life, some hail reaching up to 100 lbs, metorites, death of sea life, rivers turning into blood, hard core Global Warming, darkness, terrible drought (the Euphrates dries), the largest earthquake in history, islands and mountains will be devastated and eventually the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; metorites will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken (in Mt.24, Mk.13, Lk.21, and Rev.6, 8, 9 and 16). Those prophesies can bring up a spiritual conversation which you can easily transition to the gospel. Probably even more important than that though, is to be able and ready to share the only Good News, God's love and hope, with those you happen to be talking to about this, especially if they have been personally impacted by this tragedy. You can get more ideas by checking out our post on transitioning to the gospel from anything in the news by clicking here. Also, for more on how to understand this and other end times phenomena, check out the MP3 below. Have a great day and don't forget to pray for Japan!

Egypt: A Great Opportunity to Share the Good News!

Everyone is talking about Egypt and all the political unrest in the Middle East. These conversations are a great way to bring up the Good News. Next time you find yourself in a conversation about all that's happening in Egypt, tell those you're talking with that a lot of this is prophesied in the Bible. You can share Is.19, especially verses 20-25 with them. That will bring up the topic of Biblical prophecy. You can go on to share how prophetically accurate the Bible is. Even now Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled in amazing accuracy. A recent example is that of Israel becoming a nation in a single day: prophesied in Is.66:8 and fulfilled by on May, 14, 1948. For more on the reliability of scripture and tons of great points you could bring up in this type of conversation, click here and check out more on understanding the times here. The main point would be to work through the sound barriers once you're discussing the situation in the Middle East today! Finally, praise God for what He is doing in the Muslim world. 16,000 + Muslims are trusting Christ every day (and if you click that link you'll actually get some stories of the revival going on in Egypt)! Check out the video below for more on that and have a GREAT time sharing your faith today!

Lie Detector Day 1

The Lie Detector from Living Waters came in yesterday morning (see more and/or buy it here)  so we tried it out on campus yesterday. We'll be trying out more today as well. At first it was hard to get into conversations with people.  Several turned Jack and me down; many more than normally would. Those that did it thought it was fun, funny and interesting. Malcolm and I got into a great conversation with "J." After doing the "lie detector test" I said, "this is just a funny illustration of what Jesus said in Lk.18:19, that no one is good but God alone. What do you think of that statement?" He told us he was spiritual but didn't believe in Jesus. He was very interested in all of this and continued asking tons of questions regarding Jesus, the Bible, other religions, heaven, hell, salvation and various other spiritual topics. We were able to go through each main point of the gospel with him and he eventually had to take off. I think we talked with him for about 45 minutes. It was a great conversation and proof, yet again, that the method or tool isn't what matters most - people are being drawn to Jesus and whatever you can do to engage them in a conversation about Him is great! Can't wait to see how round 2 goes today! Pray for us. 

Snowday!

Update: Here's what happened!

Snowday is here! A great way to share your faith is to get out and have some fun with a bunch of friends. Any new friends you bring will have a great time hanging out and will inevitably see Christ in you (that's what we call the Body witness). That's what we're doing today. We call it a snowday. It will be a day packed with snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, snowball fights, sledding and much more. We'll top it off with a huge chili dinner. Check out the video below about what we'll be doing. Finally, try this out yourself. Invite a bunch of friends to do some fun outdoor activity where you live and make it an opportunity to reach out to people that don't yet know Jesus!

And, of course, we'll be snowboarding too!

Christmas Evangelism Idea #25: Happy Easter!

This is the last Christmas evangelism idea of this season. It sounds a little goofy but it's worth a try. My friend Gerry Geraghty always asks, "would there be a Christmas if there were no Easter?" That's a great question and one that has led to the gospel every time I've asked it. We used this in the Christmas Soularium idea. The idea for today is simple and quite funny. Sometime throughout the course of the day try telling someone, "Happy Easter," and then just wait for a response. If they don't say anything you can just tell them you're asking that question to see how people respond and then ask whether they think there would be a Christmas if there weren't also an Easter. If they do catch you ask the same question. In both cases be ready to share the Good News but also sensitive about their schedule and yours. Have a very Merry Christmas and take this last opportunity to try out some of the many other Christmas evangelism ideas we've posted here. 

Christmas Evangelism Idea #24: Share During Your Christmas Celebrations!

Christmas is here!!! Hopefully you've been taking advantage of this great time of year by sharing your faith most of the past month. Now we're here. Don't stop now! Christmas is a great time to share the Good News with any friends and family you'll be celebrating with that don't yet know Jesus. Hopefully you have picked some great gifts that point people back to Jesus and now all that's left to do is wait for opportunities to share the Good News with your loved ones. Be sensitive and avoid being overbearing but don't miss this opportunity.

First, pray for each of your non-Christian relatives. Don't forget the "divine order." First talk to God about people (in this case, your loved ones) then talk to your loved ones about God. Then use some of the following ideas to get into conversations.

There are numerous ways to share Christ during your celebrations. Whether you're the host or just attending, you could spice up the Christmas party by taking everyone to a Christmas Eve service, singing some great evangelistic Christmas carols together, watching a good movie and telling people about the significance of candy canes or the true story of Santa. Make sure to read the Christmas story from the gospels and relate it to the reason Christ had to come in the first place. Don't forget to share with the kids you're celebrating with as well - they need Jesus too! Another opportunity to share is praying before the meal, which is a great way to point your loved ones back to Jesus. Check out this post by evangelism.net on presenting the gospel naturally while praying for the meal.

Whatever you do, just be willing and take the initiative and look for the opportunities God will bring up! I hope you've had a great time applying all these Christmas evangelism ideas and hope you have a very Merry Christmas.

Christmas Evangelism Idea #21: Have fun for Jesus!

Whether you'll be traveling or sticking around town having fun, take the initiative to share the gospel during your free time this Christmas. We've already talked about sharing while shopping or at the post office. I also wanted to talk about other things you might be doing in your free time. If you're just out on the town try sharing with any waiters, waitresses or baristas you meet. If your hitting up the slopes, take advantage of all those lift rides with strangers - I can't even count all the great evangelistic conversations I've had riding the lifts with strangers (and don't miss this story on snowboarding and evangelism). The picture above is an old picture of me riding a few years ago. Anyway, the big idea is this: vacation time should be a vacation from work, not from sharing the Good News. Witnessing is one of the greatest joys in life and making it a part of your free time this Christmas is sure to make your Christmas even better. Whatever fun activities you have planned for your free time this break, make Jesus and telling other about Him part of those plans! Don't forget to check out all the other easy Christmas evangelism ideas here and have a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Evangelism Idea #23: Share With the Youngsters.

It might not seem like evangelism but it is. Our kids need to hear the Good News as much as any stranger on the street. They are being bombarded with false descriptions of the meaning of Christmas and it is now more than ever that they need to hear the real meaning of Christmas. You wouldn't believe how many college students we meet each year that grew up in Christian families but have never heard the Gospel. You could intentionally share the gospel by changing things up a bit and watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" together (get it free here), telling them the real story of Santa and the significance of candy canes but most importantly just making it a point to go over the Christmas story with them from the Gospels. Make sure to discuss the significance of Christ's birth and why He had to come, live, die and be risen to pay the price for our sins so each of us could have peace with God. What a great celebration. So whether they're your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews or just youngsters that happen to be celebrating with you, make sure to share the gospel with them this Christmas! Don't miss the other easy Christmas evangelism ideas and have a Merry "God came down in human flesh and saved us from our sins" day!

Evangelism Idea #22: Tell Your Guests About Candy Canes.

I'm sure you'll have lots of guests over for Christmas or be a guest along with many others this weekend. Candy canes are a great intro to share the gospel, especially with children. Tradition tells us the candy cane's shape as a "J" should remind us of Jesus and when flipped around remind us of a shepherd's staff and how each of us are His sheep (Jn.10). The white color of the candy cane stands for purity. The large red stripe reminds us of His blood which he shed for our sins to make us pure before God while the 3 small stripes represent the trinity. Talk about a great way to get to the gospel from something that will most likely be a decoration wherever you spend Christmas this Saturday. Get more info on the tradition of candy canes by clicking here and don't miss these other easy Christmas evangelism ideas! Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Evangelism Idea #20: Travel for Jesus!

It's Christmas break for students and most everyone else is about to have time off as well. Many of us will be traveling soon. If you will be traveling make it a point to share the Good News with those you encounter along the way, you may never see them again and this may be the only opportunity you ever get to share with them. If you're flying you'll have numerous opportunities to share with people in airports and planes. You cold easily start a conversation by asking them where they're traveling to and then working through the sound barriers from there. If you're driving you could tell a cashier at the gas station that Jesus loves them (see an example of this here). Last year I told a lady at a gas station near Glenwood Springs that Jesus loved her and she almost began crying. She told us that her husband had dumped all of her belongings off at the gas station door earlier that day and told her not to come home. She was desperate and confused. That one phrase we shared opened into an entire discussion of the gospel. Who knows what will happen when you take the initiative to share as you travel over the holidays! Don't forget to check out all the other easy Christmas evangelism ideas here and have a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Evangelism Idea #19: Tell People about Santa!

Santa is real! You probably already knew that. I'm obviously not talking about the pudgy character dressed in red pictured on the left! Our society has lost the true meaning of Christmas and perverted it with a commercial perspective epitomized by the character we call Santa Claus. Erin and I don't tell our kids about Santa but think the topic is a great way to transition back to Jesus and the gospel. Next time you hear people talking about Santa, go ahead and tell them the real story. Nicholas was a wealthy man, orphaned as a boy, who loved God and desired to serve Him. Because scripture tells us to give to the poor he spent his life, as a minister, giving away his wealth and providing for the needs of children and the needy. Many of the traditions we have about Santa Claus arose from his efforts - like those of dropping gold coins anonymously down chimneys for poor families. Whatever the case, next time you hear people talking about Santa, go ahead and tell them the true story of a man who loved God so much that he was willing to give all he had to love others as well. That will give you an interesting and easy start to sharing about the greatest gift ever given, the gift that inspired Nicholas to give the way he did and the gift that we celebrate at Christmas - Jesus! Get more info on the real Santa here. I hope you get a chance to try this idea out along with the other Christmas evangelism ideas we've posted! Merry Christmas!

Here's an interesting video that tells a bit more about Nicholas:

Christmas Evangelism Idea #18: Share while Shopping!

I imagine all of us still have shopping to do for Christmas. Who doesn't this time of year? This is after all the busiest shopping time of the year (interestingly, the entire American economy avoids disaster each year because of people celebrating Jesus' birthday!!!). If you're going to be spending that much time out shopping these last few days before Christmas why not make it a point to share your faith while out. You could easily share with someone you find yourself in line next to (for more on that see yesterday's post). You could also share with any of the store employees or cashiers that help you out. Have a simple conversation starting question ready, like, "How is Christmas going for you?" That will open up into a conversation as you work through the sound barriers. Just be sensitive about their schedule - they are on the clock and VERY busy. So whether you share with a store employee or just another shopper, make sure to share the Good News while out doing buying last gifts and don't forget to check out all the other easy Christmas evangelism ideas here. Merry Christmas!!! Check out the great video below of a some shopping Christmas carol evangelism...

Christmas Evangelism Idea #17: Share at the Post Office!

Any time you find yourself in a line think of it as an opportunity for you to share your faith. I won't lie, it isn't always the first thing that comes to my mind either but the Holy Spirit in you will be quick to remind you! It's really pretty simple. Just nod at the person in front of you when you enter and make some comment about the line (just don't complain too much). You could ask something like, "how long have you been here?" Since it's Christmas ask a Christmas related question like, "sending out last minute Christmas gifts?" You could ask an easy follow up question about whether or why they celebrate Christmas (see more about good Christmas questions here). Then begin working through the sound barriers. Those will be easy with this topic. If the line is long enough, and it probably is, you may just get to go through the whole gospel with someone while you wait. Check out a great post office evangelism story by clicking here and give this idea a shot next time you're at the post office. Finally, don't forget to try the other easy Christmas evangelism ideas here and have a very Merry Christmas! It's off to the post office I go!!!

Snowboarding for Jesus!!! This is an amazing story!

Many of you know I used to be a sponsored snowboarder (thats me in the picture, you can click the picture for a bigger view). That entailed getting a lot of free boards. It's been a good 13 years since I bought snowboarding equipment. Last year at our December Men's Retreat (to see the recap of this years December retreat click here), God had been putting on my heart to give a whole snowboarding setup to a boy, Glen, who came to the retreat for the first time. I didn't want to at first because it was a lot of gear and I didn't have the money to replace it. Giving him that gear meant I'd have to ride older gear I hadn't ridden in a while. I finally caved to the Holy Spirit's prompting and gave this young man a board, bindings, boots, helmet and goggles (actually, the same board, boots, bindings and helmet from the picture above). He was thrilled. He had wanted a board so badly he had been carrying a block of snowboard wax around expectantly. Talk about faith!!! Anyway, I haven't spoken with him for a while but got a text from him the day before yesterday. I asked him if he was still going strong for Jesus. He told me yes, "I skate and snowboard sharing the Word of God with others." He went on to say that he has led 3 atheist friends to Christ and has also led 4 strangers to Christ doing this skate and snowboard evangelism! Wow!!! I thought this was a great example of yielding to God's leading especially when it costs something (remember David's heart).

Sometimes evangelism isn't cheap; it may cost you time, energy, possessions, reputation or money but it is so worth it. Knowing what I know now about how this young man would use that board for God's glory I would have gladly given him all my gear. Praise God for Glen! Pray God keeps him strong and continues using Him to share the Good News! Have a blast applying the Christmas evangelism ideas before Christmas gets here. Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Evangelism Idea #16: Christmas Servant Evangelism Ideas.

Good works are never a substitute for evangelism (remember the 10 lies about evangelism!) but they can be a great transition to the gospel (check out our servant evangelism thoughts here)! Christmas can be a great time to serve others and use that as a way to share the Good News. I found a good list of Christmas servant  evangelism ideas here. Hope you get a chance to try these out along with the many other ideas we've recently shared. Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Evangelism Idea #15: Help Someone in Need!

Times are tough! With 10% of the population out of work and many more under-employed, I'm sure there are numerous people in your sphere of influence that are pretty needy this holiday season. A great way to share your faith with them could be to start by sharing some money or food or helping them with whatever need they may have. They may even just need some presents for their kids. On that note, we met a lady named Stephanie in front of Walmart; she claimed she needed presents for her kids - if you feel led to help, you can get a hold of her at 435-740-4510. We don't know her and can't vouch for her story but if you want to help her out you can call her. I'm sure there are tons of people just like her that could use some help right now. Every one of them is at a place where they are probably very open to the gospel and will be even more when believers share both physically and spiritually with them. That's the 15th Christmas evangelism idea, share with someone in need and then share the gospel with them as well. If you don't know anyone in need, think about volunteering at a soup kitchen and sharing some food and the Good News with the needy folks there. Have a blast applying this idea (just use more tact than the guy in the hilarious video below) and get even more Christmas evangelism ideas here!

Christmas Evangelism Idea #14: Invite a Friend to a Christmas Production!

This idea should be a blast and an easy way to share the Good News as well. Invite a friend to a Christmas production somewhere in your area. Here are 2 local examples: my home church is doing a Christmas Eve service, Friday at 6pm (get more info here) and there will be a live nativity, with native Navajo costumes and live animals, in Farmington, New Mexico at 6pm this Wednesday, Dec.22nd (Address: 2102 W. Main, Farmington, New Mexico; Phone: 888-325-0255). The picture on the left is a picture of this nativity that I found online. Events like these are fun and Christmasy ways to bring up Christ with your friends. Everyone likes being invited to events like these and whether they come or not as soon as you invite them you've initiated a conversation that can be brought back to the gospel easily. There's only one week left so take the initiative to invite a friend to a Christmas production and use that as an opportunity to share Jesus with them this Christmas! For more easy Christmas evangelism ideas click here. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Evangelism Idea #11: Party!

Christmas is only 9 days away! This is definitely the time of year for Christmas party. This idea is pretty simple. Throw one yourself. You could either throw a Christmas party before Christmas and invite a ton of friends (especially those you want to share the Good News with) or you could just invite people over for your actual Christmas celebration. Either way you can plan the event in such a way that you can clearly refer to the gospel and share with your loved ones in a very warm and friendly way.

The picture above was taken at our student Christmas party last week. You can read more about a similar party we hosted for thanksgiving here. These are fun times where people get to know each other and hear about Jesus and anyone could host these types of events. Only 9 days left before Christmas, hope you get a chance to throw and evangelistic Christmas party! Get more Christmas evangelism ideas here. Merry Christmas!

Evangelism Idea #10: Christmas Decorations.

I'm sure there are some holdouts out there, those of you like us who have put off decorating. Maybe you've wanted to but just haven't had the time. That's where we're at. Anyway, you still have time to be creative with how you decorate the inside and outside of your home. Find ornaments and decorations for your interior that will point visitors to Jesus (see some examples here). It's your house so go all out. Have fun for the glory of God! As far as the outside decorating goes, the sky's the limit. You could spell out an evangelistic message in lights (like the example on the in the picture - I found this picture on line), put out a lighted nativity set (get one here) or do something as simple as putting out a cross of lights. Each of these simple decorating ideas will add a little Christmas cheer and point people back to Jesus, the reason for the season! Check out the over the top decorating example below!!! Get other great Christmas evangelism ideas here. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Evangelism Idea #8: Reach Your Workplace this Christmas!

The workplace is the primary ministry many people are called to. Reaching your workplace for Christ can seem intimidating but with a few ideas and a little initiative it can be an incredible adventure and fulfilling opportunity. Check this post for a few ideas on reaching your workplace for Christ and keep your eyes open for more soon. I wanted to share a few ideas for reaching your workplace for Christ over Christmas.

First, a great way to reach your workplace for Christmas is to do a little decorating! Seriously. If you have an office put a few Christ centered Christmas cards, pictures or posters (check out these posters) in your office. You probably don't wan to go overboard with your decorating but can definitely be intentional about pointing to Christ with your office aesthetics. Even if you don't have an office, you could come up with creative ideas to bring Christ into your surroundings. Maybe it could be the Christmas music you play, a pin you wear or some other idea. A visible reference to Jesus in your office is a great way to share your faith this Christmas, in your workplace.

A second idea would be to carefully select Christmas cards that share the gospel for each of your co-workers. Get some ideas on that here.

A third idea would be to pick Christ centered gifts for your Christmas party. You could buy a Bible or some other gift that would encourage your co-workers towards Christ (check out these gift ideas). You could also give out gift bags and get to the gospel that way.

Fourth, do the Christmas Soularium with co-workers over your lunch break.

Fifth, help a co-worker out. With all the financial hardships going around I'm sure someone in your office is looking at a pretty bleak Christmas. Maybe you could help them get gifts for their children or find some other creative way to bless them.

Finally, say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays. That seems like a no-brainer but could easily open up discussions with co-workers. Anyway, those are just a few and there are no doubt many more. Please let us know of any ideas you have for sharing with co-workers over Christmas. Have a blast trying out these ideas. Get more Christmas evangelism ideas here and even more evangelism ideas here.