On Sunday morning, Brother Acuff handed out evangelism bookmarks to each person who walked in the door. When he took the pulpit that morning, he asked us to write down the names of ten souls to whom we were going teach the gospel. After writing down the names and reminding everyone of his/her personal responsibility, he asked us to place them in our Bibles for future reference. He told me that during the year he would periodically ask everyone to take out their bookmarks and allow those names to stare them right in the eyes and ask, “What have you done lately to reach the souls you listed with the gospel?”
If you are not seeking the lost, you cannot save them with the gospel. Developing a contact list is the first and most important step in soul winning. If you do not have a contact, you have nothing. If you have the cure for COVID but do not tell anyone, you have ability without opportunity. Jesus spent time with sinners. In fact, He spent so much time with them that He was called a sinner and a publican by His enemies. His purpose was not to fellowship sin but to teach the lost. Isolating ourselves from sinners is not a Christian virtue. When we selectively and strategically spend time with sinners, we build relationships and create opportunities to teach them. Jesus said, “Say not yet, There are ye four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white unto harvest” (John 4:35).
After the seminar was completed, I asked Brother Acuff for permission to add this lure to the HTHSOE tackle box. We had it professionally designed and added some instruction on the back side. Each time I open my Bible, that bookmark stares at me. It is a constant reminder of my responsibility to reach the lost. Evangelism is the individual Christian mission for which each must give an account.
North Jefferson, Mt. Pleasant, Texas: Kris Groda reports, “Team leaders will meet next Sunday night. Target date to start is the first week in April with Compassion Card ministry. We want to order a tablecloth/skirt for the evangelism table. A date will be set for an evangelism class. They want a separate class since it has not been that long since we did it in the congregation. Lessons are being organized that will expose and review the materials on the evangelism table. We will begin teaching the entire congregation Believe the Bible.”
Beattie Road church of Christ, Albany, Georgia: Charles Harris wrote, “I’ve set up the evangelism table. My wife put a few visitor bags together to get us by until we form a visitor bag group. Tomorrow, I’ll begin preaching through Back to The Bible with the congregation. The elders will be making an announcement at the beginning of service concerning changing our culture to an evangelistic one. They are in the process of selecting leaders for our new various works.”
Beloit church of Christ, Kansas: Dustin Doughtery, a graduate of HTHSOE wrote, “Bible study lesson 1 tonight with the parents of my son’s girlfriend. He is the superintendent of the local school system, very busy, but he is making time for some studies. I also started teaching an intro to personal evangelism class last Sunday using some info off your DVDs, from the teacher’s manual, and the fishers of men book. I put it all into a power point and presented it. It went over very well. Then this Sunday we started book 1 of BTTB and people really seemed to enjoy going through the booklet; it was almost like a giant Bible study. One lady is already wanting to study with several ladies from her work and her mom. It’s exciting.”
Coweta church of Christ, Oklahoma: Keno Shrum wrote, “Brother, you’ll never know the impact you have made on this congregation and on my family. If I live to be 100, I’ll thank God a million times for the day the Whitacres came into our lives. We’ve known you three days but feel like we’ve known you guys a lifetime and consider you to be some of our dearest friends. I long for the day I get to smoke meats for your awesome family again. May God bless you in every step of your mission. I hope Roy isn’t too attached to that baptism record because he’s about to lose it! Travel safe and please keep in touch brother! God bless!”
Wade Phillips requested prayers: “Rob, I have been given a unique opportunity this coming Sunday (and next week) to study with an entire Baptist church in Tennessee. Only about 30 attend. They accepted my offer to come and help them “reassess” their spirituality. It came as a complete shock and more quickly than I anticipated. So, I’m anxiously trying to formulate a plan. I’m thinking about using Back to the Bible at some point in this. I’ve used it a couple times back in South Carolina with success. I need to order 30 sets of booklets quickly. Please pray for this opportunity to result in many souls being saved.”
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