Reaching the Lost: Strategies For Success

The most difficult part of a Bible study is what some call the “close.” During the close, decisions must be made to obey, delay, or reject the gospel. It can be an awkward time that leaves some teachers uneasy and apprehensive. How hard do I push? Is it okay to persuade? How many invitations to obey should I provide? How do I handle objections? Every personal evangelist will do well to prepare for these and other questions. Here are a few things that might help.

• Read the book, “How to Close the Study” by Bobby Bates and Rob Whitacre.
• Study the use of persuasion from the Scripture and embrace it. Love and fear are both used in Scripture to persuade sinners to repent and obey.
• Anticipate objections and work toward eliminating them throughout the study.
• Ask questions designed to help a person overcome objections and obey the gospel.
• Resist telling the prospect what he/she needs to do; instead, show the prospect during the Bible study.
• Use Bible study methods like Back to the Bible or Does It Matter that have built-in closes marked (* is a symbol Brother Bates used to indicate a closing technique).
• If a prospect does not obey using one method, immediately go to another method.
• Offer solutions when an objection is given to help the prospect see the way of escape.
• Use illustrations to help visualize the teachings.
• If a prosect is having a hard time working through a personal or family situation, use stories of success so he or she does not feel alone and can see how others were able to overcome similar circumstances.
• Never, Never, and I mean Never give up.

Bobby Bates wrote, “The best close in a Bible study is never to close.” There will never be a last study, if we have anything to do with it. A Bible study is designed to take a prospect to the cross. Keep the study going until the mission is accomplished. Learn how to help those you love step across the finish line by learning the closing techniques taught and used in Scripture.

If you need more information on the three booklet study series or the new training/evangelistic video, please contact me at: Rob@housetohouse.com.