"And He [Jesus] was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” - Mark 4: 26-29
How to Sow
-
What does it mean to Sow?
-
In scripture we are told that the seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11). The Word of God is indicated as Jesus Christ (John 1:1). So when we are sowing we are sharing the Gospel- the "good news" about Jesus Christ. The only power that leads to salvation, that we have been given, is the seed- the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16). So because of this we are given a charge in scripture that says, "How, then, can they (the lost) call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:14) Whenever we are sharing the gospel to an unbeliever we are sowing.
-
Any Christian, no matter how long they have been a Christian, can share the Gospel to someone else.
-
-
Once we have prepared our fields by building platforms through relationships and service, we can now plant the seed.
The Essentials of the Gospel Presentation
- Paul Washer
Practice sharing the Gospel with your guide and friends.
*Write down notes on Paul's video
&
* Be able to give a 1 minute and a 5 to 15 minute presentation of the Gospel.
-
Resources:
Online:
Watch this 4 part video series and glean more ideas on how to share the Gospel - https://youtu.be/tYk1SHMoRjc
-
Sharing our Testimony:
-
Our testimony is not the gospel, it doesn't have power in it to save anyone, but it does bring with it evidence of the power the gospel has to change lives in a personal and relatable way.
-
Most times in scripture "Testimony" is referring to explaining who Jesus is, not the story of how He saved us.
-
If you believe you know the moment you were saved that is awesome, but not everyone knows the exact moment they were saved. John Piper once wrote, "Do you remember the first moment you started breathing physically? That's how it is for many concerning when they started breathing spiritually." Our greatest testimony of Christ in our lives is not that we were ONCE saved but that we ARE saved. The important thing is not when you started breathing but that you are breathing.
-
Remember, Christ didn't come to make people BETTER, He came to make people NEW. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Cor. 5:17). So, when you tell your testimony, tell people how God has made you new in the following ways: your desires, your new worldview, the joy & peace it brings- no matter the circumstance, your new understandings & habits, ongoing repentance, caring for people, loving yourself, your new family (the church), your new goals, new allegiances etc. Show how there is actual power that comes from God in the ways it has changed you. This is so important because people need to realize that Christianity is not only the truth, but that it is actually better than any other way of life.
-
* Work with a mentor on your testimony until you can share it clearly.
-
A good idea is to share Podcasts with people to listen to while they do life:
-
The Sword and the Trowel - Founders Ministry
-
The Whitehorse Inn
-
-
Other Resources:
* Gospel Fluency - Jeff Vanderstelt
Tactics - A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions - Gregory Koukl - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csrSA3nPP7I
Watch some Ray Comfort videos to learn how to share the Gospel better: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingWaters