Not the God You Expect (Wedding at Cana)

Ryan Lowery

1 John 4:8-11

In studying Jesus' first miracle--providing wine at a wedding--we can see the Jesus is not the God that people may expect. People tend to expect that God hates fun, He wants to stop people from having fun, He uses shame to control, and He loves weird rituals. Through this miracle we see the opposite of this dark view of God. Even Christians are in danger of viewing God in a distrusting way, expecting bad things from Him rather than accepting the good gifts He freely gives us and we need to understand how good He is to represent Him accurately to the world.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

Ryan Lowery

Malachi 4:5-6

John the Baptist had the role of preparing the way for Jesus. At the time of Jesus' ministry on earth, it had been 400 years since there was a prophet in Israel and an expectation was growing among the Jewish people for the next prophet to come onto the scene. John the Baptist preached that the kingdom of God was at hand; as a result the people of Israel were coming out to him to be baptized (at the time this was unusual). John the Baptist showed people: that they were sinful, that they needed forgiveness, and then he handed them to Jesus to receive his mercy.\r\n

Evangelism: Heart Issues & Practices

Phil Franck

Malachi 4:5-6

God wants to use His people to reach the lost by spreading His Good News as He opens doors of opportunity. We need to examine our motivation and attitudes that may block our participation in evangelism. There are many things that can cause fear in sharing the Good News. To overcome those obstacles we need to start with our identity and mission from God. There are endless tools God has given us to be effective; His Holy Spirit, prayer, His Gospel, and creativity, to name a few.\r\n

God's Living Word - Mightier than a Double-Edged Sword

Fouad Masri

Malachi 4:5-6

Fouad Masri, from the Crescent Project's women's ministry "Without Borders", delivers an insightful talk on understanding Islam and how to bridge the gap and share the love of Christ with those of others faiths.

The Power of Scripture in Sharing the Gospel

Lindsey Tobin

Acts 14:14-17

The Bible is truth and it was written to persuade people of it's truth. It is a powerful tool to use scripture while sharing the gospel with people. God promises that His word wont return empty and is powerful enough to convict the hearts of people. Jesus and His apostles used scripture for several different purposes while sharing the gospel. They used scripture with people to show fulfilled prophecy, challenge thinking and to clarify the gospel.

How to Ask Good Questions

John Ross

Genesis 4:4-7

Learning to ask good questions unlocks new potential to more effectively share our faith, develop deep relationships, and help others move toward Christ. This workshop helps describe what good questions consist of and explains how to actually ask these questions while talking with others. Before asking our questions, we should prepare ahead of time and be willing to adjust our approach during the conversation. As we listen wisely in conversations, we can walk away more prepared to ask further questions later that may go deeper. The workshop ends with several case studies to practice asking good questions in specific contexts.

Is Jesus the Only Way of Salvation?

Eric Chabot

Romans 10:13-16

In a culture where many religions are not only present but tolerated and viewed as equally true, we must ensure we understand why we are called to share our faith. Jesus is clear that he is the only way to salvation, and out of concern for others and gratitude for our own salvation, we are called to share this with others. As we do this, we should consider our audience and start on their terms with their current beliefs. We also should balance the call for us to share with the reality of God's sovereignty and his general revelation. God is faithful to reveal himself to all people, but he gives each individual a choice to truth in him personally.

Sharing Your Faith with Parents

Liz Sweet

Nina Hoyt

Hebrews 12:1-3

It is because of the great commission that we share the good news of Jesus with our family. Not only does God want to reach our family, but he wants to transform us through the process. It is important to remember God's role as we love our families and pursue the biblical love that God wants to produce in us as we step out in faith. Some practical ways we can be effective in sharing our faith include: praying; practicing gratitude; remembering it's a spiritual battle; listening; learning love languages; initiating spiritual conversation; practicing forgiveness. \r\n

The Word and Leading Home Group Evangelism

Doug Patch

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

God calls every one of his followers to evangelize, including people who may not be gifted in this area. Therefore, we must strive to lead this practice in our home groups, making sure that we are utilizing God's Word to do so. From there we can begin approaching our group by first making a clear biblical case for evangelism. We should communicate how the group is doing, demonstrate how God's grace empowers believers to do this, develop an action plan for both the inner attitudes and outwards actions, and present vision for where God will lead the group.