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Evangelism Challenge: Start by Finding Common Ground
Evangelism Challenge: Start by Finding Common Ground
So many people attend churches full of doctrinal error. Maybe that’s why we don’t evangelize the churched more often. We don’t like to argue. We don’t like confrontation.
The good news is, in most cases you don’t have to argue with believers, at least in the beginning. You already share a lot in common: belief in God, belief in the Bible as His word, belief in Jesus as His Son, just to name a few. Start by focusing on the things you agree on instead of debating over the Antichrist or musical instruments in worship.
In the book of Romans, Paul needed to convince his Jewish readers of their sin. How did he begin? Not by condemning the Jews but by condemning the reprobate Gentile society (chapter 1). Now the Jews were on board. Only then did he direct his attention to them (chapter 2).
It’s incredibly important to get off to a good start. Otherwise, people are not going to trust you or want to listen to anything you have to say. Even worse, you may learn to dread evangelism. On the flip side, if you start by finding common ground, you’ll find reaching the lost enjoyable and will be more effective at building a rapport.
Bible Quiz
1. What river did the Israelites cross on dry ground?
a. Euphrates River
b. Tigris River
c. Jordan River
d. Nile River
2. During one of Joshua’s battles, how long did God make the sun to stand still?
a. About a whole hour
b. About a whole day
c. About a whole night
d. About a whole week
3. “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, _____ and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good _____, as is proper for women making a claim to _____.”
Scrambled answer key:
1. c. (Josh. 3:13-17). 3. modestly, works, godliness (1 Tim. 2:9-10). 2. b. (Josh. 10:12-14)
