LESSONS LEARNED FROM SHARING THE GOSPEL

As Associate Director of the Caskey Center since January 2015, I have had a front row seat to what God is doing as His people intentionally share the gospel. Here are a few observations on what I’ve learned from the gospel conversations our students have reported.

60,000

Intentional is Essential.

While these conversations possibly could have happened at some point, the fact remains these 60,000 conversations occurred because each student intentionally engaged in a conversation and prayerfully guided the conversation towards the gospel. God is ready to grant His mercy and grace. We must be intentional in looking for those divine appointments.

Accountability Helps. Many students have commented that the weekly requirement to share the gospel helped motivate them to be intentional in having gospel conversations. Finding a partner who will ask about your gospel conversations regularly is helpful. Pray together for the people you encounter.

The Best Place to have Gospel Conversations is Where You Are.

Of the thousands of gospel conversations each semester, there is no single location where the gospel was most effective. Our students have shared the gospel at church, at home, at the store, at the post office, at schools, at the park, at restaurants, at sporting events, on the street, in the air, on a boat, and many other places. Anywhere and everywhere is ideal for engaging in gospel conversations.

Don’t Be Afraid to Share with Loved Ones.

Engaging a loved one in a gospel conversation felt intimidating to many of our students. But once they did, they found the fear of rejection from their family member was largely unfounded.

It’s Harder to Transition to the Gospel Than it is to Start a Conversation, but it’s Necessary.

Striking up a conversation is not too difficult. This is true even for introverts. Finding a good way to transition the conversation to a spiritual discussion and ultimately to the gospel is not as easy. As you begin every conversation, pray for God to speak through you. Don’t worry about being smooth or effortless in your transition. Simply look for conversational connections. They will be there.

Rejection of the Gospel is the Most Frequent Response.

This is not an encouraging observation since we know what that rejection ultimately means for that person. However, 87.6 percent of the 60,000 gospel conversations resulted in either outright objection or an expression of unreadiness. We should remember this decision is between the hearer and God. If God does not force them to be saved, neither should we. Our response to rejection should always be prayer and follow up. Continue to love the person. Pray for the person. Find opportunities to share the gospel in the future.

More People Than You Think Are Willing to Discuss Spiritual Matters.

There is an old Emily Post saying, “never discuss politics or religion in polite company.” This rule of etiquette is to help avoid conflict. I think a better rule would be to learn how to talk about spiritual matters with an attitude of love. People are more than willing to tell you what they believe about spiritual matters, as well as to hear what you have to say.

I am excited to see what the next 60,000 gospel conversations reveal. I pray that future gospel conversations make much of Jesus, and I pray you would join us in intentional personal evangelism every week.

The Rev. Steve Caskey invested his life in faithfully serving small-membership churches as pastor though his financial resources limited his education. While his churches were small, the impact he made was not.

The Caskey Center for Church Excellence, honoring Rev. Caskey’s ministry, provides resources for ministers serving the majority-sized Southern Baptist Churches in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. There are also Caskey Partner scholarships available in Montana, Wyoming, and Indiana.

THESE RESOURCES INCLUDE:

• A full-tuition scholarship for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College students who qualify.

• An annual conference to encourage and equip pastors.

• Church and ministry resources for evangelism and growth.

LEARN MORE: CASKEYCENTER.COM

“We at the Caskey Center have as our guiding mission 1 Corinthians 9:19-27, particularly verse 19 in which Paul clarifies his mission statement. We exist and work in the words of the Apostle, ‘to win the many.’ That is our goal. Everything we do, all we are, and the direction we are headed are focused on our goal ‘to win the many.’”

– Dr. Blake Newsom, Caskey Center for Church Excellence Director