Outreach 101

(Starting Well - Chapter Nine)
By Evan R. Griffin

Evan offers his methods for helping new believers
tell others about their relationship with Jesus.

Help them remember all the changes by comparing
old life with the new life and write down those changes.

Help them research Gods word of how the Lord feels for
the lost to give them that feeling for the lost.
Examples; (Matt.9:35-38)(Luke 15)

Help them understand people by taking a prayer walk
around the places they normally frequent. Pray together
for God to prepare those peoples hearts. Pray for God to
prepare the new believers for sharing their faith.

Evan gives good advice; for them to begin with casual
friendly conversation and for them to realize that they do
not have to accomplish everything in the first conversation.
Tell them to Let the Spirit lead their progress. In some
encounters they may simply be leading some one just a step
closer to Christ.

The new believer may engage someone by asking questions.
Some examples of questions Evan used;
How do you feel your life is working these days ?
What is your religious background ?
Have you ever read stories about Jesus ?
Did you ever hear a story about answered prayer ?

Evan feels that the relational depth and camaraderie of
people who have Christ in common will attract others to
Christ.

Help our new believers launch into a lifetime of outreach,
pray for God to lead the new believers, pray others will
be drawn to Christ by them.

Recommended by brother george

Learning to Talk

(Starting Well-chapter eight)
By Lee Brase

The beginning of the new believers relationship with
God is learning to pray and learning to talk to God.
Lee writes this chapter showing us “How to use the
Scriptures to launch a young believer into prayer.
Jesus taught His disciples to pray by giving them a
prayer. (Luke 11:1-4)

Lee found, the most effective way was to take the new
believer to the prayers in the Bible. The new believer
listens to others pray and repeats what was heard in
their own words. As the new believer learns to talk to
the Father; they should be very specific about what
they are praying. I have found that by being very
specific in our requests, then our Father is very specific
in His answers and blessings. The more the new believer
prays the more their prayers will improve.

Lee offers us help with the prayers in the Bible. He points
out that the Old Testament blessings were directed at the
fruitfulness of their land or the destruction of their enemies.
The New Testament is about blessings on our fruitfulness
and praying for our enemies. When reading these Bible
prayers we should consider; what was the circumstances,
the major content, the prayer requests, and what was the
expected answer.

Lee states that the new believer needs to grow in their
understanding of God. The goal is to help the new believers
become more attentive to God, grow to communicate openly
and live in the dependence upon God.

Recommended Reading by brother george

Quiet Time Basics

Starting Well - chapter seven
By Mike Hildebrand

Mike provides us with a practical guide showing how to have
a quiet time. Helping another person become more intimate
with God is an essential goal of discipleship.

He says first show the disciple, “why”. The showing is by using
the Scripture to establish the biblical basis for “Quiet Time“.
The purpose of spending time alone with God daily develops
intimacy with Him and teaches how He wants us to live.

“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight,
He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He
prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

Jesus was never to busy to pray because He valued His time
alone with His Father and as you should also.

Mike recommends showing them how by using Psalms to help
a new believer begin to talk to God. You can read a psalm
together and then alternate reading verses. You offer a prayer
about something of importance to you. Then have the new
believer take a turn at praying and listen to what your disciple
prays about. You can include that concern into your next
prayer to show this disciple that you do listen and care.

Engaging the Scriptures made easy by Mike Hildebrand using
his simple acronym called “PEA”. The three step process of
understanding God’s Word. As you read Scripture try to
understand how each of those elements reveals a truth and
how these may apply to your life;
P = “Ask what Principle is revealed”,
E = “Ask what Example is revealed ”,
A = “Ask what Application is revealed.”

Now the hard part, follow up; When alone, how are the quiet
times going for the disciple ? Getting them started, you may
need to be a disciple sitter for awhile. Just have the quiet
times separately at the same place at the same time until the
routine is established.

Mike loves to pray the prayer of Jesus: “I have made known
to them, and will continue to make you known in order that
the love you have for me may be in them” (John 17:26)

Recommended Reading by brother george

Let Me Assure You-2

Starting Well - Chapter Six
(continuation, the third of five needs)
By Kathy Johnston

The new believer needs knowledge to stand up against
temptations and Scripture gives us assurance of victory.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is
common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow
you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with
the temptation will also make way of escape, that you
may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The new believers joyful experience when they confess
their sin, knowing God will cleanse them. Helping the new
believers gain assurance of their forgiveness and keeping
their communion with God through Scripture.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
(1 John 1:9)

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed
our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)

The author tells her disciple; “You do not have to know all
that lies ahead, just keep trusting in God, talking to God and
He will lead you day by day; Lets pray about it right now.”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and
He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Kathy has explained many ways that deepen the new
believers roots with God’s promises for salvation, answered
prayer, victory over sin, forgiveness, and guidance.. The
heart of follow-up is one on one and life on life.

Recommended Reading by brother george

Let Me Assure You-1

Starting Well - Chapter Six
By Kathy Johnston

Security of salvation is always the first assurance to
make sure the new believer understands. We must
show the new believer where to find reassurance of
their salvation in the Scriptures.

“And this is the testimony: That God has given us
eternal life, and this life is His Son.” (1-John;5:11)

“He who has the Son has life: he does not have the
Son of God does not have life.” (1-John;5:12)

This Scripture tells us, That if you have asked the
Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart, forgive
your sins, and give you an eternal home, then you
have eternal life.

If you have not asked, you do not receive, Just Ask !

“In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie,
promised before time began.” (Titus;1:2)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they
follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall
never perish: neither shall anyone snatch them out of
my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out
of my Fathers hand. I and My Father are one.”
(John;10:17-30)

Kathy tells us that once a new Christians is sure of
their salvation, then it is important they understand
prayer. The experiencing answered prayer first hand
assures new believers that God heard them. However,
the new believer may have doubts when their prayers
are not answered when expected. The Scriptures will
provide the new believer reassurance that God hears
and cares.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that
if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
And if we know that He hears us, what ever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions that we have
asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15)

“Until now you have ask nothing in My name. Ask,
and you will receive, that your joy may be full !”
(John 16:24)

We have covered the first two of five needs for every
new believer from Kathy Johnston. To be continued:

http://christianbookdiscussiongroup.blogspot.com/

And other Christian Book articles may be found at:
http://christianbookdiscussionblog.blogspot.com/

By brother george

Finding the Right Person to Disciple

Starting Well - Chapter Five
By Becky Brodin

What is Discipleship ? The word disciple comes from
Latin word disco, which means learn or get to know.
The Rabbi would discipline their disciples through praise
and correction. A disciple was like an apprentice who was
learning from a master. A Discipler uses discipleship which
is the method or process to teach discipline to a Disciple.
Ok, now we can start finding the right person.

Becky tells us to find someone to disciple requires three
things; involvement with people, knowing what to look for,
and a willingness to take the initiative.

Becky calls, what to look for: “ The Right Stuff “. She looks
for someone who is hungry to grow, committed to fellowship,
and takes initiative to develop relationships.

Becky does as Jesus did, pray about choice of disciples.
A discipling relationship is time consuming, personal,
demanding, life changing, and requires commitment.

She explains, that choosing a disciple is like looking for a
companion and follower. The word “ follower ” in Greek
describes someone who seeks to be like their teacher, a
companion who is “going in the same way.”

“Whom Should I disciple?” You should watch for people
who are hungry to grow, then you take the initiative to
relate to them and invite them into this adventure of

one-to-one discipleship.

recommended reading by brother george

What My Discipler Did Right

Starting Well - Chapter Four
A Discipleship Journal Book
By Cathy Miller

What new believers need is some good Christian friends
to help them grow in their Christian faith.

Cathy Miller is sharing her real life experience of
Christian growth with her good Christian friend, when
she was a new believer .

Someone gently touched Cathy and asked,
“would you like to come to my house sometime to talk ?”

This new friend taught Cathy the basics of the
Christian faith and this discipler led Cathy into a
closer relationship with Jesus by just being herself .

Cathy was given the key to the Christian life with
“Christ in you, the hope of glory”

“ God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the
glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in
you, the hope of Glory.” ( Colossians 1:27 )

This author experienced a very effective discipleship
and she offers you those same key traits. Her Discipler;
noticed, cared, reached out, and pointed Cathy toward
the love of Christ as it is revealed in His Word and
through His Grace.

The Touch of Grace; Cathy has given us the pattern
to follow by telling us what her Discipler did right.

Cathy says now she has the opportunities to quietly
say to someone;
“would you like to come to my house sometime to talk ?”

Now you also have that opportunity !

Cathy Miller closes this testimony by her proclaiming
“Prayer ushered me into God’s presence, where I found
that He Himself was the answer to my requests.”

Recommended by brother george