1. Be careful when dealing with people of the opposite sex.

2. Whenever possible deal with one person at a time.

3. Always look the person you are dealing with in the eye.

4. Seek a quiet place. (Privacy without distraction is important)

5. Have the person you are witnessing to read the passage from the Bible.

6. Hold the person to the main point of accepting Christ.

7. Be courteous

a. We make no apology for the offense of the Gospel [but don't be offensive personally]
b. Show them their need without insulting them personally.

8. Watch your breath and appearance

[dress appropriately; use breath mints if necessary]

9. Watch your terminology

[Use words and terms that they understand or can be explained to them]

10. Be serious in your presentation

(Eternal matters are not joking matters)
(Note however, that a loving smile at appropriate times is important)

11. Call for a decision to trust Christ.

"Draw the net" when fishing!
Observe:

Luke 14:23 - "Compel" - To show the absolute necessity of salvation and then strongly but lovingly encourage them to believe.

Acts 26:28 - "Persuade" - To convince from unbelief to belief.

(Evangelism is not salesmanship but just as no salesman would ever show a product and leave without giving an invitation to purchase, so no witness should present the Gospel without encouraging a response.)

"The best medicine in the world is worthless if you don't take it."

12. Emphasize the importance of not delaying the decision to trust Christ.

Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now..."
II Cor. 6:2 - "Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation"
Prov. 27:1 - "Boast not thyself of tomorrow"

1. Don't be in a hurry. Relax; Make them feel at ease and unpressured.

2. Don't get sidetracked

Common sidetracks:

Questions ex. "Where did Cain get his wife?" "How old is the Earth?"
"Where do baby's go when they die?" etc. etc.

Favorite subjects of yours

3. Don't lead someone into the trap of easy believism.

a. Make sure they understand what "repentance" is.
"repentance" literally means to have a "change of mind"
A change of mind about sin.
(Sin is a hideous offence to God)

A change of mind about self.
(We are totally unable to save ourselves)

A change of mind about Christ.
(He is God Who came to earth. His atonement is complete.)

b. Make sure they understand that Jesus is LORD! (Rom.10:9)

When they receive Christ they are receiving the One who is the LORD of the universe (Deity) and the One who will be the Lord of their life (Master).

4. Don't force a decision against the person's will.

* Make sure they sincerely want to trust Christ. Come back another time if they are not ready. Give the Holy Spirit some time to work on their hearts.

* Be careful when dealing with children.

5. Don't carry on a heated argument or loose your temper.

a. Such attitudes never win souls (James 3:18)

b. Such attitudes come from our sinful flesh and not from the Holy Spirit
(Galatians 5:19,20,22,23)

c. Ask God for the virtues in II Timothy 2:24-26.

6. Don't Quit, whenever you seem to fail.

a. Pray over & review your efforts.
b. Learn from your mistakes.

1. REMEMBER

God must prepare the "soil" of the heart.

(Psalm 126:5, 6; Matthew 13; Luke 9; John 4:34; I Corinthians 3:1-9)

Four basic ingredients to harvesting:

a. Cultivating the soil
How?
1) Pray for them
2) Show compassion to them
3) Build trust with them

b. Sowing the seed

c. Watering the soil and seed

d. Harvesting the field

Be patient! It takes time to cultivate, plant, water, and harvest.

Allow God's Word to take root. Allow God to open the person's heart (Lk. 16:14).

Only God can give the "increase"; we are simply His tools.

2. REMEMBER

The real "Soulwinner" is the Holy Spirit

"The Holy Spirit is the soulwinner; we are but a vessel He wants to use. As we labor in this God-commanded task, our total dependence must be upon His power, ability and enablement. We are the vessel He desires to use, for He wants our minds, our hands, our feet, our lips to do the work of winning the lost." (Dr. Ed Watke)

a. The Holy Spirit must convict of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come (Jn. 16:6-8).

b. Let the Holy Spirit fill you (Eph. 5:18) and guide you (Acts 8:26-40).

c. Unless one is "born of the Spirit" they are not "born!" (Jn. 3:5-8; Titus 3:5)

3. REMEMBER

The power is not your persuasiveness but the Word of God

a. The instrument the Holy Spirit uses to bring people to Himself is the Bible (Heb. 4:12). The Bible is "the sword of the Spirit" (Eph.6:17)

b. Faith (belief) only comes as one first hears the Word of God. "Faith comes by hearing. . . the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Faith does not come by gimmicks, manipulation, emotional services, signs and wonders, etc., but by the Scriptures.

4. REMEMBER

The new birth will evidence itself by new life

Where there is birth, there is life!

When a birth takes place:

a. A family is received
(Jn. 1:12, 13; 3:1-7; I Jn. 3:9)

b. A family name is received
(Don't be ashamed of the name "Christian" - Acts 11:26; II Cor. 1:1)

c. A family inheritance is received
(Rom. 8:17; I Cor. 3:22, 23; Gal. 4:6; I Pet. 1:4, 5)

d. A family nature is received

1) This is true in the natural realm (Ps. 58:3; Rom. 5:12, 19)

2) This is true in the spiritual realm

a) A family love (I Jn. 3:14)

--for God (I Jn. 4:19-21)
--for God's children (I Jn. 2:7-11; 3:10-24; *4:7; 5:1)

b) A family likeness (I Jn. 1:5-7; 2:3-6; 2:29)

c) A family loyalty

You will have a desire to:

--Speak to your Father (Rom. 8:15; Jn. 14:13, 24; 16:23-24)
--Listen to your Father (I Pet. 2:2)

e. A family discipline is received

Our Heavenly Father loves us enough to discipline us in order to train and protect us
(Heb. 12:5-11)