Try the direct approach

I became a Christian through a friend of mine boldly inviting me to a meeting where the Two Ways to Live * gospel presentation was drawn on a whiteboard. My friend followed this up by inviting me to a short course that covered the basics of the gospel message through Bible studies.

Before these invitations, we had spoken very little about Christian things. I liked his direct, no-nonsense approach, and was willing to check things out.

Stop and consider: How did you become a Christian? Was someone bold and direct in inviting or challenging you? Or do you wish people had been more direct with you, rather than beating around the bush?

Would we get further?

I wonder sometimes if our strategies to get people to hear the gospel are too complicated and convoluted. Occasionally, I hear people say that you need to build a relational bridge with people before they can hear the gospel. But maybe we would get further with more people if we used a more direct approach and just took the gospel straight to them.

An example of what you could say

Here’s an example of a more direct and upfront way of bringing the message of Jesus to someone at work:

“Hey Chris, you know that I’m a Christian—would you ever consider checking out the Christian message yourself?”

Then offer one of these options (or maybe you have a better one):

• “The most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16. Has anyone ever explained it to you?”
• “I could explain the Christian message to you in a few minutes using drawings. Have you got a few minutes now, or could we do it over a coffee or lunch sometime?”
• “There’s a great talk online which sums it up pretty well. It only goes for 20 minutes. Would you be prepared to have a listen when you get a chance?”
• “How about coming to this event with me?”
• “This book sets it all out pretty clearly, and it’s not a hard read. I’d love to hear what you think about it. Would you be willing to read it?”*2

Action: Is there someone you could try this direct approach with? How and when will you do it?

To find out more about workplace ministries and how to get started talking about Jesus where you work contact our team at City Bible Forum

*1 Two Ways to Live is a simple, clear and challenging outline of the Christian gospel set within the context of the overarching story of the Bible. To view this gospel summary, visit www.twowaystolive.com.

Each of the six points in the Two Ways to Live gospel presentation is accompanied by a drawing to help make the message as clear and memorable as possible. For an explanation of how to draw out the presentation in six squares, see the ‘Two Ways to Live Presentation’ video, 6:55, posted by Matthias Media, 28 June 2012 (viewed 5 October 2016):

*2 A great book to give away in this context is A Fresh Start by John Chapman (Matthias Media).