What if sharing our faith was simply loving people like Jesus did? Evangelism can be an intimidating idea and often times have negative connotations. What if evangelism didn’t have to be so scary, what if it could be, dare I say, enjoyable?
It’s apparent, when you read the gospels that Jesus loved people. He went to people’s homes, ate with them, served their needs, healed their sick, and taught them about God. Often and in many ways Jesus blessed people. We as his followers are to do the same.
A simple and fun way to share Jesus with people is through the BLESS principle.
The BLESS Principle
Begin with Prayer – A simple way to care for someone is to pray for their needs. Simply say “I believe in the power of prayer. Is there something in your life I can pray for?” Then pray for the need.
Listen – Unfortunately, manly people today are craving for attention. One powerful way to love someone is to simply listen to their story. You can listen by asking good questions. What was your growing up like? What is the biggest challenge in life you have faced? What are your interests? Hobbies? Dreams? What are your spiritual beliefs? How did you come to those beliefs? What guides your life? What do you think is wrong with the world we live in? How can the world be fixed? What do you think about Jesus?
Eat – Jesus gives us many examples, one of those is to eat with people! A great way to get to know someone is to simply have a meal with them. Have them over, go to their house, or go out to eat. As you are eating practice listening.
Serve – Jesus served people often and in many ways. He even said the greatest among you is a servant. Look for opportunities to serve people. Take someone to the grocery store, cook them a meal, clean the dishes, or help someone with homework.
Share – Everyone likes a good story. If you know Jesus you have two good stories to share. One is your story (how God is real in your life) the other is Jesus story (the good news of God’s love in Jesus). As you are loving people look for opportunities to share how God is real in your life. Jesus served people but he was also quick to tell them about his heavenly Father.
Todd Watkins is a pastor at Liveoak Bible Church. Todd, his wife and three children moved to Austin, TX a year ago to pastor Liveoak and help revive their student ministry. You can find more about Liveoak at www.liveoakbible.com
