One of the most asked questions we hear at EvanTell is, “How can I find more opportunities to share the gospel?” With the continued decline of personal interaction these days, the challenge seems greater than ever.
One of the keys to unlock more gospel opportunities is to recognize the opportunities you may be missing. Jesus alludes to this in John 4:35, where He tells His disciples, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”
Here are 6 ways to recognize the opportunities for the gospel that you may be overlooking in your life.
1. Get in sync with the Lord first thing each day.
God is always at work and invites us to join Him in what He is doing in the lives of others. The problem is that many of us are not tuned in to sense His leading. A great way to get in sync with the Lord is to begin each day saturating our minds with His word, basking in His presence in worship, and communicating with Him in prayer. Doing this will get us on the same frequency as the Lord in the following ways. It will:
- Prioritize God’s agenda in our minds
- Align our hearts with God’s heart for others
- Open our eyes to the opportunities around us
- Sharpen our sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading
- Provide boldness that flows from our joy in the Lord
2. Address sin in your life ASAP.
Sin dulls us to the things of God, including opportunities to share about Him. It turns our attention inward, causing spiritual nearsightedness where we only focus on ourselves. The solution is found in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confession is not a once a day event, but a continual process throughout our day. If we want to clearly see the opportunities God gives, we need to confess the sins that disrupt our fellowship with Him.
3. Pay attention.
Sometimes we miss opportunities simply because they are not top of mind. 1 Peter 1:13 says, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” In other words, focus on what will matter in the long run, including sharing the hope of Christ with others. A great way to do this is to set goals. For example, “This week, I’m going to talk to three people about Christ.” Opportunities are much more evident when we are looking for them.
4. Increase your margin.
Sometimes we don’t take advantage of opportunities or pursue them because we don’t have the time. We are tempted to fill schedules so full there is little margin for extra. If this is you, perform a calendar audit to make room for unexpected opportunities. The key is what to take out of your schedule. Another strategy is to limit the time you spend on your phone. A noted poet said it best, “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”
5. Focus on others.
As you go about your day, make others a priority, even when you are busy. Sometimes small gestures can turn into large opportunities. Extending a smile might initiate a conversation. A random act of kindness might start a friendship. A listening ear might establish trust. Ask yourself, “How do you like to be treated by others?” Then put into practice with others what you write down concerning yourself.
6. Don’t let a missed opportunity keep you from the next opportunity.
Sometimes, we may miss an opportunity to share the gospel then kick ourselves for missing the “might have been.” However, if we dwell too long on what might have been, we can miss out on what is happening now. If that happens to you, ask the Lord to teach you what you need to know about that missed opportunity, then move on to the next one. As Entrepreneur Richard Branson points out, “Opportunities are like buses. There is always another one coming.”
Regarding opportunities, Paul sums it up best in Ephesians 5:16-17: “Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” In other words, focus on the Lord and the assignments He brings your way where you can make a difference in the lives of others.
FAQs
How do you avoid missing opportunities? ›
- Have a goal for the day, today and every day. ...
- Acknowledge you feel sad. ...
- Just keep going. ...
- Keep your eyes and mind open. ...
- Ask for help if you need it. ...
- Recognize that this feeling isn't forever.
The six styles are: Direct, Intellectual, Testimonial, Relational, Invitational, and Service. Every single person has God-given gifts and abilities that fall into one or more of these six approaches. A church community will have all of the styles present.
What are the 3 methods for evangelization? ›Today I wanted to share more about evangelism. Those three components are designed to follow along with Cru's three modes of evangelism. The three are natural mode, body/life mode and ministry mode. Natural mode is relationally connecting to people God has put in your life.
What is the most effective way to evangelize? ›Personal evangelism has been proven to be the most effective method of evangelism. Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, was a product of personal evangelism. Personal evangelism has been proven to be the most effective method of evangelism.
How can I get better opportunities? ›- Follow your passion. Figuring out what you love doing could lead to the right career for you. ...
- Convince someone to give you a go. Your passion can take you a long way. ...
- Keep learning. ...
- Get experience.
- Perceive obstacles as merely a detour to your final goal. Have the conviction that your goal is achievable. ...
- Hope is not a plan. There will always be obstacles along the way. ...
- Focus on what you can do. ...
- We can't always control events, but we can control our attitude.
- Humility - seeing life as a gift.
- Compassion - having empathy.
- Kindness - gentleness.
- Justice - working for a fairer world.
- Forgiveness - reconciling with self and others.
- Integrity - do what you say.
- Peace - committed to peace making and non-violence.
- Courage - standing up for the truth.
- 1 Open-air preaching.
- 2 Trickle-down evangelism.
- 3 Door-to-door evangelism.
- 4 Ashes to Go evangelism on Ash Wednesday.
- 5 Evangelizing through a sermon.
- 6 Lifestyle evangelism.
- 7 Friendship evangelism.
- 8 Child evangelism.
- Learning to Breathe. ...
- Stage 1: Pre-evangelism. ...
- Stage 2: Proclamation. ...
- Stage 3: Post-encounter follow up.
- Teach a simple gospel presentation. ...
- Help Christians articulate their testimony. ...
- Point to the urgency of the gospel.
What are the four elements of preaching? ›
A theory of preaching has to integrate at least four basic elements: preacher, congregation, text, and sermon.
Is there a correct way to evangelize? ›The only “best” way to evangelize is to tell someone the whole gospel message and call him or her to faith in Christ. That may mean building a relationship first, or not. It may mean writing a letter to a family member or sharing the gospel with a friend over coffee.
What should I do before evangelism? ›- Pray daily for souls. ...
- Pray for God's power. ...
- Obey every impulse of the Holy Spirit. ...
- Set goals. ...
- Give the gospel. ...
- Train your partner. ...
- Cultivate your prospect list. ...
- Ask your partner for the names of his friends.
They are compassionate people. Their hearts break for those who don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They have learned to love the world by becoming more like Christ who has the greatest love for the world. They love the communities where God has placed them.
What are 5 areas of improvement? ›- 1) Time management. Time management is crucial to your business's success. ...
- 2) Organization. Organization can make time management much easier. ...
- 3) Interpersonal communication. ...
- 4) Customer service. ...
- 5) Cooperation. ...
- 6) Conflict resolution. ...
- 7) Listening. ...
- 8) Written communication.
- Get help on projects.
- Propose working groups.
- Get testers for new ideas or products.
- Create a team to work on an idea you have.
- Share your expertise or best practices in a particular field.
- Job search engines.
- Local job sites.
- Community boards.
- Career fairs.
- Networking.
Opportunities allow you to discover your passions
Opportunities usually come in the form of taking a chance on yourself or following certain paths which may lead to finding new hobbies. Passion is key to success, taking opportunities will help you discover what makes your heart tick.
Identify and pinpoint the cause of failure and restart the task on the basis of what you have learned from it. Let your previous hurdles serve as a lighthouse to sail through the ocean of difficulties. Convert the problems and challenges you face, into learning how to get to your ultimate destination of success.
How do you overcome successful challenges? ›- Make A Plan. While you don't know what is going to happen in the future, you can always plan ahead. ...
- Know You're Not Alone. Every person in this world has their low points. ...
- Ask For Help. ...
- Feel Your Feelings. ...
- Accept Support. ...
- Help Others. ...
- Think Big. ...
- Positive Mindset.
What are the 6 main beliefs of Christianity? ›
- WE BELIEVE IN THE ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD. ...
- WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S BELOVED SON. ...
- WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. ...
- WE BELIEVE THAT SALVATION COMES ONLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. ...
- WE BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE IS THE INSPIRED WRITTEN WORD OF GOD. ...
- WE BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST ESTABLISHED HIS CHURCH.
These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands” (D&C 138:31, 33). Deceased spirits must follow the same gospel path as the living, though their ordinances take place by proxy.
What are the 8 gospel values? ›They chose: love, friendship, honesty, respect, forgiveness. The spiritual, social, moral and cultural development of pupils is important to us and one way in which we foster this is by promoting our 'Gospel Values' alongside our British Values.
What are the four pillars of evangelicalism? ›Bebbington notes four distinctive aspects of evangelical faith: conversionism, biblicism, crucicentrism, and activism, noting, "Together they form a quadrilateral of priorities that is the basis of Evangelicalism."
What Paul says about evangelism? ›Evangelism is merely God working through us. It is God who saves, and God alone. In His kindness, He uses human instruments but we are mute without the wind of His Spirit blowing through us. What use is a trumpet without a Trumpeter?
How to do door to door evangelism? ›Give them a generous period to respond without knocking again. Keep your eyes on the door. If windows allow you to see into the house, don't look inside and stare at them. Don't wave and motion them to the door.
What is the main aim of evangelism? ›The primary aim is the conversion of the individual to the Christian life. Christian evangelism rejects the false assumption that somehow we can get a Christian social order without getting truly Christian men and women.
How do you overcome obstacles in ministry? ›- Submit to God's Calling. ...
- Keep Going. ...
- Speak Truth. ...
- Focus Attention on People Who Are Most Vulnerable. ...
- Practice the Values You Preach. ...
- Stay in Conversation with Other Leaders.
- Accept that obstacles are part of life. Scripture is explicitly clear that we will face trials of various kinds. ...
- Faithfully follow the commands of God. When obstacles appear, it's impossible not to react. ...
- Wait for divine intervention.
- Be Reconciled to God. According to the Bible, your first step in overcoming temptation is to turn to Him in repentance and faith. ...
- Meditate on God's Word. ...
- Deny Ungodliness and Cultivate Godliness. ...
- Avoid Tempting Situations. ...
- Be Transparent to God and Others.
What are the 5 parts of a sermon? ›
- Introduction.
- Expound doctrinal truth 1.
- Apply doctrinal truth 1.
- Expound doctrinal truth 2.
- Apply doctrinal truth 2.
- Repeat until finished.
- Verse-by-verse preaching. Verse-by-verse preaching is the systematic reading and explanation of a biblical text. ...
- Thematic expository (or doctrinal) preaching. ...
- Narrative expository preaching. ...
- Topical expository preaching.
In brief, a good sermon engages the biblical text, proclaims the gospel, connects God's word to the lives of God's people, is well organized and easy to understand, captures the imagination of the hearers, is delivered well, and orients people toward life in God's world.
What hinders evangelism? ›Too many Christians fail to be compassionate and Christ-like to others. Evangelism always ultimately includes a clear articulation of the gospel. But too many Christians never get that opportunity to share the gospel, because they fail to show Christ in their actions and compassion.
How to evangelize Bible verses? ›- Mark 16:15. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” ...
- Luke 24:45-47. ...
- Romans 1:16. ...
- Romans 10:14-15. ...
- 2 Corinthians 5:20. ...
- 2 Timothy 4:5. ...
- 1 Peter 3:15-16. ...
- Proverbs 14:12.
“We call it the little way of evangelization — the idea is that you invest deeply in a few people, and then help them to invest in a few, and it multiplies out,” Manion said. “That's the model that Jesus used.”
How do you evangelize everyday? ›- Pray for Specific People. ...
- Get out of Your Bubble. ...
- Boldness Counts. ...
- Use Personal Invitations. ...
- Build Organic Connections. ...
- Your Story Is Important. ...
- Learn How to Evangelize from Others.
A heart for evangelism is characterized by: true spiritual experience, passion for God's glory, love for the lost, a prayerful life, and the desire to please God.
What are the signs of evangelist? ›Because of their conviction around the centrality of the Gospel, evangelists are often bold, visionary, and confident women and men so when they shine, they really shine. Because of the conviction, passion, and charisma of many evangelists, they are frequently recruited for leadership roles.
What is the gift of evangelism? ›Here is how we define the spiritual gift of evangelism:
The ability to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who have not heard it before or with those who have not yet decided for Christ in such a compelling way that the hearer can decide to accept Christ as Lord and Savior.
What are some reasons why people miss opportunities? ›
- Wasting time. The quickest and most regular way to miss an opportunity is to waste your time. ...
- Mixing with the wrong people. ...
- Not focusing. ...
- Not taking risks. ...
- Fear.
We miss our opportunities of love, happiness, career and success because we refuse to learn the lessons that come our way. When a new opportunity comes, we would rather stay safe instead of taking a risk. We have been told to fear the future and to believe in the past.
What is the saying about missed opportunities? ›“All too often missed opportunities are in plain sight.”
What does missed opportunity mean? ›to not use an opportunity to do something: She missed the chance of promotion when she turned down the job of assistant manager. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
Is a missed opportunity a risk? ›This is a common question you get as a risk management professional or consultant. Over the years, I realized that the answer to this pretty generic question is always the same. The biggest #risk for literally EVERY company is a lost #opportunity.
How do I overcome fomo in my career? ›- Be Honest. Your first step in handling your FOMO should be to evaluate your skills and position. ...
- Be Engaged. Once you've identified the reasons you're being left out, it's time to act. ...
- Be Indispensable. ...
- Be Persistent. ...
- Be Realistic.
Many people are afraid to get a new job because their identity and self-worth are tied to their current job. Naturally, the idea of moving to a new job can feel like you're transitioning your identity and that can be as unsettling as looking in the mirror and seeing someone else's face instead of your own.