00:00 Introduction and Context of the Lesson
01:52 Meeting People Where They Are: Spiritual and Geographical Perspectives
07:36 The One Size Fits All Gospel vs. Individual Approaches
15:06 Understanding Spiritual Backgrounds and Asking the Right Questions
23:12 Geographical Evangelism: Going Where the People Are
26:07 The Call to Evangelism
28:01 Practical Evangelism Strategies
30:53 Engaging the Community
36:24 Utilizing New Movers Program
39:46 Effective Door Knocking Techniques
44:35 Leveraging Online Opportunities
49:52 Being Resourceful in Evangelism

Lance Mosher (00:00)
Hey everyone, you thought the Florida School of Preaching Lectureship was over already, but wait, there's more. It's the lectureship that keeps on giving. I was scheduled to deliver this lesson on Thursday afternoon, but I was unable. I had to leave town early. And I'm so grateful for Brother Zachary who stepped in and filled that slot. And I'm also grateful for Brother Brian's understanding of the fact that I had to leave early. There was a huge winter storm that was going to hit my hometown and indeed it did.

Plus I had some business I needed to take care of in Northern Florida before I left the state anyway. So I needed to get home as quickly as possible and Brother Brian understood and so he let me go ahead and do that and he said, we'll figure it out. So thank you for everyone who was able to make that work out, but I still owe this to you. I wanna fulfill my commitment. This was to be my second lesson and my first lesson was flipping the script on personal evangelism on Wednesday.

And this was to be the follow-up lesson where there's a little bit of review or overlap, but then we get into this question of meeting people where they are. Now this time I'm not gonna have Brother Brian to my right showing up telling me that I got five minutes left, so who knows how long this one's going to last. But the good news is it's delivered on YouTube and you can always change the playback speed. Just click that settings button and if you wanna listen to me like a chipmunk on Red Bull, you could do that.

to go ahead and get through this lesson a little bit quicker. So meeting people where they are. When I was thinking about this lesson, I was wondering, well, which direction are we going to take? Are we going to talk about meeting people where they are spiritually or meeting people where they are geographically? Because as evangelists or missionaries or Bible teachers, we kind of have to take care of both of them. And so which direction should we take this lesson? Because both of them are important. Well, speaking of both, I wonder if we could just go ahead and tackle

Both. Why choose one or the other? So that's what we're going to do with this lesson, is talk about meeting people where they are spiritually, but also meeting people where they are geographically. When I was in high school, there was a store in my local mall called Lids, and I suppose many of the malls in the United States had similar stores where you can go and buy sports apparel, but especially caps or hats for certain sports teams and so on. I wasn't a sports fan, but I still went in there to shop.

because there was a rock star that I looked up to that sported the FlexFit hats that were sold at Lids. And I don't think this is a great way to live your life, but that was me, an impressionable high school student. But one of the things that FlexFit had going for it was that it was one size fits all. And I suppose most generations have their one size fits all product that takes the market by storm.

And so that was mine when I was in high school in the late 90s and the early 2000s. One size fits all. And you know, of course that applies to the gospel. The gospel message is one size fits all. It's the same message that's going to save the person in the jungle who's never had electricity or running water, but also the CEO and the tallest skyscraper in the United States or New York City, right? Every single person

needs to come in contact with the gospel of Jesus Christ to have that saving relationship with their Lord and Savior. The gospel is one size fits all and we don't have to change it from person to person. Everybody receives the same message. But we also, as evangelists and Bible teachers, know that it's not one approach fits all. One of the drawbacks of delivering this lesson on YouTube is I don't get to hear the amens that I very much enjoyed hearing

all week long. And so this, I'm hoping, is where you would say amen if you were with me in person. You can go ahead and say it out loud even though you're watching YouTube, whether it's in your bedroom or in your office or in the car. Say amen if you believe that the gospel is one size fits all, but in delivery it's not one approach fits all. Yet how many of us are guilty of trying to turn the gospel into one approach fits all? For the past hundred or so years we've been

kind of approaching evangelism as this idea that if we can simply get people to the building, we would reach them. And we communicate that to our members or to our fellow ⁓ citizens of the kingdom of God when we simply say, have you invited them to church? Now, as we discussed last week, that can be a wonderful tool in evangelism. And I don't discourage people from inviting their friends and their families and their neighbors to the church building for special events or even just a...

normal Sunday, but gospel meetings, VBSs, friends and family days, those can be great opportunities to expose our friends to the gospel. But if we depend on this as the status quo of evangelism, I don't think the church is going to grow ⁓ very quickly and we're going to be inflated because the population of the world is definitely growing at a higher percentage than the church because we've been depending on this for a number of years, maybe a hundred years or so.

that this has been the status quo. But it breaks down on three fundamental levels. Number one, it's really difficult in 2026 to get visitors to the building these days. I don't know if you've noticed that. But I also don't blame the person who is not interested in coming to a strange building to be among strangers who are saying and doing some strange things. We've got every reason not to go out of our houses these days or to go to gatherings like this.

And I'm not saying that we should allow people to make excuses for not gathering with the church, but you gotta think about it from the outsider's perspective at this point. A hundred years ago, if you wanted to be educated or entertained, you had to leave your house. But today we've got all these devices that we can be educated and entertained by 24-7. And so I don't have to leave the house. And we're now competing with YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, video games. And so it's really difficult to get people

to the building relatively speaking to a hundred years ago these days, right? But we're still going to try. Second of all, just because we get them to the building doesn't mean we're going to reach them. Perhaps you are really preaching a gospel meeting and they come to every single one and they hear the council of God that they need to know and eventually the full council of God. But in most cases we understand that they need more than simply sitting in a pew. They need connection. They need friendship.

They need somebody to invite them into a fellowship opportunity outside of normal church hours, if you will. We need to spend time with them and develop relationships and then eventually get to personal Bible studies. That's what we need is one-on-one or two-on-two with an open Bible in between them at a kitchen table or at a cafe or in a park or at the library where we are studying the scriptures. And the third fundamental way that this breaks down, I thi...

Melvin Otey (00:06)
Good evening.

Jesus says in Acts chapter 1 and verse number 8, will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. In Acts chapters 2 through 7 you can read about the going forth of the gospel in the city of Jerusalem.

Beginning in chapter eight, verse number one, we read in a summary form about the gospel going into Judea and then Samaria. In Acts chapter eight and verse number four, you read about the gospel going into Samaria in earnest throughout the rest of that chapter. We read about a man named Philip and he goes to that city. He performs miracles empowered by the Spirit of God. And then the Holy Spirit says to him to join himself to a chariot that's occupied by a person we oftentimes call the Ethiopian eunuch. In Acts chapter nine, we read about a man named

name Saul of Tarsus being converted. And then in Acts 10 and 11, we read about the beginnings of the gospel going to the Gentiles. You'll remember a man named Peter receives a vision and he's being told by the Holy Spirit that he needs to go to a place called Caesarea so he can share the gospel with the centurion named Cornelius and those of his household. That is a Gentile population that he is called to speak to. He has to give account for what he has done in Acts chapter 11.

And then at the end of Acts chapter 11, we read again about this person named Saul, or at least his effects. That is, after Stephen had been stoned, some people fled from Jerusalem and they went as far as a city called Antioch in a region called Syria.

When the gospel goes there, at least initially, the folks are only going to share the gospel with the Jews because they've been dispatched from Jerusalem and they're sharing the gospel with people they know, with people they're most comfortable with. But we are told that there are some people who come from Cyprus and Cyrene and they begin sharing the gospel with the Hellenists or the Greeks or the Gentiles. When they do that, word gets back to Jerusalem.

And the church at Jerusalem dispatches a man named Barnabas to go to Antioch to encourage, to strengthen these Christians there. And so he goes, this man Barnabas, the son of encouragement. When he gets to Antioch, he begins to teach there, but then he travels a bit north and west into a region called Cilicia, because there's a city there called Tarsus, and there's a man there named Paul.

Barnabas goes and he gets Paul from Tarsus, takes him with him back to Antioch. And the Bible says there at the end of Acts chapter 11, that they labor in that church for about a year's time, Paul and this man, Barnabas. At the end of the chapter, we're told there's gonna be a dearth of famine there in Jerusalem. And so the saints at Antioch dispatched Paul and Barnabas to go to Jerusalem to take support and relief there. And so they go.

At the end of Acts chapter 12, we're told that they returned back to Antioch. Listen to me. In Acts chapter 13, beginning at verse number 1.

The Holy Spirit says, separate to me Paul and Barnabas. And this begins what we oftentimes call Paul's first missionary journey. But really it's the only missionary journey of the dynamic duo of Barnabas and Paul. They travel through the region of Galatia into the cities of Antioch, Pasidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe preaching the gospel there, establishing churches there, preaching to the Jews, preaching also to

the Gentiles when the Jews reject the gospel, Acts 13 and 14. This is going to be a pretty seminal time in the church because the gospel is moving. You can see it, Jerusalem, Judea very quickly into Samaria, and now we're full-fledged into the Gentile lands. We're in what we call Turkey today, Asia Minor. When that happens,

It had created some trouble for Peter if you remember when he goes to Cornelius' house he has to give a count for that in Acts chapter 11.

Peter when Paul and Barnabas go and preach to these Gentiles there in Galatia it causes somewhat of a stir. They get back to Syrian Antioch and when they do the Bible says there were some who came from Jerusalem we sometimes call these folks Judaizers but they were Jewish Christians who were committed to Judaism and they were saying to these new Gentile Christians you must also be circumcised and along with circumcision came the keeping of the law of Moses. You must be circumcised if you

want to be saved that's what they were teaching. They're in the Antioch of Syria. Barnabas and Paul

The Bible says that Luke is a little understated here, had no small contention with them. They weren't going to stand for that. And because they couldn't settle this matter there in Antioch, the whole group moves now to Jerusalem and they take it to the apostles and the elders. We've got to have a decision about what the gospel requires for salvation. So the apostles and the elders discuss all of this together and they come into the decision. listen, Peter has something to say about it and James has something to

say about it. Paul and Barnabas have something to say about it. But in the end, the church decides, listen, we can't bind the law of Moses on the Gentiles. We can't do it.

If we're going to maintain fellowship though in this expanding church geographically and ethnically, if we're going to maintain fellowship, we need you Gentile believers to avoid the obvious tokens of idolatry. Stay away from foods that have been offered to idols and stay away from blood and stay away from animals that have been strengthened and avoid sexual immorality. But besides that, we won't try to bind any of these things on you and the church rejoices. If you go back to Acts 15 and you read the letter,

The letter that they dispatched from Jerusalem is addressed to the church at Antioch and the region of Syria and the region of Cilicia. And so Paul and Barnabas take the letter back to Antioch. They take the letter back to Antioch. They share the letter with the church there and the church rejoices. The Bible says the church is strengthened there in Antioch. And while they're there, Paul says to Barnabas, we should... ⁓

We should go again and we should share the gospel or the good news about this decision with the saints in the rest of this area. So they go to Antioch. But we got to go now further. We're going to go to Galatia. And when we do that, there is a concern about taking John Mark. They can't agree.

John Mark had come with them from Jerusalem and Barnabas had wanted to take them, but he had turned back when they went to Galatia on the first trip. Paul was not going to be very patient about that. He said, the man is not ready. He can't go with us. And Paul and Barnabas, they separate. You know about that. But I want you to see what happens. Barnabas takes John Mark and he goes to Cyprus where he was from and they spread the gospel there. But friends, after this,

After Acts 15, we do not read about the apostles in Jerusalem anymore. After this, after Acts 15, we don't read about Barnabas anymore. As a matter of fact, we read about James one time. After this, the epicenter of the gospel going forward in the book of Acts begins to center on the work of a man named Paul and his expansions to the end of the earth.

And so they have two teams now.

Paul takes a man Silas and they go and they share this letter in the region where they were. They share it in Syria. They share the letter now, go a little bit north, go back a little bit west, go back to where Paul was from. They share it in Cilicia. And that's where the letter had been addressed. And I don't want you to miss this because the Bible says that the elder...

In this conversation, Chris Graham explores the themes of personal evangelism, the importance of understanding biblical context, and the value of every soul. He shares insights from various parables, emphasizing the need for churches to focus on outreach and the significance of each individual in God's eyes. Through engaging anecdotes and biblical references, he highlights the challenges and responsibilities of evangelism in contemporary society, urging listeners to embrace their role in reaching the lost.

Chapters

00:00 Opening Prayer and Introduction of Speaker
00:01 The Importance of Personal Evangelism
07:50 Jesus' Teachings on the Lost
22:20 The Prodigal Son and the Value of Repentance
28:32 Lessons from the Rich Man and Lazarus
41:15 The Life-Saving Station Parable

This conversation explores the roles of husbands and wives in a spiritual context, focusing on the biblical examples of Aquila and Priscilla. It emphasizes the importance of leadership, flexibility, faithfulness, and unity in marriage, and how these qualities contribute to effective evangelism and church growth. The discussion highlights that a godly marriage can serve as a powerful tool for encouraging others and spreading the gospel.

Chapters

00:00 The Role of a Husband in Leadership
02:58 Aquila and Priscilla: A Spiritual Team
06:12 Flexibility in Adversity
09:10 Faithfulness to God and Each Other
12:03 Fruitfulness in Evangelism
14:49 Unity and Service in Marriage
18:03 The Impact of a Godly Marriage
21:11 Conclusion: Living a Life of Evangelism

In this conversation, B.J. Clarke emphasizes the critical need for faithful gospel preachers and the authenticity of the Great Commission as recorded in Mark 16. He discusses the relevance of these teachings today, highlighting the importance of baptism and the role of every believer in evangelism. Clarke draws on historical manuscript evidence to support the inclusion of Mark 16:9-20 in the Bible and encourages listeners to actively share the Gospel, using the Book of Acts as a model for effective evangelism.

Chapters

00:00 Conclusion and Call to Action
01:53 The Authenticity of Mark's Gospel
13:08 The Relevance of the Great Commission
27:16 The Call to Evangelism Today

In this conversation, Jimmy Clark delves into the Great Commission as outlined in the Gospel of Matthew, emphasizing the significance of Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations. He explores the themes of communication, conversion, and commitment in the context of discipleship, highlighting the authority of Christ in evangelism. Clark discusses the transformative nature of being a disciple, the importance of baptism as a new beginning, and the commitment required to observe Christ's commands. Throughout the conversation, he underscores the good news of the gospel and the necessity of sharing it with others.

Chapters

00:00 Conclusion: The Hopeful Message of Repentance
08:49 The Purpose of Discipleship
11:51 Authority in Evangelism
21:26 The Cost of Discipleship
31:10 The New Beginning: Baptism
39:10 Commitment to Christ's Teachings
46:57 Invitation to Discipleship

In this conversation, Hiram Kemp discusses the challenges busy preachers face in evangelism and offers practical advice on how to prioritize and engage in evangelistic efforts. He emphasizes the importance of following biblical patterns, making evangelism a priority, practicing wisdom in preaching, personally engaging with people, stepping out of comfort zones, praying specifically for evangelistic opportunities, and collaborating with others in the ministry. Kemp encourages listeners to view evangelism as a vital part of their calling, regardless of their busy schedules.

Chapters

00:00 The Challenge of Busyness in Evangelism
03:00 Biblical Patterns for Evangelism
07:41 Prioritizing Evangelism in Daily Life
10:26 Practicing Wisdom in the Pulpit
14:49 Engaging People Personally
17:28 Pushing Out of Comfort Zones
19:49 Praying Specific Prayers for Evangelism
22:59 Partnering with Others in Evangelism
24:56 Conclusion: The Call to Evangelize

In this conversation, Dylan Johns discusses the importance of internal local church evangelism, emphasizing the collective responsibility of all members to engage in outreach. He addresses common misconceptions and lies that hinder evangelistic efforts, such as the belief that it's someone else's job or that people aren't interested in spiritual matters. Johns encourages listeners to overcome personal barriers, redefine success in evangelism, and take practical steps to foster a welcoming environment for visitors. He concludes with a call to action, urging individuals to stop believing the lies about evangelism and start believing in the promises of God.

Takeaways

Evangelism is a collective responsibility, not just for a few.
We often tell ourselves lies that hinder our evangelistic efforts.
It's important to confront the misconception that people aren't interested in spirituality.
Evangelism requires urgency and cannot be postponed.
Success in evangelism should be defined by our efforts, not just results.
Being friendly and welcoming can significantly impact evangelism.
Praying specifically for individuals can open up opportunities for outreach.
Engaging with the community in practical ways can lead to meaningful connections.
Church events should be designed to invite and include outsiders.
We must act to prevent our churches from declining.

Titles

The Collective Call to Evangelism
Confronting the Lies of Evangelism

Sound bites

"I just can't do anything."
"Evangelism can't wait."
"We need to talk with people."

Chapters

00:00 Gratitude and Personal Reflections
00:33 The Nature of Lies We Believe About Evangelism
02:21 Understanding Our Role in Evangelism
07:46 The First Lie: It's Somebody Else's Job
14:55 The Second Lie: I'm Not Cut Out for Evangelism
18:30 The Third Lie: People Aren't Interested
19:22 The Fourth Lie: Evangelism Can Wait
20:49 The Fifth Lie: Evangelism Doesn't Work Anymore
23:48 Practical Steps for Effective Evangelism
26:35 Conclusion and Call to Action

This conversation explores the Jerusalem model of evangelism as demonstrated by the apostles in the early church. It emphasizes the importance of faithful preaching and teaching in establishing and stabilizing congregations. The discussion highlights the challenges faced by the early church, the commitment of its members to the cause, and the power of preaching in spreading the gospel. The speaker reflects on the need for modern Christians to be bold in their faith and to engage in evangelism within their local communities.

Takeaways

The Jerusalem model illustrates effective evangelism.
Faithful preaching is essential for church growth.
Challenges faced by the early church were significant.
Community commitment was vital for the early Christians.
Preaching should be persistent and bold.
The apostles faced opposition but continued to preach.
The importance of local evangelism cannot be overstated.
Gospel preaching leads to tangible results.
The church grew rapidly despite challenges.
Commitment to sound teaching is crucial for stability.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Jerusalem Model
00:02 The Role of the Local Church in Evangelism
07:54 Challenges Faced by the Early Church
14:23 The Importance of Boldness in Preaching
20:46 Commitment to the Cause of Christ

In this powerful sermon, Sidney Moore delves into the theme of spiritual renewal, using Psalm 51 as a foundational text. He reflects on the story of King David, who, after committing grave sins, sought God's mercy and forgiveness. Moore emphasizes that true spiritual renewal requires a sincere appeal for mercy, a confession of sins, and a fervent desire to be cleansed. He highlights the importance of acknowledging one's sins and understanding that God is the only source of mercy and forgiveness. Through David's example, Moore illustrates that spiritual renewal is not merely an external change but an inward transformation that leads to a renewed spirit and a commitment to evangelism.

Takeaways

Spiritual renewal requires an appeal for God's mercy.
Confession of sin is essential for spiritual healing.
True cleanliness is an inward transformation, not just outward appearance.
David's prayer in Psalm 51 serves as a blueprint for repentance.
God initiates the process of spiritual renewal in our lives.

Chapters

00:00 The Choice of Belief: Understanding Free Will
16:12 The Call for Inward Transformation
23:49 The Role of Evangelism in Renewal
33:03 Practical Applications for Spiritual Renewal

00:00 Defining Belief: A State of Mind
00:30 Biblical Belief: The Connection to Faith
01:58 The Action of Belief: More Than Just Thoughts
02:44 Faith and Works: A Biblical Perspective
03:20 The Purpose of John's Writing
04:20 Engaging with Belief: Jesus' Intentionality
09:11 The Impact of Personal Interactions
14:00 The Role of Evidence in Faith
18:52 Pointing to Scriptures and Eternal Life
24:03 The Choice of Belief: Understanding Free Will

In this engaging conversation, James Colwell shares his journey from being technologically illiterate to becoming a director of a preaching school, emphasizing the importance of evangelism as an integral part of Christian life. He discusses the necessity of internalizing evangelism, making it a natural part of being a disciple of Christ rather than a scheduled activity. Colwell stresses that true discipleship involves a commitment to follow Jesus, which includes understanding the significance of baptism and the need for a strong confession of faith. He reflects on his personal experiences and the challenges faced in teaching others about the importance of evangelism and discipleship training.

Keywords

evangelism, discipleship, Christian faith, preaching school, technology in ministry, baptism, commitment to Christ, spiritual growth, James Colwell, Costa Rica

Takeaways

Evangelism is part of who we are, not a switch we flip.
Every disciple of Christ must believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
We need to teach commitment before baptism, not just after.
Discipleship starts with a confession and must have a commitment.
We should encourage new converts to bring others to Christ.

Sound bites

"Evangelism is part of who we are."
"We need to make Christians, not disciples of an individual."
"Let's quit talking about why the church isn't growing."

Chapters

00:00 Conclusion: Every Soul Matters
00:03 Introduction to Discipleship and Technology
01:07 The Intentionality of Discipleship
01:36 Understanding the Great Commission
02:51 The Call to Follow Christ
05:37 The Importance of Confession
08:52 Commitment Before Baptism
13:14 The Cost of Discipleship
16:18 The Mindset of Evangelism
22:25 Encouraging New Converts to Evangelize
27:21 Final Thoughts on Discipleship and Evangelism