Ways to Share the Gospel

When Christ gave the Church the Great Commission, He gave it as a command to be obeyed, not as a suggestion. Therefore, we need to be about our Savior’s work, which is sharing and proclaiming the Gospel to the nations. But how can we do that? How can we share the Gospel with others?

Know the Gospel

First, we have to know the Gospel in order to share it.

God so loved the world in this one particular way – He sent His Son Jesus to live a sinless life on earth, to die on the cross taking the punishment for sin (also called substitutionary atonement) and paying the debt we incurred when we sinned. By believing in Christ for salvation and repenting of our sins (agreeing with God that sin is sin), we are then able to have the hope of eternal life with God through Christ Jesus. This is the ONLY way; there is no other. (You can see John 3:16-17; Romans 3:23-25; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 Peter 2:24-25; 1 Peter 3:18). Christ is coming back, and without His righteousness on you, you are doomed. He is offering terms – just one term: Turn to Christ and repent of your sins, and live. Jesus is your only hope.

John 3:16-17; Romans 3:23-25; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 Peter 2:24-25; 1 Peter 3:18

Talk to Your Family

Your family, especially your family in your household that live with you and see you everyday, is the closest people to you that need to hear the Gospel. And because you see them everyday, these are the people that will see the changes in your life through the Holy Spirit. Do not just assume that your family knows the Gospel; have Gospel conversations with them. You can start the conversations by asking:

• What do you believe about Jesus?
• How do you know you are saved?
• What are you studying in the Bible these days?
• Would you like to go to church with me?
• What is your only hope in life and death?

You can also have Gospel conversations with your family by using New City Catechisms as well as the Nicene Creed and the Apostle’s Creed. Read the Bible together as a family, and if you need more resources on sharing the Gospel with your family, I have previously written about the topic.

Talk to Your Neighbor

Your neighbor down the street needs Jesus just as much as your family members. When gathering together as a community or a neighborhood, have the Gospel conversations with the people around you. While you are sharing the Gospel with them, help them – bake some food for them or meet a need of theirs. You can start Gospel conversations by asking:

• What do you believe about Jesus?
• What is the most important thing in your life, and how is that going for you?
• Would you like to go to church with me?
• What brings you joy in life?
• Would you like to read and study the Bible with me?

You can ask them to read the Bible with you one-on-one; you can invite them to a small group. You can invite them to church. You can invite the family down the street to Vacation Bible School.

“Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”

D.T. Niles

Talk to Your Friends

You would not want your best friend to keep secrets from you, and you should not keep the Gospel of Jesus Christ a secret from your friends either. Every chance you get, have Gospel conversations with your friends about Jesus:

• What do you believe about Jesus?
• Would you like to come to church with me?
• Would you like to come join this small group with me?
• Would you want to read the Bible together with me?
• What do you consider to be your hope?
• What brings you the most joy?
• What gets you the most excited?

Tell them about the King you serve that took His holy righteousness and covered your unholiness.

Take the Gospel to the World

Just like Jesus told the Church to take the Gospel to the world, we should be looking for ways to share the Gospel with the world and take it to the ends of the earth. Do you have a way to influence others around the world? For example, do you have a blog or social media? You can write about your faith in Jesus. Do you know of missionaries overseas? You can support them by praying for them, writing letters of encouragement, or sending them funding and resources. Do you feel God’s call to be a missionary? Obey Him. Live out your calling by His power and strength.

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. Or if you have an X.com account, contact me @sarahderinger88.

• Do you feel like you have been slow to share the Gospel lately?
• How can you share the Gospel with others today?
• How can you encourage others in their evangelism?
• How can you encourage others in their walk with Christ?

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: Y

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today, I am writing to share with you that you need to be You. If you write as though you were someone else or are not being genuine in your letters, your sponsored children will figure it out. They receive each of your letters and remember what you write to them. Therefore, be you!

So how can you be genuine in your writing? How can you show your true self in your letters to your sponsored children? Here are a few ideas that I have on being yourself when writing to your sponsored children:

• Share when times are difficult for you.
• Ask them to pray for you and your family.
• Be honest about struggles that you have.
• Genuinely care about them and pray for them.
• Do not write things you do not mean or do not believe.
• Share the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Share that we all will face trials and difficulties in life but we can rely on God throughout those times.
• Share what you are learning in life – about God or something else.
• If there is something you do not know, that is okay. Tell them that you do not have all the answers.
• But remember to share that you are truly there for them. Knowing that they are not alone can make all the difference in the world.

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Beautiful Are the Feet

There has been a lot of bad, sometimes scary news in the world for sure, especially it seems this year. From hurricanes to helicopter crashes, from COVID-19 to the “Cuties” Netflix show, from closing churches to child trafficking: there has been so much that has happened this year, and we are only in September. However, believers have the good news, which Christ has called us to share with the world. Believers know the truth, that God is still Sovereign and is working all things for our good and His glory.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28 NASB

We can look at verses in the Bible like Ephesians 2:4 and understand that even in the face of bad news, there is still good news.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:4-10 NASB

Are you feeling scared, anxious, or downtrodden after watching the news? Look to Christ for your comfort. Because He lives, there is no need to fear the happenings around the world. We can instead prepare our hearts for the trouble that will come and remind ourselves that Christ is with us.

“Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” – John 16: 32-33 NASB

Jesus promised that we would have trouble in this world; however He also promised that we believers will have peace in Him. He also gave us a hope – that He has already overcome the world. Therefore, we do not have to fear, but we can have peace in Christ. Not only did He give us promises and hope, He also gave us a command. In Matthew 28, He gave the disciples (and ultimately the Church) the mission to share the good news of the Gospel with the whole world. So now that we have the hope of assurance in Christ, we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to go out in boldness and tell others of the hope we have in Christ.

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 NASB

By sharing the Gospel with others, we can help others understand the peace that only comes in Christ. And do you remember how you feel about those who bring you good news? Do you feel that they are blessings when they bring good news? That is most likely how people will feel when you bring them the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they accept that good news. However, how will the world know about the good news if no one is willing to go out of their way to share the Gospel with others?

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” – Romans 10:12-15 NASB

It is apparent that believers have the responsibility of sharing the Gospel with others. This is your invitation to tell others about Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Savior. There are many ways that you can get involved in sharing the Gospel:

• Pray for others to come to know Christ
• Invite others to church
• Tell others about your faith
• Consider sponsoring a child through a Christian organization, such as Compassion International
• Support your pastor by praying for and encouraging him
• Serve in the church

By sharing the Gospel with others, your feet can be considered beautiful because you are bringing hope to the world in the midst of the darkness.

Sponsor a Child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International. By sponsoring a child for $38 per month, you can help that child get an education, school supplies, food, clothing, health care, and most importantly the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can help bring the good news to children in poverty around the world.

Join in the Conversation

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. Do you sponsor a child through a Christian organization? How do you serve in the church? Are you looking for a church to attend?

Book Review x 3

I am playing catch-up with my book reviews. I have recently finished three books:

• 5 Minutes in Church History by Stephen J. Nichols
• Budgeting for a Healthy Church by Jamie Dunlop
• The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ by John Mark Reynolds and Roger Overton

Recently I have been very interested in reading all the books I can to learn how to best help my church (First Baptist Church Paoli) to grow and share the Gospel. So my reading list has a lot of books about churches and church history.

5 Minutes in Church History by Stephen J. Nichols is written much like the really cool, informational podcast that Nichols does called 5 Minutes in Church History. The book has short chapters, and it covers the early Church, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and the Modern Age. If you only have money to buy one new good book, this is the book that you should buy if you want to learn more about church history. It is a really well written book, and I enjoyed it.

Budgeting for a Healthy Church by Jamie Dunlop is a book in the 9Marks series. The book is focused on helping pastors prayerfully design a budget that will help your church’s ministry reach goals that grow god’s Kingdom. Church members can read the book, but Dunlop really had this book in mind for pastors as they lead the church. This book also offers a few examples and resources that can help your church as you all look at your church’s budget and where the money is going. I picked this book up because I would like to know more about how to help my church as a treasurer, and while this book is geared more for pastors, I think I learned a few things from it. If you are a pastor who wants to look more closely at the budget, this book may be a good resource for you.

The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ by John Mark Reynolds and Roger Overton is a good book for Christians and church leaders who want to get the basics of social media and how to use social media to share the Gospel. Since I help with my church’s social media and website, I thought I would try reading this book to find a few new ideas. This book has a wide range of essays on using social media for Christ. If you are somewhat new to using social media for church, this is a book that you might find to be a good resource.

Join in on the conversation

I enjoy hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think about them?

What books have you been reading lately?

In what ways do you serve in your church?

What would you like to know more about in the areas of the church that you serve?

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: X

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today’s post is about how eXciting it is to receive a letter. Did you know that in some places around the world that the whole community celebrates when a child receives a letter from their sponsor? They see letters from the sponsor as something that can encourage and strengthen the child, the family, and even the community. This shows the importance of writing letters to our sponsored children.

Do you get excited when receiving a letter from your sponsored child? They are just as excited to hear from you. They treasure your words because they know that you love them. In some cases, it is the first time that anyone has ever told them that they love them. Therefore, it is so important to write to your sponsored child. Here are some ways to make your letters eXtra special.

• I love you!
• I am praying for you.
• I am cheering you on as you study and learn.
• I am so thankful for you in my life.
• You are a blessing to me.
• You are special, and God created you unique.
• You are someone I celebrate in my life.
• I celebrate when I receive a letter from you.
• I keep your letters in a special place.
• I tell my friends about you.
• I tell my church about you.
• Jesus loves you.
• You are important in my eyes.
• God cares about you deeply, and we can tell Him about everything that goes on in our lives.
• Send stickers, pictures, and drawings to them.
• Send a birthday card or other greeting cards to mix things up. They really like the pictures on greeting cards.

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children? What else do you like sending to your sponsored children?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Updates on Burusi, Blessed, and Bryan

The past couple of months have been busy, and I am finally able to give updates on three of my sponsored children.

I received a progress report on Burusi in Kenya, whom I sponsor through Compassion International. He shows an interest in growing closer to God, which makes me so happy. Just like the apostle John wrote in 2 John 4, “I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father” (NASB). It pleases me to know that he is growing closer to God and learning more about God.

I received a letter from Blessed in Zimbabwe, whom I sponsor through Eden Ministries. She writes that on May 16th, she was baptized!!!! What a wonderful thing to read. She also hopes to be a Missionary Educator in Uganda when she finishes school.

I also received a letter from Bryan in Zimbabwe, whom my mom sponsors through Eden Ministries. Bryan’s mother wrote the letter for him, and he is in play school. He also washes his hands with soap and water to protect him from COVID-19.

It is great to get updates and letters from my sponsored children because it helps me know they are being taken care of.

Sponsor a Child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Eden Ministries, or Haiti Outreach Ministries. By sponsoring a child, you can change their life by giving them the opportunity to hear the Gospel and learn about God’s love for them.

Join the Conversation

Feel free to comment on this post. I love hearing from my readers.

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: W

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today’s ideas are about wishes and dreams for the future. Your sponsored children need encouragement to pursue their wishes and dreams for the future, so it is always helpful to write encouraging words to them in your letters.

So what sorts of things about wishes and dreams for the future are worthy of writing about? Here are some topics to write about, and if you need questions to ask your children, these will work for some of the questions as well.

• What do you hope to do when you grow up?
• What obstacles are in your way to reaching your dreams?
• How can I help you overcome those obstacles?
• Encourage them to study hard for the education because that often can help them reach for their dreams.
• What do you like learning about?
• What are you passionate about?
• If you could change anything about the world, what would you change?
• If you could be the leader or president for the day, what would you do?
• If you could get one wish, what would you wish for?
• What are you praying for?
• How can we make a positive difference in the world?
• Who is a role model for you that has done something that you hope to do someday?
• What is one step that you can take today in reaching your goals, hopes, and dreams?
• Are your parents encouraging when it comes to education and going after your goals?
• I am cheering you on as you go after your dreams, and I love you very much!
• Describe how you went after your goals and dreams, and what it took to get where you are.
• Describe what you have learned in life about pursuing your goals.
• Share Bible verses about hard work and reaching for goals.
• Share Bible verses about working for God.

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: V

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today’s ideas are about visiting your sponsored child. Have you ever wanted to meet your sponsored child? If they are anything like my sponsored children, they sooo badly want to meet you! And they hope to recognize you when they do get to meet you.

So what should you write if you are able to meet them someday? Well, it is suggested not to tell your sponsored child that you are going to visit them until it is absolutely positive that you will. Things can change your plans so quickly, and you do not want to break their heart if you end up not being able to make it. Therefore, it is wise to say something like, “If God is willing, I hope to meet you someday.” Then, if you are able to go, the excitement will still be there.

If you know that you will not be able to ever meet them in this life, there are still some ways to get the most out of your letters in order to know your sponsored children. Here are some ideas to write about:

• Ask them what they do on a regular basis, and tell them about what a day in your life looks like. Of course, do not emphasize the luxury.
• How can I pray for you?
• What are some difficult things that you are facing that I can pray for?
• Tell me more about your life. I love getting to know you better.
• Tell them that you love them because that is exactly what you would say to them if you did get to meet them.
• Send as many pictures as you can to them because that will help them see a glimpse into your life.

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children? Have you been able to meet your sponsored child? What was the experience like? Did it change your perspective about anything?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: U

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today’s ideas are understanding. How much do you understand in your sponsored child’s life? Do you know about how long it takes to get a letter to them?

What does understanding have to do with writing letters to your sponsored children? Well, when you write a letter to your sponsored child, it may take two months or even longer to get to them. While most child sponsorship organizations try their best to get the letters to the children more quickly, sometimes there is no way around a two month window of getting a letter to them. Therefore, as sponsors, we must have patience and understanding with how the letter process works.

Here are some questions that you can ask your sponsored child or even the child sponsorship organization about letters.

• How are your letters delivered?
• Who delivers your letters?
• Is there an organized mail service in your country?
• How many letters do you normally receive at a time?
• How often should I write?
• Where do you get your supplies for writing letters?
• Do you write your letters at school, church, or a child development center?
• Do your teachers, parents, or guardians help you write the letters?
• Do you normally use a letter template in writing your letters?
• What are good and helpful topics to write about?
• What do you want to know more about me?
• What would be encouraging for you?
• Try your best to write frequently. I typically write a letter at least once a month for my children.
• When there are outbreaks, civil unrest, and violence in a country, there is a greater chance that letters will be delayed. Do not give up though! Just write another letter which will bring them hope when they do get the letter.
• Consider going to visit your child, which will bring your letters to life. It will also give you greater understanding of their community, culture, and the child sponsorship organization.

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters: T

Are you looking for ideas for what to write to your sponsored children? Throughout this ABCs of Child Sponsorship Letters series, I am going to share lots of ideas with you on letter writing. These ideas are useful for any child sponsorship program, but I may give some specific ideas for Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Eden Ministries.

Today’s ideas are thankfulness! Everyone could use a little more gratitude in their lives, and your sponsored children are included. Gratitude and thankfulness can remind us of all the good we have in our lives and can help raise our spirits and morale.

What should we write about thankfulness to our sponsored children? Well, here is a list of ideas for you to use.

• What are you thankful for?
• What is something nice that someone has done for you lately?
• How can we thank others?
• Who are you thankful for in your life?
• How has God blessed you lately?
• How do you define thankfulness?
• Share Bible verses that talk about thankfulness.
• What is God teaching you lately about thankfulness and gratitude?
• What are you thankful for at your school?
• What are you thankful for at your work?
• What are you thankful for at your home?
• What is your family thankful for during this time?
• How has child sponsorship blessed you lately?

Join in on the conversation!

I always love hearing from my readers, so feel free to comment on this post. What are some ideas you have for writing to your sponsored children? Do you ever get stuck on what to write to your sponsored children?

Sponsor a child

Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International, Haiti Outreach Ministries, or Eden Ministries. By sponsoring a child through any of these organizations, you will help a child and their family. They will receive an education, food, clothing, health care, shelter, and the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.