4 surprisingly simple keys to effectively sharing the Gospel
by Greg Stier

Sharing the Gospel is like flying an airplane. You want to take off smoothly, have a solid flight plan, know how to deal with emergency situations and then, of course, land safely.

Key No. 1: The takeoff

One of the biggest challenges in sharing the Gospel effectively is starting the conversation to begin with. How do you begin? Do you say, "Boy, it's hot in here. It's hot in Hell too! Let me tell you about it!"

Please don't!

To effectively take off you must learn how to ask good questions. Simple questions like, "How can I be praying for you?" or "Do you go to church anywhere?" can lead to great Gospel conversations.

Key No. 2: The flight plan

Every pilot knows that to safely navigate the skies they must build and turn in their flight plan. This is their plan to get from point A to point B.

What's your flight plan for the Gospel? An old Hillbilly pastor once told me, "Many people preach the Gospel like a Texas Steer a point here (one horn of the steer) and a point there (the other horn of the steer) and a lot of bull in between."

He's right. We must have a plan to get from point A to point B when sharing the Gospel. We use a GOSPEL acrostic that we developed 30 years ago:

God created us to be with him.

Our sins separate us from God.

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life.

Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

Key No. 3: Be ready for emergencies

"What do you do if... " is a question that every pilot faces.

"What do you do if your engine goes out? What do you do if there's a sudden loss of pressure? What do you do if you encounter a massive wind sheer?"

Every good pilot has to be ready for 1,000+ scenarios like this. And so does every Christian when it comes to sharing the Gospel.

"What do I do if I encounter an atheist? What do I do if someone is a Mormon who knows they Bible better than I do? What do I do if I want to share Jesus with a Muslim?"

Key No. 4: Safe landing

A great flight is a waste if we crash land. It is vitally important to know how to bring the conversation to a close and give the person you are sharing the Gospel with an opportunity to say "yes" to Jesus.

But we need to know how to do this in a way that doesn't coerce or manipulate. The goal is not to just get them to say "Yes" with their mouths but to truly say "Yes" to Jesus in their hearts.

Too often, when sharing the Gospel we don't go the whole way. We are right there, descending toward the landing strip and then, last minute, we pull up out of fear.

It's time to put down that landing gear and bring them safely home, right into the arms of their loving Savior, Jesus Christ!