EVANGELISM WITH ONE VERSE
One-Verse Evangelism is a simple, interactive way to share Christ’s love conversationally and visually. As you are in a conversation with a friend, you can illustrate Romans 6:23 on a napkin or piece of paper to explain God’s relationship with people.
Circle WAGES and ask, “How would you feel if your boss refused to pay you the wages that were due to you?” Of course, your friend would want justice, the wages she had worked for. Deep down, we all know that it is only right that we get what we deserve.
2. Draw a circle around SIN, asking your friend what she thinks when she hears this word. You might explain that sin is more an attitude than an action. It can be either actively fighting God or as simple as excluding Him from our lives. Now draw two opposing cliffs with a gap in between.
3. Circle DEATH and ask what thoughts come to mind. Explain that death in the Bible always means some kind of separation—in its most basic sense, separation from life. Because God is the author of life, a spiritual death simply means separation from Him.
4. While circling the word BUT mention that it is important because it means that a sharp contrast in ideas is coming. What we have just looked at is the bad news; what comes next is the Good News.
5. Draw a circle around GIFT. Ask, “If wages are what a person earns, then what is a gift?” Though every gift is free for the person receiving it, someone still has to purchase it.
6. Circle OF GOD and explain that the gift you are talking about is free. It is from God Himself. It’s so special that no one else can give it. Ask, “How do you feel when someone gives you a special gift?”
7. Circle ETERNAL LIFE next, and then ask, “How would you define these words?” Contrast one side of the cliff, death, with the other side, eternal life. Ask, “What is the opposite of separation from God?”
8. Write JESUS CHRIST so it creates a bridge between the two cliffs. Help your friend to consider that just as every gift has a unique giver, only Jesus Christ can give the gift of eternal life.
9. Write TRUST over the bridge. Explain that a true friend is a friend you can trust; Jesus is offering to be a true friend to her. All she has to do is admit that she is responsible for her sin—either of fighting against God or excluding Him from her life. Trusting Jesus means believing that He has power to forgive us for rejecting God and that He will wash us clean from all that we have done wrong in life.
10. Now, ask your friend if she wants to start a relationship with God that will last forever. If she says “Yes,” invite her to pray a short prayer in her own words, asking Jesus to forgive her and make her new. Close by reminding her that this simple illustration shows what God is like: Someone who really cares about people—especially her. Invite her to read all about it in the Bible.
*This is a Navigator Discipleship Tool from www.navigators.org*
One-Verse Evangelism by Randy D. Raysbrook, © 2000. All rights reserved.