Follow Up

If the person makes a commitment, you then have a responsibility to ensure the well being of the new born Christian. If possible introduce him to another Christian and ask the new Christian to tell what he has done. Ask for his name and phone number and give him your phone number. Invite the person to Church, ask him if he knows where it is and find out if transportation is a problem.

Encourage him to read the Bible and make sure he has one. Tell him that he can talk to God in prayer. Encourage him to tell others about his decision. Keep in contact.

The first few weeks of an individual's Christian life are the most important. While his experience of salvation is still fresh in his mind, he is willing to make further steps in the Christian life. If he is quickly established in a fellowship of Christians and receives encouragement during this important time, he will likely continue to grow.

If he is left to his own, he will find it difficult not to slip back into his old life style. One Church did a study and found that only 1 in 6 of those who professed Christ through their ministry became active in their Church. As a result the Church established a follow up program where those who professed Christ were immediately contacted and received extra encouragement for several weeks.

When the Church did another study after this program was established, they discovered that now 5 in 6 of those who professed Christ became active in their Church.

Sharing the Gospel

Once you are comfortable with telling others your testimony, you need to increase your witnessing ability. A new Christian may only be able to share his testimony. However, a person who has been saved for sometime should have much more to say.

Find a simple Gospel outline and begin to memorize it. Memorize the Scriptures that prove each point and be ready to show someone else where the Scriptures are and what they mean.

There are many good Gospel outlines available. One of the most popular is the Romans Road, which uses several verses in the book of Romans to present the Gospel. Some Christians find a good Gospel tract and then use it to share the Gospel.

When you share the Gospel with someone try to make sure that the person understands what you have said by asking him questions. ''Do you understand why Jesus died for you?'' or ''Does this make sense to you?''

Go over anything about which he is not sure.

It is not just enough to know the Gospel in our heads. The inquirer needs to be shown that he must respond to the message, to make a decision to turn from everything he knows to be wrong in his life, to apologize to God, to put his trust in Jesus, to follow Him and to receive the Holy Spirit in order to live the New Life.

We receive the free gift of Eternal Life by Faith, not just believing. The Bible tells us that the demons believe. Scripture states, ''Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils believe and tremble.'' (James 2:19)

A person must not only understand the Gospel, He must also place his trust in Jesus. If the person has understood and has come to the point in his life where he is ready and willing to turn and follow Christ, then ask if he would like to make that step right there and then.

Ask him if he could sincerely pray the commitment prayer at the end of the tract that you are using. Assure him that if he means it from his heart then from that moment he will be a Christian, a follower of Christ. If he is willing, pray first for him then ask him to pray the prayer from the tract.

If you do not have a tract with you, then ask him to repeat what you say as you pray. When he finishes praying, welcome him into the Family of God! Assure him of what he has done by reading one or two suitable verses, like Romans 10:9 and 1 John 5:13.

If the person is not ready or is unwilling to turn and follow Christ, then suggest he take a tract and seriously think about becoming a Christian. Be polite and exchange phone numbers if it is appropriate.

My Personal Testimony

In a follow up on the previous post, here is a short version of my own testimony.

When I was young, my father deserted our family. After this, I became a loner. I did not want to show emotion, and I had few friends. I came to hate my father. For a time, I kept a baseball bat by the door of our home, ready to use if my father ever showed up.

After a long spiritual journey, one day I had a conversation with an older man who helped me to understand what Jesus accomplished for me on the cross. At that time, I asked God to forgive me, and I became a follower of Christ. I put my trust in Jesus to take care of me in this life and for eternity.

Jesus became my friend. Over time, God began to work on the emotional desert that was my heart. It did not happen all at once, but slowly the hate for my father was replaced by love. I established a relationship with my father again. We never became close, but before he died I could honestly say that I loved him and held no hard feelings towards him.

God and his Spirit are still at work in my life. I am still not all I should be. Making friends is still difficult. But I am not what I once was. God has and is changing me to became what he wants me to be.

I tell people who have been hurt in relationships that no matter who may have betrayed them, there is one person who will always be a true and faithful friend. His name is Jesus.

Your Personal Testimony

Sharing what Jesus has done for you is your personal testimony. A personal testimony has great power. People who would never listen to a Gospel presentation will listen to someone tell about how their life was changed.

You should think over your testimony and know what you will say. This will help you to present what happened to you in a logical and easy to understand way. You should be able to give your personal testimony in three or four minutes.

First, talk about what your life was like before you became a Christian. Give some relevant details but do not glorify your past sins.

Then talk about how you became a Christian. Give details about when, where, why and how you felt at the time.

Then mention the difference that Jesus has made in your life. Tie your present situation into your past life and explain what has changed. Tell the person what Jesus means to you now.