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Sharing the Gospel with your children is a privilege not to be taken lightly. As a follow-up to my post on Childhood Conversions last week let me point you to a two part series I greatly appreciate on evangelizing children from Shepherds Fellowship.

Here’s a brief overview:

Common Pitfalls in Evangelizing Children

1. Oversimplifying the Gospel of Christ
2. Coercing a Profession of Faith
3. Assuming the Reality of Regeneration
4. Assuring the Child of Salvation
5. Rushing the Ordinance of Baptism

Foundational Keys to Evangelizing Children

1. Setting a Consistent Example of Godliness
2. Proclaiming the Complete Gospel of Christ
3. Understanding the Biblical Evidences of Salvation
4. Encouraging Possible Signs of Conversion
5. Trusting the Absolute Sovereignty of God

Here’s the two part article:
Evangelizing Children (Part 1)
Evangelizing Children (Part 2)

What’s necessary for your child to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Jim Elliff delivers some helpful thinking on Childhood Conversions — helpful thoughts for all parents, pastors and youth workers.

October 11, 2009 – AM Service
Fulfill Your Ministry, 2 Timothy 4:5
Pastor Kevin

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:47 — 6.9MB)

Here’s a quote from Spurgeon’s sermon Salvation by Knowing the Truth that is a noteworthy reminder of the power of God’s unbound Word, of which I preached a couple weeks ago from 2 Timothy 2:8-9. (Via: CBC Evangelism blog)

YOU WHO DESIRE TO SAVE SINNERS. You must, dear friends, bring the truth before them when you want to bring them to Jesus Christ. I believe that exciting meetings do good to some. Men are so dead and careless that almost anything is to be tolerated that wakes them up; but for real solid soul-work before God’ telling men the truth is the main thing. What truth? It is gospel truth, truth about Christ that they want. Tell it in a loving, earnest, affectionate manner, for God wills that they should be saved, not in any other way, but in this way—by a knowledge of the truth. He wills that all men should be saved in this way—not by keeping them in ignorance, but by bringing the truth before them. That is God’s way of saving them. Have your Bible handy when you are reasoning with a soul. Just say, “Let me call your attention to this passage.” It has a wonderful power over a poor staggering soul to point to the Book itself. Say, “Did you notice this promise, my dear friend? And have you seen that passage?” Have the Scriptures handy. There is a dear brother of mine here whom God blesses to many souls, and I have seen him talking to some, and turning to the texts very handily. I wondered how he did it so quickly, till I looked in his Bible, and found that he hind the choice texts printed on two leaves and inserted into the book, so that he could always open upon them. That is a capital plan, to get the cheering words ready to hand, the very ones that you know have comforted you and have comforted others. It sometimes happens that one single verse of God’s word will make the light to break into a soul, when fifty days of reasoning would not do it. I notice that when souls are saved it is by our texts rather than by our sermons. God the Holy Ghost loves to use his own sword. It is God’s word, not man’s comment on God’s word, that God usually blesses. Therefore, stick to the quotation of the Scripture itself, and rely upon the truth. If a man could be saved by a lie it would be a lying salvation. Truth alone can work results that are true. Therefore, keep on teaching the truth. God help you to proclaim the precious truth about the bleeding, dying, risen, exalted, coming Savior; and God will bless it.

Does your appearance help or hinder the Gospel? Mike McKinley writes at 9 Marks for those of us who would seek to reach the culture by being much like the culture — Contemplating Cool.

Some selected quotes:

• if the Lord called you to shepherd sixty uncool saints until they were safely home, with no spectacular revival or ministry explosion, would you consider that beneath you? Would it seem unworthy of your gifts and a waste of your life? If so, you are being motivated by pride.
• Much of being a pastor is profoundly uncool.
• There is a real danger in becoming so puffed-up over our freedom in Christ to wear black t-shirts that we begin to look down on the Ned Flanders-style Christians who love the Lord and have served him faithfully for years. In fact, it may be that the Lord is more pleased with their humble walk (though not as sophisticated) than he is with yours.
• With a few exceptions, Christians who try to be cool are terrible at it.
• Being like the culture can make it hard to see the gospel.

Just in case you think this applies only to pastors — it doesn’t.

Here’s a quick rundown of a great piece by Jim Elliff on The Value of Hanging Out.

1. Find a hanging out place, or several, in your area.
2. Learn the names of the people you meet.
3. Take your Bible and spend time reading it, writing notes in your notebook, or reading a good Christian book while out.
4. Keep a friendly, approachable look about you.
5. Seek to get to the layer of philosophical talk.
6. You will find that they will be curious about you and your beliefs also.
7. Make friends, real friends, who will be important to you no matter what their spiritual preferences are. Love them for who they are.
8. If you have read something interesting that you can pass on, by all means do so, especially if it has something to do with the true love of your life, Jesus Christ.
9. Expect God to do something.

Via JT

As a pastor I’ve found great encouragement from Charles Spurgeon. Preaching pastors–those who truly wish to preach God’s Word–those who would devote themselves to the work of preaching when it seems the world around them has better ideas for giving direction to the church and reaching the lost than with preaching–should find great encouragement in these words from Spurgeon we’re reminded of today by Jim Bublitz at sliceoflaodicea.com.

In the great day, when the muster-roll shall be read, of all those who are converted through fine music, and church decoration, and religious exhibitions and entertainments, they will amount to the tenth part of nothing; but it will always please God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Keep to your preaching; and if you do anything beside, do not let it throw your preaching into the background. In the first place preach, and in the second place preach, and in the third place preach.

Believe in preaching the love of Christ, believe in preaching the atoning sacrifice, believe in preaching the new birth, believe in preaching the whole counsel of God. The old hammer of the gospel will still break the rock in pieces; the ancient fire of Pentecost will still burn among the multitude. Try nothing new, but go on with preaching, and if we all preach with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, the results of preaching will astound us.

–Charles Spurgeon, How to Win Souls for Christ

Speaking of preaching–I’m looking forward to the one-day Pastors’ Enrichment Seminar I’m headed to on February 9 at West Cannon Baptist Church, Belmont, Michigan. The theme is “The Foolishness of Preaching – A Crucial Call to Biblical Preaching to a Postmodern Mind,” with guests Dr. Colin Smith and Dr. James Grier.