Simple Guide to Evangelizing (Through Scriptures)

Introduction God is Love Let’s open this Simple Guide to Evangelizing by talking about Love. Why start there? Because love is the foundation of everything God has done from the very beginning. We must recognize that God’s love extends to every person—regardless of ethnicity, past mistakes, or current beliefs. If this were not true, He would not have sent His Son, Jesus, to give His life for all humanity (John 3:16, NIV). It is with this same love that God calls us to love others. When we love people, we reveal our love for God and make the God whom no one can see visible through our actions. Love is the primary expression of our faith in everyday life. And as this love grows within us, may it stir a genuine desire to share the Gospel with all people, just as God has instructed us to do. God’s love Simply stated, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4:7-12. Discussion Points · Why is loving others regardless of their beliefs or background important to God? · What does scripture say about love and his commandments? John 14:15NIV · Does the scripture above motivate you to share the Gospel? · Share your thoughts. The Holy Trinity We can deepen our understanding of God’s love by seeing how it is revealed through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although the term Holy Trinity does not appear in Scripture, passages such as Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 clearly present God as a triune being. For this reason, Christian theology embraces the Trinity as a foundational doctrine of the faith. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 NIV, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians13-14NIV The Holy Trinity is essential to the Christian faith because it forms the very foundation of what we believe. Through the Trinity, we gain a right understanding of who God is and how He works—offering salvation through the Son and empowering us by the Holy Spirit. Let us explore the Holy Trinity. 1-God the Father God is three distinct persons which we referred to as the Holy Trinity. God the Father is considered the first Person, the Creator, and the source of all things. God the Father is understood as the spiritual Father to Christian believers. The Father is the one who speaks creation into existence and sustains life. Within the Trinity, the Father begets the Son and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. God the Father is the ultimate authority and the source of redemptive love. He is loving, protective and our vindicator. Despite being fully God, the Father is distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit. (See end of book for Names of God) 2-God the Son God the Son in the Holy Trinity is Jesus, who is the second person of the trinity. The Son is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. According to Christian theology, God incarnate is Jesus Christ who was sent to carry out God's plan for salvation through his life and death. While all three persons of the Trinity are fully God, they each have different divine roles in relation to humanity. 3-God the Holy Spirit The God the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is a personal being who guides, comforts, and empowers believers. His role is to reveal and glorify Jesus, convict people of their sin, and direct believers. Believers receive spiritual gifts through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells within believers, serving as teacher, advocate, helper, comforter, revealer.(See end of book of how the Holy Spirit empowers us)Believers need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to walk a path of obedience.Believers are also referred to as Christians. Discussion Points · Describe the God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit respectively. · Why did Jesus come to earth? Luke 19:10, Mark 10:45, John 10:10 · What major role does the Holy Spirit play in our lives? We are Christians As followers of Jesus Christ, we identify ourselves as Christians, literally meaning "belonging to Christ" or "of Christ" (derived from the combination of "Christ" and the suffix "-ian," which means "of" or "belonging to"). Other terms used in the New Testament include believers, disciples, Saints, and followers of "The Way”. “The WY”is a profound and symbolic designation of Jesus, as referenced in scripture such as John 14:6, where Jesus declares, "I am the way and the truth and the life." Fundamentally, a Christian is one who follows the teachings of Jesus. However, recent studies and observations have highlighted a disparity between self-identification and practice, noting that many who describe themselves as Christians do not consistently adhere to the teachings of Jesus. However, in a Barna Group recent report regarding this matter, it stated the following: “Barna Group research in 2024 and surrounding years highlights a growing trend of "functional atheism" or "nominal Christianity," where people claim the label but their faith doesn't shape daily life, leading to low discipleship, spiritual disengagement, and a disconnect from biblical practices, with many professing Christians failing to integrate faith into key areas like personal morality or community engagement, creating a "Christian invisibility" where their worldview isn't distinct from non-believers.” This report is essential because it highlights a fundamental truth: genuine transformation occurs not through religious motions, but through a genuine relationship with Jesus. As we walk with Him, God's will is revealed, and our inner lives are transformed. Spiritual maturity isn't achieved through performance; it blossoms from a life aligned with Christ. This prompts an honest examination: do our actions and attitudes mirror the world around us, or do they reflect Jesus? The Bible states it this way: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2NIV) Referencing this report was intended not to condemn Christians but to keep us grounded in truth. Are we becoming so preoccupied with many good deeds that we are neglecting the most important thing, as Martha did in Luke 10:40? Jesus gently corrected Martha to help her understand that while a beautifully prepared meal is good, it is not more important than choosing the good part"—being at his feet, where hope is found. When we come before God, may we be recognized as true believers, not merely as those engaging in many things but lacking the most important one: time with God. Consider the solemn warning in Matthew 7:21-23: