Criticizing Moody
One day a lady criticized D. L. Moody for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody’s reply was "I agree with you. I don’t like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?" The lady replied, "I don’t do it." Moody retorted, "Then I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it."

Contributed by: David Yarbrough
Source: James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 178.

Every 3,000
This past week I was getting my oil changed and I had a chance to present the gospel to the guy in the waiting room with me. For me, waiting rooms are the best places for evangelism because the people are sitting there with nothing to do. The oil change waiting room has been particularly fruitful for me, and it assures me that at a minimum I’m going to personally share the gospel every 3,000 miles.

Contributed by: Mark Connelly

Into Circulation
During the reign of Oliver Cromwell, there was a shortage of currency in the British Empire. Representatives carefully searched the nation in hopes of finding silver to meet the emergency. After one month, the committee returned with its report. “We have searched the empire in vain seeking to find silver. To our dismay, we found none anywhere except in the cathedrals where the statures of the saints are made of choice silver.’

To this, Oliver Cromwell eloquently answered, “Let’s melt down the saints and put them into circulation.”

That reply carries a deeper meaning than Cromwell ever intended. It contains the secret of effective witnessing.

Contributed by: Dixon Olu. David

Jesus Christ First
Charles Spurgeon recounted the story of a group of missionaries who went in the early 1700’s to Greenland desiring to convert the indigenous people there. He quoted them as going with this determination on their tongues, “These people are in such darkness that it cannot be of any use to preach Jesus Christ to them at first. They do not even know that there is a God, so let us begin by teaching them the nature of the Deity, showing them right and wrong, proving to them the need of the atonement for sin, and setting before them the rewards of the righteous and the penalties of the wicked.” Spurgeon said they went on for years without a single convert to Christianity. Here is Spurgeon’s account of what came next.

“One day, one of the missionaries happened to read to a poor Greenlander the story of Jesus bleeding on the cross and how God had sent His Son to die, ‘that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life’. The Greenlander said, ‘Would you read that to me again? What wonderful words! Did the Son of God die for us poor Greenlanders that we may live?’ The missionary answered that it was so, and clapping his hands, the simple native cried, ‘Why did you not tell us that before?’”

Contributed by: Clark Tanner
Source: C.H. Spurgeon, “The Marvelous Magnet.”

Thirsty
The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty." So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel.

Contributed by: Paul Fritz
Source: Preaching, November-December 1985

Living Evangelism
“As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.”

Contributed by: Wayne Field
Source: Andrew Carnegie

A Heart for Evangelism
Years ago a young minister visited Dundee, Scotland, deeply concerned that his ministry was producing such meager results. He decided to visit the scene where years before Robert Murray McCheyne had ministered in such evident power of the Spirit of God. McCheyne died at the age of 30, but not before God used him to turn Scotland upside down. The visitor asked the old sexton at St. Peter’s if he could tell him the secret of the amazing influence of Robert McCheyne. The old man led the young minister into the vestry. “Sit down there,” he said. “Now put your elbows on the table.” He did so. “Yes, that was the way McCheyne used to do it,” said the old man. “Now put your face in your hand.” The visitor obeyed. “Now let the tears flow! That was the way McCheyne used to do!” said the sexton.

Contributed by: Gene Gregory
Source: Explore the Psalms, Vol. 2, John Phillips, 1988

No Other Plans
There is a legend which recounts the return of Jesus to glory after His time on earth. Even in heaven He bore the marks of His earthly pilgrimage with its cruel cross and shameful death. The angel Gabriel approached Him and said, "Master, you must have suffered terribly for men down there.”

"I did," He said.

"And," continued Gabriel, "do they know all about how you loved them and what you did for them?"

"Oh, no," said Jesus, "not yet. Right now only a handful of people in Palestine know."

Gabriel was perplexed. "Then what have you done," he asked, "to let everyone know about your love for them?"

Jesus said, "I’ve asked Peter, James, John, and a few more friends to tell other people about me. Those who are told will in turn tell other people about me, and my story will be spread to the farthest reaches of the globe. Ultimately, all of mankind will have heard about my life and what I have done."

Gabriel frowned and looked rather skeptical. He knew well what poor stuff men were made of. "Yes," he said, "but what if Peter and James and John grow weary? What if the people who come after them forget? What if way down through the centuries people just don’t tell others about you? Haven’t you made any other plans?"

And Jesus answered, "I haven’t made any other plans. I’m counting on them."

Twenty-one centuries later He still has no other plan. He’s counting on you and me to continue His work of reconciling the world to Himself, to continue the work so many have faithfully carried out before us. Will we do so well?

Contributed by: Kevin Higgins

No Road at All
David Livingstone went into the heart of Africa as a lone missionary. After some time his missions committee wrote to him saying, "Some people would like to join you. What’s the easiest road to get where you are?" He replied, "If they’re looking for the easiest road, tell them to stay in England. I want people who will come, even if there’s no road at all!"

Contributed by: Owen Bourgaize

Fear of Evangelism (129 illustrations)

How To Do Evangelism (406 illustrations)

Evangelizing the Lost (182 illustrations)

The Urgency of Evangelism (184 illustrations)