I can’t believe it happened … literally!

It finally happened.

Today, as a matter of fact.

You might even want to note today’s date in your calendar.

I have, for years, joked about how some people want to evangelize just by the process of “spiritual osmosis,” that our presence among non-believers will be enough for them to receive the Gospel and they could discover Christ that way alone. Well, today I read a blog that promoted the idea of evangelism by osmosis!

I. Kid. You. Not!

Folks, it just doesn’t work that way!

In fact, a lot of evangelistic efforts we try are not effective. The most embraced method is “relationship evangelism,” the idea being that we create relationships with people who don’t know Christ, and then from that platform of friendship we share the Gospel with those people. Now that we’ve tried that method for a long time, we see it hasn’t been effective. That’s because we either fail to get out there and make relationships, or if we actually make those new connections, we continue to fail at sharing the Gospel with our new friends.

Another very popular method is the idea of inviting people to small groups instead of inviting them directly to church. But we have the same problem of failing to build real relationships, or actually communicate the Gospel, either in the groups or from relationships that are supposed to be developed from small groups. Throughout our country, we have thousands upon thousands of small groups that have been together for years — even decades! — and are no more spiritually mature, or biblically literate, than when they began together. Just putting a person in a group with other people does nothing to assure the Gospel will be shared and disciple-making will occur.

There’s one way of evangelism, or making new disciples, that we know is highly effective, and that is purposely asking for an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone who doesn’t know Christ. When you equip disciples of Jesus Christ with the ability to effectively and concisely share the Good News of Jesus, and then they actively ask for such an opportunity with people who don’t know Jesus, many of those people DO accept the offer to learn about Jesus, and many of those who accept such an opportunity also accept God’s offer of salvation through His Son.

What do you know, the direct method actually works!

This methodology has been used to reach the lost and make new disciples in churches not only all across this country, but around the world!

It’s been a blessing to use this methodology throughout my ministry, and I’ve helped multiple churches equip their members to be able to do the same. I’ve watched other churches implement this method with real success, with “success” meaning people surrendering their lives and being baptized into Christ.

When the Scott Free Clinic is able to launch, one of the services that will be offered as part of our church consulting component will be to provide this evangelistic training and help churches become effective disciple-making churches. We can’t change lives, but God can, and so part of our commitment at the Scott Free Clinic is to assist the body of Christ in effectively reaching the lost so that lives can be transformed through Christ, for the glory of God. We are already praying about the possibility of providing this training in regions of Oregon, Washington, California, and Texas, as well as internationally in places like the United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada.

If you as an individual, or a church, might be interested in learning more about how the Scott Free Clinic can help you become an effective disciple-making disciple or church, please feel free to contact me, either by commenting on this post, or you can email me at drscottyjr@gmail.com. You can also explore our ministry website at http://www.ScottFreeClinic.org.

Let’s work together to change lives, especially by introducing people to Jesus Christ!

Scotty