Category Archives: Book Review

Before You Share Your Faith–Book Review

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image“Before You Share Your Faith: Five Ways to Be Evangelism Ready by pastor Matt Smethurst offers five foundational recommendations to help you talk to others about Jesus with confidence.[i]

In his preface to the book’s contents, the author, (Matt Smethurst) says this:

“This is not a handbook of evangelistic jujitsu tips. I’ll leave that to more able voices. This volume is about getting ready to open your mouth at all. It’s about preparation for the conversation.”

The book then devotes a chapter to each of the author’s five recommendations to help you talk to others about Jesus.

1. Grasp the Gospel

To assist us in grasping the message of the Gospel, we can look at it with a “wide lens” and a “zoom lens”; in four “movements”: the Ruler, the Revolt, the Rescue, and the Response. (I love alliteration!) A bit of alliterative assistance combined with an easily understood description of each “movement” makes it hard NOT to remember the elements of the gospel message!

2. Check Your Context

Checking our context involves knowing our audience, being able to break down the gospel message to make it clear, and understanding what’s at stake, and excelling at asking questions.

3. Love the Lost

Loving the lost involves being a friend and is often referred to as “friendship” or “relational ” evangelism. In the words of the author, “The Bible never says that speaking the truth IS love, but it says we are to speak the truth IN love. Ponder that distinction – it I subtle but critical.

4. Face Your Fear

Fear, apprehension, and nervousness, at some level always seem to haunt us. On the other hand, evangelism is not complicated: if we wait until our fears have completely evaporated, we might never share it. Don’t wait for the perfect scenario because it might never come. Instead resolve to seize the opportunities God presents to you.

5. Start to Speak

“Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” Catchy phrase, isn’t it? Sad to say, it’s not biblical. Communicating the good news about Jesus Christ always requires words. Above all, pray. Pray before the first conversation, pray during the conversation, pray after the conversation. Pray singly and corporately. Pray that God will open hearts to receive the message (like Lydia in Acts 16). Be faithful to the gospel message. Remember that God saves sinners, we don’t.

A final thought from Matt Smethurst:

“Some if my richest gospel conversations over the years have not been planned. . . by me. But God had other plans.”

Before You Share Your Faith contains much more than this brief review could provide. It can be ordered from Truth for Life Store  at the link below, as well as from other book sellers.

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[i] Books and Booklets – Store – Truth For Life

Book Review: Studies on Saving Faith – A. W. Pink

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The introduction to this book at Monergism.com, states the following:

clip_image002One of the most helpful books we have ever read on the gospel. Pink’s deep understanding of the nature of regeneration and how that relates to faith and works is top notch. Pink levels the serious and solemn charge that much “evangelistic” preaching falls short on delivering the true gospel message. He states, “The ‘evangelism’ of the day is not only superficial to the last degree, but it is radically defective. It is utterly lacking a foundation on which to base an appeal for sinners to come to Christ. There is not only a lamentable lack of proportion (the mercy of God being made far more prominent than His holiness, His love than His wrath), but there is a fatal omission of that which God has given for the purpose of imparting a knowledge of sin. There is not only a reprehensible introducing of ‘bright singing,’ humorous witticisms and entertaining anecdotes, but there is a studied omission of the dark background upon which alone the Gospel can effectually shine forth.” Whether you are a preacher or a layperson, this remarkably relevant study in Scripture will challenge you to hold firmly to the Gospel.

I’ve just finished my first reading and I have to say that I was blessed beyond measure in ways too numerous to mention in this article. The book proper is divided into four parts; Part I – Signs of the Times (Introduction), Part II – Saving Faith, Part III – Coming to Christ, and Part IV – Assurances. Parts I – IV are divided into logical and easily understandable subsections and thoroughly supported from Scripture.

Sometime after completing his most thorough treatment on saving faith, he decided to further amplify one or two of the leading points with the hope that some might be helped thereby, in the form of four dialogues. The simulated, but completely relevant and believable dialogues, between ‘The Writer’ and two gentlemen, ‘Mr. Carnal Confidence’ and ‘Mr. Humble Heart’, actually summarize the entire content of the earlier parts of the book, expressed in language quite familiar to early 20th century readers, yet at the same time easily understood today.

I found the dialogues to be not only an amplification of the book proper, but an excellent summary of its entire contents. I highly encourage you to read not only the book proper, but also the Dialogues. You will be blessed!

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Studies on Saving Faith is available for download without cost at Monergism.com and the Members Only section of the Christian Military Fellowship Website here, and also available for purchase at Amazon.com, as well as from numerous Christ book distributors.