Tired of sitting around, gonna get out there...

R

richrock May 13, 2012

I've heard enough teaching on this website to get me off my behind. I'm going out - to preach the gospel. Decided after much prayer to use tracts to do so, just to have something in my hands to use to get speaking to people (I'm normally quite shy).

Couple of things though: Does anyone know of any good tracts to use? I'm based in the UK and have looked on Living Waters, and also a place called Victory Tracts, but nobody seems to show the contents of them, so I would effectively be buying blind. I just want to make people aware of the gospel.

Does anyone else do this? Is this a burden I can share here? I would have looked at tracts in our church (we used to have them years ago) but there are none.

Please pray that I would find the right tracts, a good solid Gospel presentation with no compromise, and be filled with the spirit to go out and fulfil my commission.

T

Trekker May 13, 2012

There is The Old Paths Tract Society...if indeed memory serves. Look online for them. They have a very wide selection. I often mailed out tracts, not only to neighbors but also to people i didnt even know. I also went thru a library with them, etc. Did you know that the homeless and "mentally ill" often hang out at libraries? In winter to stay warm as long as possible and in summer to stay cool. So there are a lot of hungry souls there with plenty of time to do nothing but talk, and they are lonely souls.

Once i ordered a pizza from a major chain and when the delivery guy arrived i got up the courage to offer him a tract and to my total shock he cheerfully accepted with never a hint of disapproval, hesitation, or disdain. I let him take his pick of a variety of Chick tracts. Of course, i gave him a tip too, must not forget that.

I don't use tracts due to any shyness however; my problem is an inability to know how to bring the subject up without being abrupt or how to start, what the appropriate first thing to say would be. But i do have some wild stories of occasions when i gave the Gospel verbally instead of using tracts (that's something for a different conversation).

E

ET101 May 13, 2012

Good on you!!

Here's just one link I found:

http://www.tracts.com/ALLTractssalvation.html

There are plenty more like it online - this way you know what's in the tract before you commit to it.

R

richrock May 13, 2012

Thanks, I have found somewhere - Open Air Missions. They're UK based, and I had seen them in our town. A small organisation, not afraid of the heckler, but prepared to preach the Gospel whatever the cost.

sermonindex May 13, 2012

I remember years ago ordering tracts from the Mennonites, they had some good ones and they were all free. They sent me a medium sized box of them. I was a lot like you brother, I wanted to do something for God, so I ran around the country side handing out tracts till I heard the voice of the Lord say, "but Mary hath chosen the best part". I had missed it. I thought it was my duty to get out there and win the lost. Then I heard Him again, "sit still". Oh how hard it was to do that. To sit still and receive instruction from the Lord was most difficult, to some degree it still is. The one thing that I learned from God was that He does not need my help, He is God. And another thing was that He is not in a hurry to get people saved like we are in a hurry.

I pray that you search out your own ways and ask yourself if your doing all this in your own strength. Or are the thoughts, "I am wasting my life away doing nothing, I have to do something".

I know this post sounds like a downer, but it's not. I would like for you to take an inventory of your thoughts and prayerfully consider that what you intend to do is by the Spirit of God and not by the need to do something for God.

Be of Good Cheer!

sermonindex May 13, 2012

Some of living waters material is very well suited for shifting from natural conversation to spiritual.

A technique that I learned from Ray Comfort to make this transition easy is this.

Ask the question gently and sincerly, "Do you have a spiritual background?"

I have used this phrase over a hundred times. I cannot remember anyone getting upset with me asking this question.

Then If you are prayed up God will give you utterance and what to ask further and declare further to whomever you are talking to.

Another thing in regards to the tracts is to ask did you get one of these? not "Do you want one of these?"

Then as the person takes it you could then gently ask "Do you have a religious background?

More could be said but I just wanted to share that for transition.

R

richrock May 13, 2012

Hi all,

Thanks for the encouragement, and even the sobering words of caution. I have sat on this burden for nigh-on four months now, it's just getting stronger.

I do keep myself disciplined in seeking God about this in private times, and the burden rises more each time. It's like it's the natural fruit of seeking Him.

Hope that makes sense @Approved... :-)

I

InTheLight May 13, 2012

I've heard enough teaching on this website to get me off my behind. I'm going out - to preach the gospel. Decided after much prayer to use tracts to do so, just to have something in my hands to use to get speaking to people (I'm normally quite shy).

Praise the Lord for all those who finally "get it" and just go. If all our learning does not bring us to a knowledge of the truth then what good is it?

The Lord bless you.

Ron H.

L

Lysa May 13, 2012

Back in 2005, after I came back to the Lord (from backsliding), I asked Him if this was all there was to my Christian existence is just being saved? I asked Him to give me a ministry, something somewhere where I could serve HIM and not just church (by that I mean doing the sound and powerpoint for a church).

After some misfires of trying to find one on my own, He gave me a jail ministry and that was six years ago. I am happy serving Him in the jails, praise His holy name!! Ask Him for a ministry where you can serve and He just may surprise you too!!

God bless you,
Lisa

(edit) PS: Upon thinking further about it, after finding sermonindex and listening to all this wonderful sermons and people doing something for Jesus was when I asked Him for a ministry also!! Ain't God good??? Thank you Greg for sermonindex!

N

narrowpath May 13, 2012

Some tracts do not present the gospel very well, here is a ministry where you can order tracts for free and they ship them to you. They can do with a donation of course, but they run the entire ministry by faith and do not ask for money.

Their tracts are excellent and very scriptural.

http://www.wmpress.org/index.shtml

sermonindex May 13, 2012

Praise God Rickrock. I remember years ago a preacher friend of mine said before he got into ministry he would pray to find out if what God was calling him into was His will, each time he went to prayer he felt the burden of the Lord come upon him, that went on a couple of time to which he could no longer stand to pray about it any longer, he went out and is serving the Lord to this day.

God bless you in your journey Brother.

sermonindex May 13, 2012

If you are tired of sitting around then you must have something of value to say. Write that down and you have your own tract. Never leave to another work that you should be doing yourself.

If at the end of making up your own tracts you read them over and say they look like nonsense then you shouldn't be preaching, but if what you have written is emanating from the Spirit of God all will make sense and you are prepared to go.

OJ

P

pilgrim777 May 14, 2012

Make it an object of constant study, and of daily reflection and prayer, to learn how to deal with sinners so as to promote their conversion. It is the great business on earth of every Christian, to save souls.

People often complain that they do not know how to take hold of this matter. Why, the reason is plain enough; they have never studied it. They have never taken the proper pains to qualify themselves for the work. If people made it no more a matter of attention and thought to qualify themselves for their worldly business, than they do to save souls, how do you think they would succeed? Now, if you are thus neglecting the main business of life, what are you living for? If you do not make it a matter of study, how you may most successfully act in building up the Kingdom of Christ, you are acting a very wicked and absurd part as a Christian.

Charles Finney “To Win Souls Requires Wisdom”
(1792 – 1875)

M

mama27 May 14, 2012

There is a gentleman I have spoken with thru this site, Michael Corral...he is with an evangelistic outreach in Washington DC and has said you may contact him thru the ministry website: http://www.washingtondcevangelists.com/

He also recommended these sources for giving out tracts in bulk:

http://www.shop.onemilliontracts.com

http://www.customtractsource.com

For tracts containing more of a message (but costs more):

http://www.crossway.org/tracts/

http://www.matthiasmedia.com/outreach/evangelistic-resources?format=11

T

twayneb May 14, 2012

richrock:

I am reminded of reading Smith Wigglesworth's answer to the question of good tracts. He said, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Have you thought about simply printing out your personal testimony of salvation along with ample scripture from the gospels to lead a person to a saving knowledge of Christ? Simple, and personal. People will read your personal testimony when they might not read a mass produced tract.