"Begin," A New Evangelism Resource
Many churches give away New Testaments as an evangelistic outreach. Of course, giving people the Word of God is a good thing, but there is a problem. We live in a culture that is, in many ways, post-Christian. Many people lack the the necessary foundation to understand the gospel message. They have questions that need to be addressed first. Questions like:
- Which “God” are we talking about? Aren’t all religions the same?
- What is “sin”? I’ve never done anything really wrong.
- How can there be a loving God given how messed up this world is?
The answers to foundational questions like these are found in the Old Testament.
Well, I came across a resource I really like that provides a solution to this dilemma. It’s a book that combines portions of both the Old and New Testaments to provide seekers and new believers with all the information they need to get started. It’s called Begin.
It starts, appropriatly enough, at the beginning with Genesis 1-11. This explains who God is, what he has done, and why this world is in its current condition. It then proceeds to Exodus 20, which contains God’s law. Having laid that foundation, it includes the entire Gospel of John, to present the gospel message. Next, it presents the book of Romans, which presents the gospel in more depth. Finally, it includes the last two chapters of Revelation.
It also includes commentary to bridge the gaps between Scripture segments and answer common questions.
So, if you give away New Testaments or other literature for evangelism, you should check out this resource.