1Cor.9v16: For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

Evangelism or soul-winning must leave the realm of something that we do once in a while or as the occasion demands to something that we do regularly or consistently. It should become a part of our lives; this is when it becomes a lifestyle, as you can see from the example of Apostle Paul in (1Corinthians 9 verse 16). He did not see the preaching of the gospel as anything to boast or glory about but instead he saw it as a necessity. In other words, it was a matter of necessity; that is how important he saw the preaching of the gospel. He had been able to inculcate it into his lifestyle. That is why he said; woe be unto me if I preach not the gospel. So evangelism should leave the realm of what we were told to do to becoming a part of our lives. This is when we will reap the full dividends of winning souls and make a greater impact. So the admonition and charge to you and I today is to make evangelism our lifestyle. Witnessing for Christ should become a part of our lives. I want to ask you a question at this junction, is evangelism your lifestyle? By the way, what is a lifestyle? A lifestyle is the typical way of life of an individual, group or culture. Simply put, a lifestyle is the way a person lives. Soul Winning must become a part of how you live. This is how we will be able to make the kind of impact that we ought to make. So how can winning souls become a lifestyle? These are some of the things I intend to share with you in this series of teachings and I believe you are ready for this. So without much ado, let us begin to examine these principles right away.

How to Make Evangelism your Lifestyle?

1. Start from your own Jerusalem. By Jerusalem, I mean your area of constituency or influence. The question is, where are you now or where do you live? That place can qualify as your Jerusalem. It will be easy for you to make evangelism your lifestyle if you start from your Jerusalem. The approach should be one soul per time. The truth of the matter is that everybody has influence and it is important for you to begin to use that influence for God. When I say your Jerusalem, what do I mean? Your Jerusalem can refer to the following areas:
a. Where you live or stay.
b. Where you work.
c. Where you operate or school.
d. Your family or Friends (Jn.1v41-42).
e. People in your cycle of influence.

For instance, your driver, gateman, cleaner, laundryman, etc. The truth of the matter is that everybody’s got influence and you can start using your influence to make a difference in people’s lives by preaching the gospel to them. This is how evangelism can become a part of what you do, and in this way, God’s name can be glorified. From this example that I have given to you today, I hope you can see that it is easier to make evangelism a part of what you do if you start from your Jerusalem. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to hit the ground running. It’s time to begin to make an impact for the kingdom. May today mark the beginning of such an encounter for you in Jesus name.

Other Scriptural References: (Pro.11v30; Mk.16v20; Acts 11v19-21: 9v19-20, 22, 29; Col.3v17; 1Cor.10v31).

Prayer for Today: Lord, I commit myself to make evangelism part and parcel of my life and work. Holy Spirit, please help me to be faithful to this call in Jesus name.

CONFESSION: I can see the importance and necessity of being a soul winner. Therefore, I commit myself to become a diligent soul winner. I choose to imbibe the culture of soul-winning into my operations and all that I do. For me, evangelism is not just a routine or a chore but something that I take great delight in and a part of my daily work. In the name of Jesus, I say no to any form of excuses. I choose to make myself available as a channel of blessing to my World. I will maximise the opportunities that come my way to be his voice and his feet to my generation. Thank you, Heavenly Father, because I commit to the business of Winning Souls from henceforth, so help me, Holy Spirit.

Pastor Yemi Adeoti

Yemi Adeoti is a pastor, teacher, life coach and mentor & also a prolific writer.