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2. REVIEW 5 weeks in 60 seconds
A new identity: Ambassadors for Christ (all Christians)
Because God is sovereign & we’re responsible: Talk with God about our friends before talking with friends about God
7 Principles of Evangelism / “Listening to Hear”
5 Thresholds of Faith: Trust, Curiosity, Open to Change, Seeking, Entering Kingdom

3. From Meandering to Seeking
THE 5 THRESHOLDS
From Meandering to Seeking
What’s this stage look like?
Already have their trust, so can speak into their life
Already curious, so they’ve sought understanding
Already open to change (which is HUGE)
With cynicism, antagonism and indifference behind them, questions are genuine – seeking real answers (not just deflection or argument)

4. From Meandering to Seeking
THE 5 THRESHOLDS
From Meandering to Seeking
What’s this stage look like?
Marks of someone seeking:
Seeks Jesus, not just “God” in general
They’re “counting the cost” of being Jesus’ disciple
Spend time with Christians

5. From Meandering to Seeking
THE 5 THRESHOLDS
From Meandering to Seeking
What’s this stage look like?
Looks different than “phantom seekers”
Can look like seeking, but…
Lacks urgency
Not intentional (may accept our offers to meet, but not pursue us)
Questions not about seeking final answers

6. From Meandering to Seeking
THE 5 THRESHOLDS
From Meandering to Seeking
How we can help
Live out the Kingdom before them
Often converted to community before Christ (disciples)
Show what it’s like to build life on Christ’s Word
Share how it plays out in our lives
Open your prayer life to them
Model how one can interact with Jesus directly

7. From Meandering to Seeking
THE 5 THRESHOLDS
From Meandering to Seeking
How we can help
Provide satisfying answers to initial questions
Moderns: abstract, theoretical, propositional answers helpful (e.g. Chinese Atheist)
Postmoderns: Answers grounded in real, personal experience (honesty begets honesty)

8. From Meandering to Seeking
THE 5 THRESHOLDS
From Meandering to Seeking
How we can help
ATTIC approach to apologetics
Affirm (bless their curiosity)
Translate (your own words, not a book’s)
Transparent (show own struggles)
Insert self in a “case study”
Challenge (“What about you?”)

9. From Meandering to Seeking
THE 5 THRESHOLDS
From Meandering to Seeking
How we can help
Model Seeking
Share own story of beginning to seek
Show you don’t “arrive” when become a Christian, but seek understanding, growth and relationship
Create safe places for people to seek
Community group? Worship service? Your home?

10. From Meandering to Seeking
THE 5 THRESHOLDS
From Meandering to Seeking
How we can help
Give them what they need most: Scripture!
Where they encounter Jesus directly
Guiding vs. Shielding
“Shielding” takes out explicit Christian content (can be good at earlier thresholds, but not here)
Guides help interpret experience (i.e. what worship is and why we do it)

11. From Meandering to Seeking
THE 5 THRESHOLDS
From Meandering to Seeking
How we can help
Ask good questions:
“What are your questions?”
“What barriers to belief do you see in your life?”
“What’s keeping you from following Jesus?”
“What do you need from God? A sign?”
Can point these out – help them connect the dots

12. THE 5 THRESHOLDS Entering the Kingdom
Seeking not meant to go on forever
The decision
A major decision, comes with a cost
Matthew 13 – compared to buying a field, or a pearl
Zacchaeus – saw a radical change was required
Not to just follow Jesus’ example & be more spiritual but to put all your eggs in Jesus’ Easter basket

13. THE 5 THRESHOLDS Entering the Kingdom How we can help
Help them focus on Jesus / central issues
Can we trust the Bible (& what it says about Jesus)?
Do non Christian really deserve eternal punishment?
Is Jesus really the only way to God?
How can someone have “eternal life”?

14. THE 5 THRESHOLDS Entering the Kingdom How we can help
Help them resolve questions and encourage them to act on them
Ask: “What questions/concerns holding you back?”
Don’t need to know or understand everything to enter kingdom
Like marriage: “take the plunge” without knowing everything about spouse, but act on what do know

15. THE 5 THRESHOLDS Entering the Kingdom How we can help
Be appropriately urgent
You’re helping bust people out of Satan’s kingdom
More spiritual opposition requires more intentional prayer, encouragement and challenge
Near the “goal line” football players run their “Red Zone” offense. This is the spiritual “Red Zone!”
What would not be appropriate before is now

16. THE 5 THRESHOLDS Entering the Kingdom How we can help
Be clear, but don’t over-simplify
“Just pray this prayer” doesn’t prepare them to sell all to follow Jesus
Consider who they are, what they grasp already
Contextualize the gospel for them
Jesus preached His Gospel in many different ways to many different people

17. THE 5 THRESHOLDS Entering the Kingdom How we can help Challenge!
Actually invite them into the Kingdom
Jesus did this. Peter did this. Paul did this.
And trust God for the results (will keep our challenge from digressing into manipulation or coercion)

18. THE 5 THRESHOLDS 5 More Weeks Greg Johnson
Role of hospitality in being Christ’s ambassadors
Gospel Boot Camp
Learn to communicate the Gospel in a clear, logical manner with any person in any setting