Let’s Talk About: Sharing the Gospel: Evangelizing and Discipling your Children’s Suitors and Others

By Robert Bowen

Do you struggle with sharing your faith intentionally? If so, read this very practical guide to sharing the Gospel with those you love, including serious boyfriends or girlfriends of your children, close friends, or even strangers. It all starts with a heartfelt desire for others to know the Gospel truth that Jesus is the only way to be saved from their sins and the wrath we all deserve. Learn how to take the time to talk with others about your faith and help lead them to their own saving faith in Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jun 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781595557339

Robert Bowen

Robert Bowen is a husband of one wife, father of two adult children, and a sinner saved by the grace of Jesus Christ.  He has a heart for finding ways to practically share his faith with others and worshiping his Savior in Christian service.  This is his first book with plans to share other topics as part of his “Let’s Talk About” series in the future. For questions or comments, reach out to him at [e-mail].

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

Most of you have likely heard the various statements by fathers about their daughters ever dating. Comments like:

• I may let her start dating at 28 or so.

• If a boy comes to pick up my daughter for a date, I will be cleaning my guns in the living room to make sure he knows the risks.

• I have been to jail before, and I am not scared to go back.

• There even was a 10 rules for dating my daughter T-shirt that was all the rage for a while.

I am NOT trying to do any of those things in this book. I am a Christian father of two teenagers (a 22 year old daughter and a 20 year old son who is a sophomore in college). I am not really trying in this book to find the right balance between raising an under-supervised child and being a helicopter parent who tries to select the future spouses of my children.

So, what AM I trying to do? First, I am trying to be a Spirit-led, thoughtful, discerning, intentional father who is actively participating in the final stages of raising my children while they are still under my roof and direct authority. I want them and any interested boys or girls to know that I am concerned about their choices and can be a willing guide in helping them make those choices. I am also trying to be intentional in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those around me that God has brought into my life. If you are reading this book, I hope and pray that you are in a similar situation with similar desires.

Second, I want God to be glorified throughout all of these interactions. God is glorified when we are obedient to His calling to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to disciple believers. I believe with all of my heart that those primary goals should be your motives beyond all else when dealing with the topic of whom your children date and marry. More on that topic later.

Intentional Conversations

I taught Sunday School and served in the youth ministry at a Baptist church for over 20 years. One of my main callings from God during this time of service was to engage in intentional conversations about spiritual topics with teenagers. I have developed dozens of questions that I use to break the ice and get teenagers talking about spiritual things including questions such as:

1. What do you think is the most offensive thing to God?

[Your Response Here]

2. What would be your biggest regret if the person closest to you passed away suddenly?

[Your Response Here]

3. What is your ministry?

[Your Response Here]

4. What is the hardest thing to believe about God?

[Your Response Here]

5. Which of the 10 commandments are easiest to obey? Which is the hardest?

[Your Response Here]

I have done this hundreds of times with probably over a thousand kids, and I am still shocked about how willing these kids are to dive right into a spiritual conversation and how open they are to hear what I think are the core answers to life’s questions. Let me be clear – the primary purpose of these sorts of questions is NOT to test students on the perfect answer to the question being asked. It is to have an intentional, spiritually-focused dialog that ultimately transitions to the Gospel (the Good News) of Jesus Christ. That Gospel can be summarized in that we are wretched sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus Christ is that Savior and is the ONLY suitable sacrifice to pay our sin debt and allow His righteousness to be credited to our account and our sins credited to Him. This occurs only if we repent of our sins and trust Him alone as our Savior.

Let me stop there… If you are not sure that there was a time in your life when you became aware of your sins and your need for a Savior and that you repented of those sins and trusted Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, stop reading this chapter and