The Story of Hope ESL Classes with Chinese Moms

Chris and Rose Duryee are ABWE missionaries in Spain. While on pre-field in the Pacific Northwest, they sought out a church life group to be involved with to expand their contacts and partnership opportunities. They joined one that met together for fellowship and Bible study three Tuesdays each month and on the fourth Tuesday helped serve meals at the local community center. Shortly after joining, the group began to pray and search for a way to serve in their community that would better fit their growing families. One of the wives mentioned that she had met several Chinese moms at a park near her home, and another said she had a Chinese neighbor who was expecting her first baby. →

Sep 30, 2019

Talip (“Disciple”), Former Muslim Father Becomes a True Disciple

“I was raised in a mosque school. I don’t know the Bible. Can you help me?” Talip, a former Muslim into his late twenties, had been saved a few years earlier but was never discipled. He and his family had joined a church in South Africa where ABWE missionary David Drullinger serves. They had developed a friendship and he was now concerned about his lack of Bible knowledge and understanding. →

Sep 30, 2019

What Must I REALLY Do to Be Saved?

The gospel of Jesus Christ is really quite simple and easy to understand when presented properly. But in many cases Christians have made the gospel sound complicated by using terminology that is not Biblical or, even worse, by using Biblical terminology theologically-incorrectly or unclearly. With this in mind, I came up with a list of 50 things that unbelievers are sometimes told they need to do in order to be saved! Here’s the list: →

Sep 4, 2019

How to Evangelize with Confidence - Overcoming Fear in Sharing Your Faith

In a random 2013 telephone survey of 2,083 adults in the United States, 100% of adults who identified as “evangelical Christians” agreed with this statement: "I, personally, have a responsibility to tell other people my religious beliefs." The even more positive news from that survey was that 69% of these evangelicals agreed with this statement: "During the past 12 months, I explained my religious beliefs to someone who had different beliefs, in hope that they might accept Jesus Christ as their Savior." But the negative side of that response was that nearly one-third (31%) of the evangelicals had not shared their faith in the previous year, even though they knew they were supposed to do so. And we can probably safely assume that some of the positive 69% were not being completely honest, wanting to sound better than they really were. →

Sep 4, 2019

Passing of the Onion

When missionaries Beky Poteat and Jane Schmitz were introduced to Good Soil Evangelism & Discipleship training, they not only appreciated the benefits for their own ministry but wanted to share it with the pastors’ wives that they train in Togo. In the oral teaching method that they use with the women, many who are still illiterate, they teach two of the pastors’ wives who then train others, who then train others, and so on until the teaching is passed on to pastors’ wives all over the country. Beky and Jane were never quite sure if the concepts, especially that of peeling the onion, were quite understood. →

Jul 22, 2019

Grandfather Teaches His Grandson the "BIG Story" of the Bible

I have been using Good Soil materials since being introduced to them in 2005. Over the years, the Lord has allowed me to disciple over 20 individuals using these resources. This past year was one of the most gratifying and rewarding experiences doing so. My daughter homeschools her three boys and requested that I teach them their Bible class. I agreed and immediately thought of using The Story of Hope. I decided to use the Story of Hope Kids edition as it seemed like the perfect opportunity to disciple my grandsons. →