Romans 8:27-29 English Standard Version

27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Highlight the issue of family and do not address the more complex issues that will follow in discipleship training. They need to become disciples before they can be trained. At this point they don’t need to discuss terms like justification and glorification.

Romans 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

“Slow, steady progress is better than daily excuses” Robin Sharma

1 Peter 4:8 edited

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of mistakes.

Sinners don’t like to be constantly reminded of their sin. Being picky about every little mistake leads to frustration and kills enthusiasm. You do not spank a child that falls down when taking its first steps. Those who are to be born again do not have the Holy Spirit to guide them. They have us.

Never and I mean never lie to them. Hard questions may arise and do not feel like you have to have “the answer”. Admit that it might require a more learned scholar to answer some questions.

Remember that it is God that saves, we are nothing more than messengers delivering the gospel. Do not take failure personally. Plant the seed. Another may come along to water and yet another to dig and dung. Luke 13:8 “And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:” They are not ready to produce fruit.

While these are my thoughts and random advice, do not believe that this is the only way to present the gospel. Think back to your former life and rediscover how someone in your life led you to Christ. 

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Romans 1:19-20 English Standard Version

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

What is not obvious to the lost is that God the Father wants to be known. In my experience God is able to make Himself known. I have no excuse. God revealed Himself to me, He found me, He initiated first contact. I would say that my experience is not normal. I tend to shy away from telling anyone of my first encounter. The lost have just now moved from skepticism into listening. Do not destroy that trust with tales that are hard to accept by those seeking to understand.

Do not endanger the trust you just gained.

Perhaps it is better to ask if they have sought comfort somewhere, from someone. Allow them to tell you where they sought help. That will give you a base to work from. Listening to them gauges a measure of understanding in their experiences, success or failure. Listening will only improve your trust value. Do not judge, analyze.

Luke 12:14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”

Do not get in a hurry. Force feeding a starving man only leads to choking on what is good for him.

Remember these people are coming out of dangerous lifestyles so it is important not to invoke the threat of eternal damnation. We want them to know that our God is a loving God before they discover all the attributes of God.

The bible invokes the term “fear not” sixty-three times.

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

His Kingdom is a new way of living and unlike anything they have been through before. The promise of that is God’s promise not ours, we are just the messengers. Never make a promise you cannot keep.

It is important for them to know that it is Jesus Christ that makes the difference in this life and that we too were estranged from God at one time. God’s plan from the very beginning was to gather all of His children together into one family.