In my last post I mentioned handing out Super Bowl Trivia tracts. Mostly, these are going out to men. However, I find that women are interested in the Super Bowl too. At costco, the young lady checking receipts at the door was wearing a Chicago Bears shirt. So in that case it was evident that she was interested in football. So I gave her the Super Bowl Trivia tract.
In other cases, I’ll hand the Super Bowl Trivia tract to a woman and say, “quiz your boyfriend on this trivia” or something similar. Normally they will smile and say thanks. The good thing is that if they do quiz him on the trivia, then both she and her boyfriend will hear the Gospel when they read the back.
The Super Bowl Trivia tract is incredibly easy to hand out. I simply walk up to someone and ask
Are you planning to watch the game?
Almost always the answer is “Yes”
So I hand them a Super Bowl Trivia Tract and say “well, here is some Super Bowl Trivia.”
What happens next is up to the soil (Matthew 13). Sometimes they simply say thanks and take the tract. Other times they will start to read the questions and guess the answers. For example last night at the fabric store, my wife was paying for our items at one register. The cashier at the other register asked me if I was ready to check out. I guess he did not realize we were together. I said I was with my wife and handed him a Super Bowl Trivia tract. The guy that was ringing up my wifes items wondered what it was so I gave him a tract as well.
While my wife paid for the purchase the two guys guessed the answers to the questions. It was a fun time. About then more customers came to check out, so I encouraged them to read the back of the tract later. They said they would.
The day before at the mall we had similar results handing out these Super Bowl Trivia tracts.
Today may have seemed like every other day. And in a sense it may have been. But it was another day to tell people about Jesus. I had the day off work and the kids were out of school.
We started off the day with a trip to Best Buy. At Best Buy the sales guy got a tract, the gal at the counter got a tract, and the guy checking receipts as we left got a tract too.
Then it was off to the UPS store to ship back the defective printer that we had had replaced. The guy at the counter got a tract.
On to the hobby shop for some supplies. The cashier got a tract.
Then to the mall to wonder around and let the kids try out the big inflatable ball that they have there. Kind of like a gerbil ball for people … on water. They had fun. The two girls operating the ride each got tracts.
After that I wanted to look for a baseball hat. We walked down the mall to the hat shop. Inside, I gave a tract to the guy working there. I said “Happy New Year” as I handed him a new Year resolution Gospel tract. He stated looking at it and said “wow, this is hard to name these resolutions.” Yet he wanted to do it out loud and started naming off
lose weight
get a new job
and a few others
He said he could not name ten. I told him that was fine. Then I asked him if he could name the Ten Commandments. He started off
Don’t use God’s name in vain
Don’t lust after people
Don’t steal
or kill
He got stuck and I said that is ok. I asked him if he had kept those commandments. He admitted he had used God’s name carelessly, lusted and stolen. He denied killing. Then I explained that Jesus said that hatred was the same as murder. And I also asked him if he had every lied.
Innocent or guilty? “Guilty” came back the reply.
Then a customer. Ugh! Someone bought a couple hats. I hung out and waited for him to complete the transaction. When he did, I wrapped things up. I said, “look, the reality is that everyone has sinned against God and we all deserve to go to Hell. But the good news is that Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for sin by living a perfect life and dying on the cross. He could only pay for our sin because He is fully God and fully man. The Bible says that if you will repent and trust Jesus alone then you can have eternal life.”
Certainly a lot to think about. I left so that he could work with his other customers.
Walking back out of the mall I handed a few more tracts to the people we passed, especially those that were just sitting and waiting. As we passed back by where the ball ride was, I talked to the guy that I know that works there. A kid was trying to buy a ticket, but was two dollars short on the amount. I handed him the two dollars and gave a tract to his dad. His dad was very appreciative because he did not have the money for his son to go on the ride. I encouraged him to read the tract and then left!
Just another day? Well, maybe. But it is just another day to tell people about Jesus. Tomorrow is another day to tell people about Him too! I can hardly wait.
Prayer Stop has a new tract that is fun to hand out. It’s the ONE
ONE Tracts
Tract. I got a few hundred of these over the weekend and have been enjoying handing them out. You can offer them to people and say:
“did you get one?”
“would you like another ONE?”
when I handed out the last one I had with me, I said, “this is my last ONE, and it is just for you!”
Darrel Rundus suggests fanning them out and saying “pick ONE”
One lady at the book store offered to give it back saying “here is ONE for you.” I said,, “that’s OK, I have ONE more” and pointed to the one in my pocket!
The ONE Tract is available from Prayer Stop. They sell for $6 for 100 tracts (20 of each color).
We went to Best Buy to look for a computer for our youngest son. While looking around a young man helped show us a couple of machines. When we were done talking about computers with him, I handed him a Gospel tract and said, “thanks for your help, here is a gift… it’s a gospel tract.” He took it and read it. Then he told me that he is active in his church, how he got saved, etc. We had a nice chat and encouraged each other in the Lord.
While wondering around the store looking at various things we came across several other employees offering help and asking if we needed anything. They each received a tract.
On young lady looked incredibly bored. I handed her a tract and said, “here is something to keep you occupied since you look so bored.” She said thanks and started reading it.
Even the two guys at the security desk leaving the store each got a tract!
So try it out next time you are browsing at the store. Bring some tracts and hand them to the people you encounter.
Christmas time is about the easiest time of the year to hand out tracts and talk to people about Christ. Christmas tracts are about the easiest tracts to hand out. Simply hold out the tract and say “Merry Christmas” and most people will take one. The airport is an easy place to hand out tracts because people are standing around with nothing to do. What happens when you couple all three together? Well at that point, it doesn’t get much easier!
While traveling this weekend many tracts went out to people at the airports and on the planes. Many more were handed out around Chicago during our visit.
Be sure to share the true meaning of Christmas as you go this week.
Ever asked someone a simple question like “how are you today?” and they respond with “I’m good?” Well, I’ve found that this is a simple starting point to transition to the Gospel. We made a new tract with the standard question “Are You a Good Person?” on the top. These will be in a future mailing of the Bezeugen Tract Club. I always like to try out new tracts before we send them out in the tract club.
I walked into the dry cleaners and asked the gal at the counter, “how are you today?”
“I’m good.”
Me, “here check this out to see if you are really good!” while handing her a tract.
This tract is one where you put your finger on a spot for 8 seconds and it supposedly changes color if you are good. Of course it never changes. So she checked it out and we had a short conversation.
That’s how easy it can be to share a tract, the Gospel and get someone thinking about Eternity “as you go”!
We went to the farmers market this morning in Coppell. The people are very friendly. Many of the vendors were handing out samples which makes for an easy transition to say, “since you gave me something, I must give you something too.” Then I handed them a gospel tract. Some just said thanks and took the tract. Others would look at it right then. I was handing out both Christmas trivia and the which list are you on tract.
One woman at the seafood stand went through the trivia questions and then announced that she would be on the nice list. Then as she read the next sentences about God’s Law she realized she was not nearly as “nice” as she thought she was. She allowed me to share the entire Law and Gospel with her. She kept the tract and said thanks for the conversation.
May I encourage you to shatters the gospel as you go!
This simple question “will you celebrate Christmas” is a simple way to enter into a spiritual conversation with someone, especially this time of year. It works well with store employees, other shoppers at the mall or people you just happen to meet while standing in line for a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
“Sir, do you celebrate Christmas?”
If they say yes, then ask “why do you celebrate Christmas?” Either they tell you the Gospel or you get to tell them.
If they say no then ask “may I tell you why I celebrate Christmas?”
Don’t forget to give them a tract after your conversation with them.
Try it! Post a comment to let me know how it works for you. If you need tracts, you can enroll in the Bezeugen Tract Club for FREE!
A few days a go a friend sent me a link to this YouTube video of a song “Where is the line to see Jesus?” I invite you to watch.
I was so touched by the song. When I went to the mall, I decided to use the line to witness to people. Perhaps you’ll be able to do that as well.
I simply asked people the question from the song. “I see the line to see Santa, where is the line to see Jesus?” Of course, I got some strange looks. One photo kiosk said they could make a picture of me with Jesus.
As Christians, we know there will be a line to see Jesus one day. It is called the final judgment. Matthew 7:22-23 describes it this way
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
So the simple question leads quickly to a conversation about who Jesus is, and that there is a day of judgment where there will be a line to see Jesus. Actually everyone will end up in this line when they die.
Try using this line while witnessing to people during the coming weeks up to Christmas. Post a comment and let me know how it goes!
BTW, the story behind the song is touching too. You can check it out on Becky Kelley’s web site. There are some good thoughts about this video on The Farris Wheel BLOG as well!
