C.E. Illuminating

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Conversational Evangelism Illuminating B
y Dr. David Geisler
www.meeknessandtruth.org
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Conversational Evangelism Four types of
conversations we want to have with non-believers
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Four types of roles you need to play in your
friends life
Artist
Builder
Musician
Archeologist
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Hear the Sour Notes People are Singing to us!
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What You Might Hear (Review)
Types of inconsistencies you might hear

• Belief vs. Heart Longing (Eccl. 311)
• Belief vs. Behavior (Gal 214-16)
• Belief vs. Belief (Acts 1722-30)
• Illogical Belief (2 Cor. 118)

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Illuminate The Discrepancies!
Hear Illuminate Uncover Build
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Illuminate the Discrepancies!
What question should be asked?
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The Joy of Self-discovery

• We need to make him
• think it was his idea.
• From the movie
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding

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The joy of self-discovery Conversation with
our former nanny
How do you fit Jesus into your Buddhist
beliefs?
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As an artist you want to paint a picture by
asking questions
Artist
Builder
Musician
Archeologist
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Asking questions helps paint a picture to help
them see themselves more clearly
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The Importance of Questions

• Questions that help clarify the meaning of
  certain unclear terms

• Questions that surface uncertainty and / or
  expose false belief systems or concepts

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The Importance of Questions

• Questions that help clarify the meaning of
  certain unclear terms

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Questions that uncover the meaning of certain
unclear terms
What do you mean by?

• Savior
• Good
• Died for us
• Son of God
• Buddhist
• Free Thinker
• Jesus is God
• All religions are basically the same
• Accept Jesus

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The Importance of Questions

• Questions that surface uncertainty and or expose
  false belief systems or concepts

How are we suppose to do this?
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Begin With Asking Probing Questions That Surface
the Uncertainty in Their Beliefs
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Introductory Questions To Explore the
Uncertainties of their Beliefs

• Do you really think it really matters what we
  believe or is the important thing we have some
  kind of religion to make us a better person?
• Do you think that all religious beliefs basically
  teach the same thing?
• 3. Do you think life has a purpose?

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Introductory Questions To Explore the
Uncertainties of their Beliefs

• 4. Do you think human lives are valuable?
• Do you believe that some things are either right
  or wrong?
• 6. Do you think that by doing good we can get to
  this better place or heaven?

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Follow-up Questions That Can Expose False beliefs
or Concepts
How is it possible. . .

• for all religions to be the same when some of
  them contradict each others key beliefs?
• for there to be meaning and purpose in our lives
  and at the same time believe that there is no God?

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Follow-up Questions That Can Expose False beliefs
or Concepts
How is it possible. . .

• for human life to be valuable but yet believe
  that life is just a random by-product of nature?
• to claim that there is no absolutes absolutely?

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Follow-up Questions That Can Expose False beliefs
or Concepts
How is it possible. . .

• How is it possible for us to empty ourselves from
  all desires?
• How do you fit Jesus into your religious beliefs?

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Questions asked by my former students

• Why must you pray to the goddess of mercy to
  receive mercy and then the god of wealth to be
  blessed with material wealth?
• Isnt the goddess of mercy merciful enough to
  grant one who is in poverty some sort of material
  wealth?
• Why isnt one God sufficient?
• Isnt God suppose to be all mighty and powerful?
  If that is the case isnt it redundant to have so
  many gods?
• How do you know that when you are reincarnated
  that you will come back as a human?
• How do you know that you are good enough to be a
  human in the next life?

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Asking Thought Provoking Questions!

• If you were coming to the end of your life, and
  you met Jesus and other great religious leaders,
  and each suggested a different path, whos advice
  should you take.
• Wouldnt you take the advice of someone whos
  been to the other side and come back to tell us
  about it?

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Asking Thought Provoking Questions!

• If you were not sure if you should follow Jesus
  or other great religious leaders, consider this
  perspective.
• If you follow Jesus and you are wrong, you may
  have many other life times to get it right.
• Yet if you follow other paths and you are wrong,
  you do not have any more chances to get it right.
  (Heb. 927)
• Wouldnt it be wise then to choose Christ first?

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Asking Thought Provoking Questions to Our Muslim
Friends!

• Question
• Why do you believe that Jesus was considered
  just a prophet when the Bible mentions in many
  places that Jesus was worshiped as God?

• Matthew 82 Leper
• Matthew 289 women at the tomb
• Matthew 1433 the disciples
• Matthew 2817 Luke 2452 the disciples after
  Jesus rose
• John 938 a blind man
• John 2028-29 Thomas called him My Lord and My
  God
• Matthew 22 God sent wise men to worship Jesus,
  and wise men today worship him too.

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Asking Thought Provoking Questions!
Their Answer The Bible is corrupt and cannot be
trusted to tell the true story of what Jesus
believed about himself. Response Yet if
Jesus is just a prophet why does the Quran teach
that Jesus was virgin born (Sura 347) and
sinless (Sura 345-46 1919-21) and yet at the
same time why does it teaches that Mohammed was
sinful (Sura 4055481-2) and not virgin born?
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Questions That Can Expose False beliefs or
Concepts in The DaVinci Code

• 1. What do you think about the DaVinci Code?
• 2. Why do you think speculation about how Jesus
  lived stirs so much passion?
• 3. Did you know that many Christians were
  persecuted for their beliefs for the first 300
  years of the church?
• Do you think it is possible that the early
  Christians could have been willing to die for
  beliefs they knew were untrue?

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Questions That Can Expose False beliefs or
Concepts in The DaVinci Code

• 4. If Dan Brown is right, how could Christians
  have wiped away any traces of the real Jesus
  from both religious and secular literature?
• 5. There are two pillars of Christianity that
  are not even questioned by Dan Brown in his
  book. They are That God exists and that Jesus
  really did die on the cross.
• Furthermore it is a well established fact of
  history that Jesus' tomb is empty.
•          Can you think of any way of explaining
  the fact of the empty tomb and yet believe that
  Jesus was in fact just a man as Brown claimed in
  his book?
• (See DVC p. 233)

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Questions That Can Expose False beliefs or
Concepts in The DaVinci Code

• 6.     Do you think it is possible that Jesus
  Christ could be something more than what the book
  portrayed him to be?
• One of the key questions that Dan Brown does not
  address is that whether Jesus died willingly or
  not.
• If Jesus did not claim to be the Son of God, why
  do you think Jesus did not speak up before
  Pontius Pilate put him to death?
• (If you sense they are open to spiritual dialog
  ask)
• 8. Can I share with you why I believe he did this
  and why it makes a difference?    

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Lets Try It!
Some non-Christians who believe in God say they
are getting to heaven by
Being mostly good Performing more good deeds than
bad deeds High standard Following the Ten
Commandments Treating others well Trying their
best Being sorry for the bad things Being humble
What questions might you want to ask?
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Exploring Their Beliefs
Example Follow-up Question Do you think Hitler
will be in Heaven?
If Hitler will not be in Heaven, what is the
standard by which we will all be
judged? (Matthew 548 James 210)
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The Right Questions Can Help Them Better Face The
Truth!
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Conversational Evangelism in Action (Long)

• Interviews with students at U.T. Austin
• The Dialogue
• Remember that we want to hear the discrepancies
  and illuminate them by asking questions that
  clarify their terminology and expose the cracks
  in their foundation.
• A reduced version of this video is contained
  on our web-site

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Show that they cant hold both conflicting views!

• A. I wasnt raised to be religious
• B. I just know what is right and wrong and I am
  not going to go against that.

Goal I am trying to get her to tell me what is
the basis of her moral standard.
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Show that they cant hold both conflicting views!
A. Right and wrong is a matter of our opinion B.
Some cultures were wrong about what they believed
(Hitler killing 6 million Jews)
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Clarify Terminology
What do you mean by?

• Jesus was a man
• Jesus was a Savior

Follow-up Question In what sense was Jesus our
Savior?
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Show that they cant hold both conflicting views!

• A. Everyone is going to be accountable for what
  they have done.
• B. But I dont know how because nobody has come
  back and told us, but I think everyone would be
  held accountable in some way for what they have
  done.

Clarifying Question You said you dont believe
that any one has gone and then come back from the
other side, do you believe that Jesus Christ was
just a man then? Follow-up Question But he did
die and then come back, right?
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Show that they cant hold both conflicting views!

• A. If I am doing enough good to get to heaven
• B. Then what do we need Jesus for?

Clarifying Question So what I do and what Jesus
did is going to get me into heaven?
For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faithand this not from yourselves, it is the
gift of Godnot by works, so that no one can
boast (Eph. 28-9 NIV)
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Show that they cant hold both conflicting views!

• I can have a foundation for my moral
  beliefs
• B. Right and wrong is based on majority
  rule

Response If right and wrong is based on
majority rule what about back in times of slavery
when we thought it was okay to have slaves?
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Show that they cant hold both conflicting views!

• A. There are no absolutes
• B. I am absolutely sure there are no absolutes

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Show that they cant hold both conflicting views!

• A. The Bible is reliable
• B. There are other ways to God other than Jesus

Follow-up Question Is it possible for the Bible
to be reliable and yet not believe that Jesus is
the only way to God?
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Show that they cant hold both conflicting views!
Further follow-up question So the Bible is not
reliable?
Yet if the Bible is reliable, and history records
what the disciples said, and the disciples said
that Jesus claimed to be the only way, then
either they were wrong or Jesus is right.
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Why Asking Questions Is So Helpful?

• A person can close his ears to facts he does
  not want to hear, but if a pointed question
  causes him to form the answer in his own mind, he
  cannot escape the conclusionbecause its a
  conclusion that he reached himself.
• David Reed Baker, Jehovahs Witnesses Answered
  Verse by Verse, (Grand Rapids Baker, 1986) p.
  113

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Barriers To Using a Questioning Approach with
Asians
Question But how do we ask questions in a
culture where it is not part of the ways of the
culture to ask probing questions about ones
perspective concerning religious issues?
Example Jn. 4 9 The Samaritan woman said to
him, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman.
How can you ask me for a drink. (For Jews do
not associate with Samaritans)
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Caution In Using a Questioning Approach with
Asians

• Before one gets to hear, one must first be able
  to start the other person talking, and in the
  Asian context, this can be difficult. Two ways to
  get around this problem will be one, to show a
  genuine interest in the other person (respect and
  honesty) and two, to have developed a
  comfortable level of relationship with him (the
  Chinese concept of guan xi or interpersonal
  relationship.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Caution In Using a Questioning Approach with
Asians

• Within a culture that stresses and honors
  elders, illuminating the contradictions and
  illogical beliefs of the older generation can be
  construed as being disrespectful. It is important
  not to appear condescending of long-held
  traditions (eg, burning incense paper, joss
  sticks, offerings for the dead). One needs to
  develop an art of asking the right questions in
  the right settings in a sincere and
  non-threatening manner. In my limited experience,
  I realize that an honest and polite attitude with
  a genuine keen interest to learn about these
  practices would facilitate engagement with the
  elders. A mocking and superior attitude, on the
  other hand, may well turn them off forever.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Caution In Surfacing Discrepancies In Our
Conversations With Asians

• Commenting on Nick Pollards statement
• if they are comfortable with their hodgepodge
  of different worldviews, we must help them become
  uncomfortable with it (Evangelism Evangelism
  Made Slightly less Difficult, p. 42),
• I realize this requires a lot of tact, as
  Asians generally do not like to argue and will
  take offense if they may lose face by losing an
  argument. That is where Pollards advice is very
  relevant.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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The Danger Of Not Using Positive
Deconstructionism

• It seems to me that there are two big mistakes
  one could make with positive deconstruction. One
  danger is to assume that it isnt needed. Its
  very simple to say, All we need to do is pray
  for people or All we need to do is love
  people. Its simplebut it simply isnt true.
• Nick Pollard, Evangelism Made Slightly Less
  Difficult, 45.

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The Limitations Of Using Positive
Deconstructionism

• The other mistake is to think that positive
  deconstruction is all that is needed.The
  approach of positive deconstruction is simply one
  of these (strategies)but one which we must
  develop and utilized if we are even to begin
  reaching people today.
• Nick Pollard, Evangelism Made Slightly Less
  Difficult, 45-46.

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Some Limitations To Merely Using A
Deconstruction Approach In Evangelism

• The fact is how we confront people with the truth
• can be a real turn off!

The Apostle Paul said it this way,And if I have
the gift of prophecy, and know allAnd If I
deliver my body to be burned, but do not have
love, it profits me nothing, I Corinthians 13
2a 3b.
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The Bottom Line About Using Positive
Deconstructionism

• I do not believe that positive deconstruction is
  the simple key that will make evangelism easy.
  But if combined with earnest prayer, clear gospel
  proclamation, reasoned apologetics and genuine
  relationships demonstrating practical love,
  positive deconstruction will help us find
  evangelism slightly less difficult.
• Nick Pollard, Evangelism Made Slightly Less
  Difficult, 46.

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Is it according to the Three Ds of Asking
Questions?
How do I know if I am asking the right kind of
questions in the right way?
Doubt Defensiveness Desire
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Ask Am I asking questions in a way that
surfaces their doubt (uncertainty) about their
own perspective, while at the same time minimizes
their defensiveness, and yet creates a desire
(curiosity) to want to hear more?
How do I know if I am asking the right kind of
questions in the right way?
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Ask Am I asking questions in a way that
surfaces their doubt (uncertainty) about their
own perspective, while at the same time minimizes
their defensiveness, and yet creates a desire
(curiosity) to want to hear more?
How do I minimize someones defensiveness?
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The joy of self-discovery Conversation with
guy in weight room
What church do you go to? I go to _______
catholic church.We believe in Mary!
What do you mean byWe believe in Mary? We
believe that Mary makes up what Jesus lacks!
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The joy of self-discovery Conversation with
guy in weight room
But do you know what 1 Tim. 25 says? What do you
think this verse teaches?
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The joy of self-discovery Conversation with
guy in weight room
Certainly I can see how some Catholics could see
Mary as being a helpful person who could pray for
them just as some Baptist might consider it
helpful if they got Billy Graham to pray for
them. But can Mary do anything to help you atone
for your sins in any way?
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The results we want to create are a sense of
instability, uncertainty, and insecurity in their
belief system.
Remember the Goal in Asking Questions!
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How To Ask Questions

• Highway Video clip
• Who is Jesus Christ?
• www.highwayvideo.com

Notice his skill in asking questions in a
non-defensive way. Notice how he is listening to
what others say and asking follow-up questions
based on what they say.
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Good Follow-up Questions
Is there any reason to consider Him further? Have
you ever thought about it? What have you come up
with? Do you think there is any reason to
decide? Do you think there is any reason to check
it out further? Does He mean anything to you? Do
you think there is any reason to decide? Do you
care?
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Practicing Surfacing the Discrepancies In Action
In Singapore

• I also had the opportunity to share (with)
  another Chinese friend about Christianity during
  one of our outreach events.I realized that he
  had still had some questions and contradicting
  beliefs about Christianity. On one hand, he
  believed that the bible is true and accurate, yet
  on the other hand he felt that there is no way in
  which our sins can be totally forgive....(He felt
  that) there is no way by which our sins can ever
  be totally forgiven because we will just keep
  doing the wrong things again and again.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Practicing Surfacing the Discrepancies In Action
In Singapore

• Furthermore, (he believed that) there are
  varying standards and regulations in different
  countries and places, thus something wrong in one
  place may be deemed right in another. Therefore,
  though he does believe that God exist and that He
  is all-powerful, he does not see the need for
  Gods forgiveness and salvation through the
  cross....I asked him if there is really no
  difference between Hitler and Mother Theresa.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Practicing Surfacing the Discrepancies In Action
In Singapore

• I went on to help him see that absolute truth
  does exist and that there must be a standard for
  right and wrong. I also challenged him that if he
  really believed that the bible is true and
  accurate, then he also has to accept the fact
  that we are sinners and that forgiveness and
  salvation can only be found by grace through
  faith in Christ. At the end of our conversation,
  he mentioned that he did agree with some of the
  things that I had said and that he does realize
  that some of the things in which he had believed
  in are contradictory. However, he still needed
  more time to process and to think through the
  things that we had said and discussed.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Practicing Asking Questions In Singapore

• One chatty taxi driver I talked to recently
  told me about a movie he watched in which a
  passenger on a plane actually saw a vision of the
  plane blowing up before it took off. He warned
  the other passenger while trying to get off the
  plane but nobody believed him. The plane actually
  blew up minutes after takeoff. The taxi driver
  then asked me if I would believe that person if
  something like this would have happened to me. I
  told him I would find it difficult because I
  would not know if I could trust him. He replied
  to me that he would rather take the risk and
  believe in that passenger. My wife who was with
  me asked him, You mean you will believe in
  someone who you dont know simply because it is a
  life-and-death issue? Yes, the taxi driver
  answered. Would you then believe in a
  trustworthy man if he told you that you can
  escape death and obtain life? The taxi driver
  was dumbfounded, but he said he would. I
  proceeded to share with him that Jesus came to
  deliver us from death and to give us eternal
  life. Although he did not trust Christ that day,
  I could see that he was beginning to find his
  perspective of life shaky.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Practicing Asking Penetrating Questions In
Singapore

• My first attempt came after attending the 4th
  lesson, I decided to question my close buddy, Ed
  who is a Catholic from birth
• Me Do you think you will go to heaven?
• Ed Hopefully. That is, if I live a more pious
  life.
• Me What do you mean by a pious life?
• Ed Being good and having a close walk with
  Him.
• Me Do you think attending mass religiously
  every week will bring you to heaven?
• Ed No, I must have a relationship with God.
• Me So are you having a relationship with God?
• Ed Not yet.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Practicing Asking Penetrating Questions In
Singapore

• We were having a joke during an operation about
  joss sticks. Dont ask me how and why but somehow
  the topic cropped up. So I asked the staff nurse
  what the joss sticks meant. Apparently two joss
  sticks were meant for the deceased ancestors and
  three were for the gods. I gathered that the
  nurse was Buddhist. So I asked her about burning
  incense papers- how does one know if the burn
  money papers reach the right people in hell?
  She looked at me in shock. Dunno leh. Aiya, I
  never thought about such things was her reply. I
  suggested that she should find out and tell me.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Conversational Evangelism Four types of
conversations we want to have with non-believers
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Conversational Evangelism in Action Singapore

• Interview with NTU Student Singapore about the
  DaVinci Code

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Evangelism Training for the New Millennium
Conversational Evangelism
Acknowledgements This material was developed by
Dave Geisler his Meekness team members, and was
refined by suggestions from people around the
globe and based in part on the Mirror model
concept developed at Hill Country Bible Church
and pioneered by Glenn McGorty (See speaker notes
for more details). Special thanks to Kent
Vanderwaal for all his work in developing our new
graphics. Thanks also to Brett Yohn (Baptist
Student Ministry Dir. U.N.L.) who originally
developed the imagery of musician, artist,
archeologist, and engineer (which we now call
builder), to better describe the Conversational
Evangelism model.
www.meeknessandtruth.org
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Revisions
Descriptions of Revision
Author
www.meeknessandtruth.org
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Conversational Evangelism Illuminating B
y Dr. David Geisler
www.meeknessandtruth.org