How To Spread The Word Effectively?

One Person at a Time

Matthew 28:19-20

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything i have commanded you. And surely i am with you always, to the very end of the age" (NIV)

Introduction

We are all called to spread the word of God. We are to make disciples of all nations. We all are called to do different things. God gave all of us different purposes. Spreading the word is different for everyone. This might be showing love, sharing your testimony, using your talents and gifts, but the important thing is to point all this back to God, giving Him the credit. When someone sees you doing any of these and asks you why you are doing it, tell them that what you are doing is for God. Connect your actions to the word. If what you are doing sparks conversation, bring up the Bible, God, church. Sometimes you don’t always have to go straight to reading the Bible; doing something for someone might just start a conversation, make people think and get curious and want to know why and more about why you are doing it. I will be discussing the P.R.A.Y. framework: Personalize, Respond, Act, and Yield. Maybe this will help you when it comes to talking to people about the word of God.

Personalize the message

1 Peter 3:15 says “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in  you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (NIV) Meet the person where they are at, don’t just give them verses or stories, make it relatable to them. It does not have to be a complex theological argument but a personal explanation. If they are struggling with something or have questions and you have experience with the same situation, tell them what you did that helped you and point them to the right verse or story in the Bible. Always give credit to God, tell them He is the reason that everything worked out. Your experiences are the evidence of that hope.

The story about Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus asked if she would give Him a drink. The woman said you are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman, for Jews do not associate with Samaritans. He did not stop talking to her and did not talk about how they are not supposed to talk with each other. Jesus answered “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” He knew her needs and talked about that instead. It did not matter who she was, it was about what she needed. The Samaritan woman did not know she was talking to Jesus, the people you encounter, you might not know them but know what they need.

Question: Can you look past who someone is or what they call themselves and identify what their needs are and give that to them, without judgment?

Respond with love

Pastor Jay Watts talked about love, and a good example of love is the cross of Jesus Christ. Everyone is created with a desire to be loved. John 13:34-35 says this: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (NIV) If you just show love to someone, they will see that there is something different about you. They can see Gods love through you. Sometimes it’s not just what you say but how you live and interact with others. 1 John 3:18 says this: “Dear children, let us  not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (NIV) This tells us that actions speak louder than words. Sometimes just being with someone or around them, showing support, is enough. You might not have to say anything, and they will know you love them. Here is an example of someone showing me love and how it changed who I am. My mom has always been there for me, showing up to events, helping me through school assignments, helping me financially. My mom being there, she was showing love. She does not have to do any of this but she chooses to do it. Just like what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 about what love is and what love is not. Responding with love is a central part of spreading the word of God. If you respond with love, people are going to be more open to hearing what you have to say. A loving response de-escalates defensiveness and builds trust. People are more likely to listen to someone they trust and feel cared for by.

Love Is: Patient (longsuffering), kind, rejoices with the truth, protects (bears all things), trusts (believes all things), hopes, preserves (endures all things).

Love Is Not: envious, boastful, proud (arrogant), rude (dishonoring), self-seeking, easily angered (provoked), resentful (keeps no record of wrongs), delights in evil (rejoices in wrongdoing).

Act with Integrity

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated “integrity” (שְׁלֵמוּת) means “the condition of being without blemish, completeness, perfection, sincerity, soundness, uprightness, wholeness.” I want to summarize a story in the Bible that demonstrates  integrity. The story “The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace.” King Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to  worship a golden image, threatening those who refused with a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the image, asserting their faith in God. Despite the king’s fury and the furnace being heated seven times hotter, they emerged unharmed, leading Nebuchadnezzar to praise their God and promote them. Their integrity was rewarded. (Daniel 3:1-30)

The Command vs. Their Conviction:

The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, commanded everyone to bow down and worship a huge golden idol he had set up. For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, this was a direct violation of their core belief in the one true God, as stated in the Ten Commandments. They were faced with a clear choice: compromise their beliefs to save their lives or stand by their convictions and face a brutal death.

When you are talking with someone you come across, make sure the words you are saying to them are backed up with your life. It’s not just about telling the truth, but about living a life that is consistent with the truth you are speaking. If you are talking about obedience and how we are to be obedient to God but you are not, you are not acting with integrity.

Yield to the Holy Spirit

Yielding to the Holy Spirit involves surrendering to His will and authority, allowing Him to lead and empower us. This is demonstrated in the book of Acts, where believers were filled with the Spirit and led to spread the gospel. Yielding to the Spirit results in the production of the fruit of the Spirit and a harvest of righteousness and peace. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to where you need to go. Ask God to bring you people to talk with or come into your path. Allow God to speak if you do not have the words to say.

Philip and the Ethiopian

Philip was willing to drop all his own plans the moment God called. When the angel of the Lord told him, “Go south to the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza,” Philip immediately went, leaving behind whatever he was doing. Along that road, he encountered the Ethiopian eunuch reading the prophet Isaiah. Prompted by the Spirit, Philip approached the chariot, offered an understanding of the Scripture, and shared the good news about Jesus. His obedience led to the eunuch’s baptism in a nearby body of water. Afterward, the Spirit carried Philip to Azotus, and he continued preaching the gospel wherever he went, fully devoted to God’s direction over his own agenda.

Sources:

Shiloh Friends Church - YouTube

How Does The Cross Address Our Deepest Needs? - Pastor Jay Watts

09/14/25