SB#5
15 October


Acts 9

Saul's conversion:
God's work in conversion, our work in evangelism and witness



I. Acts 9:1-31.

A. Introduction.
Read the passage. Reflect on when and how you first became a Christian. How did God use others, and how did God work directly on you?.

B. Saul's conversion
Describe Saul's spiritual state before his conversion. Was he religious? How helpful was it?
Despite his highly advanced intellectual and spiritual training, did he know God at all? [v5]

What was necessary for him to learn the spiritual realities?

What kinds of people today are similar? What is the nature of their "spirituality"?
(e.g., religious people, whether Protestant, Catholic, professing Christian, or sincere people of other religions)

In what ways do they believe they know God?

What is needed for them to come to Christ? How can this happen?

Did God convert Saul thru theological debate or lecture? How did He convert him? How does this affect how we witness?

Discuss: What is God's role in conversion, and what are our roles and responsibilities?

Do we feel inclined to witness to those who are opposed to the gospel? Would God want us to witness to them? How? (cf. Ananias, v10-19)

See also: 2 Cor 11, Phil. 3, 1 Tim. 1


C. Our response

  1. Share: How often do you witness? In what way?

  2. What hinders us from witnessing? How should we respond to and overcome these hindrances?

  3. Aside from witnessing itself, how do we live as a witness? Why is it a necessary part of witnessing? (1 Peter 2:12)

  4. Do you know how to share your testimony? If not, practice how you would share it in a way that is relevant to others and glorfies God.

  5. Do you know how to share the gospel? What are the main elements of the gospel that you need to communicate? How do we communicate it clearly, without a lot of Christianese jargon?

  6. How can we share the gospel with others that we know?
    How can we help others come to faith?
    How can we be more involved in the fellowship's outreach?
    How can we help the EBS groups in their work?

  7. What are common objections from non-Christians? How do we handle them? (see also section F)




II. Sharing the gospel
Discuss the difference between 'being a witness' and sharing the gospel. In what ways are they necessary for us, and why?


D. The content of the gospel: Key elements of the gospel message to share.
These are the basic elements of the gospel that we need to communicate. This more or less follows the four spiritual laws; however, the particular method that you use is not so important as sharing the essential content of the gospel.

  1. God's character
  2. human sinfulness
  3. Christ as redeemer
  4. our personal response required


  1. God's character: who He is


(especially for those totally unfamiliar with Christianity, this may be a primary focus in presenting the gospel, before presenting the remaining points)

  2. human sinfulness and meaninglessness

  3. Christ as redeemer

  4. our response required


See also: 2 Tim. 4:2; Rom. 10:13; Jn 3:17-18, 3:36, 5:24, 12:47-48; 1 Jn 2:12


E. Sharing your testimony and your faith

1. Guidelines. Discuss or explain the following (from 1 Peter 3:13-18 and today's study):

2. Sharing your testimony
You may want to share your testimony as a part of witnessing at times. In sharing your testimony, it is good to follow the following guidelines:

3. Practice
Think about how you would present the gospel to your non-Christian friends, and how you would explain it to them in a way that they can understand. Now role-play and practice sharing the gospel as you might share it with your friends.


F. Handling common objections.
As a final activity, have your group brainstorm and come up with common objections that non-Christians give, and ways of handling or responding to them.

[If you or group members have difficulty with handling objections and other problems, consult with a pastor for advice, or refer to some well balanced apologetics resources.]


G. Prayer.
Pray for: opportunities to witness; for witness to specific individuals; for salvation of specific persons; for sharing the gospel; and for strength, courage, wisdom, and readiness to share the gospel.


H. Further resources.

  1. gospel tracts:
    the four spiritual laws by Campus Crusade in various languages, including Chinese versions in traditional and simplified characters, www.ccci.org.
  2. books:
    Manning, Brennan. The Ragamuffin Gospel. Multnomah Books, 1990.
    Pippert, Rebecca Manley. Out of the Saltshaker. InterVarsity Press, 1979.
    Stiles, J. Mack. Speaking of Jesus. InterVarsity Press, 1995.
    Wimber, John, and Kevin Springer. Power Evangelism. Harper & Row, 1986.
  3. Bible studies:
    Witness (Matthew 28, 1 Peter 3), a similar study from last spring at ICCF.
    Pippert, Rebecca, & Ruth Siemens. Evangelism: A Way of Life. InterVarsity Press. Downers Grove IL: 1985.
    [like such study guides, this presents brief intro and survey studies of biblical passages on evangelism, though nothing in-depth]