Amanda was the most cantankerous woman in town. Several times a year she would accompany her sister to a nearby church. She would go with a scowl on her face and a chip on her shoulder. Twice she angrily stormed out of the church because she didn’t like the message.
One day, however, she surprised the pastor’s wife by attending her home Bible study. “Oh, Lord,” Terry said silently, looking upward, “Why did you let her come on this, of all days? We’re in Ephesians 5 now and the lesson is bound to infuriate her!”
At the end of the lesson Amanda asked a question about a wife being submissive to her husband. Uh, oh, Terry thought. Here it is! She wants to start an argument! Bracing herself, she gave Amanda a Biblical answer.
“Well, if that’s what the Bible says,” Amanda declared meekly, “that’s what I will have to do!” Terry was happily amazed. What in the world had happened to so completely change this woman, she wondered. She found out later what had happened. One of the women in the church had invited Amanda to her house that week for a cup of coffee and had led her to Christ.
New Woman, New Wife
Amanda had formerly been a hard woman to get along with. Now she began making a real effort to be different with her husband, Will, and to live a Christian life. Amazed, Will came to church one Sunday out of curiosity. After the service he arranged to talk to the pastor. “She’s so different, so changed. She’s a new woman!”
The pastor explained the gospel to Will and he received Christ as his Savior, too. Both Will and Amanda started serving the Lord. And that’s how coffee-break conversations helped the most cantankerous woman in town and her husband to be transformed into servants of Christ.
Soul Winning
How can we use coffee break conversations to reach others? Here are some suggestions:
- I used my personal testimony, telling how I came to know Christ and how He has changed my life. This door-opener can lead to serious conversation.
- Know how to lead a person to Christ. The basics are: how Christ died for our sins, arose from the grave, and lives today as our intercessor in heaven. Read and mark in your Bible, Rom. 3:23, 6:23; 5:8; 10:9 and 10:13. This is called the “Romans Road” and lays out the way of salvation nicely. With your Bible open you can explain this step by step. At Rom.10:13 you can invite your guest to pray with you to receive Jesus. John 3;16 is also helpful.
- Pray beforehand for those you invite for coffee. Pray the Lord prepares them and guides you in your conversations. In soul winning, we are only Christ’s messengers. The Holy Spirit empowers us and does the work of conviction in hearts and brings about the new birth.
~ By Dr. Muriel Larson
