Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is Luke 9:6 which reads: "And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where."

Our soul winning quote today is from Martin Luther. He said: "If he have faith, the believer cannot be restrained. He betrays himself. He breaks out. He confesses and teaches this gospel to the people at the risk of life itself."

Our soul winning devotional is part 108 of our series titled "What Evangelism Is" from Dave Earley and David Wheeler.

Ten Reasons to Plant a Church (Part 5)

5. The Great Commission Is Church Planting

You cannot fully follow the “Great Commission” without ending up planting churches. Any Great Commission initiative that does not result in the forming of new churches misses the mark. Let me explain. After Jesus rose from the dead, He laid out for His followers the desires He most deeply longed for them to fulfill. Repeatedly, Jesus gave a command that has become known as the Great Commission. The writers of the Gospels record Jesus giving His Great Commission five times. The fullest statement is found in Matthew 28.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.”

After examining the Great Commission, the question that begs to be answered is: How does God expect His followers to implement it? The obvious answer is: by planting churches. Church planting involves all the elements of fulfilling the Great Commission. New churches are the result of Christians invading a culture, preaching the gospel, baptizing believers, and training them to live for Christ.