Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is 2 Timothy 4:6-8 which reads: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Our soul winning quote today is from Bryan S. W. Green. He said: "Evangelism is not an activity at all. It is rather an attitude of mind behind all Christian activity. Evangelism is not a list of certain things done, but the spirit in which they are done. That is precisely why it cannot be organized. It is perhaps best described as an attitude of mind towards God and the world an attitude which the Church must recover if she is to be true to her Lord, and to seize hold of the present opportunity."

Our soul winning devotional is part 100 of our series titled "What Evangelism Is" from Dave Earley and David Wheeler.

Evangelism Is...Leaving a Legacy (Part 2)

How to Pass on an "Evangelism Legacy"

1. Always Realize That Others Are Watching. It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only 10 seconds to tear it down! Evangelistic legacies are born out of consistency and compassion for the unsaved. You must never allow ungodly responses and behaviors to destroy your influence with friends or family. Someone has noted, “Integrity is who we are when the lights are off and we think we are alone.”

2. Legacies Are Built out of Intentionality. David Wheeler shares how his dad had a keen sense of his calling as a Christian and sought to use teachable moments. As a result he modeled the kind of person he desired for me and others to be. The way he treated construction workers, waiters, coworkers, neighbors, family, and friends was amazing. He was the same with politicians and lawyers as he was with alcoholics at the rescue mission or convicts at the prison. A person’s social status never dictated his mood or abated his desire to meet needs and impact lives for Christ. His greatest desire was to make a difference in his sphere of influence. That never happens by accident!

3. Do Not Just Speak the Word; Be the Word! This goes back to being a consistent Christian influence on the people God brings into your life. People will generally not believe the truth from us until we consistently live out that truth. Assuming this is correct logic, does this not scream for us as Christians to model the life and teachings of Christ? It is one thing to speak about God’s love from a biblical, informational perspective; it is even more powerful to demonstrate this love by first caring and then sharing.

4. Everyone Will Eventually Have an Eternal Legacy. Will the legacy you leave behind be positive or negative? Will your legacy be transformational to future generations, or will it be quickly forgotten?

Everyday, common people can make an eternal difference by simply modeling the life of Christ to others in their sphere of influence. The question is not what people will say about you after you are gone; that is often driven by momentary grief and temporal emotions. The real issue is whether your evangelistic passion and compassion for the unsaved will be lived out by those individuals you influence with your life.

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