Do You Have a Gospel Strategy?
Scripture Focus: Acts 17:1-4
They came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went into them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded, and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
When we think about sharing the gospel, we often talk about boldness and willingness — but do we ever think about having a strategy?
Paul did.
As I read Acts 17 — and as I flip back to Acts 13, 14, and beyond — one thing becomes very clear: Paul didn’t just wander around aimlessly hoping for opportunities to share the gospel. He had a plan. He had a strategy for being a faithful witness.
What’s Your Strategy?
Have you ever thought about how you personally can become a better witness for Jesus? Not just the desire to do it, but an actual plan?
We make plans for everything else in life, don’t we?
- Sports Training: Athletes follow specific workout plans and schedules to improve their skills.
- Career Goals: Many of us develop five- or ten-year career plans, mapping out steps to achieve professional success.
- Family Plans: We plan for our future families, vacations, and even retirement.
We plan for the things that matter to us — so why not make a plan for how to better share the gospel?
A Real-Life Example
Recently, my wife and I dropped off our daughters for a flight. As parents, it was emotional — tears were shed, prayers were said. On our way back, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant, and I had a brief but impactful encounter with a young food runner.
I often like to ask restaurant servers if I can pray for them before we bless our food. So I asked this young man (in Spanish), “Is there anything I can pray for you about?”
He seemed surprised — not offended, just caught off guard. After some hesitation, he shared a simple request. Then, I felt prompted to ask him: “Have you ever completely trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?”
That small conversation led to something I never expected — later that evening, we found out that this young man had quietly paid for our meal. No fanfare, no need for recognition. Just an act of kindness in response to a moment of gospel connection.
Planning to Share
That’s just one example of a small personal strategy — being intentional about turning ordinary moments (like eating out) into opportunities to plant gospel seeds.
What if you had a strategy for gospel conversations?
Paul’s strategy was clear. In every city, his first step was to go to the synagogue. Acts 13, 14, and 17 all show this pattern:
- Acts 13:5 — In Salamis, Paul proclaimed the word in the synagogues.
- Acts 14:1 — In Iconium, Paul entered the synagogue and preached boldly.
- Acts 17:1-2 — In Thessalonica, Paul went directly to the synagogue for three Sabbaths, reasoning from the Scriptures.
- Acts 17:10 — In Berea, Paul once again started at the synagogue.
This wasn’t random. It was his custom — his strategy. Paul knew the synagogue was a place where people already had some belief in God, and he could use the Scriptures to point them to Jesus.
Gospel Conversations Everywhere
Paul didn’t only rely on the synagogue strategy. In Acts 17:17, while in Athens, Paul also went to the marketplace dailyto share the gospel. His strategy was adaptable — go where the people are.
This raises the question for us:
Where has God placed you?
Who are the people you see every day?
Do you have a plan for sharing the gospel with them?
The Campaign for Christ
As a church, we’ve launched the Campaign for Christ, where we’re encouraging everyone to have a "Top 10" — a list of 10 people you’re praying for and intentionally seeking to share the gospel with.
I hope we’ll ask each other, “How’s it going with your Top 10?” I hope we’ll celebrate gospel conversations — whether at church, Bible study, or even the grocery store.
Big Goals for 2025
Recently, I read a book encouraging churches to set big, bold goals. As I prayed over this, a number came to mind: 25 salvations in 2025.
That’s a bold goal, but it’s possible if we — not just me as a preacher, but all of us — commit to sharing the gospel regularly.
What if each of us set a personal goal to share the gospel with 25 people in 2025?
- If 20 of us do that, we’d share with 500 people.
- If 25 of us do that, that’s 625 people hearing the good news!
The truth is, many churches see zero salvations in a year. That’s heartbreaking. But I believe God could do something extraordinary here if we commit to faithful, intentional, strategic gospel sharing.
What’s Your Personal Gospel Strategy?
We make plans for our careers, our fitness, our vacations — shouldn’t we make a plan for how we’ll share the gospel?
- Who will you pray for?
- Who will you intentionally reach out to?
- What tools will you use? (Conversations, invitations, Scripture sharing, prayer)
- When will you set aside time for this?
Paul had a plan.
Do you?
Let’s step into 2025 with bold faith, clear strategies, and hearts on fire to see souls saved for the glory of King Jesus.
Are you ready to make a gospel plan?
Join the Campaign for Christ.
Pray.
Plan.
Share.
Watch God move.
