Napkin Evangelism

Many Christians feel limited in their witness because they only know one or two ways to share their faith. This series has focused on one presentation of four key truths that a lost person must understand in order to be saved. But this is not the only method that can be used. We will look at three brief gospel presentations that can be given in under 10 minutes. These methods cover the key points of the gospel, and present these truths using simple diagrams that anyone can draw. The diagrams can be drawn on a marker or chalk board, a sheet of paper, or even a napkin. For this reason, we will call this lesson “Napkin Evangelism.” We hope these methods of presenting the gospel will aid you in your witness for Christ no matter where you are.

Three Circles

The "three circles" method takes the story of the gospel and puts it in the context of the broken world in which we live. You can find this method and other helpful resources here. The basic premise of this presentation is three-fold: 1) God has a perfect design for our lives, 2) our sin has caused us to depart from this design, but 3) if we will repent and believe the good news (gospel) that Jesus died for our sins and rose again, we can be restored to a right relationship with God so we are no longer broken.This method works best in specific situations. This includes when a lost person shares with you a problem, issue, or concern they face in life. The entire presentation is effective because it is based on God’s provision for broken people to be restored through the gospel message. Also, this method is best used in the context of an existing relationship. While strangers may be willing to share their burdens with you, a person who is already close to you will be more open and more inclined to listen seriously to what you have to say about their challenges.TransitionIn a conversation with an unbeliever, your goal is to present the gospel if possible. A helpful way to do that is waiting for him to share a personal problem or burden. After he shares this, he may wait for you to respond. An ideal response may look like this:“I have not been through that exact problem, but I have had similar problems in my life. Can I share with you something that has helped me?”By asking this question, you immediately show the lost person that you care about their burdens, and you ask their permission to share something that may help them. This is your opportunity to share the good news about Jesus.GospelYou present the gospel message in a diagram of three circles connected by three arrows. In the first circle, you write the words “God’s Design.” You explain that God has a perfect and good design for our lives. He made us in his image, and he is interested in all parts of our lives (family, career, finances, education, etc.). Unfortunately, we all want to go our own way, so we have all departed from God’s perfect design. When we do this, the Bible calls it “sin.” Here, you draw a curved arrow coming out of the circle; mark this arrow with the word “Sin.”You draw a second circle and write the word “Brokenness” inside. You explain how sin leads to brokenness in our lives. We all experience the hurt and pain that comes from the wrong choices we make every day. Whether you consider yourself a good person or a bad person, we all know what it’s like to feel broken. When we find ourselves like this, we try to find ways to escape it. Some people turn to relationships, others turn to addictions, and any number of other escapes. But try as we might, we end up more broken. You can show these ways of escape by drawing several squiggly arrows out of the second circle.Tell the lost person that even though brokenness can feel like a bad thing, it actually becomes a good thing. It is God’s way of telling us that we cannot change ourselves, even though we recognize something has to change. The Bible word for change is “repent.” At this point, draw a curved arrow down from the second circle and label it “Repent.” Explain that repent means, “to change your mind.” Even though we cannot change ourselves, God offers a solution to our brokenness, and that solution is the gospel.Draw a third circle with the word “Gospel” inside. Explain that gospel means “good news,” and God’s good news is that he loved us so much he sent his Son Jesus to die on a cross. On the cross, God did a miracle. He made it possible for our sin to be forgiven through Jesus’ death. Not only that, but Jesus came back to life. This event proved he could forgive our sin, and it proved he was indeed the Son of God. This is the good news. We have all tried to fix our own brokenness, but God shows us that the only way to be fixed is to repent and believe on Jesus as our Savior. At this point, add the word “Believe” to the “Repent” arrow.When you come to this point in your life when you stop trying to fix your brokenness on your own, and you turn to Jesus instead, something amazing happens. Jesus gives you a new power to recover from your brokenness and pursue God’s design for your life once again. Draw a curved arrow connecting circles one and three, and label it “Recover & Pursue.”InviteOnce you have concluded your presentation, ask the lost person where he sees himself on the diagram. If he is an unbeliever, he should see himself as either broken, or looking for escapes from his brokenness. Invite him to repent and believe on Jesus alone as his Savior from brokenness. Tell the lost person that once he takes this step, God gives him the opportunity to go back to a broken world and tell other people how they can be restored to God’s perfect design for their lives.

Gospel Bridge

Like the three circles, this simple gospel presentation highlights the key truths that an unbeliever must understand in order to be saved. This method focuses on the bridge that every person needs in order to have a relationship with God. You can find helpful resources for how to use this diagram here, including an app for your phone.TransitionThe gospel bridge diagram can be used in many different circumstances. It works well for brief conversations with unbelievers, or in the context of existing relationships. Lost people who are searching for a relationship with God may find this presentation especially helpful. If a conversation turns toward this question, you can easily direct it towards the bridge diagram with a question like this:“I am glad to hear that you are concerned about having a relationship with God. That is a very important part of our lives. Can I share with you something that helped me understand this truth?”GospelFirst write down the words “Us” and “God” a short distance from each other on your canvas (paper, napkin, etc.). Start your presentation by saying that God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to help us on our journey through life, and into eternity. But there is a problem. We want to go our own way, so we make choices that violate God’s law; the Bible calls this sin. Sin creates a separation between us and God. To indicate this, draw a cliff-like border around “Us” and “God” so that they are clearly distinguished.Explain that most people try to get to God on their own, so they try doing good things (praying, going to church, baptism, etc.). On top of the “Us” cliff, draw a stick person and a dotted arrow directed toward God. Tell the lost person that despite all our efforts, the Bible says we have to be perfect in order to get to God, and no one is. We all have sinned and come short of God’s perfection. The Bible also teaches that the consequence for our sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Write the word “Death” at the bottom of the space between the two cliffs. Define death as eternal separation from God in a place called hell. But God does not want this to happen to anyone.Instead of letting us suffer this fate, he made a way for us to be rescued. He sent his Son Jesus into the world to die on a cross. Now draw a cross that bridges the gulf between the two cliffs. Explain that Jesus’ death on the cross provided us with a bridge to God. Through his death, we can be forgiven of sin and receive eternal life. We don’t have to suffer eternal separation from God because Jesus took our punishment for us. Draw a large X over the word “Death.”Say that Jesus not only died, but he came back to life three days later, proving he is the Son of God and he can forgive our sins.Explain that it is not enough to know this truth. To have a relationship with God, we must have a moment in our lives when we personally receive Christ. Fill in the dotted arrow you already drew and write the words “Receive Christ” on top of it. Tell the lost person that receiving Christ is simply asking him to forgive you of all sin and give you eternal life. When you do this, you are no longer separated from God. You can experience a life-long relationship with him that lasts into eternity.InviteAsk the lost person these important closing questions:“Now that you have heard this good news, where do you see yourself on this diagram? If you have never done so, would you like to receive Christ right now so that you can cross over to God?”Explain that you can receive Christ by talking to him in prayer and asking him to forgive all your sin and give you eternal life. By talking to Jesus this way, you show faith in what he has already done to save you from sin and give you a relationship with God. Tell Jesus that you know you are a sinner and you deserve to suffer for your sins. Thank him for dying on the cross to take away your sins so you can be forgiven and have a relationship with God. Tell him that you want to receive this gift into your life right now.Follow-UpOnce he has finished praying, encourage him that if he truly believed on Jesus the Bible way, many things have changed in his life. He now possesses eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and a personal relationship with God that will never end. If you have the time, you can conclude with some helpful truths for new believers:

1. Talk to God in prayer every day (Phil. 4:6-7)
2. Read God’s Word daily (1 Pet. 2:2)
3. Spend time with others who know Christ personally (John 13:34-35)
4. Become involved in a church where Christ is preached (Heb. 10:25)
5. When you sin, honestly admit it to God, and he will forgive you (1 John 1:9)

Do vs. DoneThe Do vs. Done method does not involve a diagram but writing out these two words will be helpful in your presentation.Transition into this presentation by telling the lost person that you would like to explain to them the difference between religion and Christianity. The main difference is spelling. Religion is spelled “DO.” Now you would write this word on your canvas. Explain that all religions – Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. – have one thing in common. They all say you must do something in order to earn your way to God. It might be following a set of rules or performing certain religious duties, but the idea is the same; if you do these things, you can earn favor with God.There are two main problems with this plan. First, how does anyone know how much is good enough? Many religions tell people to do certain things, but how are people supposed to know if they have done enough? The standard is not clear at all. The second problem is that the Bible says this plan does not work. In order to have a relationship with God, we would have to be perfect. But the Bible says we all fall short of God’s perfect standard (Rom. 6:23). Nobody is perfect, so no one can have a relationship with God on their own. We all depart from God’s perfect way by making wrong choices; this is called sin. When we sin, we disqualify ourselves from this vital connection with God.Christianity is spelled differently; it is spelled “DONE.” Add “NE” to the “DO” you wrote previously, preferably in a different color. Explain that Bible Christianity has nothing to do with earning our way to God. It has everything to do with what God has already done for us. He sent his Son Jesus into the world to die on a cross so our sins could be forgiven. Three days after his death, Jesus came back to life, proving he is God and he can take away our sin. Now, he offers to you forgiveness of sin and eternal life through his death. All you must do is stop thinking that you can earn your way to God. Instead, believe that Jesus alone can take away your sin because of what he accomplished on the cross.Close your presentation by asking the lost person if he has any questions. You should also ask him which plan he is following, the “DO” plan or the “DONE” plan. Ask him if there has been a moment in his life where he changed from the “DO” plan to the “DONE” plan. He can do that by simply asking Jesus alone to forgive his sin and give him eternal life.Assignment

1. Memorize Romans 1:16
2. Memorize each diagram for the three methods of “Napkin Evangelism.” Be prepared to draw each diagram from memory on the quiz. No verse references are required. Points will be deducted based on any important parts of the diagram that are missing or incorrect.

• Three Circles
• Gospel Bridge
• Do vs. Done