Tactics by Gregory Koukl Chapter 14 More Sweat Less Blood

In going through this book, you have looked at multiple tactics to help you effectively have conversations that aim to put a rock in the other person's shoe. That is, you give them something to think about that will hopefully stay with them long after the conversation is over. It is not about winning, but planting a seed. That said, this book and this blog on it do not guarantee that the conversations you have will be different.

There is a huge difference between application and knowledge. Greg states an old training maxim he heard from a former marine, "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle." That means that you need to look at not only the tactics you have learned. You also need to practice those tactics as well as learn when and how to apply them in actual conversations. Following are his 8 quick tips:

1. Be ready - always be willing to talk to the people you come in contact with and see if there is interest
2. Keep it simple - Stick to salvation. If other issues don't come up, why bring them up?
3. Avoid religious language and spiritual pretense
4. Focus on the truth of Christianity, not merely its personal benefits - Focus on truth, not only experience
5. Give reasons - Don't make assertions without giving evidence. Remember, the roof needs supports to hold it up 
6. Stay calm - Don't get mad, don't get frustrated. Always stay composed
7. If they want to go, let them leave - You don't have to close the sale every time. That is God's job
8. Don't let them leave empty-handed - Offer a business card, a Christian web site or something to read

Also, gather on a regular basis with people who have the same interests in apologetics and/or sharing salvation with others that you do. They may not yet be as advanced as you are, they may have more wisdom and knowledge than you. Commit to meeting together on a regular basis. It could be monthly, weekly or biweekly. Just be consistent. Get together and study with open discussion. Build each other up and don't be surprised to see your passion spread to others. 

As ambassadors you need to welcome opposing views. If you are confident in your beliefs you will be committed to truth and gathering knowledge. I had a philosophy professor who gave me a great definition for intelligence. He said, "An intelligent man can discuss both sides of the argument." How can you combat what you don't know? Furthermore, how can you know that you are right if you don't listen to all of the facts? 

If you are truly interested in the salvation of others you will not run from opposing viewpoints. Instead, you will strive to find out why they believe as they do and share the truth with them. If you are committed to truth instead of an organization, you will be open to refining your own beliefs and views. You should be open to correction in how you think. Someone who disagrees with you may actually have the right view. You may have the right view. Either way, an evangelist is willing to engage in argument that goes against what he/she believes. That allows you to develop better answers to defend how you believe or make corrections if you find your thinking to be faulty. 

Bottom line, don't retreat under fire. Remember, it is all of eternity you are fighting for. If you were trying to save someone's life, would you just give up and walk away or would you be willing to fight for it? Having courage in the face of adversity allows you to gain the respect of others. Never be afraid to share your side; always be willing to hear the others side. Over time this will allow you to develop faith that is rock solid!

In closing, remember the traits of an ambassador. Always be:

• Ready - Be on the alert for chances to represent Christ
• Patient - Don't quarrel, listen so you can understand their side, then respectfully engage
• Reasonable - Have informed convictions, not feelings, give reasons, ask questions, seek answers
• Tactical - Learn to adapt to different situations and people, present the truth so they understand
• Clear - Don't use Christian lingo and jargon 
• Fair - Be sympathetic and understanding of the others views 
• Honest - Don't misrepresent the facts of your view or someone else's, don't understate the gospels demands
• Humble - Know that you are fallible and that your understanding is never perfect
• Attractive - Always act with kindness and grace so that you may honor Christ with your conduct
• Dependent - Always rely on God in all that you do. That is the most important key to being successful not only in conversations but in life!

PRAYER Pt. 2: Why Should I Pray

Before we get any further into how to pray, when to pray and the different types of prayer we should probably find out why we pray. Is it just there as a way for us to ask for the things we want, forgiveness for the things we do and healing for ourselves and the people that we care about? As a Christian, why do I pray?

I personally pray because I love God and I want to have conversations with Him and constantly remind Him that I depend on Him. I pray to ask his guidance, His blessing upon me and to open others hearts and ears to His message. I also pray for others. For some I pray that they become open to recieving Christ in their lives. For others I pray for health and healing from various afflictions: cancer, depression, addiction, divorce, anger, etc.

Mostly I pray to thank Him for the promise of eternal salvation, for the grace I have recieved, that His will be done and that I have the ability to be His hands and feet and represent Him in all that I do during my walk on Earth. That is why I pray. What does the Bible have to say about why we pray?

Matthew 26:41 says, "“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We are to pray so that we may have strength not to fall into temptation. When thoughts of relapse or sin come into my mind one of the surest ways to ward them off is to begin praying for strength.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that we are to constantly pray "without ceasing." If prayer is that important to our lives that we should do it all of the time, then that is another great reason why we should pray. Sin and the Devil never take a day off. They will try to defeat us at every corner. A great way to ward them off is to have an ongoing conversation with God. It is like having your own personal entourage of bouncers with you where ever you go to ward of Satan and the thoughts he plants in our heads.

John 15:16 says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." This means that when we have needs we are to come to God with them in prayer. The things that we need we will be given. Sometimes what we pray for will not be given and we may wonder why, but that is a question that will be looked at more later in this series.

James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." So when we have quandries in our lives, we are to pray for insight and understanding so that we can do the right thing. God guides us towards making the right decision and showing us the way He wants things done in our lives.

In Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul prays for the entire congregation, asking that God strengthen them with the Holy Spirit and that Christ would dwell in their hearts. He also asked that they gain comprehension of the depth and power of Christ's love and that it fill them. Following this example, we should pray for other people. Whether our prayer for them is for health, gaining a relationship with Christ or strength and wisdom in trying times.

Matthew 11:28 says that prayer eases those "who are weary and burdened" while 1 Peter 5:7 says that we should "cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." Philippians 4:6-7 tells us that if we pray, the "peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds." In the

As you can see, there are a myriad of reasons that we should pray. First and foremost is that we are to be Christ-like, and Christ prayed all of the time. He even instructed us how to pray in Matthew 6, and we will get to that later in this series. We should pray to keep that constant contact with God in this sinful world. This world is not my home, I am merely visiting. Here is the main reason why we should pray.

Imagine that you are in a deep sea diving suit. The suit itself offers protection but you need more than just the suit. As you are suited up you have a helmet that attaches which contains a line that runs back to the surface. That line from the ship gives you oxygen and allows you to communicate any difficulties that arise so that they may be taken care of. The reason for that need is simple, the ocean is not your natural home.

Much like the ocean, sin is not what we were born to live surrounded by. As we are immersed in this world of sin, spiritually we begin to choke. We have a suit that can keep us safe, and those are the fruits of the spirit that we gird ourselves with. That is not enough, we still need contact with God. Prayer is the line that rises from our suit to the surface. If we lose contact with Him we are cut off. We are not being given life supporting oxygen, nor are we being given the calming presence of God. Simply knowing He is there is enough to help us stay calm and not panic when stressful situations occur.  We can survive spiritually in this world if we have that contact with God. If we do not, we will surely perish. Sin will become my lifestyle and spiritually I will die.

THAT IS WHY PRAYER IS OF THE UPMOST IMPOTANCE AND SHOULD BE DONE!!!!!!!