Outreach Promises: God's Encouragement for Sharing Your Faith by Philip M. Bickel © 1998 Roller Coaster Press An evangelism and missions book with the spin of encouragement and the twist of hope. 112 pages, $9.99 pb

What Are Outreach Promises?

They are Bible verses in which God affirms he can use you to reach his lost children. Here are a few examples:

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.... and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Gen. 12:2-3	Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Mt. 4:19
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. Prov. 11:30	But God's word is not chained. 2 Tim. 2:9
Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. Is. 55:5	My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. Jas. 5:19-20

Why Use Outreach Promises?

Here are reasons to learn outreach promises and trust in them.

1. In the same way that gospel promises contain the power to produce faith in Christ and save you, so God's outreach promises create faith that God will carry out His mission through you.

2. "Promise" and "missionary" come from the Latin word mittere, meaning "to send." A missionary is one who is sent. A promise is a message that is sent forth. God won't send you ten feet or ten thousand miles without promises to sustain you.

3. Since God is faithful to His promises, you have the right to claim outreach promises and pray for what they offer.

4. You aren't trapped at your present level of witnessing skill. Outreach promises are solid ground for expectations of growth.

5. God's mission is not stuck at its present stage of expansion. Despite obstacles and setbacks, God promises ongoing advances.

6. Aristotle said, "A vivid imagination compels the whole body to obey it." When we tune in to outreach promises, God's vivid imagination compels the Body of Christ to act.

7. Business literature advises company executives to cast a vision of what they want their companies to become. God has practiced this all along, casting His vision so you will see and accept your personal role in His global mission of mercy.

8. George Santayana said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it." Likewise, Christians who don't remember the future may miss out on it. How can you remember the future? In outreach promises God describes the future growth of His church and calls you to participate in it.

9. You don't have to feel like an uncoordinated kid waving anxiously hoping God will choose you to play on His team. The Lord hasn't reluctantly picked you last. From the beginning of time, He chose you to play on His outreach team.

10. Like snowflakes and fingerprints, each outreach promise is distinctly different, because the Holy Spirit gave each promise in a unique historical context. Also, the insights you and I gain from a particular outreach promise vary according to the unique situations in which God has placed us as His witnesses.

Christians who ignore God's outreach promises are like harvest workers who fail to eat hearty. When the work gets demanding, they run out of oomph. Feed your heart and soul with the energizing power of outreach promises.

Features of Outreach Promises

In this 112-page book you will discover:

1. God's cure for your outreach doubts, fears, and discouragement.
2. The honor of fulfilling outreach prophecy.
3. Guidelines to identify outreach promises in your Bible.
4. Methods for applying outreach promises in real-life situations.
5. Applications to personal witnessing.
6. Applications to cross-cultural mission work.
7. Hope, confidence and courage to share Christ's love with others.
8. A Group Discussion Guide to help you learn with others.

Contents and Excerpts

You can read about 40% of the text through the links below. Get acquainted with the book, and then invite others to study it with you.

Introduction: Design and Use of This Book

Chapter 1 Good Stings for Christian Outreach

1. Could You Use a Good Sting?
2. Clarify and Personalize
3. Outreach Doubt
4. Outreach Fear
5. Outreach Discouragement

Chapter 2 Mining a New Vein of Prophecy

1. The Vein of Messianic Prophecy
2. The Vein of Outreach Prophecy
3. The Honor of Fulfilling Outreach Prophecy
4. The Vein of End Times Prophecy
5. Outreach Prophecy and the Millennium

Chapter 3 Materials in the Vein of Outreach Prophecy

1. Outreach Commands and Warnings
2. Braced by Grace
3. Outreach Promises
4. Appraising Outreach Promises
5. Prospecting 101

Chapter 4 Outreach Promises and Sharing Your Faith

1. Focus on the Right "I"
2. So-Called Hopeless Cases
3. Overflowing with Living Water
4. A New Spirit for All Ages
5. Best-Case Scenarios

Chapter 5 Outreach Promises and Mission Work

1. Expanding Your Family Photo Album
2. Harmony in the Multicultural Church
3. Promises for Challenging Fields
4. Temples on the Go
5. Mission Promised, Mission Possible

Chapter 6 Facing Obstacles and Opponents

1. Realistic Recruitment
2. Taking the Offensive
3. Getting Across the Lake
4. Prayer Catalysts
5. The Ruler of Every Moment

Chapter 7 Using Outreach Promises

1. Sharers of the Good News
2. Bible Rock Hounds
3. Pastors and Church Leaders
4. Artists and Musicians
5. It's Going to Happen!

Afterword

Appendix 1: Group Discussion Guide (excerpts)

Appendix 2: Maps of the Vein of Outreach Prophecy (excerpts)

Scripture Index

Endorsements for Outreach Promises

"If you are an I-can't-witness type of person, the biblical teaching in Outreach Promises will turn you into a person who confidently says, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!'" --Joel Heck, editor of Evangelism

"It ought to be a part of the discipleship process for every believer." --Timothy Warner, missiologist

"Fresh and uplifting, this book opened my eyes to valuable promises and lifted my faith horizons. I warmly recommend it to individuals, groups, and Bible classes."
--Roger Greenway, Calvin Seminary

"A hopeful answer to the most crucial question of all: What is my part in God's plan for our world and its peoples?" --David J. Hesselgrave, missiologist

"Enthusiastic, refreshing approach to sharing a witness to Christ. Uniquely involves the reader in planning a strategy for proclaiming the Good News." --Carl Selle, missionary to international students

"The best evangelism primer I have ever read." --Mark Halvorson, church planter

How to Order

Purchase Outreach Promises through: Roller Coaster Press. To Order

More on Outreach Promises

Here are other items on this web site which model the encouraging and motivating power of Outreach Promises.

• "God's Mission Promises" e-column
• Praying for Boldness
• To Populate Heaven
• Your Family Destiny
• A Missiological Paper on Outreach Promisesl

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.