Always Ready: Why I Carry Gospel Material Everywhere
Several years ago, I was serving at a large evangelistic crusade. In the days leading up to the event, evangelists from all around the nation were flown in so we could learn and fellowship before the main event. On the first day, I found myself in a group of evangelists who had served much longer than I had. At one point, we all decided it would be good to head out to the shops to buy a cold drink and grab something to eat.
After purchasing my items, I handed a tract to the man who served me and began a gospel conversation. As I did so, I noticed over my shoulder one of the more mature evangelists standing there looking shocked.
When the gospel conversation ended, we piled back into our car to return to the hotel. As we drove, the mature evangelist tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I can’t believe you just shared the gospel with that man! I thought you would have just invited him to the crusade.”
As we spoke further, it became clear that this man – though a faithful gospel preacher – had fallen into the trap of only sharing the good news in special meetings. The day-to-day life of evangelism had sadly disappeared.
In the years since then, I have often thought about that encounter. Now that I serve full-time as an evangelist, I am very mindful of the fact that I am a ‘professional’ – that is, evangelism is my ‘job’. The danger I face is ensuring that I do not only evangelise when I am on the clock.
It is very easy for those of us who serve in evangelism full-time to have set hours in which we share the gospel, and then, once we complete our weekly schedule, to switch off and go silent. Such attitudes and behaviour are wrong and sinful. The call to evangelise is not something that takes place only between certain hours; rather, we should always be ready to share the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15).
To help me combat this danger, I have put together a small wallet that contains different kinds of gospel material so that, wherever I go, I am ready to share the good news. It could be my day off, but I will try to have this wallet on me so that, when an opportunity arises, I am equipped and ready to speak of Jesus.
Let me share what I try to carry with me daily – this is my everyday carry (EDC). Just as I always have my phone and wallet on me, so I should always have gospel material with me.
To help me be always ready, I bought a small wallet — big enough to hold plenty of tracts, but small enough to slip into my pocket. Inside, I keep:
General tracts for handing out
Thank-you tracts for people who serve me
A more in-depth tract for those I’ve had a longer conversation with
A multi-language gospel card (over 60 languages!)
A pocket-sized Gospel of John
There is nothing fancy about my tract wallet; it is simply a tool that enables me to have several types of tracts and a Gospel ready at hand. When I go out, I try to run through the routine – wallet, keys, pocketknife, phone, and tract wallet. Then out the door I go, ready for whatever opportunities the Lord may open.
I would encourage you to find a way to always have gospel material on you. Perhaps you will get a wallet like mine, or maybe you will have another way to carry tracts with you. Ladies, you have the wonderful gift of a handbag – make sure you have Gospels and tracts ready to go. Men… let’s skip the handbag!
The issue is not how we carry our gospel material; the issue is being ready at all times to share the good news. Are you equipped to tell people about Jesus daily?
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Josh receives his salary from The Open-Air Mission. Any financial contributions made through this website will be allocated towards supplying evangelistic resources and addressing requirements associated with gospel-related activities.