The following are suggestions for teaching this course as an eight-week class. This schedule can easily be adjusted to accommodate more than eight weeks and also can be adjusted to compensate for the learning abilities of the students. - Dr. T.E. VanBuskirk

III.
The following schedule is suggested to properly
cover the material in an 8 week period.

Week 3:
1. Go through as much of PART THREE as you can cover in the class period but make sure you cover at least the "SOS" and the 5 Approach Questions."
2. Let the students know that next week they are going to take turns practicing the "SOS" and the 5 Approach Questions on one another. They will be able to use their books.
3. For the remainder of the period, have them pair off and practice giving their memory verses one to another- from their Bibles.

Week 4:
1. Teach the "Soul Winning Presentation" portion of PART THREE to the students.
2. Have them pair off and use the rest of the period (at least 10 minutes) practicing the SOS and the 5 Approach Questions on one another.
3. Let them know that next week they will be practicing the "Four Spiritual Principles," on each other during the latter part of the class. They will be able to use their books.
4. Advise them that next week they will have a test on the SOS and the 5 Approach Questions. They will be required to write them out verbatim from memory.
5. Also let them know that next week you will be choosing students at random to take turns "teaching" a segment, "SOS," or the 5 Approach Questions," to the class.
    By that time they should know the material well enough to at least begin the third level of learning, which is, "Learning it well enough to teach it."

Week 5:
1. Test on the SOS and the 5 Approach Questions. They must write them from memory.
2. Teach "The Close" to the class from PART THREE.
3. Have various students "teach" the "SOS," or the 5 Approach Questions," to the class.
4. Let the class know that next week they will be required to "teach" various portions, which you will choose individually, to the class.
5. Also, next week they will be required to write out the SOS, the Five Approach Questions, the Four Spiritual Principles, and The Close, all from memory, including the scriptures, all of the statements, illustrations, questions, and punchlines.
6. For the last 10 minutes of this week’s class, have them practice in pairs. Have them use different partners than they used last week. They must use the SOS and the 5 Approach Questions as well as the Four Spiritual Principles and do it exactly as if the other person were lost. I have seen students actually get saved during this portion of the class, so they must practice as if it were real and let the Holy Spirit do His work.

Week 6:
1. Have the students take turns "teaching" one or more of the portions studied so far.
2. Give the test on the entire soul-winning presentation- the SOS, the Five Approach Questions, the Four Spiritual Principles, and The Close, from memory, including the scriptures, all of the statements, illustrations, questions, and punchlines.
3. Spend the rest of the class time practicing one-on-one. Have them vary this week who they pair off with. They need to use a different partner each week.

Week 7:
1. Have the students take turns "teaching" one or more of the portions studied so far.
2. Announce next week will be the Final Test for the course.
    They will be required to write out the entire presentation, including the SOS, the Five Approach Questions, the Four Spiritual Principles, and The Close, all from memory, including the scriptures, all of the statements, illustrations, questions, and punchlines.
3. Spend the rest of this week’s class time practicing one-on-one. Have them vary this week who they pair off with. They need to use a different partner each week.

Week 8:
1. Have them practice on each other for the first half of the class. They may use their books for this practice so that the entire presentation will be fresh in their minds for the test.
2. Final test for the last half hour of the class- they are required to write out the entire presentation, including the SOS, the Five Approach Questions, the Four Spiritual Principles, and The Close, all from memory, including the scriptures, all of the statements, illustrations, questions, and punchlines.

p. 1

LESSON ONE

INTRODUCTION

Dr. Wilkins’ book "The Essentials of Successful Soul-Winning" is the well from which this workbook flows and that well is fed by the ever-springing Word of God which fills it. The bucket used to draw from that well was the 3 years I spent in class at Texas Baptist Bible College under the tutelage of Dr. Wilkins. He taught the Personal Evangelism Class and we dipped our buckets into the well time after time after time while in that class. He passed on to us the personal commission that was passed on to him from faithful men who traced their personal commission back through generation after generation of other faithful men who received it first from Timothy who had received it from Paul and the men who witnessed to Timothy of Paul and his teachings. Those teachings, in turn, Paul had received from Jesus Christ himself. Now I, in turn, am passing this personal commission on to you.

Those on-campus students at SLBC have already had the class on Personal Evangelism which used Dr. Wilkins’ text book. This class is the natural follow-up to that class. You have had the textbook course on "driving" the soul-winning "car," now you are going to actually get into the drivers seat and "drive it" for yourself. You will be refreshed from time to time on the textbook part, the classroom instruction, but the main thrust of the class will be to actually put you in "the driver’s seat."
    For those of you who have not taken the previous class, don’t fear, you will receive ample instruction here to enable you to drive the "car." We will not delve deeply into the biblical commands concerning "why" you should win souls, although we will touch on that briefly, but the thrust of this class will center more around the instruction and practice that will teach you "how" you can win souls.

Once you have learned, or been refreshed in the classroom instruction, not only will you then drive on the mapped out and protected course here at the driving school, practicing in the classroom, but you will also go out on the streets and actually drive in the traffic. You will be required to use what you learn and have practiced in here, out there where there will be traffic hazards. The devil will try to stop you, but you have a green light from God. The devil and his bunch will try to block you in so you can’t properly drive the lost sinner to the destination of salvation in Jesus Christ; but you have the power of the Holy Spirit like a high performance engine that will help you accelerate away from them or around them. And you have the ability to step on the gas pedal, prayer and giving out the Gospel, any time you need your high performance Holy Spirit engine to kick in to accelerate you away from the danger the devil and his bunch may put around you to try and slow you down or cause you to crash and burn. Remember though, if something happens and you do crash and burn, God will be there to fix you up and put you right back on the road.

You will not only possess the knowledge of what the gospel is and how to properly present it to the lost, but you will learn how to use it, and then you will go out and actually put it into practice. The power of God goes with you and the only thing that can hold you back- IS YOU!

I am much indebted to Dr. Wilkins. And he is, in turn, indebted to God who used him to pass on what was delivered to him in His Word so that he would have something to deliver in like manner to me so that I would have something to deliver to you. And if you are true to Christ, then you will continue the cycle and pass it on to someone else in such a way as to encourage them to also continue the cycle and pass it on to others; and then souls will be saved down through the coming years until Christ once again returns to this earth in glory. God invented this whole business of how to win souls and then He gave it to the world in His Word; and Dr. Wilkins gleaned it from God’s Word and then passed it on to me and encouraged me to pass it on to others so now I will pass it on to you. God started it all so give Him the glory!!

p. 2

p. 3

Purpose of the class: This class is designed to give instruction and practical experience to those who have decided to obey God in the matter of soul-winning.  For those who don't know how to win a soul to Christ, this class will give them both instruction and encouragement.  For those who do know how to win a soul to Christ, this class will give them a refresher course at the least, and at the most, if they have not used this method before, it will give them another weapon in their arsenal as they fight the war with Satan for the souls of men and women, boys and girls. 

Requirements of the class: To pass this class you must do four things.

Answer: You will find the answer to that in I Corinthians 9:22b where Paul is speaking.

    You were half right in your statement that "Only the Holy Spirit can win souls." I say half right because it is true that it is only by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that people are saved; but, you are half wrong because it is through human instrumentality that the Holy Spirit does His work. If you were to say that "Only the Holy Spirit can SAVE souls" you would be completely right. However when you say "WIN souls" then you have mixed up saving and winning. We are "labourers together with God" according to I Cor 3:9; and when we labour "together with God" in the winning of souls then souls are won. When we willingly yield to God in the matter of soul-winning, or any other work, then the Holy Spirit flows through us and out of our "belly shall flow rivers of living water... this spake he of the Spirit..." (Jn 7:38-39) When we allow God to use us, then we, by the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through us, are partners together with God in the winning of souls to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Memory verses:  Memorize these 5 verses:
    I Corinthians 2:2
    Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:13

    The first verse, I Corinthians 2:2 helps remind us to stay to the soul-winning presentation and not be led off into some other subject.
    The next four verses, Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:13 are called The Romans Road and are the scriptures used in the soul-winning presentation. 

END OF LESSON ONE

LESSON ONE TEST
Should the test fail to open properly, please use F5 to reload or click the refresh symbol on the top of your browser page.

p. 4

LESSON TWO

PART TWO
How do I prepare for God to use me?

    In order to accomplish anything in this world you must first plan on doing it and then you plan on how you can accomplish that task. The plan can be simple or it can be detailed; but, the more thought out the plan the more chance of success. It is the same way in soul-winning. You plan what you are going to do- win someone to the Lord Jesus Christ- and then you plan how you are going to do that. You have an overall plan and then you work out the details. Here’s a broad overall plan for soul-winning:

I Cor 2:14
But the natural man ________ ____ the things of the Spirit of God:
for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he _____ [them],
because they are _________ discerned.

 

I Cor 2:1
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came
not with excellency of speech or of wisdom,
declaring unto you the testimony of God.

PART THREE
The soul-winning presentation.

    Now we come to the actual plan for how you are going to present the gospel to the lost person that God has prepared beforehand and brought you to him to hear His Word at your lips. This is where you prepare the tools that you are going to present to God for His use.

S O S explained and illustrated

S. = Self Interest: You control the conversation. Ask questions.
  Point out some beautiful  object in their home and comment on it. Compliment them on the beautiful baby or youngster. Ask about the bowling or baseball trophy or maybe the whole glass case full of trophies. How about the new camper in the driveway or the new car? Or maybe a picture on the wall of the large fish they caught the last time they went on vacation. There is always something that you can use to steer them into some area they are interested in. And let them talk about themselves and their personal interests for a short time.

p. 8

S. - Self Interest
O. - Occupation
S. - Soul-winning Message (Spiritual Background)

5 APPROACH QUESTIONS

    The first one is a statement. The last four are questions and are to be the lead-in to the soul-winning message. Ask them and wait for an answer for each one of them before going on to the next one.

    You have been polite while they talked about themselves during the SOS for the last 10 minutes or so. They appreciate the fact that you listened attentively while they talked; so more than likely they will now listen politely to you as you lead the conversation into this new direction.

    Its not necessary for us to expand on the 5 approach questions here in class; just memorize them and use however many of them are appropriate in any given situation.

4 SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES

Ro 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

1. Boat - We’re all in the same boat...

Ro 6:23a "For the wages of sin is death..."

Two key words: "Wages" and "death." (Death means separation.)

Ro 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Statement: "There was a problem in Heaven- God wants to take you there when you die
                    but the wages of our sin is death- eternal separation from God in Hell."

Illustration: Traffic ticket.
         If I got a traffic ticket and the judge said, "$100 fine or 10 days in jail,"
    and I had no money, then I'd have to go to jail because I couldn't pay the fine.
    But suppose we were good friends and you offered to pay the fine for me, would
    the judge let me go?  Sure he would, as long as the fine was paid, I could
    go free; and it wouldn't matter who had paid the fine- me or someone else.
    That's what Jesus did on the cross- He paid our debt to God so we could go free.

REVIEW:

THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE  (Ro 10:13)

Ro 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Two key words: "Whosoever" and "saved (from Hell)."
        Whosoever means anyone; and saved means saved from Hell.

END OF LESSON THREE

LESSON FOUR

THE CLOSE

Memorize this portion for a test.
The test will be "closed book"
with a time limit.

 

END OF LESSON FOUR

The test for this section will be over the material in
this section as well as some review of previous sections.

STOP HERE and TAKE TEST!
Test is "open book."

When you click the TEST link it will download
to your computer.  When download is completed, click
"Open" or "Open when done".  A window may pop up
stating that "Windows protected your PC". Click
"More info" and then click "Run anyway" in
the white rectangular box at the
bottom of that window.

- RESULTS PAGE -

Be sure to submit a copy of the Results page
in order to have your score registered
to your file.

TESTING  Make sure you read the testing instructions if you have not already done so.

Tere is a time limit on the test.

LESSON FOUR TEST
Should the test fail to open properly, please use F5 to reload or click the refresh symbol on the top of your browser page.

 

 

---

 

LESSON FIVE

HOMEWORK
1. Practice the 5 Approach Questions, the Four Spiritual
Principles, and the Close with someone at
least twice each day throughout this week.

2. Try to encourage the person you are practicing with to
also learn them.  If they agree then have them
practice the entire presentation on you
at least once each day for this week.

3. Share the entire presentation with at least two
lost people this week. Try to lead them to the
Lord using this method.

 

 

FOLLOW-UP SCRIPTURES

Memorize the scripture references in this section.
Memorize I John 5:13.
You will be tested on them.
The test will be "closed book"
with a time limit.

 

 

The purpose for showing this portion of scripture to them after they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour is to reassure them that they truly are saved and to arm them against the attacks of the devil- either directly from him and his devils as they attack the mind of the new convert or through others that he may send around to attack them spiritually.

I. Reassure them of their Salvation.
   One of the things that is common in humanity is that we think that things are important must be complicated.  This includes getting to Heaven.
   Most people think that to get to Heaven you must be some kind of a sinless saint or belong to a particular church or practice a certain kind of religion or do some wonderful work of charity or any one of a hundred other things like being baptized or giving your life as a martyr.  Some churches even teach that "There is no way you can know you are saved."
   Because of that prevalent kind of thinking, much of which is taught by many of the mainline "Christian" churches, many people will, right after praying and accepting Jesus as their Saviour, immediately begin to doubt their Salvation.  They will think, and maybe even say, "Just believe that Christ died for me? That's too easy.  There has to be more to it than that!"
   This passage of scripture will allay those fears.

II. Warn them of the devil's attacks.
   One of the first things that will happen after they have accepted Jesus as Saviour is that the devil will immediately start casting those same doubts into their minds.  He will remind them of what some well known "Priest" or "Preacher" said that they heard on TV or that came through their town and taught their neighbors or their parents or friends that Salvation comes through a church or its baptism or following a particular religion or any of the hundred other things that supposedly help them work their way to Heaven.  And then those neighbors, friends, or family, taught it to them.  And these doubts that Satan casts into their minds or brings to their remembrance cause them to doubt that their Salvation is real, or that it really can be as simple as the Bible says it is.
   And if that doesn't work, then the devil will immediately send someone from one of the cults, including some of the cultic mainline churches, or someone from one of the false religions to their door to spout heresies and convince them that they really didn't get saved.
   Now we know that if they truly did accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour, then no amount of foolishness and heresy brought by the devil and his crowd can ever undo their salvation.  But, if the devil can convince them that they really didn't get saved, then he can tie them up in confusion, fear, or apathy, and then they will never let themselves be used of God to further the gospel from them out to others.  In other words, he can't get them unsaved, but he sure can tie them up and make them useless to God.

      Why do people fall for this heresy and confusion that the devil brings to them?

    Today people somehow have developed the belief that simple means easy.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It was simple for our sins to be paid so that we could be reconciled to God and be gathered to Heaven when we die.  Christ had to simply come and die in our place.  Now that was simple, but it definitely was not easy.  Christ, who is God, had to take on a tabernacle of flesh and come to earth by way of being born of a virgin.  Then He had to live a perfect, sinless, life and humble himself to the death of the cross.  He was beaten beyond recognition and suffered the agony of crucifixion.  Then He had to be buried and then raise from the dead.  These things are miraculous things.  Hard things.  Cruel things to suffer on the way to and at the cross.  And yet, the fact remains that for our sins to be forgiven and for our place in Heaven to be guaranteed to us upon our acceptance of Christ as Saviour, was brought about by the simple act of Christ taking our place and dying for us.  See what I mean?  It was "simple" but it was not "easy."  In fact it was so difficult that only one person in the history of the entire human race could accomplish the task.  And that one sole human being was, of course, Jesus Christ.  And yet, it was still so very simple.

        So to prevent the devil from tormenting the new convert in the way that he always tries to do, we give them the following scripture.  Notice how it allays their fears, arms them against the attacks of the devil and even arms them against the attacks that will come from their own minds and their preconceived ideas about God and Heaven and Salvation.  Also notice that if they will receive what this passage teaches, then the will gain the assurance that they "have" Salvation and that they "know" that they do.

 

I John 5:10-13

:10
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness
in himself: he that believeth not God hath made
him a liar; because he believeth not the record
that God gave of his Son.

:11
And this is the record, that God hath given to
us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

:12
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that
hath not the Son of God hath not life.

:13
These things have I written unto you that
believe on the name of the Son of God;
that ye may know that ye have eternal
life, and that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God.

 

 

   Point out the key parts to them, the key parts are in purple or red, and warn them of the attacks of the devil, because the attacks will come almost immediately after they are saved!  But, if they will believe God, and remember this passage says that to not believe Him is to call Him a liar, then they will have assurance of their Salvation.  They will "know" that they are truly saved- not because of what any person says, but because of what God says.  And what God says is the only thing that counts.

---

 

END OF LESSON FIVE

STOP HERE and TAKE TEST!
Test is "open book"

When you click the TEST link it will download
to your computer.  When download is completed, click
"Open" or "Open when done".  A window may pop up
stating that "Windows protected your PC". Click
"More info" and then click "Run anyway" in
the white rectangular box at the
bottom of that window.

- RESULTS PAGE -

Be sure to submit a copy of the Results page
in order to have your score registered
to your file.

There is a time limit on the test.

The test will be over this section and will also
include review questions from previous sections.

LESSON FIVE TEST
Should the test fail to open properly, please use F5 to reload or click the refresh symbol on the top of your browser page.

I. THE FACT OF SIN (Ro 3:23)
         3 Illustrations.
    1. Boat
    2. 10 Commandments - (honour - false witness Lord’s name in vain)
    3. Bank robber - how many? (1 finger)

II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN (Ro 6:23)
    2 key words - wages & death (death means separation)
    Question - funeral?
    Gesture - When you die (reach)
        Two eternal places
    Punchline- Wages of sin- eternal separation from God & Heaven in Hell - a real place

III. THE REMEDY FOR SIN (Ro 5:8)
    Statement - "problem in Heaven" (God=Heaven but Sin=Hell)
    Statement - "How can I be in 2 places at once?"
    Punchline - "That’s what Jesus was doing on the cross,
            He was taking your place & dying for you."
    Illustration - Traffic ticket.
    REVIEW - Do you understand you are a sinner.
                    And if you died and paid for your sins, according to the Bible where would you go?
        You understand that God so loved you that He gave Jesus to die in your place?
            That He paid for your sins?

IV. THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE. (Ro 10:13)
        Two key words - "whosoever" and "call."
    Statement - "call means to pray or ask."
    Punchline - If a person really understands he is a sinner - that he will
               go to hell - that God loves him and gave His Son on the cross to
               pay for his sins - and ask God to save him - really means it - God
               promises He will save him from Hell.

BEFORE I GO MAY I HAVE A WORD OF PRAYER?

p. 15

LESSON SEVEN

The SOS and the Entire Presentation
Including I John 5:10-13

There will be a Final Test over the
SOS and the Entire Presentation,
including I John 5:10-13.

The test will be "closed book"
with a time limit.

p. 16

Study the entire presentation:

SOS
5 Approach Questions
4 Spiritual Principles
The Close
Reassurance scriptures, I John 5:10-13

Find the answers in each section to every question
that you have missed on every test and study those
answers to make sure you have them correct now.

NOW PROCEED TO THE FINAL TEST

FINAL TEST  This test is closed book!  There will be a time limit on the test.
-  You may NOT use your text nor any other type of material to help you while taking this test.  You may NOT have someone else help you with this test.
-  You must turn in a Closed Book Test Contract form. (Click the words "Closed Book Test Contract" to go to the form.)
-  Once you have completed all sections of the textbook and passed all of the corresponding tests, and found the correct answers to any questions missed on any test, and submitted a sign in form marked "Finish," then you may submit your Closed Book Test Contract Form and you will be sent the password.  Then you may proceed to the Final Test for the course.

When you click the FINAL TEST link it will download
to your computer.  When download is completed, click
"Open" or "Open when done".  A window may pop up
stating that "Windows protected your PC". Click
"More info" and then click "Run anyway" in
the white rectangular box at the
bottom of that window.

RETURN TO CLASSES PAGE

p. 17

ADDENDUM

Link to pdf of presentation.