Why is evangelism so hard for so many of us? And why have so many churches failed to create a culture of evangelism? God has a plan for His people - to spread the Word through us.  But another sermon telling people to do it won&apos;t amount to anything. We need to show people how to make it easy, make it automatic, and make it doable by everyone, not just a few. Today we will look at Jesus interacting with the woman at the well. Here are seven wonderful tips on evangelism that anyone can do, shown to us by our Savior and King.- See Opportunity Everywhere- Establish Common Interest- Make Spiritual Connections- Build Rapport Patiently- Suspend Just Condemnation- Stick to the Issue- Accomplish Something Definitive 

Excel Still More

Make Evangelism Easy

People seem to be afraid of everything! Some things are dangerous, but why in the world would we add the Fear Of Missing Out? How much is there to fear I am afraid of everything in the world I am not doing? Wow. God has a better plan. He wants you to live a life of joy and purpose, where you aren&apos;t burdened by "What If?" God directs us to pick holy paths and make them as great as possible in the short time we have here. - What is the FOMO?- Why are people afraid of paths not taken?- What does that do to the life you are now living and where you now are?- But what if the path we have taken so far is not a good one?- How does being right with God always represent a fearless pathway?

No What Ifs

Credit to Don Truex for today&apos;s title. He was reflecting recently on the passing of his father. His dad taught him to make things better in every circumstance. And to leave things better than when he found them. This is something that should shine in the life of every believer. Let&apos;s look at what it means to make things better, and then fold in the idea of how leaving often complicates things. But leaving is part of life, even the best of lives.- What is your purpose in every relationship you have?- What does it mean to be love and light in the image and character of Jesus?- If you had to leave a situation right now, any situation, how was it affected by your presence?- How important is it to manage a departure and keep things from going south?- What is "the bus factor" and why should it lead you to action right now?

"Leave Things Better"

"Life is easier when you know what you want." I love this line by James Clear. He goes on to note that few people have taken the time to figure out what they want. Maybe family or culture decide that for them. Maybe they just do things in hopes of finding purpose. We can do much better than that. You owe it to yourself to take some private time and decide what you believe is worth while in your life. What do you really want? When you do this, a few really cool things happen. These things will bring a smile to your face and make life easier!- Why do people work for things they don&apos;t really even want?- How much time do you spend determining if your efforts are going to the right thing?- How many valuable things to you already exist in your life?- What will you do if something that really matters is right in front of you?- Are you ready to accept that some things you want aren&apos;t things you need?

"Life Is Easier..."

Everybody knows we should be saving at least a small portion of money. If you are spending everything you make, you know the stress of that. I won&apos;t focus on that today. But if you are able to save anything, even the smallest amount, what you are doing with it? Are you excited for what that means? Today let&apos;s look at three separate, and I do mean separate, categories of saving. The first isn&apos;t exciting but it matters the most! The second is a little technical but will help you very soon. And the third is fun and risky, but okay if kept in its proper place. In the end, let&apos;s be savers. Let&apos;s see that grow and create less stress and more ability to give!- Why don&apos;t more people save money at the end of the month?- What do you think could motivate someone to make sacrifices and start saving?- What is bucket 1, and why does it need to be easy and automatic?- What is bucket 2, and how does it make this next year a lot easier?- What is bucket 3, and why must you never let the wrong funds get into it?

Three Saving Buckets

Did you know that elephants are the most dangerous animal in the world? They are responsible for 500 human deaths every year. And yet, throughout history, mankind has continue trying to tame this animal. Why? Because they are so strong, powerful and useful!  The process by which they are controlled is grueling and cruel, but it is necessary to break them down so that they might be built up differently, under control. I am in no way supporting such a process. I think we should just leave them alone. But it takes what it takes.Did you know there is an elephant in you? It is also very dangerous, wild and strong. Yet, if you learn how to train it, it can change you in unimaginable and powerful ways. You can do more good than you&apos;ve ever imagined. But we need to understand the challenge and get serious about undertaking it.- How dangerous are elephants?- So why do people tame them?- What is the elephant that lives in you?- What happens if you fail to tame it?- What happens if you take a stand and force the creature to bend to your will?

Taming Your Elephant

Hard Work is good. Everybody knows we should be working hard. However, it is not the best thing. It is not the first or most important thing. The better thing is to Work Smart. Wisdom in our pursuits, strategy in our path, is way more important. Plenty of people grind and get few results. For some reason, they keep grinding, and it doesn&apos;t do any good. In fact, it leads to giving up. We can do better. But we have to be humble enough to admit: "maybe I&apos;m not doing this the best way it can be done." Let&apos;s do a little research and get much better results!- Why do we champion working harder and longer as the key to success?- Why is wise working much more important than laborious work?- Are you willing to reevaluate where you are putting your time and energy toward goals?- What if we add in something smaller, but better into the process?- What if we cut out one hard, but really useless, element in the day?

Smarter Not Harder

Peace within the soul is a joy to all who have it. But with the darkness of the world and the uncertainties of life, many live with only passing moments of peacefulness. Christ has promised you so much more. He wants to house something in your soul that abides, that stands the test of time and life itself. Today we will talk about what that peace is, what cannot replace it, and how to build the real thing in your life. - How would you define the word "peace"?- Is this even attainable in the physical world?- If you are struck by despair, will you reach out for help?- Can a cup of coffee or moments of happiness ever replace real peace in Jesus?- How can T.A.G. change everything for you, one day at a time?

Deep Abiding Peace

We all have challenges in our relationships at times. There are just some people we tend to argue with. There are some topics that bring out our passion and not always for the best. There are certainly life issues and situations that are very hard and aren&apos;t always handled well. This seems confusing. I mean, we are Christians. Christ brings peace. Why is there so little peace, at times, in our lives? The answer is the name we carry. We are to be "of Christ." And this, my friend, means we need Much More Jesus! Literally and actually. We need His presence, His words, His name, right in the middle of every part of our lives. This will, with 100% absolute certainly, make every single thing better.- Why do we argue with people in our lives so often?- Why do we let certain issues or situations get out of control?- Where is Jesus in all of that?  - What will begin to happen if we put Jesus right in the center of all of that?- How can we have much more Jesus in every single facet of our lives?

Much More Jesus

Each of us has a strong collection of beliefs and convictions. People are willing to fight to the death of friendships, families, church, in the name of their own world picture. It&apos;s fine to have a strong view of things, but can you admit it may not be right. If we are always learning, and don&apos;t stand in the way of new information, there is a chance we can actually see things more clearly and do better. Everyone ones to get better, but few know that changing your view on things is required first. Let&apos;s look at how we can each do that today.- What is a "world picture" and why does everyone have it?- What has shaped or built your world picture on things?- Is there room for new information? Is it possible you are wrong?- Can we start with humility? When is the last time you said, "I don&apos;t know"?- What can T.A.G. do to help us find new perspective and a better attitude about our convictions?

Your World Picture

Tonight was special for me. It is Sunday night, just one day before the podcast&apos;s release. I was sitting with two special friends, and we stood to sing the final song: "In His Time." I felt like God was surrounding me with beautiful things and people at that moment, and I have great hope for many more in the future, and in eternity!  Do you live with that kind of hope? Do you expect good things from God, marvelous blessings from Him, to be right around the corner?- Has God placed beautiful things in your life today, right now?- Are there things in your life that you believe God can make beautiful soon?- How often does heaven draw your gaze and fill you with optimism and joy?- Why do so many people focus on what is ugly, or what they do not like?- Will God reward people with more beauty if they don&apos;t appreciate what they have?

In His Time

Welcome to calmness in a frustrating world! Okay, how about the PROSPECT of such a thing. I&apos;m the kind of person who has immediate emotional reactions that often get me in trouble. I very often look back and think, "If I had just taken a moment to think about that, things would have gone so much better." And, there is a special little phrase that helps me do that.Today, I will share some personal issues and recent episodes that have discouraged me. I promise this isn&apos;t a call to pity, though I am pretty pitiful. But I need you to see how perspective can change everything. Maybe even in your life as well.- Do you ever get frustrated at things that aren&apos;t really that big of a deal?- Why do we do that when God has done so much for us?- Are you interested in impulse control, better perspective, and deeper prayers?- Can a simple phrase, uttered over and over again, really make that big of a difference?- How can you tell the difference between things that matter and things that don&apos;t?

It Doesn't Matter

Why can&apos;t we just all agree on everything? Why don&apos;t people see things like you see them all the time? And does a healthy relationship demand such?  Well, on that last one, I sure hope not! The truth is, we see things differently than even our closest friends. How do we deal with that? I have to tell you, there are a lot of relationships that are defined by the differences. And those relationship are awful. Maybe its a marriage, or a blood brother. All they can think about is how they disagree and why that prevents them from growing.  We can do better. We must.The MasterCard symbol is here to help. You may not agree with all I have to say about that... but that&apos;s kind of the point! ;-) Let&apos;s celebrate what unites us and then work on the rest.- How do you deal with people in your life who disagree with you on things?- Is every disagreement worth fighting over?  How do you tell the difference?- What is usually true of every friendship that needs more focus and appreciation?- Do brethren sometimes let their differences lead to division? Why?- Is there hope in your home and church and life found in a small orange area?

The MasterCard Symbol

I am apologizing in advance. The experiment behind today&apos;s episode is pretty morbid. I in no way hope that you find yourself swimming for your life in a oversized test tube. I also feel like the feedback that is coming will ensure no more episodes feature rats, dead or alive. However... for today... I have an old scientific experiment to share with you. If a rat can change it&apos;s potential by 240X from just a moment&apos;s infusion of hope, how much more so you and me? Consider the power of hope in your life, and what it means to believe in God&apos;s hand, your own strength, and the support of the people you love!- Why did a group of scientist drown a bunch of rats?- Okay that may not be defensible, but what was learned from that experiment?- What has God done in your life to give you hope for tomorrow?- What have you done for yourself in the past to build hope in your own strength?- Who loves you so much that they have come to your rescue and will do it again soon?

The Hope Experiment

This episode feels important. Sure, I want to talk to you about your influence. I want to talk to you about the love in you and who gets that love and how longsuffering your are with it. And yes, I want to ask about your light. I want to tell you that you reflect Christ and the world needs to see you illuminated in His name. All of that is important.But it is also impossible. Yes, you heard that right, it cannot be done. Unless... Unless the love of God is real in your life. Unless the light of God warms your soul.  Too many Christians, in my experience, are living with less than great love and with dimmed lights, because that reflects what they see in God. And there is so, so much more! - How would you describe God&apos;s love for you?- How would you describe the light of God in your life?- Is it possible to love others well if we do not know God&apos;s love well?- Is it possible to shine brightly if the light of God is not bright in our own lives?- And how wonderful will our love and light be if we sob beneath the realization of God&apos;s?

Love and Light

The Excel Still More podcast is designed to help Christians excel in their faith, their relationships, and really every part of their lives. If you are interested in growth in your faith, this is the show for you. If you want to see yourself reach greater heights, achieve powerful spiritual goals, and be a better servant of Christ, we are here to help. Each episode introduces a proven principle for achieving more. Then we show how the Word of God amplifies the idea. Finally, each episode will leave you with at least one practical project so you can put these tools into action today!Thanks for joining! Live your best life in Christ, and in whatever you do: Excel Still More!

hubhopper

Excel Still More

hubhopper