“Can the Bible Change Me?” – Southampton Evangelism

Today’s outreach began with great encouragement. As we set up the open-air board, a man in his mid-30s stopped to chat. He told us that ten years ago in Basingstoke, he had been in the town centre when he heard an open-air preacher speaking about how no one is good enough for Heaven. The man walked away but later returned to the preachers, who then shared the gospel with him. He went away with a copy of John’s Gospel, read it, and was saved.

The man later tried to find the preachers but was never able to. For ten years, he had wondered who they were—he could remember their message and how they preached, but he never got to tell them that the Lord had saved him. When he saw our open-air board, he knew we were from the same ministry. His testimony encouraged us, reminding us that we never know what the Lord is doing. We were also able to identify the preachers from ten years ago and have now put one of them in touch with the man. For those who labour in the open air—keep going! You never know where the seed of the gospel will fall.

After this encouragement, we got busy handing out tracts and telling people about Jesus. Mike Mellor preached first on the subject of “Symptoms.” Using the problems of society, he demonstrated that these issues stem from a rejection of God. As he preached, a couple of people walked past, shouting out comments, but the saddest moment was when Mike asked, “Are you brave enough to die without God?” An older lady responded, “Yes!” That bravado may seem strong now, but it will come back to haunt her on Judgement Day.

As Mike preached, I spoke with two young ladies at the literature table. Both are university students and had been considering reading the Bible. Neither had a copy of the Scriptures, so after hearing the good news, they each took a New Testament.

I preached next; today, I spoke on “Are You Good Enough for Heaven?” Using God’s standards, I showed that all of us have fallen short and that this is why we need the Saviour. A mother and son listened intently, and both took copies of John’s Gospel at the end.

Southampton is blessed with numerous preachers, so we took turns one after another. Next up was Richard, who spoke on “The Power of Words.” He did an excellent job pointing to Jesus as the One who will judge our words but who also gives the words of life. He was followed by Ben, who preached on “You Can See the Truth, But Will You?” Using the complexity argument, he demonstrated that things require a designer. This then enabled him to point to God as the Creator and explain the gospel. Ben was followed by Jeremy, who preached on “Warning: Six Deadly Lies.”

While much of our time was dedicated to open-air preaching, that wasn’t all we did. There were also many conversations taking place. Both Nigel and Jeremy spoke with Muslims, and I had a chat with an older lady using a walker. She struggled up to the literature table and examined the material. Pointing to the Bible, she asked, “Can the Bible change me?” This lady knew something wasn’t right and sensed that a change was needed—she wondered if the Scriptures might provide the answer.

I responded, “That book will tell you of the One who can forgive all your sins and transform every aspect of your life.” The lady quickly picked up the Bible, saying, “I really need to read this!” I was able to share with her briefly and give her more gospel material.

It was an encouraging day in Southampton, and we press on, knowing that the Lord will advance His gospel. Please pray for all those who heard the good news.

SDG!

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Josh Williamson is a full-time evangelist with The Open-Air Mission. Since 1853, OAM has been sharing the good news on the streets of the United Kingdom. To stay updated about the work of the Mission, please sign up for the free quarterly magazine and monthly prayer notes.

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