Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.
Synopsis
Effective soul winning begins with a simple, unhurried friendship. The FORT principle—asking about Family, Occupation, Religion, and then sharing Testimony—offers a natural bridge into spiritual conversation, following the pattern Paul used before King Agrippa in Acts 26, moving from his past, to his conversion, to what Christ now means to him. Every believer can prepare a brief, three-part testimony: life before Christ, how conversion happened, and life since. The gospel itself should be presented with striking simplicity: God is the beginning of everything and loves us; sin has separated humanity from Him; Jesus is God's answer, having come, lived, died, risen, and now intercedes for us; and each hearer must personally choose to receive Him. Once this foundation is laid, the leader turns to finding interests—visitors, Bible-course graduates, community-service contacts, and others already drawn toward the church. The most fruitful of all sources, however, is the oikos principle: the Greek word for household, describing one's own network of relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Just as Matthew's conversion immediately brought many of his own tax-collector friends to dine with Jesus, every believer has a personal oikos of about five people who can be identified, prayed for, and cultivated through a deliberate discipleship plan of prayer, study, and contact.
Key points
- The FORT principle (Family, Occupation, Religion, Testimony) offers a natural, friendly way to move a conversation toward spiritual matters.
- A brief personal testimony follows Paul's pattern in Acts 26: life before Christ, how conversion occurred, and life since.
- The simple gospel presents God's love, humanity's separation through sin, Christ as God's solution, and the need for a personal decision.
- The oikos principle—reaching one's own household of relatives and friends—is the most productive method of finding genuine interests.
Key texts
- Acts 26:16-23
- Mark 2:14-15
- Mark 1:17
From the book
Session 8 · Personal Ministries Handbook pp. 28–35 · Read the handbook
- “Present the gospel in its simplicity. Follow Christ's example, and you will have the reward of seeing your students won to Him.” (book p. 30)
- “This was the way the Christian church was established. Christ first selected a few persons and bade them follow Him. They then went in search of their relatives and acquaintances, and brought them to Christ. This is the way we are to labor.” (book p. 31)
- “If you fish with a hook, you catch one fish at a time. If you fish with a net, you get many fish at the same time. The oikos principle is fishing with a net.” (book p. 31)
Put it into practice
- Write out your own three-to-five minute testimony using the before/conversion/since pattern.
- Practice the FORT principle in a natural conversation with someone this week.
- Draw your personal oikos diagram and list five people or groups you want to win to Christ.
- Begin a discipleship plan for your oikos: one third prayer, one third study, one third contact.
- Comprehension
1. What do the letters in the FORT principle stand for?
- Scripture
2. How does Paul's appearance before Agrippa in Acts 26 model an effective testimony?
- Doctrinal Clarity
3. What is the Greek word 'oikos' and how does the Handbook use it?
- Scripture
4. How does Matthew's calling illustrate the oikos principle?
- Contrast
5. Contrast fishing with a hook versus fishing with a net as used in the Handbook.
- Comprehension
6. What are the four essential elements of the simple gospel presentation?
- Doctrinal Clarity
7. Why is a personal decision necessary even after someone understands the gospel intellectually?
- Application
8. Who are the five people in your own oikos, and what is one step you will take this month to reach them?