Honest Evangelism 

Rico Tice, The Good Book Company (2015)

This book may be short in pages but it is very long in its wisdom and its practical advice to all Christians who want to know how to evangelise. On the surface it is a very easy read, but deceptively so – it contains profound truths that repay deep study. It is not without its challenges but each one is fully explored and advice offered as to how they can be overcome.

The subtitle is ‘How to talk about Jesus even when it’s tough’, and that’s exactly it. All of us as Christians and disciples who have taken up the cross to follow Jesus are beholden to witness for him. It is part of the Great Commission. But it is no easy task to do. In fact being a Christian is probably the hardest thing any of us can do if we are going to do itproperly. Every day we are faced with challenges to which we have to respond – moral, ethical, philosophical, sociological, religious – and there is the often overwhelming feeling that our response falls short of the required mark. But at the very least we have to try to respond as Jesus would and also, at the very least, we have to be alive to any opportunity to witness for him.

Every Christian should read this book (and that’s praise indeed) from the ‘ordinary’ (whatever that is) person in the pew to the minister taking the service. It offers clear, practical guidelines, backed up by Scripture and leads the reader step by step into a position whereby he has the confidence and the tools to evangelise. The back of the book contains some very useful resources. However, it doesn’t pull its punches. It is honest that telling people about Jesus can be painful and harmful and can lead to all sorts of problems. But at the same time it’s a most wonderful, joyous thing to do that brings its own rewards that are everlasting.

Reviewed by Ray Taylor