Using Supernatural Experiences in Evangelism, Part One

When witnessing to postmoderns, it can be helpful to talk about supernatural experiences we have had with God. I recall a conversation I had not long ago with a young friend who is agnostic. He wanted to know how I could be sure there is a God. Though he is still young, he is widely read and quite articulate about his agnostic faith. Though I could have given him a long list of Bible verses for why I believe in God, that would have been pointless since he does not accept the Bible as truth. However, I believe there is power in the Word, so I wanted to share some Scripture with him. I decided to only share two or three Bible verses with him that had special meaning to me. Then I went on to share a significant number of personal experiences I have had in my life that proved to me that God is real.

One example I shared with him is what I call the green bean miracle. When I was a young father, my daughter pulled a pot of boiling green beans off the stove. She should have been horribly burned, but through God’s power, the green beans landed in a circle around her body, with hot boiling water running all over the floor around her. Not a drop of boiling water or a single hot green bean landed on her. It was a miracle. It is scientifically impossible for such a thing to happen, yet it did. The green bean miracle is not a matter of faith because the experience actually happened. It is a historical fact. It is a real experience shared by my family. It is but one of many proofs of God ’s existence I have experienced in my own life.

Though only one supernatural experience is enough to prove God ’s existence to me, God has chosen to give me a long list of such experiences. Each experience reinforces the reality of God’s existence in my mind. Postmodern people are very intrigued when we share such examples of God’s activities in our personal lives. While no personal experience can ever out weigh the Word of God, when we share an experience alongside a key Bible verse, it can be a powerful combination to help young people understand the reality of God.

Adapted from Dr. Dorsett’s book, Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church, published by CrossBooks, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources.