The Power of Story: Rediscovering the Oldest, Most Natural Way to Reach People for Christ

by Leighton Ford, James Denney

You have a story to tell. This book will help you tell it. In this age of high-tech communication and endless formulas for successful evangelism, the most effective way to lead others to Christ is, surprisingly, also the oldest, purest, and most natural-the same way that Jesus, Paul, and all the early evangelists told the great story of God's grace. In The Power of Story, Dr. Leighton Ford explains how you, too, can experience the joy of leading others to Christ-simply by telling them the story of how God has impacted your life. "Evangelism isn't about formulas and programs," Dr. Ford says. "It's about what God has done in our lives. Evangelism is the result of God's story intersecting with our story. He is the evangelist-not us." To illustrate what can happen when we share our story with those around us, Dr. Ford weaves through the book a tale of three friends whose lives are touched, one by one, by the power of God's Story. By carefully examining the words and actions of the Christian men and women who tell their stories to Ben, Judith, and Darrell, Dr. Ford reveals how a few simple words and small acts of Christian kindness can have eternal results. If you have become a part of the story of God, then you have a story to tell to those around you. "They are eager to hear it," writes Dr. Ford. "They are dying to hear it. Any Christian can be an evangelist-and every Christian should."

Genres: Christian

186 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1994

About the author

Leighton Ford is president of Leighton Ford Ministries. He served for many years as an evangelist with Billy Graham, and was featured as the alternate speaker to Billy Graham on the Hour of Decision broadcast. He also served for nearly twenty years as chairman of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, an international body of Christian leaders, and for many years has mentored emerging leaders all over the world. The author or coauthor of numerous books, including Transforming Leadership and The Attentive Life, Ford lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leighton Ford presents a way to share the good news of forgiveness and new life in Christ because of His death on the cross:

Story -> Vision -> Character -> Evangelism


Hearing God's story of His activity to redeem us creates a vision in our life which transforms our character which leads us to share with others.

The book is a parable of three friends who meet at the Olympics, Barcelona 1992 and come back together a few years later at the Atlanta Olympics

Easy read, fun.

He has good insight on 'how to get a vision': pray for a vision, seek the Holy Spirit.
- Observe what is going on around you, what God is doing around you
- Reflect on what you observe
- Act on what you observe and reflect about (on what He reveals to you)

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dated (1994), but helpful in delineating the need to be more personal and connected to people if we want to have an impact for the Good News.