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Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel
Many think evangelism is rooted in a method. It is rooted in something much deeper. It is found in what makes us whole and healthy messengers of God's truth about Jesus. Mack Stiles has lived the life of the healthy evangelist in homes and coffee shops, at universities and farms. He has lived out and spoken about the gospel to Kenyans, Koreans, Arabs and North Americans. What he has learned around the world and at home is summarized here in a few basic truths that can shape any of us into faithful people who bring good news to needy and hurting friends. The whole gospel changes much more than our relationship with God. Stiles shows how it changes all of who we are and what we do. It means learning the whole gospel without shaping its message to meet our tastes. It means not just going through the motions of accepted behaviors. It means showing the unity of witness and justice. It means love. It means community. Join Mack Stiles in a life-giving adventure of boldly knowing, living and speaking the gospel.
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2010
43 people are currently reading
495 people want to read
About the author
J. Mack Stiles
10 books27 followersJ. Mack Stiles is CEO of Gulf Digital Solutions and general secretary for the Fellowship of Christian UAE Students (FOCUS) in the United Arab Emirates. He has worked for many years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
January 10, 2026
I always like to start my reading year off in January with a shorter book that is encouraging, devotional, but also challenging. J. Mack Stiles book, Marks of a Messenger: Knowing, Living, and Speaking the Gospel, did just that. Stiles shares his purpose for writing: “I'm trying to write a book about basic ideas that make up healthy evangelism before we ever share our faith” (112).
Stiles is friends with Mark Dever and wrote the excellent little book, Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series. Like all the books in that series, Stiles’ book highlights the congregational perspective for evangelism. This congregational mindset is often overlooked and was a refreshing, practical reminder.
Now in this book, Stiles focuses on another oft overlooked perspective regarding evangelism: being a “healthy evangelist.” Like the 9Marks emphasis of nine marks of a healthy church. Stiles presents nine marks of a healthy messenger of the gospel.
Perhaps no greater recommendation could be given for this book than this firsthand account from another reviewer:
“Sat in a car with D A Carson and a group of pastors heading to a conference. Asked for a recommended book on evangelism. Without pause Don Carson recommended this book. He said it was the best book on evangelism he had ever read.”
Here’s Carson’s published endorsement:
"I do not think I have ever read a book on evangelism that makes me more eager to pass it on than this one—better, that makes me more eager to evangelize than this one. Like its author, the book is irrepressible Better yet, it is faithfed to Scripture while overflowing with that least common gift, common sense. Read it, practice it, then buy some more and pass them out."
I heartily agree!
Stiles is friends with Mark Dever and wrote the excellent little book, Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series. Like all the books in that series, Stiles’ book highlights the congregational perspective for evangelism. This congregational mindset is often overlooked and was a refreshing, practical reminder.
Now in this book, Stiles focuses on another oft overlooked perspective regarding evangelism: being a “healthy evangelist.” Like the 9Marks emphasis of nine marks of a healthy church. Stiles presents nine marks of a healthy messenger of the gospel.
Perhaps no greater recommendation could be given for this book than this firsthand account from another reviewer:
“Sat in a car with D A Carson and a group of pastors heading to a conference. Asked for a recommended book on evangelism. Without pause Don Carson recommended this book. He said it was the best book on evangelism he had ever read.”
Here’s Carson’s published endorsement:
"I do not think I have ever read a book on evangelism that makes me more eager to pass it on than this one—better, that makes me more eager to evangelize than this one. Like its author, the book is irrepressible Better yet, it is faithfed to Scripture while overflowing with that least common gift, common sense. Read it, practice it, then buy some more and pass them out."
I heartily agree!
January 16, 2026
Clear, succinct, and focused. Rather than techniques or strategies, Stiles reminds the reader what the central point of the Gospel is and what it is not. By clarifying these points, he is able to tie in what priorities a "healthy evangelist" needs to keep in mind when presenting a clear presentation of the Gospel.
A warm and welcome read for those who want to know what it means to evangelize.
A warm and welcome read for those who want to know what it means to evangelize.
June 7, 2023
Short Summary: A short book on what a Christian "messenger" looks like by starting off with what it means to "be" a Christian and then what a Christian's life should look like. This includes exhortations to center on the gospel, to truly understand Christ, the gospel, and our own identities in Christ well, and what a gospel-centered life looks like.
Key Takeaways:
• Understanding who Jesus is and who he wants us to be (before we understand what he wants us to do) is an important part of knowing that we follow Jesus and not our idealized form of Jesus.
• We must understand the gospel rightly to avoid the danger of mutilating the gospel or misrepresenting the gospel in our lives.
My thoughts in comparing this book's page 27/28 in conjunction with Philosophy: Christian Perspectives for the New Millennium:
Those who claim Christians are only Christians because they need a crutch need to be shown the crutches they themselves lean on. Perhaps defining what a crutch is, examining what types of crutches exist other than religion. Can also attack the "need" aspect. Needing something isn't a direct correlation to inaccuracy or failure. We all need things, food, water, etc. and are not wrong for needing them. Need does not denote failure or inaccuracy. That simply is a discussion on why and how a person came to rely on either the truth or lie of religion. So one must examine the claims of a God, etc. based on the merits of the argument themselves. We do not want to get hung up on the psychology of faith but rather the reality of the Gospel.
• People need to see the depth of their sin so that they come to a fuller understanding of the depth of God's grace.
• "God's love is his most magnificent characteristic. This is so assumed in Western culture it's practically lost all meaning, but one thing that distinguishes God's love is how his love, his perfect, tender, self-sacrificing love, holds back his red-hot, scorching wrath." (p. 32)
• "Losing the gospel doesn't happen all at once; it's much more like a four generation process too:
The gospel is accepted -->
The gospel is assumed -->
The gospel is confused -->
The gospel is lost
• "They assumed he was a Christian. To assume the gospel is the first step to losing the gospel. An assumed gospel leaves the message of the gospel unspoken and implicit. Assuming the gospel is a lazy forgetfulness that we are in a battle. Don't let the fact that you attend a good church or are involved with a good Christian organization lull you into thinking you don't have to worry about the gospel. The battle against assuming the gospel is ongoing and lifelong." pg. 40-41
• We must make living out the gospel a regular cycle of our lives.
• "Sin is the expectation. Grace is the unusual thing in the world."
• "So, is caring for others 'the gospel'? Is that evangelism? No, not without the spoken message of the gospel of Jesus.
• 5 Principles of biblical conversion with must be understood (worth reviewing in the book):
1. Conversion is required.
2. Conversion requires understanding.
3. True conversion requires genuine faith.
4. A radically changed life attests to true conversion.
5. Conversion results from God's action
• "Boldness is not a lack of fear. It is faith in something bigger than our fears so that we appear fearless. Confidence in something bigger than our fears gives us the strength to do the right thing in spite of opposition or persecution." Pg. 82
• So first we replace our fear of man with an understanding of God as judge… So second, we replace any timidity by tapping into the Spirit's power… Third, then, we replace our fears with heartfelt commitment to Christ's lordship." Pg. 86
• "We tend to hate putting people on the spot, but the gospel is not really the gospel without letting people know that a response is required." Pg. 89
• 3 Primary ways biblical view of God's love differs from pop culture (worth reviewing in the book)
1. Pop culture believes God's love is sentimental
2. Pop culture believes God's love is universal and unconditional
3. Pop culture believes that God's love is me-centered
Application Points:
-When sharing the gospel, make sure to clarify that a response is required.
-Do not assume the gospel and do not believe that the spoken gospel can be replaced with an example of what a Christian life looks like. (My own thought: Expecting the gospel to be seen in our lives is almost
-Help people see their sin so that they can come to a fuller understanding the depth of God's grace.
-Replacing the fear of man requires understanding God to be judge, tapping into the Spirit's power, and then replacing our fears with a commitment to Christ.
Key Takeaways:
• Understanding who Jesus is and who he wants us to be (before we understand what he wants us to do) is an important part of knowing that we follow Jesus and not our idealized form of Jesus.
• We must understand the gospel rightly to avoid the danger of mutilating the gospel or misrepresenting the gospel in our lives.
My thoughts in comparing this book's page 27/28 in conjunction with Philosophy: Christian Perspectives for the New Millennium:
Those who claim Christians are only Christians because they need a crutch need to be shown the crutches they themselves lean on. Perhaps defining what a crutch is, examining what types of crutches exist other than religion. Can also attack the "need" aspect. Needing something isn't a direct correlation to inaccuracy or failure. We all need things, food, water, etc. and are not wrong for needing them. Need does not denote failure or inaccuracy. That simply is a discussion on why and how a person came to rely on either the truth or lie of religion. So one must examine the claims of a God, etc. based on the merits of the argument themselves. We do not want to get hung up on the psychology of faith but rather the reality of the Gospel.
• People need to see the depth of their sin so that they come to a fuller understanding of the depth of God's grace.
• "God's love is his most magnificent characteristic. This is so assumed in Western culture it's practically lost all meaning, but one thing that distinguishes God's love is how his love, his perfect, tender, self-sacrificing love, holds back his red-hot, scorching wrath." (p. 32)
• "Losing the gospel doesn't happen all at once; it's much more like a four generation process too:
The gospel is accepted -->
The gospel is assumed -->
The gospel is confused -->
The gospel is lost
• "They assumed he was a Christian. To assume the gospel is the first step to losing the gospel. An assumed gospel leaves the message of the gospel unspoken and implicit. Assuming the gospel is a lazy forgetfulness that we are in a battle. Don't let the fact that you attend a good church or are involved with a good Christian organization lull you into thinking you don't have to worry about the gospel. The battle against assuming the gospel is ongoing and lifelong." pg. 40-41
• We must make living out the gospel a regular cycle of our lives.
• "Sin is the expectation. Grace is the unusual thing in the world."
• "So, is caring for others 'the gospel'? Is that evangelism? No, not without the spoken message of the gospel of Jesus.
• 5 Principles of biblical conversion with must be understood (worth reviewing in the book):
1. Conversion is required.
2. Conversion requires understanding.
3. True conversion requires genuine faith.
4. A radically changed life attests to true conversion.
5. Conversion results from God's action
• "Boldness is not a lack of fear. It is faith in something bigger than our fears so that we appear fearless. Confidence in something bigger than our fears gives us the strength to do the right thing in spite of opposition or persecution." Pg. 82
• So first we replace our fear of man with an understanding of God as judge… So second, we replace any timidity by tapping into the Spirit's power… Third, then, we replace our fears with heartfelt commitment to Christ's lordship." Pg. 86
• "We tend to hate putting people on the spot, but the gospel is not really the gospel without letting people know that a response is required." Pg. 89
• 3 Primary ways biblical view of God's love differs from pop culture (worth reviewing in the book)
1. Pop culture believes God's love is sentimental
2. Pop culture believes God's love is universal and unconditional
3. Pop culture believes that God's love is me-centered
Application Points:
-When sharing the gospel, make sure to clarify that a response is required.
-Do not assume the gospel and do not believe that the spoken gospel can be replaced with an example of what a Christian life looks like. (My own thought: Expecting the gospel to be seen in our lives is almost
-Help people see their sin so that they can come to a fuller understanding the depth of God's grace.
-Replacing the fear of man requires understanding God to be judge, tapping into the Spirit's power, and then replacing our fears with a commitment to Christ.
July 1, 2025
I'm not a book double dipper; tunnel vision for one book is typically more my style. But as I find it, "Middlemarch" is 800 pages and I need a palate cleanser (or two), and the Holy Spirit faithfully led me to this book at the exact time I needed it! Praise the Lord.
I feel like the providence of God's timing in this book deeply influenced how much I valued it. This was a book gifted to me by my dear university pastor as a graduation present :) It has traveled with me home to home over the last four years—Toronto to Akron to Memphis and finally NYC! Although it has stood on my shelf all these years, I did not feel compelled to read it until the morning of a church-organized street evangelism event—an event I have fondly and consistently enjoyed over the past year. It was on the train, en route to the event, that I read the first chapter on pragmatic evangelism. Oof. I was extremely excited to GO (hehe), but found myself on autopilot as my partner and I walked around the city sharing the gospel and praying for our neighbors.
As I reflected afterward, I realized pragmatism had dulled me. I had gotten used to “doing evangelism” in a way that elevates success and method over the heart of it all - a faithfulness to the Great Comission for the glory of Jesus. I love Mack’s shift from asking, “What works?” to “Who are we to be as evangelists?” This reorientation moves us away from a programmatic approach to a personal and identity anchoring. I want to be an evangelist who is more concerned with faithfulness in sharing Christ clearly than I am with “results.”
For years I’ve felt a slight kicking feeling whenever people throw around the phrase “This is the gospel!” so flippantly. The Holy Spirit has given me a growing discernment for when people are actually sharing the gospel versus merely naming its implications. I love that Mack writes about the dangers of “adding” and “subtracting” from the gospel story—and the effects these distortions have. For example, Mack says that “subtracting” from the gospel could look like minimizing the true weight of sin. Mack writes, “It [when we omit the weight of sin in the gospel story] makes for weak disciples of Jesus. People who have a weak view of their own sin, for example, will carry a weak view of grace and love.”
“Human additions to the gospel rob God of His rightful glory.” And a lot of this, I think, comes from a place of pride (at least for me it does). For me to assume that I know how to “fit” the gospel to other people’s life contexts is silly!
The Guarding the Gospel chapter was so interesting! I love 2 Timothy 2:2, where Paul talks about the faithfulness of generation to generation passing on the gospel—it encourages me in my own disciple-making. Mack takes this verse and shows the importance of guarding the gospel from generation to generation by preaching it in its fullest dignity and truth. Then he shows the consequences when it is not handled with dignity and truth using this sobering progression: The gospel is accepted (generation 1) → the gospel is assumed (generation 2) → the gospel is confused (generation 3) → the gospel is lost (generation 4).
Considering the culture around me—both secular and within the church—I feel like we are on the precipice of generation 2: the gospel is assumed. Again, whenever I hear friends or even pastors toss around the phrase “This is the gospel!” so carelessly, it worries me!! It makes me think: we are in generation 2. And that’s something I should be praying over more intentionally. It also convicts me to solidify my own understanding of the gospel.
Also—can I just say—I really appreciate a bullet point list in a book. My Gen Z attention span can’t always retain or unpack sprawling theological dense exposition, so Mack’s lists on conversion markers, how to love your church, and the final chapter—the manifesto—were clear and easy to receive!
In the “Take Action” section of the final chapter, Mack urges readers to spend time with new believers—not only to help them grow in their faith, but also because new believers are often still closely connected to nonbelieving friends, creating natural opportunities for further ministry. The conviction hit me like a cartoon anvil—straight to the head. Honestly, this book pulled back the curtain on a lot of my pride (which feels like a recurring theme the Lord is shouting in my life right now!!).
My church has been preaching that church life—service, community groups, the cozy Sunday rhythms—is the huddle, not the game. And I must admit, I love the huddle. I thrive in the huddle! Maybe even prefer it to the game itself! Lately, I’ve been wrestling with where my “game” actually is. Beyond the beautiful people of NYC, I think it might be my newer believer friends—the ones I often hold at a distance. Not out of anything malicious, but out of a desire to stay in the comfort zone of those who are already “equally yoked.” Praying for a softer heart and a deeper humility—for the courage to draw near to friends who are just beginning their journey with Jesus.
My final sub-point is one of adoration: specifically, a love for the church! I’ve always loved church, though the reasoning behind that affection has evolved (and I would like to think has matured) over the years. At first, I loved being around people who looked like me, ate like me, talked like me. Then I loved it as a space where I felt known, loved, and seen. And now—I am challenged by it. Church has always been a spiritual home and a formative force. Over the past year, I’ve come to more fully grasp the value of the church in relation to the Great Commission. Mack states it simply: “The church does not exist as a way to fulfill us; it demonstrates the truth of Christ to a watching world.” It's in the unity of the body that non-believers witness the true love of Christ. A love that is sacrificial, forgiving, gentle, and a reflection of Christ's heart for His people!
One star off because I think Mack threw in some phrases that felt like sweeping theological generalizations—with big jumps and even bigger assumptions in between. I understand this book is about evangelism and would’ve been much, much longer had he dwelled on all the intricacies of repentance or the layers of what it means to find joy in the Lord—but still, worth noting. Might not be the best read for a new believer. Also, I didn’t love some of his anecdotes—I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but a few felt a little too... tidy?
All in all: This book convicted and clarified. It calls me out of autopilot and into the deep end—where evangelism is not a tactic but a life. It reminded me of the weight of the gospel, the necessity of guarding it, and the beauty of sharing it with others—not as a strategy, but as an identity rooted in Christ.
Random quotes dump:
- "We never get beyond the gospel in our Christian life to something more advanced. The gospel is not the first step in a stairway of truthsl rather, it is more like the hub in a wheel of truth. The gospel is not just the A-B-C's but the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not just the minimum reuqired doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom." - Tim Keller
- "Caring for others represents the gospel, it upholds the gospel, it points to the gospel, it's an implication of the gospel, but it is not the gospel, and it is not equal to the gospel." I think the first three words can be replaced with many things and thats when we get careless with "This is the gospel" statements.
- Fear of God > fear of man ---> leads us to Godly boldness
- On wordly love: "Sentimental loves gives up truth, and universal love gives up justice, me - centered love gives up sacrifice."
Thank you Max for this book!
I feel like the providence of God's timing in this book deeply influenced how much I valued it. This was a book gifted to me by my dear university pastor as a graduation present :) It has traveled with me home to home over the last four years—Toronto to Akron to Memphis and finally NYC! Although it has stood on my shelf all these years, I did not feel compelled to read it until the morning of a church-organized street evangelism event—an event I have fondly and consistently enjoyed over the past year. It was on the train, en route to the event, that I read the first chapter on pragmatic evangelism. Oof. I was extremely excited to GO (hehe), but found myself on autopilot as my partner and I walked around the city sharing the gospel and praying for our neighbors.
As I reflected afterward, I realized pragmatism had dulled me. I had gotten used to “doing evangelism” in a way that elevates success and method over the heart of it all - a faithfulness to the Great Comission for the glory of Jesus. I love Mack’s shift from asking, “What works?” to “Who are we to be as evangelists?” This reorientation moves us away from a programmatic approach to a personal and identity anchoring. I want to be an evangelist who is more concerned with faithfulness in sharing Christ clearly than I am with “results.”
For years I’ve felt a slight kicking feeling whenever people throw around the phrase “This is the gospel!” so flippantly. The Holy Spirit has given me a growing discernment for when people are actually sharing the gospel versus merely naming its implications. I love that Mack writes about the dangers of “adding” and “subtracting” from the gospel story—and the effects these distortions have. For example, Mack says that “subtracting” from the gospel could look like minimizing the true weight of sin. Mack writes, “It [when we omit the weight of sin in the gospel story] makes for weak disciples of Jesus. People who have a weak view of their own sin, for example, will carry a weak view of grace and love.”
“Human additions to the gospel rob God of His rightful glory.” And a lot of this, I think, comes from a place of pride (at least for me it does). For me to assume that I know how to “fit” the gospel to other people’s life contexts is silly!
The Guarding the Gospel chapter was so interesting! I love 2 Timothy 2:2, where Paul talks about the faithfulness of generation to generation passing on the gospel—it encourages me in my own disciple-making. Mack takes this verse and shows the importance of guarding the gospel from generation to generation by preaching it in its fullest dignity and truth. Then he shows the consequences when it is not handled with dignity and truth using this sobering progression: The gospel is accepted (generation 1) → the gospel is assumed (generation 2) → the gospel is confused (generation 3) → the gospel is lost (generation 4).
Considering the culture around me—both secular and within the church—I feel like we are on the precipice of generation 2: the gospel is assumed. Again, whenever I hear friends or even pastors toss around the phrase “This is the gospel!” so carelessly, it worries me!! It makes me think: we are in generation 2. And that’s something I should be praying over more intentionally. It also convicts me to solidify my own understanding of the gospel.
Also—can I just say—I really appreciate a bullet point list in a book. My Gen Z attention span can’t always retain or unpack sprawling theological dense exposition, so Mack’s lists on conversion markers, how to love your church, and the final chapter—the manifesto—were clear and easy to receive!
In the “Take Action” section of the final chapter, Mack urges readers to spend time with new believers—not only to help them grow in their faith, but also because new believers are often still closely connected to nonbelieving friends, creating natural opportunities for further ministry. The conviction hit me like a cartoon anvil—straight to the head. Honestly, this book pulled back the curtain on a lot of my pride (which feels like a recurring theme the Lord is shouting in my life right now!!).
My church has been preaching that church life—service, community groups, the cozy Sunday rhythms—is the huddle, not the game. And I must admit, I love the huddle. I thrive in the huddle! Maybe even prefer it to the game itself! Lately, I’ve been wrestling with where my “game” actually is. Beyond the beautiful people of NYC, I think it might be my newer believer friends—the ones I often hold at a distance. Not out of anything malicious, but out of a desire to stay in the comfort zone of those who are already “equally yoked.” Praying for a softer heart and a deeper humility—for the courage to draw near to friends who are just beginning their journey with Jesus.
My final sub-point is one of adoration: specifically, a love for the church! I’ve always loved church, though the reasoning behind that affection has evolved (and I would like to think has matured) over the years. At first, I loved being around people who looked like me, ate like me, talked like me. Then I loved it as a space where I felt known, loved, and seen. And now—I am challenged by it. Church has always been a spiritual home and a formative force. Over the past year, I’ve come to more fully grasp the value of the church in relation to the Great Commission. Mack states it simply: “The church does not exist as a way to fulfill us; it demonstrates the truth of Christ to a watching world.” It's in the unity of the body that non-believers witness the true love of Christ. A love that is sacrificial, forgiving, gentle, and a reflection of Christ's heart for His people!
One star off because I think Mack threw in some phrases that felt like sweeping theological generalizations—with big jumps and even bigger assumptions in between. I understand this book is about evangelism and would’ve been much, much longer had he dwelled on all the intricacies of repentance or the layers of what it means to find joy in the Lord—but still, worth noting. Might not be the best read for a new believer. Also, I didn’t love some of his anecdotes—I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but a few felt a little too... tidy?
All in all: This book convicted and clarified. It calls me out of autopilot and into the deep end—where evangelism is not a tactic but a life. It reminded me of the weight of the gospel, the necessity of guarding it, and the beauty of sharing it with others—not as a strategy, but as an identity rooted in Christ.
Random quotes dump:
- "We never get beyond the gospel in our Christian life to something more advanced. The gospel is not the first step in a stairway of truthsl rather, it is more like the hub in a wheel of truth. The gospel is not just the A-B-C's but the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not just the minimum reuqired doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom." - Tim Keller
- "Caring for others represents the gospel, it upholds the gospel, it points to the gospel, it's an implication of the gospel, but it is not the gospel, and it is not equal to the gospel." I think the first three words can be replaced with many things and thats when we get careless with "This is the gospel" statements.
- Fear of God > fear of man ---> leads us to Godly boldness
- On wordly love: "Sentimental loves gives up truth, and universal love gives up justice, me - centered love gives up sacrifice."
Thank you Max for this book!
January 1, 2013
Sat in a car with D A Carson and a group of pastors heading to a conference. Asked for a recommended book on evangelism. Without pause Don Carson recommended this book. He said it was the best book on evangelism he had ever read. Having read it myself, I agree. Heart warming, focussing on the character of the messenger and the message...not gimmicks and 10 'how to' type drivel. Buy it, read it, be inspired by it.
January 31, 2020
Excellent book! It could be called "9 marks of a healthy evangelist." A healthy evangelist is someone who:
1. Has faith in the gospel
2. Knows the gospel
3. Guards the gospel
4. Lives out the gospel
5. Understands how evangelism is an act of social action
6. Understands conversion
7. Is bold
8. Has a biblical view of love
9. Operates within the context of the local church
1. Has faith in the gospel
2. Knows the gospel
3. Guards the gospel
4. Lives out the gospel
5. Understands how evangelism is an act of social action
6. Understands conversion
7. Is bold
8. Has a biblical view of love
9. Operates within the context of the local church
August 22, 2017
Kara and I read this for one of our church's Sunday School classes on evangelism and apologetics. This book was the one for the evangelism section. Tim Keller's book The Reason for God is the one for apologetics.
September 25, 2012
In true Mack "Stile" :-), his writing is engaging and real, like hanging out with him over a meal. His passion and experiences in personal evangelism add wonderfully to his biblical wisdom about keeping hold of the gospel in our hearts and in our interactions with those who are not yet Christians.
February 17, 2016
Nothing wrong with this book - basic, helpful. It was ok.
October 17, 2017
If I have to recommend one book to those in ministry, it's this one. Do not forget the power of the gospel!
September 16, 2019
The heart and passion of evangelism explored. This is not a step-by-step sales approach, but an gut check on how we can be sharing Christ by knowing Him so well that the gospel overflows!
September 17, 2020
Really great read. Makes me eager to reach out with the great hope we have in Jesus.
October 2, 2022
Great overview of the gospel and evangelism. Stiles asks the more important question of "Who does Christ want me to be?" first rather than asking, "How should I evangelize?".
November 3, 2021
Keeping the main thing the main thing. A good wakeup. Convicting. Practical. To be reread.
March 22, 2024
A practical and challenging little book. Mack Stiles is pastor of a church in Dubai, and his stories of encounters he’s had in his ministry were as fascinating as his winsome and Christ-centered teaching and principles related to sharing your faith with the people around you. This is now the first book I would recommend to people who want to understand how to share the story of Christ with others.
December 18, 2024
This book was such an amazing read! I often found myself verbally expressing, "yes" and "exactly!" The prioritization on Christ and His word truly added the much need reverence for our Lord regarding evangelism and who we ought to be as evangelists.
April 16, 2025
3.5/5 • In the words of the author, this is “a book about basic ideas that make up healthy evangelism before we ever share our faith” rather than a manual for HOW to share your faith. Thought provoking, but not exactly what I was hoping for.
August 31, 2025
Great book! Some similarities to his book on Evangelism he wrote in the 9-Marks Series, but has some different illustrations. I love Mack's heart! And I'm always spurred on in sharing the good news as an ambassador of King Jesus after reading his books!
July 28, 2024
Easy read that emphasized the centrality of gospel proclamation to the Christian life.
August 15, 2024
“Evangelism is not a duty to perform; it’s not a cross we must bear. It’s a privilege we’re granted.”
I would do well to remember this truth.
I would do well to remember this truth.
January 21, 2025
Encouraging reminder of the power of the gospel!
February 27, 2017
I'd heard (via podcast) Stiles preach at churches in Kentucky and the Middle East before coming across this book at a local Goodwill. Like all of the 9Marks books, this is succinct and thought-provoking. It is not an anti-evangelism book but Stiles is against the mentality that most efforts toward evangelism have cultivated. This is not a how-to guide with steps on what to say and do or scripts to follow-- you're not selling insurance. Stiles begins with encouraging the reader to ask "Christian, who do you want to be?" rather than "What do you want to do?" (p. 17). Moving from focusing on "doing" to "being" changed his life and ultimately led to moving his family to the Middle East. "Acting without a Biblical understanding of who Jesus wants us to be is the reason so many become unhealth in their spiritual lives, producing unhealthy disciples and unhealthy churches" (p. 18).
Programs and pragmatism (likely driven by a focus on numbers as growth, IMO) have created a performance mentality that has replaced Gospel-centered focus of who we are in Christ. "Pragmatic evangelism counts: converts, members, programs but rarely counts faithfulness..." Evangelism becomes a way to fill seats or lead someone to a conclusion/decision rather than Jesus. We focus on methods rather than being who we are meant to be in Christ. "Play jazz if you want, but play to glorify God in and of itself, not to do evangelism." "People don't come to faith because of the excellence of our presentation or because we provided the perfect circumstance...(but) because God draws them" (p. 77). "The ultimate mark of conversion...is not walking an aisle, but picking up a cross" (Dever).
Stiles cautions evangelists against "assuming the Gospel," or assuming basic biblical literacy or true understanding of who Jesus is. Test: "Could you have preached that sermon if Christ had not died on the cross?" Does the message connect us with the identify of who we are or rather focus on doing more? It depends less on you than your pride wants to admit.
Stiles tells a powerful story of leading a group of youth on a trip to Guatemala where they come across the place of a massacre of local Christians, which suddenly identifies for them the lost parents of the orphans they have been ministering to in the nearby village. The natural questions lead to "what can we do?" but Stiles again notes that what matters is understanding who we are to be in the midst of suffering, persecution, and injustice. A sociologist researching Guatemala found that Christian social justice movements, initially well-intentioned, resulted in murder. Advocacy, aid and social programs "upholds the gospel... but it is not the gospel, and it is not equal to the gospel." The mayor of a village explains that hearing the real gospel-- how Jesus died to save them from their sins and was resurrected proving it was enough -- remarkably changed the lives of many men in the area and "did more to eliminate hunger than fish farms or crop rotation ever did. We must never forget that the gospel brings more long-term social good than any governmental program ever developed." The gospel is not me-centered and God is not in the business of making everything as we think it should be.
Stiles encourages the reader to practice "the gospel in a minute." I would second that but add that you need to practice it (and your testimony) in the simplest English possible to reach the widest audience. I recently did that in ESL training and found it helpful--particularly if you're a language learner and are familiar with what the top 1,000 words are in a given language. Stiles also encourages prayer, out of a normal habit as we're encouraged by the Apostle Paul, but also for opportunities and wisdom.
Apologetics and arguments take up a lot of Christians' study and training, but "the best way to demonstrate that Jesus is from the Father and that we are his followers is not through method or techniques or apologetics. It's through loving, unified community among believers" (ie: just as Jesus prayed for)(p. 105). Being united in love, as we're supposed to be, does more to invite people to Jesus than anything we could formulate or memorize as a script.
My criticism of the book are that the examples of evangelism in given from Stiles' own life come largely from people who already acknowledge God and reject secular humanism and are already exploring the idea of Jesus-- ie: Muslims and Hindu immigrants in the Middle East who visit his church. Example: He leads an Indian man to faith after the man's entire family had come to faith and passed a Bible on to him, which he was already exploring. He's debating Muslims who at least agree with him on the existence of Jesus. There's less insight for loving and speaking to a rigid atheist who believes in a multiverse.
Stiles gains points for putting his personal email in the book with an invitation to contact him. (Would that every author would do that.) He also has the Kentucky connection working in his favor in my review.
4 stars out of 5.
Programs and pragmatism (likely driven by a focus on numbers as growth, IMO) have created a performance mentality that has replaced Gospel-centered focus of who we are in Christ. "Pragmatic evangelism counts: converts, members, programs but rarely counts faithfulness..." Evangelism becomes a way to fill seats or lead someone to a conclusion/decision rather than Jesus. We focus on methods rather than being who we are meant to be in Christ. "Play jazz if you want, but play to glorify God in and of itself, not to do evangelism." "People don't come to faith because of the excellence of our presentation or because we provided the perfect circumstance...(but) because God draws them" (p. 77). "The ultimate mark of conversion...is not walking an aisle, but picking up a cross" (Dever).
Stiles cautions evangelists against "assuming the Gospel," or assuming basic biblical literacy or true understanding of who Jesus is. Test: "Could you have preached that sermon if Christ had not died on the cross?" Does the message connect us with the identify of who we are or rather focus on doing more? It depends less on you than your pride wants to admit.
Stiles tells a powerful story of leading a group of youth on a trip to Guatemala where they come across the place of a massacre of local Christians, which suddenly identifies for them the lost parents of the orphans they have been ministering to in the nearby village. The natural questions lead to "what can we do?" but Stiles again notes that what matters is understanding who we are to be in the midst of suffering, persecution, and injustice. A sociologist researching Guatemala found that Christian social justice movements, initially well-intentioned, resulted in murder. Advocacy, aid and social programs "upholds the gospel... but it is not the gospel, and it is not equal to the gospel." The mayor of a village explains that hearing the real gospel-- how Jesus died to save them from their sins and was resurrected proving it was enough -- remarkably changed the lives of many men in the area and "did more to eliminate hunger than fish farms or crop rotation ever did. We must never forget that the gospel brings more long-term social good than any governmental program ever developed." The gospel is not me-centered and God is not in the business of making everything as we think it should be.
Stiles encourages the reader to practice "the gospel in a minute." I would second that but add that you need to practice it (and your testimony) in the simplest English possible to reach the widest audience. I recently did that in ESL training and found it helpful--particularly if you're a language learner and are familiar with what the top 1,000 words are in a given language. Stiles also encourages prayer, out of a normal habit as we're encouraged by the Apostle Paul, but also for opportunities and wisdom.
Apologetics and arguments take up a lot of Christians' study and training, but "the best way to demonstrate that Jesus is from the Father and that we are his followers is not through method or techniques or apologetics. It's through loving, unified community among believers" (ie: just as Jesus prayed for)(p. 105). Being united in love, as we're supposed to be, does more to invite people to Jesus than anything we could formulate or memorize as a script.
My criticism of the book are that the examples of evangelism in given from Stiles' own life come largely from people who already acknowledge God and reject secular humanism and are already exploring the idea of Jesus-- ie: Muslims and Hindu immigrants in the Middle East who visit his church. Example: He leads an Indian man to faith after the man's entire family had come to faith and passed a Bible on to him, which he was already exploring. He's debating Muslims who at least agree with him on the existence of Jesus. There's less insight for loving and speaking to a rigid atheist who believes in a multiverse.
Stiles gains points for putting his personal email in the book with an invitation to contact him. (Would that every author would do that.) He also has the Kentucky connection working in his favor in my review.
4 stars out of 5.
September 6, 2019
Wanna hear something completely bananas? I believe that the central truth of the the universe, the thing from which all other truths derive, the thing that grounds reality and grants purpose to men is.....
...the gospel. I'm not kidding. I'll bet you've never heard that, but it's true.
J. Mack Stiles believes it too, and I'm grateful for his insights into how this should shape us. A great read.
Notes:
Pragmatic evangelism counts converts, members, programs, but rarely counts faithfulness to the message or the faithfulness of the messenger (15)
Don't peddle the gospel. "as evangelists we want to be people who are more concerned with our faithfulness in presenting Christ clearly than we are with results" (18)
Roose! (26)
An "assumed" gospel forgets to preach the gospel (33)
The gospel is not just how we enter the kingdom but how we make all progress in the kingdom (36)
Of course, acting in line with the gospel has enormous implications for healthy evangelism.
* For the healthy evangelist, living out the gospel forms our approach to the world in witness.
* The gospel shapes our view of people, since we know (to paraphrase C. S. Lewis) that being a son or daughter of Adam is enough to bow the head of any king and lift the head of any beggar.
* We do not ask, “What is ethical?” or “What is moral?” but instead ask ourselves, “Isthis in line with the message of the gospel?”
* We share our faith with joy, since our hearts are filled with gratitude about Christ’s work in us.
* We can be generous with our faith since we know God’s generous love.
* We do not fear the rejections of others since we know our acceptance is by God.
* We witness with humility since salvation is by grace alone.
* We share without manipulation because true faith is from God alone and cannot be manipulated.
* We share freely with all because we know he redeemed us; as a result, there can’t be difficult cases beyond the grace of God.
* Our proclamation of the gospel is filled with truth and grace because our message is filled with grace and truth.
Boldness (60)
We overcome our fear of man by replacing it with something bigger -- the trust of God (62)
Never use apologetics to win an argument, but do use them to deal with genuine objections to faith (83)
...the gospel. I'm not kidding. I'll bet you've never heard that, but it's true.
J. Mack Stiles believes it too, and I'm grateful for his insights into how this should shape us. A great read.
Notes:
Pragmatic evangelism counts converts, members, programs, but rarely counts faithfulness to the message or the faithfulness of the messenger (15)
Don't peddle the gospel. "as evangelists we want to be people who are more concerned with our faithfulness in presenting Christ clearly than we are with results" (18)
Roose! (26)
An "assumed" gospel forgets to preach the gospel (33)
The gospel is not just how we enter the kingdom but how we make all progress in the kingdom (36)
Of course, acting in line with the gospel has enormous implications for healthy evangelism.
* For the healthy evangelist, living out the gospel forms our approach to the world in witness.
* The gospel shapes our view of people, since we know (to paraphrase C. S. Lewis) that being a son or daughter of Adam is enough to bow the head of any king and lift the head of any beggar.
* We do not ask, “What is ethical?” or “What is moral?” but instead ask ourselves, “Isthis in line with the message of the gospel?”
* We share our faith with joy, since our hearts are filled with gratitude about Christ’s work in us.
* We can be generous with our faith since we know God’s generous love.
* We do not fear the rejections of others since we know our acceptance is by God.
* We witness with humility since salvation is by grace alone.
* We share without manipulation because true faith is from God alone and cannot be manipulated.
* We share freely with all because we know he redeemed us; as a result, there can’t be difficult cases beyond the grace of God.
* Our proclamation of the gospel is filled with truth and grace because our message is filled with grace and truth.
Boldness (60)
We overcome our fear of man by replacing it with something bigger -- the trust of God (62)
Never use apologetics to win an argument, but do use them to deal with genuine objections to faith (83)
January 3, 2013
Marks of the Messenger
“People need to see the depth of their sin so that they come to a fuller understanding of the depth of God’s grace.” (p. 31)
There is a beauty about this book. J. Mack Stiles takes the mystery of evangelism and ruins it for us all. He not only removes the excuses we have fabricated to avoid being messengers, but encourages the proper handling of the gospel message. Page after page, the logic from the foundational stones of scripture remove any doubt that Jesus has not only saved us, but enabled us to live out the mission of God. “Go deeper into the gospel. Don’t grow away from it – ever. The real work of our spiritual growth is to allow the themes of the gospel to permeate our lives.” (p. 54)
Romans 1:16 states that “the gospel, is the power of God for salvation” and this book seems to open that verse up in many ways. There is a sense from the beginning of this book, which it carries throughout, that the gospel message is vital to the salvation and the depth that message can infiltrate our lives. “Understanding that a changed life is required to attest to true conversion also guards us from thinking that the only important event is the conversion event.” (p. 77). This book warns us of misuses and common misconceptions. It helps to clarify a life dependent of the gospel story, and how being so reliant shapes our usage and conduct with the message. There is freedom as we learn or re-learn the intentional communication that will transform our lives to mimic our creator more clearly.
There are so many great quotes that can summarize this book. I leave you with this one, “as evangelists we want to be people who are more concerned with our faithfulness in presenting Christ clearly than we are with results. We want to be the kind of evangelists who take people more seriously than to manipulate them into a prayer of commitment. And we want to be people who present the gospel with care, knowing spiritual lives are at stake.” (p.23)
“People need to see the depth of their sin so that they come to a fuller understanding of the depth of God’s grace.” (p. 31)
There is a beauty about this book. J. Mack Stiles takes the mystery of evangelism and ruins it for us all. He not only removes the excuses we have fabricated to avoid being messengers, but encourages the proper handling of the gospel message. Page after page, the logic from the foundational stones of scripture remove any doubt that Jesus has not only saved us, but enabled us to live out the mission of God. “Go deeper into the gospel. Don’t grow away from it – ever. The real work of our spiritual growth is to allow the themes of the gospel to permeate our lives.” (p. 54)
Romans 1:16 states that “the gospel, is the power of God for salvation” and this book seems to open that verse up in many ways. There is a sense from the beginning of this book, which it carries throughout, that the gospel message is vital to the salvation and the depth that message can infiltrate our lives. “Understanding that a changed life is required to attest to true conversion also guards us from thinking that the only important event is the conversion event.” (p. 77). This book warns us of misuses and common misconceptions. It helps to clarify a life dependent of the gospel story, and how being so reliant shapes our usage and conduct with the message. There is freedom as we learn or re-learn the intentional communication that will transform our lives to mimic our creator more clearly.
There are so many great quotes that can summarize this book. I leave you with this one, “as evangelists we want to be people who are more concerned with our faithfulness in presenting Christ clearly than we are with results. We want to be the kind of evangelists who take people more seriously than to manipulate them into a prayer of commitment. And we want to be people who present the gospel with care, knowing spiritual lives are at stake.” (p.23)
August 11, 2011
Marks of the Messenger is not a how-to guide to evangelism, it's not steps or strategies to gaining more converts. Instead, this excellent little book by J. Mack Stiles lays the groundwork for a life that is gospel-centered and naturally evangelistic. For example:
I'm convinced that the greatest obstacle to healthy evangelism is pragmatism: "doing evangelism"...Success drives pragmatic evangelism. Pragmatic evangelism never asks the question "Who are we to be as an evangelist?" Pragmatic evangelism only asks the question "What works?" (p. 19)
J. Mack Stiles certainly didn't set out to write a faddish book (and by no means did he) yet Marks of the Messenger addresses how a life centered around the Gospel and evangelism informs how we should think about such hot topics as social justice, the missional movement in a post-Christian age, and the narcissism and self-love of our culture. When speaking of social justice, he says the following:
"The gospel message is the message that produces salvation. So we should never confuse meeting physical needs with sharing the gospel. Caring for others represents the gospel, it upholds the gospel, it points to the gospel, it's an implication of the gospel, but it is not the gospel, and it is not equal to the gospel." (pp. 68, 69)
While some may disagree with his position on social justice, every reader will find the vast majority of the book to be easily readable, applicable and commendable.
I'm convinced that the greatest obstacle to healthy evangelism is pragmatism: "doing evangelism"...Success drives pragmatic evangelism. Pragmatic evangelism never asks the question "Who are we to be as an evangelist?" Pragmatic evangelism only asks the question "What works?" (p. 19)
J. Mack Stiles certainly didn't set out to write a faddish book (and by no means did he) yet Marks of the Messenger addresses how a life centered around the Gospel and evangelism informs how we should think about such hot topics as social justice, the missional movement in a post-Christian age, and the narcissism and self-love of our culture. When speaking of social justice, he says the following:
"The gospel message is the message that produces salvation. So we should never confuse meeting physical needs with sharing the gospel. Caring for others represents the gospel, it upholds the gospel, it points to the gospel, it's an implication of the gospel, but it is not the gospel, and it is not equal to the gospel." (pp. 68, 69)
While some may disagree with his position on social justice, every reader will find the vast majority of the book to be easily readable, applicable and commendable.
May 18, 2010
Mark Dever ranked this book among Packer's Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God and Metzger's Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People, so of course I was very interested. In this truth is more about the evangelist, than evangelism itself - what it means to be a healthy evangelist. And so the three books have different perspectives, but an overlapping emphasis on the power of God through the gospel and the sovereignty of God in evangelism.
Chapter 3 by itself made the book worthwhile for me. Stiles talks about the dangers of assuming the gospel, and calls us (just like Paul does) to guard the gospel, which is the good deposit entrusted to us and passed down from generation to generation (2 Timothy 1:14). The generation that assumes the gospel is most responsible for losing it.
Overall, a great book by a great evangelist, and relatively short and easy to read.
Chapter 3 by itself made the book worthwhile for me. Stiles talks about the dangers of assuming the gospel, and calls us (just like Paul does) to guard the gospel, which is the good deposit entrusted to us and passed down from generation to generation (2 Timothy 1:14). The generation that assumes the gospel is most responsible for losing it.
Overall, a great book by a great evangelist, and relatively short and easy to read.
July 18, 2010
Stiles ends his excellent book with this, "Evangelism is not a duty to perform. It's a privilege we're granted. The privilege is ours. The greatest thing about evangelism is that we get to do it - you and me. Somehow the great Creator God allows us - protplasmic specks in the universe - to partner with Him in His grand design. It's a wonder and a mystery. To be healthy - really healthy - not just in evangelism, but in all our spiritual life, is to have a glimpse of what it means to take hold of that privilege in faith, with truth, through love, and in boldness and faithfulness to the praise of His glorious grace."
Most books on evangelism focus on the content of the message and practical helps in sharing the Gospel. Stiles touches on both of these aspects, but emphasizes the need to live in Gospel-esqe community and in a manner consistent with the Gospel before attempting to share the Gospel.
The subtitle says it all: "Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel."
For those already eager to share their faith with others, and for those who are lacking motivation to do so I would heartily recommend this pithy little book.
Most books on evangelism focus on the content of the message and practical helps in sharing the Gospel. Stiles touches on both of these aspects, but emphasizes the need to live in Gospel-esqe community and in a manner consistent with the Gospel before attempting to share the Gospel.
The subtitle says it all: "Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel."
For those already eager to share their faith with others, and for those who are lacking motivation to do so I would heartily recommend this pithy little book.
August 2, 2012
The book is about evangelism, but more than that, to rephrase the forward by Mark Dever , the author has restored the evangel (the Christian Gospels) back into the essence of evangelism. Consequentially, the focal point of the book is NOT ‘how to spread Christianity’ but who WE are to be as “messengers” of Christ. In one aspect, it confronts the fear and timidity in Christians about spreading the Gospel, and on other instances, it talks about the inclination of some of us to twist the Gospel message to win people in; and these two seemingly different conditions are beautifully and effortlessly connected in this book as a ‘lack’ of Gospel-centered life. As a Christian, I think that this book is worth reading over and over again, not just because of its content, but also because of its simplicity.
March 22, 2015
Almost 5 stars! The message deserves 5 stars, but I found Mr. Stiles' writing a little confusing at times (because it's so conversational) and a little contradictory in just a couple places.
But overall I think that this book is one of supreme importance to Christian society. It's so important that we align ourselves with the Gospel as we go and profess its redemption.
This feels more like a book about general Christian living (under the gospel) than a book about evangelism, which is the perfect way to explain evangelism, I think!
Well done, Mack. Your book was short and glorious, resonating with love and a genuine, winsome, fear of God.
But overall I think that this book is one of supreme importance to Christian society. It's so important that we align ourselves with the Gospel as we go and profess its redemption.
This feels more like a book about general Christian living (under the gospel) than a book about evangelism, which is the perfect way to explain evangelism, I think!
Well done, Mack. Your book was short and glorious, resonating with love and a genuine, winsome, fear of God.
May 11, 2013
This book was eye opening. It taught me never to assume the gospel and that only the gospel is the gospel. Many things reflects the gospel, flow out of the gospel, are inspired by the gospel, but they are not the gospel. Only the gospel is the gospel. And the relationship between evangelism and social justice is that the gospel itself transforms. Social justice is a byproduct of the gospel coming to a culture or a people. So we lead with the gospel, which changes people and their behaviors...
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