PERFECTING SOUL WINNING

A Teaching by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

Why do we preach? Why do we travel to the ends of the earth, across cultures and continents, to proclaim a message that the world did not ask for? The answer is singular and urgent: because Jesus is coming again, and He left us with a commission to tell the untold. Soul winning is not a department of the church; it is the very heartbeat of the church’s existence. The Lord Jesus Christ did not instruct His disciples merely to preach and move on — He instructed them to make disciples of all nations, to teach and to build. This teaching unpacks what it truly means to perfect the art and science of soul winning, with both the urgency of eternity and the precision of a master craftsman.

The Lord Jesus issued His Great Commission with unmistakable clarity:

Matthew 28:19–20  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

Notice that the commission is not merely to preach — it is to make disciples, to teach, to baptise, and to see people grow into obedience to all that Christ commanded. This means that soul winning, properly understood, does not end at the moment of conversion. It continues until those we have won have themselves become soul winners. To preach the gospel and bear witness is honourable and will be rewarded. But to win souls — to see them cross from darkness into light, to nurture them in the faith, and to release them into fruitful ministry — is the full expression of what Jesus had in mind.

STAYING MOTIVATED: SEVEN STEPS TO CONTINUOUS INSPIRATION

Sustained effectiveness in soul winning requires sustained motivation. The fires of evangelistic passion must be continually stoked, because they do not maintain themselves without intentional effort. Every soul winner who desires to remain effective must engage in continuous self-motivation, and these are the seven steps that make that possible.

First, pray ceaselessly for the salvation of souls around the world. When prayer for the lost becomes a consistent part of your spiritual life, it cultivates a deep and unshakeable consciousness of the need for soul winning. You cannot earnestly pray for the salvation of men without being moved toward them. Prayer for souls is the fuel that keeps the flame of evangelism burning. Make it habitual, make it regular, and watch how your hunger for souls grows.

Second, feed yourself on materials about soul winning. Read. Listen. Study. Fill your mind with accounts of gospel breakthroughs, with testimonies of lives transformed, with teaching that deepens your understanding of the missionary calling. The mind that is consistently fed on soul winning will consistently produce soul winning thoughts, strategies, and actions. Immerse yourself in the subject and you will find that motivation flows naturally.

Third, engage actively in soul winning activities. Every programme and outreach your church organises is an opportunity. Do not merely observe these activities from a distance — participate in them. Involvement breeds investment. The more you engage, the more you are stirred. The apostle Paul captures the spirit of this engagement in his instruction to the Romans:

Romans 12:11  “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”

Never lack in zeal. Be fervent in spirit — keep the glow alive. This is not a passive state; it is actively maintained through deliberate engagement.

Fourth, always carry materials for soul winning with you. A copy of Rhapsody of Realities, a small tract, a devotional booklet — these simple tools can open conversations that lead to salvation. Sometimes you may not have time for a full conversation, but a well-placed piece of literature can plant a seed that the Holy Spirit waters long after you have gone. Invest in such materials and keep them on hand. Spontaneous soul winning requires readiness, and readiness requires preparation.

Fifth, receive and share testimonies of salvation. Every story of a life transformed by the gospel is a spark that can reignite your own fervour. When you hear how someone gave their heart to Christ, how a hardened sceptic became a devoted believer, how chains were broken and lives rebuilt, something in your spirit catches fire. Seek out these testimonies. Share them. Celebrate them. They are not merely good stories; they are evidence of the living, active power of the gospel at work in the world today.

Sixth, keep yourself mindful of the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. This awareness is a powerful motivator. If you truly believe that Jesus is coming soon, you will not be casual about reaching the lost. The apostle John wrote that those who have this hope in them purify themselves, even as He is pure. And Jesus Himself told us to watch and pray — to be found ready and engaged when He returns. Let the reality of His soon coming press upon your heart with holy urgency.

Seventh, enjoy discussing and strategising about soul winning. Surround yourself with people who share your passion for the lost. Talk with them. Plan with them. Review your strategies together, refine your approaches, and learn from both successes and setbacks. A soul winner who walks with other soul winners grows wiser, bolder, and more effective. As Solomon observed:

Proverbs 11:30  “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

If soul winners are wise, then walking with soul winners is walking with the wise — and walking with the wise makes you wise. Let soul winning be not just your work, but your culture, your conversation, and your delight.

PERFECTING SOUL WINNING: SEVEN STEPS TO MASTERY

There is a difference between preaching the gospel and winning souls. Preaching is the announcement; soul winning is the completion. It is the difference between planting a field and harvesting it. Just as a student may attend school and learn much, but only truly benefits when he emerges with flying colours, so a witness for Christ has not completed his mission until the person he has witnessed to has truly come into salvation, been received into the family of God, and has been set on the path of discipleship. These seven steps lay out the complete pathway to perfecting soul winning.

STEP ONE: Be Filled With the Holy Spirit

The starting point of all effective soul winning is the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Without Him, you are working in your own strength — and your own strength is insufficient. The Holy Spirit is the power behind every genuine gospel encounter. The Word of God instructs us:

Ephesians 5:18  “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

To be filled with the Spirit is not a one-time event; it is a continuous, ever-renewed reality. Speak to yourself in psalms and spiritual songs. Pray in the Spirit. Keep the inner fire alive. Never allow the glow to dim. A soul winner who is full of the Holy Spirit carries an anointing that opens hearts and prepares the ground for the Word. This is the foundation upon which everything else is built.

STEP TWO: Have a Clear Understanding of the Gospel

Many sincere Christians go out to witness but do not have a clear, articulate understanding of what the gospel actually is. This is a critical gap. You cannot communicate effectively what you do not fully understand yourself. The gospel is not merely a set of moral instructions or a call to better living — it is the announcement of what God accomplished in Jesus Christ: redemption from sin, freedom from death and the devil, the gift of righteousness, and the impartation of divine life. Invest in deepening your understanding. Study the scriptures. Engage with teachings that open the riches of the gospel to your spirit. The clearer your understanding, the more powerful your proclamation.

STEP THREE: Explain the Gospel

There is a distinction between preaching the gospel and explaining the gospel, and both are necessary. Preaching is announcement — declaring with boldness that there is liberty in Christ, that healing is available, that sin’s dominion has been broken, that the righteousness of God is offered as a gift. Explaining the gospel is the patient, careful work of helping someone understand what they have heard and what it means for their life. Jesus commanded His disciples not only to preach but to teach — to help people observe and understand all that He commanded. If you explain the gospel well, people can receive it. If you only announce it and walk away, many will hear without understanding, and understanding is what produces lasting transformation.

STEP FOUR: Lead Them Into Salvation

It is possible to preach, to explain, and yet still to leave someone standing at the door of salvation without walking them through it. The soul winner’s task includes leading the hearer into the actual experience of salvation. This means giving them an opportunity to respond, and then helping them make the confession of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Word of God is clear on the mechanism of salvation:

Romans 10:9  “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

When the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip what hindered him from being baptised, Philip asked one clarifying question: “Dost thou believe with all thine heart?” (Acts 8:37). And when Paul and Silas stood before the jailer at Philippi, their words were direct and decisive:

Acts 16:31  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Ask them. Guide them. Lead them in the confession. The righteousness of God is imparted through faith in the heart, and salvation is appropriated through confession with the mouth. Ensure that those you speak with do not merely assent in their minds but confess with their mouths the Lordship of Jesus. This is where salvation is actualised.

STEP FIVE: Receive Them Into God’s Family

Many soul winners stop at the confession and consider their work done. But salvation is an entrance into a family, and the newly born must be received. A mother who gives birth in a hospital does not leave her child there; she brings the child home. In the same way, those who make the confession of faith must be brought into the awareness of their new identity and their new home. They must be told what has happened to them. As the apostle Paul wrote:

Colossians 1:13  “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”

They have been translated from one kingdom to another. They are no longer orphans in the darkness; they are children of God in the kingdom of light. Tell them. Help them understand that they are now in Christ, that they are in a new family, that the old has passed away and all things have become new. This awareness — this consciousness of their new place — is the foundation on which everything that follows is built.

STEP SIX: Introduce the Church’s Mentorship Programme

Having received the new believer into the family, the next responsibility is to connect them to a structured programme of growth and discipleship. The church has a mentorship system, and it is the God-ordained means of building a new convert into a mature, dependable child of God and an effective leader. Christianity is not merely a way of life; it is life itself — the very life of

God in a human being. But that life must be nurtured, taught, and developed. The foundation school, the cell system, the various levels of ministry and leadership development — all of these are the instruments through which the church mothers and fathers its young.

The biblical model for this is beautifully illustrated in the eighteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. A brilliant and eloquent man named Apollos came to Ephesus, fervent in spirit and mighty in the scriptures:

Acts 18:24–26  “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.”

Apollos was genuine, fervent, and accurate in what he knew — but his knowledge was limited. Aquila and Priscilla did not dismiss him or disqualify him; they took him aside and taught him more perfectly. That is mentorship. That is the ministry of the church toward its young. And the result was extraordinary:

Acts 18:27–28  “And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace. For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”

Apollos, once mentored, became a mighty force for the gospel. He helped multitudes who had believed, he publicly convinced sceptics, he powerfully demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ. This is the fruit of mentorship. This is what happens when the church commits to the full process of making disciples rather than merely making converts. Introduce every soul you win to the church’s mentorship programme. Do not let them drift. See the process through.

STEP SEVEN: Release Into Leadership

The final step in perfecting soul winning is the most joyful: releasing the matured disciple into leadership, so that they in turn become a blessing to others. Mentorship is not an end in itself; it is the means by which the chain of soul winning is extended from generation to generation.

Jesus taught His disciples all that He knew, and then He commanded them to teach others to observe all that He had commanded. The commission is self-replicating by design. Every soul you win, nurture, and release becomes a multiplying force in the kingdom. They copy what they have seen in you, they do the things they have been taught, and they in turn raise up others. This is how the church grows not merely in numbers but in depth and in power.

THE SOUL TRACKER: FAITHFULNESS IN FOLLOW-THROUGH

The development of the Soul Tracker application represents a practical commitment to faithfulness in the process of discipleship. It exists not merely to count converts, but to track individuals — to ensure that each person who makes a confession of faith is followed through the full journey of becoming a disciple. Who has gone through the foundation school? Who is now in the cell system? Who needs a follow-up visit? Who is ready to move into leadership? These are the questions that the Soul Tracker helps leaders to ask and answer. It is a tool of accountability — a commitment to seeing the work through from beginning to end, just as Aquila and Priscilla saw the work through with Apollos.

A FINAL WORD: THE HOUR OF THE CHURCH

Soul winners are always inspiring. They are the firebrand of the church — enthusiastic, alive, contagious in their faith. A church filled with soul winners is a church that cannot stagnate. And the moment in which we live demands nothing less. The need for the gospel has never been greater. The harvest is vast. But the harvest must be worked with wisdom, with strategy, and with the full commitment of every believer.

This is the hour the church has been waiting for. The creation itself, Paul tells us, waits with eager longing for the manifestation of the sons of God — for believers who walk in the light of the world, filled with the Holy Spirit, winning and building and releasing. The church is not in decline; it is on the cusp of its greatest hour. But it will only rise to that hour through the diligence of its members, through the faithfulness of its soul winners, and through the wisdom of those who understand that the goal is not merely to get people through the door but to see them transformed from the inside out.

Perfect your soul winning. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Know the gospel deeply. Explain it clearly. Lead people into salvation. Receive them into God’s family. Mentor them in the things of God. And release them to do for others what was done for them. This is the full circle of the Great Commission — and it is the calling placed upon every believer who dares to take the words of Jesus seriously.