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Way of the Master Week 2: More Than Just a "Wonderful Plan"

2005 Archive: Why "God Has a Wonderful Plan" Isn't the Whole Truth

Landscape image with a cross at sunset and text reading “Way of the Master Week 2 – God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life.”God does have a wonderful plan—but it starts with truth, not sugar-coating. This was the focus of Way of the Master Week 2.

By Brad St. Clair, Evangelism Coach

If Week 1 was a spark, then the Way of the Master Week 2 session felt like someone poured high-octane spiritual gasoline on the fire as the crowd swelled to 139 people.

We moved past the "feel-good" fluff to truly grasp why the Gospel is about being right with God, not just having a better day.

The room went dead silent and people leaned forward as the truth finally clicked: offering the stinging truth of the Law isn't mean—it’s the most sincere rescue mission we can lead.

August 17, 2005: A Spiritual Earthquake in Branson

Tonight was week number two of the Way of the Master evangelism training at Tri-Lakes Church in Branson, Missouri. 

We showed the Way of the Master Week 2 video titled 'God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life'. 

The teaching acted like a spiritual earthquake, cracking open our comfortable shells to show that the Gospel isn't a hobby—it's a rescue mission.

Last week we hit our usual peak—105 people on Wednesday night—despite several teachers being away and other ministries in full swing.

Tonight, we had 139 people! It looks like people are going out and getting their friends and bringing them to church.

That just shows there is a hunger for learning how to witness to others.


A packed house of believers gathering for an evangelism training workshop in the Tri-Lakes Church lobby.The hunger for truth was evident as 139 people filled the lobby for our second week of biblical evangelism training.

Way of the Master Week 2: God’s Plan vs. Modern Methods

People loved the video. It shows how modern evangelism focuses on the benefits of following Christ, but rarely talks about the cost.

This is all we hear in the church as a whole nowadays. It is not biblical. The issue isn't one of life enhancement, but of righteousness.

It doesn’t matter how happy a sinner is or how much pleasure he is having in sin—he will perish on the day of wrath.

We need righteousness to be in right standing with God on Judgment Day.

There was discussion during the question-and-answer time. Pastor Mark Shorey agreed with the teaching.

He already has a heart for the lost, but he had never heard this training before—and he was excited.

Facing the Stats: Why the Old Way is Broken

I read some of the stats about the follow-up numbers being terrible for different outreaches.

The fall-away rate for people making a “decision for Christ” is close to 90–95%.

It's clear that our usual witnessing style is like a sugar-coated pill that doesn't actually cure the disease.

The room didn't just want more information; there was a desperate hunger to trade our broken methods for biblical evangelism that actually has the power to reach a dying soul.


A Heartfelt Hug and an Honest Confession

After service a man came up to me who was looking extremely focused and serious. He walked up and gave me a hug.

He said, "I have grown up in church all my life. I have been in kids’ ministry, youth and adult classes in church.

I have NEVER heard any teaching, either formally or informally, about how to reach the lost like this... we are always sugar-coating the real issue.

The truth is, if someone is not born again, they are a sinner and on their way to hell. This is a very good teaching and we need it." 

This got me to thinking. I’ve been in church my whole life, but it’s like I’ve been sleepwalking.

We have to stop polishing the edges off the Gospel… this truth is the only thing that’s going to cut through the fog.

This man's thoughts echoed what so many of us felt as we sat through the training.

We finally saw that we had to stop watering down the Gospel—this truth was the only thing that was going to wake us up.


Brad St. Clair headshot

Brad St. Clair is an evangelist and evangelism coach, and the founder of YouEvangelized, with 22 years of hands-on ministry experience. He's an independent ordained minister with an Associate of Ministry Degree and a Diploma of Biblical Studies. Over the years, Brad has trained hundreds of believers, led practical public-outreach sessions, and open-air preached to crowds. His ministry is documented at YouEvangelized. When he's not training others, Brad often turns motorcycle rides into opportunities for prayer and gospel conversations.



The Branson Invasion: Pastor Mark Takes the Lead

After service, Pastor Mark said to Leann and me, “Okay, how long until we get to the actual training—how to put this into practice?”

He continued with a zealous look in his eye, "Because as soon as that episode is finished, we are having a sign-up sheet for people to meet that Saturday at the church."

We are then going to Historic Downtown Branson and we are going to witness to everyone down there!"


Brad St. Clair's evangelism material and teaching ability are inspiring; he is a great example of a true soul winner at heart

WOW. It's like I'm holding him back! Anyway, that is what happened tonight.

Please keep the church in your prayers. Pray for the Holy Spirit to continue to build a fire in our hearts and give us an extreme passion for sharing their faith with others.

The Enduring Takeaway and Call to Action: Your Turn

Main Takeaway: 

This report from Way of the Master Week 2 reminds us that the lost don’t need a pep talk or life tips—they need the unfiltered truth that only Christ can save them. 

When we offer a "watered-down" version of the faith, we aren't being kind—we are actually hiding the only medicine that can heal a dying soul.

It’s extraordinary to see how quickly a room fills up when you stop offering sugary snacks and start serving the true bread of life.

A Challenge to Be Bold

I challenge you to learn how to share the Gospel without soft-pedaling the truth this week.

Purpose in your heart to have one sincere, transparent conversation about why we truly need a Savior.

It might feel a bit scary at first, but remember that the Holy Spirit is the one who provides the extraordinary courage you need to speak.

Trust that a real and honest warning about sin is far more effective than a hundred comfortable words that don't lead to the Cross.


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Common Questions in Way of the Master Week 2: More Than Just a "Wonderful Plan"

Evangelism Q&A with Coach Brad

Does God really have a "wonderful plan" for my life?

Yes, He does — but not necessarily the plan most people are picturing. It's not "follow Jesus and your problems shrink or disappear."

It's "follow Jesus and be made right with a holy God," which is a much bigger deal than a having a better day. 

The wonderful part isn't our comfort. It's being rescued from sin and death. Big difference, and it's the one most modern gospel messaging skips.

Why doesn't the church talk about sin very much anymore?

Honestly? Because it's uncomfortable, and nobody wants to be the person who makes others feel bad. I get it. I've sat through plenty of sermons that felt more like a pep talk than a Holy Spirit convicting wake-up call.

But skipping over sin doesn't make it disappear. Speaking about sin shows us how much we need a Savior. It means people never hear why they need a Savior in the first place.

That's not kindness. That's cruelty. Someone listening to one of these sermons gets a bible-light pep talk, all the while the person still has sin in their life and don't know they need to trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

Isn't it unloving to talk about sin and judgment instead of just love and grace?

It may feel that way at first. But think of it like a doctor. A doctor who tells you "you're fine" when you're not isn't being kind — he's letting you walk out the door still being sick.

Naming the problem (sin and judgment to come) is step one of caring about the person. Grace only sounds amazing once you know what you actually needed grace for.

The Gospel is the Good News. The good news can't be the good news if there isn't bad news, right? Our sin against God is the bad news. Once someone understands they have sinned against a holy God, and understand they need forgiveness - then the Good News, the Gospel, makes more sense. 

Is it true that most people who make a "decision for Christ" fall away?

That stat gets thrown around a lot in evangelism circles — numbers in the 90% range for people who "prayed a prayer" but never actually followed through. I've seen it firsthand too, not just in a stat sheet.

Whether the exact number is 90% or 75%, the pattern's the same: if someone makes a quick decision without really understanding sin and repentance, it doesn't seem to stick.

That's less about the person and more about what they were actually told. If they truly understand they have sinned against the Lord and in need of forgiveness, and truly repent, they have a better understanding why they came to the Lord. 

Isn't talking about judgment and hell too harsh for someone just checking out church?

It may sound harsh out of context. But leaving it out doesn't make it less true —  withholding the hard truth doesn't protect someone. It just risks them maybe never finding out.

If I never tell you that your house is on fire because I don't want to scare you, the house is still on fire. I just took away your chance to get out.

I'm not suggesting leading with a fire-and-brimstone conversation. But it has to be somewhere in the conversation, or the good news isn't actually good news. It's just news.

Is this Way of the Master training still happening at Tri-Lakes Church?

This report is from August 2005 — an archived look at week two of an 8-week evangelism class. It's not a class you can join today, but the material holds up fine.

If you want to walk through the whole series yourself, you can follow it week by week right here on the site.

You can see all 8-weeks of the evangelism course links below. 

← Previously: The Firefighter — Week 1 | Next Up: The Mirror of the Ten Commandments — Week 3 →

Walk through the full training—from the first 'hello' to the boldest street encounter. Follow our journey week by week:

Week 1 — Week 2 — Week 3 — Week 4 
Week 5 — Week 6 — Week 7 — Week 8



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