The Art of Evangelistic Preaching | What Billy Graham Taught Me About Gospel Invitations
What if the biggest obstacle to evangelism isn't skill—it's fear of failure?
In this conversation, two pastors with decades of experience in evangelism discuss the questions pastors and everyday Christians ask most often about communicating the gospel.
Greg Laurie is joined by Pastor Bob Franquiz of Calvary Fellowship in Miramar, Florida, for a practical conversation on preaching, personal evangelism, and helping people take a genuine step toward Christ.
They cover:
• How Chuck Smith identified the gift of evangelism in Greg before he saw it himself
• The difference between evangelizing and being an evangelist
• Why Greg says "study to be simple"—advice he got from Billy Graham
• How to build an evangelistic culture in your church
• The mechanics of a clear gospel invitation (and why most fall apart at the landing)
• The role of music, storytelling, and cultural awareness in reaching people
• Why success in evangelism is faithfulness, not numbers
Whether you're a pastor looking to sharpen your calling or a believer wanting to share Christ more naturally, this conversation is honest, practical, and full of hard-won wisdom from five decades of ministry.
Subscribe for more conversations like this one.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Cold open: proclaim, leave results to God
01:19 Discovering the gift of evangelism
04:09 Accidental pastor, disciplined teacher
06:39 Adapting the gospel to shifting culture
09:24 Studying to be simple
13:08 Building an evangelistic culture in your church
20:21 Empowering others when you're not the evangelist
24:52 Preaching a text vs. preaching for a decision
29:29 The shift from teaching to preaching
33:58 Clarity is everything in the invitation
44:35 The role of music in the invitation
54:21 Getting out of the Christian bubble
01:01:15 Fanning your gift into full flame
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
In 1990, Laurie founded the Harvest Crusades, a series of large-scale evangelistic events designed to present the gospel to broad audiences. These events have since drawn more than 11.5 million participants in person and online. In 2012, he launched Harvest America, a nationwide outreach event that utilized HD livestreaming to broadcast to thousands of venues across the United States. Collectively, these efforts have resulted in over 700,000 documented professions of faith.
A prolific author, Laurie has written over 70 books, including House of David, Billy Graham: The Man I Knew, Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon, Revelation: A Book of Promises, and Jesus Revolution.
His filmography includes Lost Boy: The Next Chapter, Hope for Hurting Hearts, Steve McQueen: American Icon, and Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon. In 2023, Greg and Cathe Laurie’s life and conversion during the Jesus Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s were depicted in the Lionsgate film Jesus Revolution, starring Kelsey Grammer and Jonathan Roumie.
Greg Laurie has been married to Cathe Laurie for over 51 years. They have two sons and five grandchildren.
Want more from Greg Laurie? Visit harvest.org
Find Pastory Greg on Instagram
