Stuckey next asked how Crawford got “serious about studying God’s Word.” He described locking himself in his bedroom to read the Bible as well as Wayne Grudem’s “Systematic Theology” and works by greats such as C.S. Lewis and R.C. Sproul.
Crawford began evangelizing right away, he said, though it took awhile for him to go deeper than just “Jesus loves you.” His first convert was a gang member and former school bully who had once threatened to kill Crawford. “We met up at lunch, and he fell in my arms crying and needed Jesus,” the evangelist explained.
As for his advice about sharing the gospel, Crawford said, “I think listening is the greatest tool of evangelism. We always try to talk so much.” Missionary work, he added, is “not love-bombing” but “just caring about people…and in there I think God gives you leverage.”
Bryce Crawford Wants To Be a ‘Fool for Jesus’
On the Jan. 14 episode of Allie Beth Stuckey’s “Relatable” podcast, Los Angeles-based missionary Bryce Crawford said Christianity is on the rise in that city. He also emphasized that Generation Z isn’t a “lost cause,” as many people assume.
“We need fathers and mothers who care about our generation to believe in us instead of speak death over us,” said Crawford. “I see a generation really turning to Jesus. People are stepping up.”
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The young evangelist admits he still gets nervous talking to people about faith. So he follows the advice of Peter in Acts 4:29 and prays for boldness. “I don’t want to live passive,” Crawford told Stuckey. “And if I want to be a fool for anyone, I want to be a fool for Jesus.”
Although some theological concepts are complex, Crawford said, the gospel message isn’t. “God’s not trying to do mental gymnastics with anyone to understand him,” he said. God “wants a relationship with you,” and people’s hearts long for that kind of compassion.
For people with no Christian background, Crawford uses the analogy of a criminal deserving punishment but receiving grace instead. “I think the ultimate thing for me is explaining forgiveness [as] cancelling the debt someone owes you,” he said.
Aspiring apologists should stay humble and continue to learn, according to Crawford. “Don’t be the smartest guy in the room,” he advised. When a question stumps him, Crawford admits what he doesn’t know but then shares what he does know.
