Member Article
TATTOOS
how do you start a conver-
sation with a biker that has
tattoos up one arm, down the
other and is rather intimidating
looking? Most people would proba-
bly be hesitant to approach this
person, but use it to your advan-
tage. Walk up to him and with a big
smile point to a tattoo and say
“Every tattoo has a story. What is
the story behind that tattoo?” This
may sound a little strange but just
stop and think for a minute. First,
you're being noncommittal.
Second, you're showing an interest
in something that obviously he had
an interest in. And third, you're
showing an interest in him.
I've had some interesting experi-
ences using this technique. My first
one was when I walked up to a man
who had a simple tattoo, just the
numbers 1, 12 and 20. So I walked
up to him and said, “Every tattoo
has a story. What's the story
behind that one?” He smiled and
said one judge, 12 jurors and 20
years. We spent a half-hour talking
about how he had been doing since
he got out. Another interesting one
was a man that had the word
LOSER written in big letters upside
down on his right arm. “Every tat-
too has a story. What's the story
behind that tattoo?” He smiled and
said he had a gambling habit and
every time he would lay down a
bet, he would use his right arm and
of course the word “loser” would be
right side up to him. That's how he
beat the habit and again we talked
for quite a while. A lady had a very
strange tattoo on her arm. When I
spoke with her and asked what her
So
tattoo meant, she smiled and said
give Run for the Son.” The problem
it used to be her boyfriend's name,
with that is that they have no idea
until that jerk left her and she had
what Run for the Son is and as far
to figure out how to cover it up. We as they are concerned, they are
agreed the tattoo did not make any easing their conscience for taking
sense, but it served its purpose. I've the coffee.
only had one
man that did not
Then once they see they can freely accept
respond very
something, maybe they will consider
positively and
that was while
accepting the free salvation offered by
we were in a
Jesus, which will quench their thirst forever
McDonald's
with the living water.
waiting to get
hamburgers. He
just smiled and said that was my
But here’s another suggestion
dumber days, and didn't really
for dealing with this topic: make it
want to talk about it very much.
a learning opportunity. Explain that
People with tattoos are just ordi-
people are different from anything
nary people who may need Christ
else in the universe. We can think,
in their lives. Each one of them has
have emotions, have ideas and
a reason they picked their particu-
have values. All these work togeth-
lar tattoo; maybe they just liked
er to make us who we are. For
the flower shape or something else example, we feel we have to work
that caught their attention at the
or pay for everything; we can’t just
time. But every tattoo has a story.
take something for FREE. CMA is
Take advantage of this by engaging trying to show people they can
in conversation that points toward
accept something for free even if it
Christ.
is just a glass of water, which will
quench their thirst for a little while.
DOLLARS
Then once they see they can freely
OK. How many times have you
accept something, maybe they will
been at the CMA tent giving out
consider accepting the free salva-
free coffee and water and someone tion offered by Jesus, which will
insists on giving you some money
quench their thirst forever with the
for the drink? It’s usually not much, living water. That usually ends it,
but it is the principal of the thing.
and if not, then it opens up for an
The coffee is not free if they pay
explanation of what free salvation
for it. So you go round and round
is all about. Try it sometime, it is an
with the person. Some solutions
opportunity to turn the conversa-
that have been presented are for
tion toward Christ and salvation.
them to give it to another charity,
donate it to their church or the one
SUPERMARKETS
that seems to be most popular with
How do you get people to actu-
CMA is “we will add it to what we
ally witness, I mean really talk to
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By GEORGE Silver