"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." ~ Romans 1:16
You've been wanting to share your heart for some time. After many conversations over lunch breaks and long catch-up calls, you're thinking it's about time to share the Gospel with a friend or co-worker. How do you do it?
While sharing the news of Jesus is a beautiful and exciting thing, it can also be incredibly daunting. We get it. You want to say the right things and convey the love of Jesus, but you also want to maintain the relationship, too. Sharing your heart for Jesus can be vulnerable, and yet, it's an important calling depicted throughout the Bible. Plus, not everyone necessarily wants to hear this news. Some reject this truth. How do we boldly spread the love of Jesus in a post-Christian world?
Here are five key reminders to focus on to overcome fear the next time you're sharing the Gospel with someone.
"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." ~ Mark 16:15
1. Keep It Simple
There's so much we could say about the goodness of God and the incredible news of Jesus' sacrifice and return. When we think of the Gospel, we can get overwhelmed by the magnitude of everything.
Our advice? Keep it simple. Stick to a few key points. Of course, this is entirely up to you and how comfortable you're feeling. For starters, stick to what the Gospel is and how we can respond—our call to action.
According to Campus Crusade for Christ, the Gospel can be broken down into the following questions:
1) Who is Jesus?
2) What has He done?
3) Why has He done this?
4) How can we know this is true?
5) How do we respond?
Another way this can be broken down is: God's love (John 3:16), our problem of sin (Romans 3:23), Christ's solution (Romans 5:8), and our response (John 1:12).
When the time comes for them to receive Jesus in their heart, they can pray the following prayer (or something like it!).
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and am in need of a Savior. Please forgive me for my sins. I believe you died for my sins and you rose from the dead. I'm giving my trust to you today, Lord. Lead me in the way I should go and help me accomplish your will. Amen.
For more information, visit this blog post on key points to remember when sharing the Gospel from The Gospel Coalition website.
2. Your Testimony Is Powerful
Don't forget—your story is essentially His story. Never underestimate the power of sharing your personal testimony. Just think of how far you've come in your faith journey so far!
Sometimes the best way you can connect with someone is to share Jesus' redemptive work in your life. What did your life look like before you knew Jesus? How did you come to know Him? What has your life been like since you accepted Him as Lord and Savior?
Share some figures and resources who have made a difference in your faith and have helped you grow in your apprenticeship to Jesus.
Another helpful resource on this is an article from Lifeway.
3. Walk the Talk
You've probably heard this phrase before. It's a common one passed around, but it's super important when it comes to Christianity. The alignment between action and words is crucial to the watching world. Do we live out what we preach? In this case, do we live as people of God and demonstrate the love, humility, service, and compassion of our Savior?
Of course, none of us are perfect. Our faith is a journey and we're constantly learning, but what counts is that we're seeking Him out and trying to become more and more like Him every day. How do we accomplish this? Through prayer and time spent in Scripture.
Your testimony will be that much more powerful if the person you're speaking to trusts you and sees the love of the Lord demonstrated in your life. You know the phrase, actions speak louder than words? Time to put this into action and show everyone around you God's deep love for them.
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." ~ 1 John 3:18
4. Be a Thoughtful Listener
This one's pretty much self-explanatory, but so important. Part of being a good friend is being a good listener. You don't just want to bombard the other person with long diatribes. Like any relationship, there's some give and take. Their story is worth listening to. Hear them out and let the conversation flow naturally.
For further study, check out this blog post on the power of listening when sharing the Gospel from Daily She Pursues.
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." ~ James 1:19
5. Find Courage in Scripture
It's natural to be fearful when opening up your heart and being vulnerable with someone. This is just the preliminary step of the process. The key here is to not let your fear keep you from moving forward. Acknowledge your fear, bring it to God's attention, pray over your time together, and seek out inspiration from Scripture.
The Bible is filled with stories of courage—prophets, martyrs, and disciples all risking it all to share God's love. You can even look to Jesus' ultimate sacrifice to gain courage.
Case and point, we know this isn't easy, but the Bible truly holds the verses that can empower you to act boldly and live in accordance to God's will.
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." ~ 2 Timothy 1:7
Share the Love of Jesus (Without Speaking a Word!)
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