In this post, let’s look at some tips and creative ideas for sharing your faith. Let me begin by sharing the second-closest time I almost got beat up.
I was a college student walking through the main campus building when a student across the hall shouted at me with an angry voice: “Hey, you!” I pointed to myself with a puzzled look. “Yeah, you! Come over here!” I made my way over and calmly asked, “What’s the matter?” He said, “I’m really angry!” Awkward pause. So I cautiously asked, “Why are you angry?” “I was just about to buy lunch,” he replied, “and they’re all out of chicken fingers!” Second awkward pause. I looked around. Is there a camera team somewhere? Am I being pranked? How was this my concern? “I’m sorry to hear that,” I finally replied. “Yeah! So am I!” he yelled. “In fact, I just want to beat something up right now!” Another very awkward pause. And then the guy just stormed off. Whew!
Let’s Share the GOOD News
This wasn’t the most enjoyable conversation I’ve ever had. But in some ways, the encounter wasn’t that unusual. We’re often the brunt of bad news. Sometimes it’s over racial tension, sometimes the stock market, and sometimes it’s just those little, irritating disturbances in life — like a shortage of desired chicken fingers — that finally set us off.
One thing I do know: Our world is starved for GOOD news. We need to hear the gospel message more than ever these days. Especially as it’s so hard to unplug from the constant noise of anger and blame and shame.
God calls us to share the Good News of Jesus because Our world so desperately needs His peace and love. But if you’re like me, you’re an expert at finding excuses for not evangelizing. Most of our excuses are rooted in fear or apathy. But one of them I actually find to be rather legitimate: “I don’t know how.”
I wish we spent more of our resources on training people how to evangelize. How do we begin the conversation? How do we present the gospel clearly? How do we deal with fear? I want to offer a few creative ideas I’ve tried that you can use to get the conversation going.
Some Options I’ve Used
>> Sometimes I tip my waiter or waitress before they begin waiting on me. After the meal, I scribble a message to my server on the back of my receipt: “Hi! This evening I gave you a tip before my meal. In doing so, you were able to serve me without the pressure to perform, and you did a great job! I did this to help illustrate the good news of Jesus Christ, who freely gave His life for your sake. It goes without saying, then, that you are worth a lot more than $5 to God! Blessings, Matthew.”
>> When I was a college student I always kept a meal plan because I found the cafeteria to be a great place for conversation. I would share a meal with a classmate I didn’t know very well and ask about his/her personal life, like family and pets back at home. Then I would ask about his/her activities. Then I would ask if he/she attends church. (The question of church is an easy and non-invasive approach to a spiritual conversation.) Here in the U.S., church is a cultural activity, but it paves the way for the more important questions: Do you still go to church? Why or why not? What did your church teach about Jesus? God? Sin? Salvation? Would you like to see my church?
>> Sometimes a non-believer will ask a Christian why he or she seems so different. But, as a Christian, you don’t have to wait for that moment. For instance: a man in a public place drops his pile of papers on the floor. You come over to help pick everything up. He may not ask, “What made you help me?” but he will probably say, “Thank you! You are very kind.” While it’s totally appropriate to respond with “You’re welcome,” you could also say something like “Well, Jesus teaches us to love and serve one another, so I’m happy to be able to help you today.” One simple statement and you just evangelized.
>> I have gone out alone, or with a small group of Christians, to simply ask people if they would like prayer. The conversation goes something like this: “Hey, my name is Matthew. I know it’s a hurting world. Is there anything going on in your life that I could pray for?” I’ll never forget when I took this approach with a young Muslim man. He admitted that he was deeply hurting from feeling emptiness in his heart. So I prayed that Jesus would reveal Himself to him and bring him peace.
Keeping the Message Simple
Many people simply ask, “Would you like to know what the Good News of Jesus is all about?” I take a slightly different approach by saying, “I would be honored if you would let me share the story of Jesus with you!” I feel this relieves the pressure on both of us. We’re just having a conversation.
I have used pocket-sized booklets and materials to present the Gospel to people. Cru has an app called “God Tools” that’s really helpful. But you can also use this simple 1-1-1 technique to build a gospel conversation:
There is 1 God. He loves you and wants to be in a relationship with you.
There is 1 problem. We are separated from God because of our sin.
There is 1 solution: Jesus died on the cross. Will you start a relationship with God by trusting and following Jesus?
Remember what the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave growth.” He’s saying that God does the heavy-lifting. We’re just to share the Gospel, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leave the results to God. Whew! That takes the pressure off!
I’d love to know your thoughts. Share your comments below!
>> Want more tips for sharing your faith? Check out this post.
>> Have you read Josh’s apologetics classic, More Than a Carpenter? It’s available from our webite store.
