DEAR FRIENDS,Sharing Your Faith“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes� (Romans 1:16).
In the middle of an everyday conversation with a friend, you suddenly sense the Holy Spirit’s tug upon your heart. As you make small talk about the weather and current events, you attempt to disregard the twinge in your spirit, but the feeling intensifies. “Tell her about Me.� It is as if Jesus is whispering the words softly in your ear. Then, a ringing telephone distracts your friend and she walks away. Why didn’t I say something? you think as you allow feelings of regret to flood your mind.
How many times have you felt a strong desire to share the Gospel with another person? Have you ever walked away from a religious discussion with someone of a different faith because you were uncertain of what to say? Do you ever feel compelled but frightened to share the story of how you met Christ?
If you have experienced one or all of these situations, you understand how challenging it can be to speak out with boldness when the Holy Spirit prompts us to do so. This is why it is vitally important to be prepared to share our faith compassionately, effectively, and truthfully.
Sharing Compassionately
There is much to be learned about evangelism, or “witnessing,� from the One upon whom we base our faith—Jesus Christ. The New Testament provides countless examples of Jesus’ compassion and mercy as He embodies the message of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.
This truth is evident in Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well in the fourth chapter of John. When Jesus meets this woman—a known adulteress—He does not reject her. Instead, He shows compassion by explaining the wonderful gift of “living water,� the opportunity for eternal life.
In Revelation 3:20, Jesus is shown to be patient and considerate as He “stands at the door and knocks.� Never does He barge in uninvited. As we seek to follow His example, we should proceed in love and refrain from acting critically with regard to the nonbeliever’s lifestyle or past choices. These are areas the Holy Spirit will deal with once this person receives Christ.
Demonstrating the mercy and compassion of Jesus can accomplish two important goals: drawing a nonbeliever̢۪s attention with unexpected love and kindness, and providing him with a glimpse of the acceptance that is available through Christ. Both of these objectives are supported by Scripture.
Colossians 4:5-6 encourages us to conduct ourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, letting our speech always be seasoned with grace so that we will know how to respond to each person. And John 6:37 can be used to provide the assurance that anyone who comes to Jesus will not be rejected or “cast out.�
An excellent way to demonstrate compassion is to share the story of our own conversion experience. Since many people struggle with feeling worthy of God̢۪s love, they are eager to identify with another person̢۪s shortcomings. Sharing how we realized the need for Christ in our own lives allows us to establish common ground. After all, no matter what language we speak, where we grew up, or what type of education we received, we are all in need of God̢۪s forgiveness.
The apostle Paul certainly understood the power of personal testimony, as in 1 Timothy 1 he described his thankfulness to God for using him despite his sinful past: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor� (verses 12-13).
Sharing Effectively
Another important facet of sharing our faith is presenting the Gospel in a way that is both relevant and irresistible to the listener. Being an effective witness generally involves three things:
1 Listening to the Holy Spirit. (John 16:13) Recognizing the Holy Spirit’s voice will enable us to act upon His promptings. Since waiting upon and submitting to God’s timing and plan is extremely important (Isaiah 55:8), we must listen carefully to Him while resisting our own urges to forge ahead or back away. The Holy Spirit will also impart to us the gift of discernment. This invaluable resource allows us to “tune in� to an individual’s spiritual and emotional condition, as well as to his or her receptiveness to the Gospel message. (1 Corinthians 2:10-13)
2 Knowing our audience. (1 Corinthians 9:22) In this Scripture passage, Paul explains his method of reaching the lost: “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.� Though Paul was careful to remain obedient to the Lord, it appears that he took time to understand the culture and concerns of the people to whom he delivered the Gospel. Therefore, if we hope to reach the members of a particular social group (single parents, teens, the unchurched, followers of other religions), we must focus on relationship building. In addition, prayerfully studying the trends in our society will allow us to understand the specific struggles nonbelievers face. When we know our audience, we will be better equipped to present the Gospel to them in an effective way.
3 Recognizing our purpose. (1 Corinthians 3:7-9) Though it may be tempting to share everything we know about Christianity all at once, it is important to reveal truth in pieces that can be digested by the listener. This does not mean we are to hide any portion of the Gospel. Instead, we should speak in simple terms, and proceed with patience. For instance, God may be calling you to “plant seeds of truth,� with the intention of using someone else to “reap the harvest�—leading the person into a decision for Christ.
In his exceptional book on evangelism, Finding Common Ground,* author Tim Downs suggests that Christians should place equal importance on planters and harvesters. “What if the harvester, by elevating the importance of his own role, devalues the role of the sower?� he asks. The solution lies in our willingness to perform any act of evangelism that God calls us to do.
Sharing Truthfully
When we are faced with an opportunity to explain to someone how he or she can be “saved,� or born again through faith in Jesus Christ, it is extremely helpful to have an outline of scriptural support written down or memorized. Otherwise, we can be caught off guard, or end up in a precarious situation.
The good news is that this situation can be easily overcome by studying God̢۪s Word daily. Contained within its pages are the answers to help you explain the love for Christ in your heart.
The Bible encourages us to study in order to present ourselves “approved to God . . . accurately handling the word of truth�(2 Timothy 2:15KJV). To carry out this command, we need to fill our hearts with the Word of God in preparation for evangelistic opportunities.
Below is a suggested outline for sharing the basic message of Christianity with another person. At the appropriate time, when the Holy Spirit leads you, use these key points to reach out in love.
â€Â¢ God knows you an
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~~Tumblin̢۪~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********
*******************Verse 1***********************
So you talkin̢۪ ̢۪bout your hopes and dreams
Well sweet dreams are made of these
Opposition negativity are an unfortunate reality, check me (2x)
But you gotta know your purpose
And you gotta know your destiny
Faith is never tangibility don̢۪t ever trust your visibility
Are you feeling me?***************Lean**************************************
**
You gotta believe provisions have already been made
So chill and have a glass of lemonade
His thoughts of you are not evil He has a plan for you
(oooh-oooh)
Yo, the devil is a liar; God̢۪s Word is true
Name it claim it; it̢۪s long overdue*************************Chorus**********************
******
Every mountain in my way
It̢۪s gonna come tumblin̢۪ down
Negative things that people say
It̢۪s gonna come tumblin̢۪ down
Every mountain, every hill it̢۪s gonna come
(oooh-oooh) it̢۪s gonna come tumblin̢۪ down
You can̢۪t always go by how you feel
(oooh-oooh) just know it̢۪s gonna all come
Tumblin̢۪ down, down******************Verse 2**********************************If they ain̢۪t sayin̢۪ nothin̢۪
That most likely means you ain̢۪t doin̢۪ nothin̢۪
Want the anointing gotta go through somethin̢۪
Like people smiling but you know they frontin̢۪, frontin̢۪ feel me?
But the harder you work the further away it seems
But if God gave you a ministry a gift or a calling
Don̢۪t give up on your dreamsLean To ChorusThat̢۪s WhenVerse 1
All alone just sittin̢۪ thinkin̢۪ by myself
Contemplating ‘bout my life chewing on my nails
I̢۪m the head of this house, now it̢۪s all on me
To provide for my Wife and kids are my responsibility
Can̢۪t afford to break down gotta be a man
Ain̢۪t the richest guy around but I do what I can
How it̢۪s gonna go down homie don̢۪t ask me
I just pray to the Lord up above in search of reciprocityChorus
That̢۪s when, that̢۪s when You bless me
That̢۪s when, that̢۪s when You rescued me from
The pain and the heartache, that’s when that’s whenâ€Â¦Verse 2
Don̢۪t know how in the world I̢۪m gone pay these bills
Feel like sometimes I wanna cry I̢۪m a keep it real
But I ain̢۪t giving up my pride or my sanity
I refuse to let society win, it won̢۪t get the best of me
Baby’s crying, Wife is whinin’ ‘cuz they never se me
But it̢۪s hard when you̢۪re working two jobs you see
Have a feeling that trouble won̢۪t last always
Lift my hands to the sky up above
I hope You hearin’ what I sayChorus(Repeat Chorus)I Have Decidedâ€Â¦Verse 1
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Him
I have decided to follow Jesus**********************Chorus***************************
****
No turning back, No turning back
No turning back, No turning back
(Repeat once)**********************Bridge***************************
****
Some folks would rather have houses and land
Some folks choose silver and gold
These things they treasure and forget about their souls
I decided to make Jesus my choice(Repeat once)~~~~~~~~~~God Has Not 4got~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~God has not 4got (x4)
If He said that He would do it
It will come to pass
God has not 4got (x2)
Just keep on believing, God has not 4got (x2)
If He said that He would do it
It will come to pass
God has not 4got (x2)
Don̢۪t get discouraged, God has not 4got (x2)
If He said that He would do it
It will come to pass
God has not 4gotâ€Â¦(REPEAT UNTIL FADE)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Even U~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*******************Verse 1*********************************
I am young so I know the pain you feel
It seems like there is no hope for you
But I̢۪m here to say, God says that̢۪s not true
And I know that you still may have some
Questions in your mind, in your mindâ€Â¦
Like, you̢۪ve asked the Lord
"How long will I go through these changes?" and
He replies, "until you realize that I am the source of your life."*********************Chorus***************************
*****
He doesn̢۪t care about all the things you̢۪ve done
Jesus is love so you don̢۪t have to run
Give Him your life, He is the only one
Jesus loves everyone even U, even U, even U************************Verse 2****************************
So you think that you̢۪re too far gone
The love of God can reel you back in
And fill your heart with peace and erase the sin
Please let Him in, He wants to use you for His glory
Use you for His gloryâ€Â¦for His glory
I know sometimes you feel like saying,
"I just can̢۪t make it!"
But with the help of God, He will see you through
Don̢۪t you feel His love drawing you?***********************Chorus***************************
****************************Vamp****************************
**Jesus loves youâ€Â¦
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THE BIBLE!(Interesting and intelligent books)"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.Blessed is the man unto whom the the lord imputeth not iniquity,and in whose spirit there is no guile." Psalm 32:1-2In the Bible it says: "My people persih without vision."1 Chronicles 16:8
Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.Psalm 122:6
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee."Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." ~Jesus~
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Anyone who loves and gives unconditionally.