Sharing the Gospel was the last thing on my mind. All I wanted to do was talk to customer service, figure out what was wrong with my phone and move on with my day. After waiting on hold for what felt like forever, a chipper voice picked up: “Thanks for calling. How can I help you?”
She walked me through a few troubleshooting steps. When nothing worked, I sighed, frustrated, while waiting for one last app to download that would hopefully fix the problem.
Awkward silence echoed over the phone. All of a sudden, I felt a prick of conviction.
Why don’t you tell her about Jesus?
What? Now? Seriously?
My heart rate picked up. I took a deep breath before helping someone find hope in Jesus.
“So, do you have a faith?”
After a brief pause, she started sharing about her childhood and her family and her beliefs about God. By the time I hung up, I’d shared the Gospel, prayed for her and encouraged her to connect with a church.
My malfunctioning phone somehow didn’t matter as much anymore.
I wish I could say I’m always excited about evangelism. But I’m often too tired or busy, or the situation feels awkward, and I make excuses until the opportunity passes. We’re a “follow your heart” and “live your truth” kind of society, and the Gospel’s message of sin, repentance and “one way” to heaven through Jesus Christ isn’t exactly popular.
Yet as blood-bought followers of Jesus, this is the message we’re commissioned to proclaim. We’re disciples of our Savior, and the job description of a disciple is to make disciples. Jesus told His followers, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
This calling isn’t just for pastors, missionaries or the “super spiritual” among us. It’s for the student, the teen, the new grad. It’s for all of us.
We know we’re supposed to evangelize—helping others find hope in Jesus—but how do we conquer our shaky knees and tongue-tied fears?
Start by recognizing a little something about how God works: He desires our regular, everyday lives to be reflections of His love. So, pray that His Spirit would nudge your heart to see windows of opportunity.
Often, the hardest part of sharing the Gospel is getting the conversation started. So come prepared with key questions and observations. With the customer service agent, I used my favorite conversation starter: “Do you have a faith?” Another option is: “Do you go to church?” These questions are unintimidating and get the conversation rolling.
After that, I often use a variation of this follow-up question: “If you were to stand before God and He asked why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?”
As we guide the topic toward Jesus, our job is to clearly communicate what this Good News is all about. Fully sharing the Gospel requires an understanding of these key points:
Remembering these key points and their corresponding Scripture verses, along with having conversation starters in your back pocket, can help you feel equipped and confident. Come prepared, and don’t let fears like, “I don’t know enough” or “What if I don’t know what to say?” keep you from trying. Learn and grow from every conversation, knowing that God can use even your imperfect efforts.
Sharing the Gospel isn’t always easy. But every person you meet is searching for hope that can only be found in the love of Jesus. Opportunities are everywhere. Isn’t it worth that awkward moment to tell them about the God who loves them and who can change their lives?
The post Help Others Find Hope in Jesus appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...
She walked me through a few troubleshooting steps. When nothing worked, I sighed, frustrated, while waiting for one last app to download that would hopefully fix the problem.
Awkward silence echoed over the phone. All of a sudden, I felt a prick of conviction.
Why don’t you tell her about Jesus?
What? Now? Seriously?
My heart rate picked up. I took a deep breath before helping someone find hope in Jesus.
“So, do you have a faith?”
After a brief pause, she started sharing about her childhood and her family and her beliefs about God. By the time I hung up, I’d shared the Gospel, prayed for her and encouraged her to connect with a church.
My malfunctioning phone somehow didn’t matter as much anymore.
Your mission
I wish I could say I’m always excited about evangelism. But I’m often too tired or busy, or the situation feels awkward, and I make excuses until the opportunity passes. We’re a “follow your heart” and “live your truth” kind of society, and the Gospel’s message of sin, repentance and “one way” to heaven through Jesus Christ isn’t exactly popular.
Yet as blood-bought followers of Jesus, this is the message we’re commissioned to proclaim. We’re disciples of our Savior, and the job description of a disciple is to make disciples. Jesus told His followers, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
This calling isn’t just for pastors, missionaries or the “super spiritual” among us. It’s for the student, the teen, the new grad. It’s for all of us.
Your action plan
We know we’re supposed to evangelize—helping others find hope in Jesus—but how do we conquer our shaky knees and tongue-tied fears?
Start by recognizing a little something about how God works: He desires our regular, everyday lives to be reflections of His love. So, pray that His Spirit would nudge your heart to see windows of opportunity.
Often, the hardest part of sharing the Gospel is getting the conversation started. So come prepared with key questions and observations. With the customer service agent, I used my favorite conversation starter: “Do you have a faith?” Another option is: “Do you go to church?” These questions are unintimidating and get the conversation rolling.
After that, I often use a variation of this follow-up question: “If you were to stand before God and He asked why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?”
As we guide the topic toward Jesus, our job is to clearly communicate what this Good News is all about. Fully sharing the Gospel requires an understanding of these key points:
- God’s goodness and holiness (Revelation 4:8; Titus 3:4).
- Humanity’s rebellion against God (Romans 3:23).
- God’s love and plan of forgiveness through Jesus (Romans 5:8).
- Salvation through repentance and belief in Christ (Romans 10:9-10).
Remembering these key points and their corresponding Scripture verses, along with having conversation starters in your back pocket, can help you feel equipped and confident. Come prepared, and don’t let fears like, “I don’t know enough” or “What if I don’t know what to say?” keep you from trying. Learn and grow from every conversation, knowing that God can use even your imperfect efforts.
Your opportunity to help others find hope
Sharing the Gospel isn’t always easy. But every person you meet is searching for hope that can only be found in the love of Jesus. Opportunities are everywhere. Isn’t it worth that awkward moment to tell them about the God who loves them and who can change their lives?
The post Help Others Find Hope in Jesus appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...