Be Bold
Ask Jesus for boldness and opportunity to share your Jesus story with one person today.
Sharing your story is the most effective way to share the transforming power and salvation offered through Jesus Christ. However, telling your story can cause anxiety, especially if we have never organized our thoughts in a way that makes telling it easy. Below you will find a few very helpful suggestions learned from ROOTED (pg.186- 198).
Before we move on, it is important to be clear on a particular point. While we are messengers, and we express the message in an understandable and compelling way, it is not our job to “save” anybody. God does that. Sometimes our role in someone’s faith journey may be to open the door – the first time they have ever considered a place for Jesus in their lives. Others may have been thinking about it for a while, and we provide that next stepping stone in their journeys. Others may be ready to commit, and we may have the privilege of praying with them, and celebrating that life-transforming decision.
Your story has three key elements: before (prior to becoming a follower of Christ), commitment (your decision to follow Christ), and after (how you live your life differently).
BEFORE
Who were you before you committed your life to Christ? Or, who are you today if you haven’t committed yourself to Christ? Take a few minutes to write out what your life looked like during your ‘before’. Don’t hold back specific situations, experiences, or emotions that come up as you write. make sure you include where you were spiritually.
COMMITMENT
As you prepare this part of your story, simply recount the events and circumstances that caused you to consider Christ as the solution to your searching. Take time to identify the steps that brought you to the point of trusting Christ. If you have not yet committed your life to Christ, consider where you are and what questions you have that you can share with [someone] this week. Again, don’t hold back emotions that come up as you remember your personal situation. This is where you are telling about Jesus and what He did for you.
AFTER
Take several minutes and write down what your life has been like since you make your commitment to follow Jesus. Try to capture how Christ is meeting your needs, and what a relationship with Him means to you now. After you have written all three parts of your story, you might need to edit it as you may only have a few minutes to tell it when the opportunity arises. Don’t eliminate the passion or emotion from your story, and don’t skip the parts about commitment, acknowledging the need for Christ, receiving His forgiveness, and accepting the Holy Spirit into your life. Try to take out any ‘church words’ – replace them with words that are more relatable and conversational.
Now pray for an opportunity to share your Jesus story today 🙂
If you found these portions helpful or have more questions about a relationship with Jesus and have not yet participated in the ROOTED journey we invite you to plug into a group today.