SHARING THE GOSPEL

STEP 2 SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY - CHAPTER 10

HOW TO PRESENT YOUR PERSONAL TESTIMONY

COMPARING THE 4 STAGES OF AN EGG TO A BUTTERFLY AND THE 4 STAGES OF SHARING THE GOSPEL

Yesterday's chapter 9 study guide was on the ABCs of Sharing The Gospel.
1. The Egg Stage - Being an Example.
2. The Caterpillar Stage - Indirect Sharing Method lIke giving out Christina tracts.

Today's chapter 10 study guide is on #3 - The Cocoon Stage -Sharing Your Testimony. We are developing a plan that engages and embraces all these stages of soul-winning — teaching you how to share your God story with the hope and prayer that it triggers a God moment to those you are communicating with.

Soul Winning is not our Choice. It is God's Command.
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."  (Mark 16:15).

You've read God's command in the Bible to evangelize. You've heard the preacher or teacher plead with you to share the Gospel. Perhaps you've felt convicted to share the Good News, but you can't get past your fear. You feel like no matter how much you prepare or how many verses you memorize, you won't know all the answers.

Don't let the fear of failure hold you back from obeying God. Regardless of every excuse that we can make, God commanded us to proclaim the Gospel, and He is worthy to be obeyed.

We may never know all the answers, but we must be obedient. The only thing God cannot use is our silence. And remember, a person's eternity in either Heaven or Hell is at stake here.

What Will You Do?
You're at the point of a choice. You can continue to hold on to God's message of salvation for yourself, or you can share the Gospel with those lost and in need. If you desire something different to occur, it's time to try a new approach.

"So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  (Isaiah 55:11).

Worry, fear, or indecision to witness (sharing the Gospel) typically originates from a lack of self-confidence and uncertainty in your understanding of the topic. You deserve praise for being interested in studying how to share the Gospel enough to read these study guides! But, obviously, just reading study guides cannot furnish you with all you need to win souls.

Overcoming Your Fear Of Witnessing.
(1) Understanding of the Scriptures.
(2) Successful previous experiences.
(3) Being around individuals who also want to share the Gospel.
(4) Prayer.
|(5) Remember, the Holy Spirit will use the words you speak.

You will typically discover that the fear and worry you have of sharing will vanish as quickly as you start to talk to individuals. The essential thing is to GET STARTED! Do not permit the devil to keep you from being a fruitful witness because of the fear of sharing. Claim I John 4:18, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

To be an effective soul-winner, you must study and practice, study and practice, and study and practice some more. Another concrete aid in overcoming the fear of witnessing is an "ever-ready" presentation of the Gospel through your testimony.

Get together with a friend interested in witnessing and "practice your story" on each other. Role-playing will help you recognize phrases you could word better, and you will gain more confidence each time you practice if this is not possible, practice sharing by looking into a mirror.

Highly recommend another excellent exercise is using your cell phone, Ipad, or tape recorder by recording your voice or videoing yourself while practicing sharing your testimony at home. It is a little scary watching yourself back and your presentation. You might find things you would like to change. Perhaps your body language looks uncomfortable, or you talk too fast, using too many "you know's," or repeat favorite sayings. Please do not get down on yourself as repetition increases your comfort zone in sharing. With a lot of practice, your testimony can be made shorter and more intriguing. Fear will become less as you are confident that the Holy Spirit will use your words for His Glory, trusting Him. 

Practicing in front of a mirror is an excellent idea for working on each component of your presentation, including body movements, facial expressions, relaxing, and sharing your story with self-confidence. Your practice may feel like when you start a new job, which can be overwhelming. But in a few days or weeks of making some mistakes, you will gain confidence each time. Like me, we can be our worst critics and find reasons to quit easily. All you have to do is look at all the non-perfect people in the Bible used by God that went through many testings and hardships. Everything we do takes commitment, trusting the Holy Spirit, hard work in life, and serving Christ. 

 

A HEART TO HEART WITH THE AUTHOR
One tremendous lesson I have learned is it is easy to have self-pity for ourselves. I can hear some saying, "Well, you do not know me, how difficult life has been and how hard it is to share the Gospel. It does not come naturally to me, as others I have seen share." I know I say that. I have always thought I am not the smartest light bulb in the world. When you put more than two people together, I feel I have nothing to say that is worth telling. 

Sometimes I shake my head and say, Lord, "Why did you pick me?”  "Why Lord, in a way, you could have the pick of the best of the litter to use gifted people to do 1000's of pages of Christian content, but instead, you picked me the runt of the litter to do your work." A little history of myself I  failed grade 11 English and always struggled with putting my thoughts on paper or emails."  

One of the obvious reasons is because God gets all the Glory, not me.

Another reason is that it does not come easy; you have your trust in the Holy Spirit through many difficulties. My prayer in sharing the above is that it encourages you no matter your obstacles; GOD CAN USE YOU!!! It has nothing to do with how smart you are or your natural talents. GOD CAN USE YOU! Be willing and obedient and roll up your sleeves to work for our Lord and leave the rest in God's hands. Do not sit back and pass the buck for someone else to do it, or think, " I can't share the Gospel because of this ___, and that ___, and of course this ____." Surrender and say, “YES, LORD, I want to share the Gospel with everyone. Teach me how to share by trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide me."

NOBODY BECOMES A PERFECT SOUL-WINNER INSTANTLY!
However, keep in mind it isn't your eloquence and persuasiveness, anyway, that God is going to bless, but your faithful, caring presentation of the Gospel. The essential thing is to START sharing now. Tell somebody TODAY. "Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. ." (Psalm 126:6).

The Word "testimony" means  "a witness." A witness explains what he/she has personally seen, heard, know, and discovered.

Your testimony, your story (your account and experience), is just what you have heard and seen God carry out in your own life. This is the most valuable and effective tool and resource that you have at your fingertips for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Typically, though, people don'"t think about sharing their salvation experience. Would you acknowledge that God has done some remarkable things in your daily life since this miraculous and amazing event? We need to think about these things if we are going to be successful, effective, and productive at reaching others with our personal stories.

TESTIMONY
A testimony is your presentation of how you came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and much more. It is a means to an end. People might have the same need you had before you got saved, and they will identify themselves with that need and desire to be saved.

What we are after is to use our testimony to be an introduction to the Gospel message. But, usually, the way we present our story takes a long time and unnecessarily hides the Gospel message we will give.

IMPORTANT
Among the most valuable and practical things a Christian can do is write out and develop their individual testimony (their story.) This practice will help you think through and analyze what God has done and carried out in your life. It will prepare, create, and organize you to share your story easily, directly, naturally, and clearly with others.

Sharing (discussing) how you came to be a Christian is among the best methods of witnessing. It is especially valuable and practical in presenting Jesus Christ to loved ones, family members, and friends, typically the most challenging people to whom to witness.

IN SHARING YOUR STORY

1. MAKE IT PERSONALIZED
Never preach. Share what Christ has done and carried out for you. Utilize the pronouns "I," "me," and also "mine."

2. MAKE IT BRIEF
Three or four minutes ought to be sufficient time to share important truths.

3. ALWAYS KEEP CHRIST CENTRAL
Always emphasize what He has done for you.

4. UTILIZE THE WORD OF GOD
One or two Bible verses will provide power to your story. Keep in mind that the word of God has a razor-sharp cutting edge. "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17).

NOTE:
Avoid negative church experience and the name of church or denomination in your testimony as it develops needless antagonism and causes problems in those listening to your testimony.

Please write down your testimony the way you would tell it to a non-Christian. Make the story so clear that an individual hearing it would understand exactly how to receive Christ as Savior.
First, talk a little about your life before trusting in Jesus Christ.

Second, share about how you came to Christ. Your transformation, how you came to trust in Him, and what it has meant to know and understand Him. All the true blessings of sins forgiven, assurances of everlasting life and additional ways your life and outlook have changed. If you have been a Christian for a while, make sure your testimony consists of some current details of Jesus Christ in your life.

As you create and organize your story, ask the Lord to provide you prospects and opportunities to share it. Pray for individuals you would especially like to tell about Jesus Christ in your community, at the job, or at school. Then take the first opportunity to share and discuss your testimony with them.

 

Look at this overview to use in presenting your testimony.
The Apostle Paul's testimony in Acts 22:1-21 can be outlined as follows:
A. Before I received Christ - vs. 1 - 5
B. Fact (I got saved) - vs. 6 - 10
C. After I received eternal life - vs. 11 - 21
The final part, point C, is the crucial part. People desire to know what can be gained from receiving Jesus Christ. Bear in mind that your testimony is your personal experience of salvation. Folks can't argue with what occurred to you. So do not be afraid and hesitate to tell them of your testimony.

YOUR TESTIMONY

Before I trusted Christ:
How I trusted Christ
Since I've trusted Christ

Keep in mind that you do not have the power on your own to persuade anybody of spiritual truth. The Holy Spirit convicts non-Christians of their necessity to know and discover Christ. "When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment." (John 16:8). As you pray concerning those with whom you want to share your testimony, ask God to be faithful to His Word, convict people of their need, and empower you by the Holy Spirit as you share the Gospel.

God has called each Christian to be a witness of what they have "seen and heard" (I John 1:3.) Witnessing is a lifestyle, and you are a witness at any given time. Loving and caring about others and showing your genuine concern for them are practical means to communicate the love of Christ. You likewise witness in your daily life. Actions are typically more revealing than words.

You are required to witness by your words, recognize and identify openly and freely with Jesus Christ, and inform others how they can be reconciled to God. Nevertheless, your behavior and actions are inadequate to communicate and interact with another person about the Gospel message. One of the most reliable means of communicating with another individual is the story of how God has worked in your life—your personal testimony (your Salvation story).

We are excited that you have shown an interest in becoming a part of sharing your story. We want to ask you to take the time to write out how you came to know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. This is your testimony (story) of how you came to accept Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross as payment for your sin and the means for you to have an intimate relationship with God. We celebrate with you what Christ has done in your life and want to assist you in developing your relationship with Him.

IMPORTANT:
Start now by creating your rough draft testimony for the next few study guides. Essential to start now with a rough draft, anything that relates to your testimony below.

PLEASE USE THREE SEPARATE SHEETS OF PAPER labeled one BEFORE, one HOW, and one AFTER.

YOUR TESTIMONY IS UNIQUE TO YOU!

1. Life Before Christ (Before I Received Christ.)
(Please use your first draft page marked BEFORE.)
These keywords and expressions below help you recall what your life was potentially like before you came to know Christ. Utilize them, or other suitable terms, as they apply to your circumstances in your written testimony.

Lonely	Emptiness	Good Deeds
Driven	Good Person	No Direction
Religious	Without Purpose	Fear Of Death
Fearful	Controlling	Lost

Remember, your testimony is unique. Sometimes when shopping for clothes, you see items for sale saying, "one size fits all." This is not the case in preparing your testimony, as your individual experience will be very unique from other people. Also, who you share with will change your presentation relating to that person or situation.

IMPORTANT:
To have keywords related to a non-Christian's age and situation.
Examples of the words I would use to relate to a non-Christian and their circumstances in sharing my life before Christ. (Using the above keywords in the box.)
Teenagers relate with loneliness, fear, searching, and no direction.
Strangers relate to different religions, fear, death, without purpose, or lost.
Career or business people relate with is driven, controlling, good person, emptiness, and good deeds.


2. How I Trusted Christ (How You Got Saved) - Ways Men And Women Come To God.
(Please use your second draft page marked HOW.)
God uses various methods to bring us to a loving confrontation with our necessity for a relationship with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. We all have varied backgrounds and different experiences. The following keywords identify a few of God's methods to bring a lot of us to Him. Find any that apply to you or provide others that work for your Salvation story. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6).

How You Got Saved - Jesus brought me to Him through these keywords. (Or other keywords that apply to your testimony.)

Friend	Minister / Pastor	Church Service	Youth Camp
Stranger	Parent / Meetings	Bible Class	In My Home

Your testimony and situation will be completely different than everyone else.

3. After I Trusted Christ - Evidence of a Changed Life.
(Please use your third draft page marked AFTER.)
Given that Jesus Christ became your Lord and Savior, many things below have changed in your life. Many of these changes are noticeable; others are internal. Use the keywords below that describe your life and how it has been changed.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This verse implies that those who become Christians become a new person in Christ. They are no longer the same, for the old life is gone. A brand-new life has begun!

Keywords to use in your testimony (or other comparable expressions.)

Joy	Peace	Forgiveness	Direction
Patience	Kindness	Faithfulness	Witnessing
Love	Self-control	Compassion	Goodness
Service	Assurance	Gentleness	Bible Study

Ask one of these questions:
How would you sum up your life so far?
Do you have questions about your existence and your reason for living?

Ask one of these questions:
What about you, are you satisfied with your life?
Do you ever think there is more to life?

Ask one of these questions:
Do material things have a lasting satisfaction?
Do you want direction for your life?

Over the next few days, we will give examples of personal testimonies to help you give thought to an outline for your testimony. Some parts will apply, and some will not. But you will see by the examples each day of how to write out your testimony, including:
1. My Life before Christ. (1 minute long).
2. How I came to know Jesus Personally. (1 to 2 minutes long).
3. My Life since I became a Christian. (1 to 2 minutes long).

Words To Avoid
Avoid using Christian phrases that are "churchy." Most non-Christians will have trouble identifying what they mean by your testimony. Refrain from using these phrases in the Do Not Use box. Instead, use one of the example words.

Do Not Use	Use These Phrases	Use These Phrases	Use These Phrases
"born again"	spiritual birth	spiritual renewal	spiritual awakening
"saved"	rescued	found hope	delivered from despair
"lost"	had no hope	had no purpose	separated from God
"Gospel"	Good News	God's message	hope for the world
"sin"	rejecting God	missing the mark	disobedience to God
"repent"	turn around	admit a wrong	change one's mind or heart
"repent"	obey God	follow God's Word	decide to turn away

IMPORTANT - CAUTION
Using the above examples in the left column, be cautious. The last thing we want to do is water down the Gospel by being afraid of using certain "Christian words." As a coin has two sides, our testimony should share the truth in love with a non-Christian. God by the Holy Spirit gives us sensitivity, common sense, and the ability to listen clearly to the individual we share with.

 

The expression "one size fits all" does not always apply in our testimony. In the past, I have seen folks sharing the Gospel message very dogmatically and in a negative and overbearing way. By saying, "You are a sinner, and you have to repent, or you are going to hell." Many folks are unfamiliar with God or His Word (the Bible) and religious terminology. Your testimony should be sensitive, understandable, and relatable to a generation that mostly knows nothing about God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, and the Salvation story. Pray and trust the Holy Spirit and practice on a friend or a mirror or recording your voice using an electronic device.

 

PLEASE DETERMINE TO TELL YOUR STORY (YOUR TESTIMONY.)
Pray for an opening to share your story with someone this week.

My Personal Testimony - Name:______________________ Date: ______

My life before Christ:
_____________________________________________________

Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior?
Yes ____ No ___

How I came to know Jesus, personally:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

My life after I became a Christian:
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Suggested Conversational Opening Questions
1. Moving from a basic (introductory) conversation to a spiritual discussion.
Once you are talk with someone about general topics (the weather, news, hobbies, sports, etc.), it is easy to transition to a spiritual conversation by asking thoughtful questions. If you're talking about the news and the bad in the world, you could easily ask,"What is their hope is in?"

2. Moving from a spiritual conversation to the Gospel.
From a spiritual conversation, you can quickly shift to the Gospel by asking other transference questions like:
"What has been your experience with Christianity?"
"Where are you on your spiritual walk?"
From there, it is straightforward to continue discussing the Gospel.
(Discussed in more detail in a later study guide.)

FACTORS TO REMEMBER

• Be cheerful.
• Don't be untruthful, mislead, or exaggerate.
• Faith and conviction come from hearing God's Word (Romans 10:17), so include one or two key verses, specifically ones important in your transformation.
• Refrain from using words that confuse individuals, such as “redeemed,” “saved,” “righteousness,” and so on. For example, if you tell somebody you “felt convicted,” they may ask you if you've been to jail before.
• If you aren't sure regarding the specific moment you came to faith, speak about a time when you might have come to Christ. You may get an opportunity to clarify at a later time when you were confident that God had changed your life.
• Essential to try to keep your testimony up to date. If you discuss only a decision made in the past times, you will fall short of illustrating the work of Jesus in everyday life.
  

PLEASE TELL YOUR STORY
Pray for an opening to share your story with someone this week.

QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION

• How open do you find men and women discussing spiritual matters, and why?
• What questions are men and women asking, and what issues and concerns are they trying to resolve today?
• How does Jesus Christ deal with those questions, concerns, and issues?
• Who is somebody you want to ask a question, "Where are you on your spiritual journey?”
  

Why not decide to have that discussion today and keep in mind these three words: Rapport, Relevance, Recommend.
Ask yourself, What is their primary concern? (Rapport - Connection.)
Speak in a language they can understand. (Relevance - Purpose.)
Don't debate religious beliefs; however, do recommend Jesus Christ. (Recommend - Advocate - Urge.)

Frequently Asked Question - Why Share My Story?
God has a plan of action for everybody's story. Sharing can be your next way to celebrate what Jesus has accomplished for you, encounter His blessings, and reach many others for Jesus.

What if I don't believe that I have a story?
You can't encounter Jesus and remain the same. Create and write any turning point for the next step of your personal experience that points to Jesus working and shaping your life.

What if I don't know where to begin?
Writing out your Salvation story is an excellent method to determine what you want to say. Begin your testimony (story) from whatever point appears to be sensible, and Jesus will provide you guidance from there. Don't stress about grammar or spelling as much in doing your rough draft. Simply write like you're speaking to a good friend.

Don't Know What To Write?
Consider how your story fits in these most typical story types:
1. Jesus saved me and gave me a new life.
2. Jesus taught me to grow in faith.
3. Jesus helped me through my struggles.
4. Jesus restored a relationship that was broken.
5. Jesus used me to make a difference.
6. Jesus provided when I had a need.

In sharing your testimony, try to address these questions:
1. What was your life like before becoming a Christian?
2. How did I come to know Jesus personally? What led you to change?
3. My life after I became a Christian? How has your Christian faith enriched your life?
4. What have you learned from your encounter with Jesus?

Tip: Take time to pray for the words God desires you to share. Then picture yourself telling your story to a friend.

We celebrate each story we get, and we are looking to find opportunities to share stories online. Please consider sharing your testimony here.

IMPORTANT: Start now creating your rough draft testimony using:
THREE SEPARATE SHEETS OF PAPER labeled one BEFORE, one HOW, and one AFTER.

In starting to share your testimony, I honestly feel this is a do-or-die moment for you. If you are like me, you can look back on significant decisions you have made, whether good or bad and see how they affected your life over time. This decision to start in soul-winning is one of them, so I encourage you to create the first step in committing to the work now. Critical to begin now with a rough draft, anything that relates to your testimony.

See you tomorrow when we will be looking at sharing your testimony in more detail.

Writing My Faith Story (Word) (PDF)

My Faith Story Questions (Word) (PDF)

Download Presenting Your Personal Testimony PDF

 

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OPTIONAL READING

Example Of The Above Using My Testimony.
(Using the above keywords in the word boxes.)

First Background Information on Brian Duncalfe – how I used it in my testimony.
I had a life of drinking, light drugs, and stealing. One day I offered a young lady at work a ride home and asked if she wanted a joint. She refused the joint but invited me to a church service that night. At that point in my life, I did not know anything about Christianity and had no interest but liked the girl. That night the evangelist explained the Gospel. As soon as there was an altar call, I went up immediately and asked Jesus into my life. The Grace of God changed my life. Yes, I was not perfect, but I knew I had met with God that night. Three out of the four vices were gone that night.

Specific Examples Below:
Talking to a Teenager.
I offered a young lady I was interested in a joint, and she offered to take me to a church service. That night changed my life forever, meeting Jesus in a personal way. The loneliness, fear, and searching for something were all answered. My love for God and others replaced all the wrong desires of stealing, drugs, and alcohol.

Talking to a Teenager.
I never really thought about God till one night at a church service, I realized how empty and fearful my life was. Young people were doing a drama of Jesus on the cross and how He suffered and died for me. I realized that I did not have to be lonely. Jesus died on the cross for me. And He loved me so much more than any human can. The loneliness, fear, and uncertainty were replaced with love, joy, peace, and assurance when I asked Jesus into my life. Yes, I still had struggles, but each day as I read my Bible and prayed, God took the old me and made something new.

 

Talking to a Stranger.
I was an alcoholic, lost, shy, and fearful about life. An acquaintance invited me to a church service. At the end of the service, they asked if anyone wanted to have a personal relationship with Christ. I went up and said sorry to God (repented) for being disobedient, rejecting Him, and admitted I was wrong and wanted to follow God.

Talking to a Stranger.
Have you ever questioned your life and goals and where you would like to end up? I know I did. For many years I tried to solve my problems with alcohol. I had a few beers for breakfast or a joint to get through the day ahead. I was always terribly lonely, even with a few friends around. I was never satisfied. One night at a church service, I asked God's Son Jesus into my heart and asked forgiveness for my sins. Something big happened. God replaced fear with joy and self-control. Jesus took the desire to drink alcohol away and replaced it with a peace of enjoying God and life without the crutches that many people depend on.

 

Talking to people at Work or Career Oriented People.
I worked hard all my life and took risks to succeed financially, buying and selling properties. Still, I had an empty void in my life, and I tried to fill the hole with alcohol. The more toys or bigger houses I had, they never satisfied an inner longing for something else. Someone invited me to a church service, and I went reluctantly. I realized that I was missing a personal relationship with God. The preacher mentioned that we need Christ in our lives, and we will never be satisfied until we do. That night when I came forward and accepted Jesus Christ in my life, everything changed. I still worked hard, but my focus was on God and serving Him. Indeed that night, God gave me a purpose and a direction for my life.

Talking to people at Work or Career Oriented People.
As a young person was taught to work hard and making money was a priority. Like everyone else, you try and get established with a job, household goods, a mate, and a house. Then you start collecting all the toys to go with it. I learned that new toys would only satisfy for a short time, but something was still missing. I had no real direction for fulfilling the longing inside for more. One night I heard the Gospel message of God's forgiveness, love, and faithfulness for me personally. I asked Jesus Christ into my life, and He forgave me of all my disobedience to Him. God gave me direction and assurance in His promises to me through reading the Bible, praying (talking to Him), going to Bible study, and finding a caring local church. My life changed. I had gentleness and compassion for others and wanted to serve Him with an indescribable joy.

Note:
The more you share, the more your experience will grow in which parts of your testimony relate better with practice and time to different age groups.

Download Presenting Your Testimony PDF

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