“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
Strategies for telling others about Jesus:
1. Start the Conversation
Sometimes people don’t share the gospel because they don’t know how to begin. They can explain the gospel if it comes up in conversation, but what if it never comes up?
You don’t have to have a smooth segue to share the gospel with someone. God can work through anyone, including those who aren’t expert communicators (see Moses). However, it can be less intimidating and less awkward if it flows naturally out of what you are already talking about.
You can use questions to steer a conversation toward spiritual things, making it easier to then share the gospel with them. For example, if it is around Christmastime or Easter, it is natural enough to ask someone if they are doing anything to celebrate. You can ask them why they do (or don’t) celebrate that way and talk about why the holiday matters to you. Or, if you are having dinner out and are about to pray for your meal, ask your server if there is anything you can pray for them about.
And there’s the ever-popular question, “Do you have a faith?” which gets them talking about their beliefs first rather than seeming to “push” your own beliefs on them. It’s always preferable to get to know people first; it shows that you are interested in them and care about them as individuals. It also allows you to tailor how you share the gospel based on what they believe.
2. Spiritual Journey Question
This tool is a simple and direct way to start a spiritual conversation. Simply ask people, “where are you in your spiritual journey?”
This is an interesting one for a lot of reasons. Many people do not like to be a part of organized religion, for instance, but they love talking about spiritual things.
As an example, there was a pastor’s wife who used to live overseas in a country that was not very religious. When they first moved there, people would ask about her husband’s job and she would reply that he was a pastor. People would give her a response that said (indirectly), “oh that’s…interesting. How do I change the subject quickly?”
But then, she started telling people he was a “spiritual advisor.” People tended to light up at this, “oh wow, that’s so incredible. Spiritual things are really important!”
When you ask someone about their spiritual journey, it could go in many different directions. However they respond, the ultimate goal for the believer is to ask for permission to share our Spiritual Journey and how it has helped us find purpose, freedom, and assurance.
3. Sharing Your Story (Testimony)
You never know when someone will ask you about your beliefs or why you have hope in God. In business, there is a term you are probably familiar with called the “elevator pitch.” The term came from the following scenario: If you end-up in an elevator with an important business leader or investor, you should be able to explain your amazing idea before the elevator ride is over.
In other words, it needs to be quick, to the point, interesting, and leave them wanting more.
With your personal story/testimony, it’s important to be able to share it in less than 1 minute. You may not have someone’s attention for very long, so you should be able to share it in a way that is quick, to the point, interesting, and leaves people wanting to hear more.
A simple formula for sharing your personal testimony in less than 1 minute is as follows:
- Share what your life was like before you knew God. Personalize the problem of sin in your life.
- Explain how your life changed and how Christ was the solution to your sin problem.
- Describe your life since you became a believer, how has it changed?
Remember, this isn’t meant to be a presentation. Sharing the gospel is a conversation, and keeping it short and interesting will give the person you’re sharing with a chance to ask questions to learn more, or change the conversation if they aren’t ready to discuss further yet.
4. Pray
Remember that it is not your job to convince anyone; that is the Holy Spirit’s job. Your role is just to be faithful to share the good news with them.
Your biggest evangelism “tool,” therefore, is prayer. Pray for opportunities to share, and pray for people to be open to the message. Sometimes your conversation will just plant a seed, giving the other person something to think about. You might not see the results yourself, but they might later come to a decision based on the seed you planted. Pray for the people you have shared the gospel with, that they would respond and put their trust in Jesus.
Sources:
https://lifeonlife.org/resource/evangelism-training-5-effective-tools/
https://www.watermark.org/blog/tools-for-sharing-the-gospel
