Sharing your Story

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2:9-12

You are a chosen people . . . that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9, NIV

Brain sparks flew as everyone in Mrs. Thompson’s Sunday school class responded to her challenge to think of ways to share their faith.

“I think we should paint ‘Jesus loves you’ on a billboard!”

“I want to get a loudspeaker on a corner and scream at people!”

“I’m going to go to my Little League game and hold up a John 3:16 banner!”

Mrs. Thompson listened. “Those ideas are all very creative,” she said. “But how can you share your faith with the people you already know?”

Talk about it: What’s the absolutely best way you can share your faith with a non-Christian friend? Got any great ideas?

All around us are people who don’t know Jesus. We don’t have to turn into fire-breathing preachers to make sure our friends have a firm understanding of God’s truth. We just need two crucial things to help them come to know Jesus.

We need to know what to say. We can share our faith by using a simple step-by-step approach. One easy-to-understand way to present the good news about Jesus is using the booklet “Would You Like to Know God Personally?”

We need to know why we’re sharing. This is the second important ingredient to presenting the faith well. We can share our faith by telling our own story.

Do you know how to explain to others how you became a Christian? You can

• tell why you trusted Christ. Maybe you’re only nine, but why did you decide to trust Jesus? What would your life be like without him?

• tell how you trusted Christ. What did you pray? Who helped you know what to say?

• tell what your life has been like since trusting Christ. What does Christ mean to you now? How has he changed you? How has he helped you?

Our friends need to know the straightforward facts of faith so they can understand that being a Christian starts by trusting Jesus. And our friends also need to hear how faith has changed us. That’s how they will understand why faith matters in day-to-day life—and for eternity!

TALK: As a family, talk through the why, how, and what of salvation. You might even want to jot down some notes.

PRAY: Jesus, give us wisdom as we think about how to share the gospel with our friends.

ACT: Can you tell your salvation story in no more than eight sentences? Grab a sheet of paper and write a first draft.