"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” 1 Peter 3:15b-16and,
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6
Last Sunday we talked about building bridges to reach people who don’t know Christ. To help us think through how we can do a better job of reaching others we used the following acrostic.
B – Be friendly, not preachy!
R – Respectfully listen to others before you share your own opinions!
I – Intercession: Pray for your lost friend!
D – Demonstrate genuine interest in your friend as a person! Don’t treat them like a “project”!
G – Give God time to work! Don’t try to “microwave” the process!
E – Equip yourself to tell your story well!
S – Share as much as is appropriate depending on the person and the situation!
Since that time many of you have taken it upon yourselves to write out your testimony – the story of how you came to Christ – in a hundred words or less. The key to writing out your testimony is to answer three questions: What was your life like before you met Christ? When and how did you begin to follow Christ? How is your life different because of following Christ?
Below is my story.
As a young man in high school I was deeply insecure, lonely, angry, and afraid.
Then some friends invited me to a conference for high school students. While I was there, I loved being around people who really wanted to follow Christ. They seemed to have a joy and purpose in life that I wanted for myself, but lacked. And so I asked Christ to be the Lord of my life.
I didn’t instantly become perfect. Sometimes I still struggle with old insecurities. But it gave me a new hope, joy, meaning, and purpose in life!
I hope this helps you!
Warmly in Christ,
Pastor Gary
Acts 20:24
