Share Your Faith – Share the Wealth
Imagine you've discovered the cure for cancer. What would you do first? Would you tell your friends?
Would you call the local news station? How would you get the word out? Whatever you did, you would certainly do everything in your power to let people know that the cure was available.
Maybe you won't be the person to invent the cure for cancer, but God has given you the cure for something even more deadly than cancer – sin. Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is the reason why
Jesus died on the cross. Your friends need a cure for this deadly spiritual disease. Your "Number One Job" is to learn how to clearly explain to others how they can receive Jesus' forgiveness for their sins.
Start where you are! You don't need to have all the answers, and it's not even necessary to have been a Christian for a long time. Your job is simply to share your faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leave the results to God. Here are some tips to help you as you share your faith.
Develop Your "God Vision"
Start seeing people the way God does. Look at the crowd at a football game or on your campus and think about how many of those people don't know that God loves them. How will they ever hear? Realize that these people are lost without Jesus, and that God has you there for a purpose.
Get Training
When learning how to share your faith, it is helpful to have a tool. You can find lots of great booklets that are simple, user-friendly means of sharing the gospel. You need to pick one that you feel comfortable with and then learn how to use it.
Here are some helpful hints:
- Keep it simple.
- Practice sharing it with other students.
- Be real while using the tool. Ask questions of the other person to see where they're at.
- Focus on Jesus. You can deal with other spiritual questions after you read through the entire tool.
Carpe Diem - Sieze the Day
Turning the Conversation to Christ
Make the most of your opportunities. Here are some suggestions to help you turn a conversation to Christ:
- "I deal with that a lot myself. Can I tell you how I have been able to handle that situation?"
- "Do you ever think about God or spiritual things?"
- "What do you think it means to be a Christian?"
- "Would you mind if I shared with you what I've learned about knowing God personally?"
- If you gave a Christian article, newspaper or magazine to read, the next time you see that person, ask,"Did you get a chance to read the article?" and "What did you think about it?"
Do's and Don'ts
Here are a few important do's and don'ts about sharing your faith:
- No need to debate. It's called sharing your faith. Remember that salvation is a gift, not a thing to beat somebody over the head with.
- Don't get sidetracked onto political or denominational issues.
- Listen. Don't do all the talking. People need to know you care before they care what you know.
- Remember to tell your story. Include your testimony while going through the booklet.
- Speak their language. Try not to use Christian phrases or cliches that could turn them off or be misunderstood ("born again," "sanctified," etc.).
Training Others
Now that you know how to use a gospel tool, you will want to train others to help you reach out to your campus.