Faith is a powerful thing. It's even more powerful when you share it.
Sharing your faith is one of the most powerful things you can do as a Jesus follower. The steps below will help you navigate conversations you have with people about Jesus. Many people may think that sharing their faith is difficult or complicated, but with the help of the Holy Spirit within you, He will guide you and bring you the opportunities at the right times. When God puts it on your heart to share, God is already working on the other person's heart to care. Curtis Hutson said, "People are not as Gospel-hardened as they are Gospel-ignorant." Many people just don't know — and it's our job to share with them.
How To Share
The 3 Circles is one easy way to share the Gospel with someone! You can click the button for a full script or information to use when using this method to share your faith. You can also go through this list of steps to share your faith with someone. As long as you are being willing to share the love of Christ with someone, there is no right or wrong way to do it.
A few helpful Bible passages to look at are: Romans 3:10-12, 19-20, Romans 3:22-24, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5-8, Romans 6:23 (Keywords: Sin, Death, Gift, & Jesus), John 3:16-20, John 14:6, Romans 10:9-11, 13, I John 5:13, II Corinthians 5:15
Listen and obey.
Ask, “May I share with you something that changed my life?” If the answer is no, be polite, thank them for their time and wish them a good day (maybe you’ll have an opportunity to continue the conversation in the future). If the answer is yes, proceed! Say, “At any point, please tell me if I’m out of line. I’m definitely passionate about this!”
What they may already know:
- Obey the commandments.
- Go to church.
- Be good.
- Take communion.
- Be kind to your neighbors — and if you’re really, really, really good, you might get to go to heaven.
- Have you been taught something similar or something completely different? If they say something completely different, ask them to share it with you. Determine what they’re trusting in for heaven and proceed accordingly.
- If they’re a Christian, celebrate with them! If not, with their permission, continue to transfer the truth. If I’m required to be good in order to go to heaven, how good is good enough?
Other questions worth asking:
- Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?
- To you, who is Jesus?
- Do you believe there is a heaven and a hell?
- Would you consider yourself to be a good person?
- Do you think you have kept the 10 Commandments?
- If God were to judge you by the 10 Commandments, do you think you would be innocent or guilty?
- If you died right now, do you think you would go to heaven or hell?
- Does that concern you?
- If when you die you are stopped by Peter at the pearly gates and Peter asked why he should let you into Heaven, what would you say?
- If what you believe is not true, would you want to know it?
- Have them read the Bible aloud. Say, “Please read this verse out loud. The principle comes from Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
- After they read the Bible, it is important to ask, “What does this say to you?” This principle comes from Luke 10:25-26 (An expert in the law asked Jesus what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus replied what is written in the law? How do you read it?)
- They will be doing the reading out loud.
- They will be doing the talking. Listen in a way that he or she will want to talk!
- The Holy Spirit will be doing the convincing.
- God’s Word will bring conviction.
Scripture References
- Romans 3:10-12 NLT – “As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
- Romans 3:19-20 NLT – “Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”
- Romans 6:23 NLT – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- John 3:16-20 NLT – “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.”
- John 14:6 NLT – “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
- Are you a sinner?
- Do you want forgiveness for your sins?
- Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you?
- Do you believe Jesus rose again?
- Are you ready to declare Jesus is Lord and invite Him into your life?
(Or they can pray out loud in their own words)
“God I admit that my sin has broken my connection to you. Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross to take away my sin and connect me to you. I believe you died for me and rose again. I declare Jesus is Lord. I receive your life and I give you my life. Now teach me how to live. In Jesus’ name, amen!”