What are some key ways to share faith with others?

Jenifer · August 3, 2018, 9:14pm

Sophia · August 3, 2018, 9:15pm

It’s a lot easier than you think to share the Christian faith with other people that God has placed in your life. You can start sharing your faith with others today. Here are seven of the most overlooked ways to share your faith with others.

Casually mention that you are a Christian who goes to church.
Let others know that you are a Christian. Don’t flaunt it in a super nauseating way or buy bumper stickers to put all over your car just to prove it. What I mean by this is organically show others in tangible, loving, and hospitable ways what a Christian looks like, and tell others that you are this way not because you’re a really nice person but because of what Jesus has done to forgive and love you.

Michael Horton once told a group of us in seminary that the problem with Christians is not that they aren’t where they should be. The problem with Christians is they aren’t who they should be wherever God has called them to be. I’m telling you, simply being open and honest with others about who you are will instantly open the doorway for future conversations with them. Be yourself.

Ask questions about what your friends, coworkers, and colleagues believe.
By asking open and honest questions about what other people believe, you’re getting the conversation started, and more opportunities to discuss the Christian faith will almost certainly come your way. Be sure to listen carefully and sympathetically to them, and seek to understand where they are coming from before interacting with them.
Invite a friend to ask you questions about your faith, and allow for them to raise their own objections to Christianity.
Often we’re so busy trying to figure out how to win others to Christ that we have never really stopped to think about the many objections and questions people might have about what we believe and why we believe it. Have you ever given your friends the opportunity to put you on the spot? By letting your own guard down, you may allow some really great conversations to begin, and you might even be able to share the gospel with them more clearly than you ever were able to before!
Ask a friend to go to a church service with you.
This is the easiest way that I know of to share your faith because it only requires an invitation. After that, it’s bringing a friend along for a show and tell that you didn’t even have to prepare! A pastor preaches the sermon, and that itself will raise a host of questions and provide food for thought for you and your friend after the service.

As a worst-case scenario, your friend will just say that they’re too busy to join you or express that they’re really not all that interested. You’ll still be able to remain friends, and you didn’t even embarrass yourself.

Share a personal struggle or problem that you’ve had, and show how the gospel helps you deal with that issue.
Every one of us struggles to love an enemy, and I’ll bet every one of us has been wronged by another human being. Tell your friend about a time that this has happened to you, or share with them about what you are currently going through, then mention to them that only the gospel allows for you to show forgiveness to those who are undeserving of it just as we are undeserving of the grace and forgiveness that God has shown to us.

If you’ve dealt with great loss in your life (loss of a loved one, financial loss, or emotional loss), or you’ve had to deal with anxiety or depression, share with them how Christianity is a religion that acknowledges suffering, is all about a person (Jesus) who suffered for us and has promised to end all suffering. There are so many different ways you can do this, but hopefully, this gives you a pathway forward and helps to give you the courage to speak to others about your faith.

Buy a friend a book that is about Christianity, and offer to discuss the book with them over coffee or a meal.
There are many books that can satisfy this need, and plenty of books come from different angles and can address the various interests of all of our friends. One of the books I’ll often buy for others is Ordinary by Michael S. Horton. It’s a short read that is low in cost but hits on a lot of common experiences that Christians and non-Christians alike share while living in a busy world. Your friend may not read the book right away, but whenever they do get around to it, you can discuss some of the main points of the book. It may give you the opportunity to share your faith and invite them to church.
Actually share the gospel with one of your friends, family members, co-workers, or neighbors.
It sounds silly for me to include this one on the list, but I’ve come across a lot of people who know many non-Christians, yet these non-Christians don’t even know that they have a Christian friend! Part of this is because we want to be accepted by others so badly that we hide a part of ourselves from them in order to keep the friendship. But is that really a friendship if a major aspect of your life remains hidden? Be bold and share the gospel with people you know really well. They may just end up coming with you to church! It’s a lot easier than you think. And when you need help, you can always refer your friends to our website as a good resource for questions they have ;).

Andreson · August 3, 2018, 9:17pm

And He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” —Matthew 4:19 (ESV)
When Jesus walked the earth, he took ordinary guys and showed them how to be evangelists—fishers of men. Today, through the power of the Holy Spirit, ordinary people are still spreading the Good News about Jesus. And just like 2,000 years ago, it’s not always easy. Still, every follower of Christ is called to share the Gospel. Here are some ways to get started.

Identify your mission field. (It may be closer than you think!)
Have you ever heard the expression, “Bloom where you’re planted”? That’s what God wants us to do with the Gospel—make the most of our circumstances and reflect His love to everyone around us. You don’t have to be a pastor or missionary to tell people about Jesus, either; just think of all the people around you in need of hope.

Psalm 96:3 tells us to “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” Keep your eyes open for people you can talk to and ways you can connect the conversation with Christ. Catch up with a family member by phone or text message. Use social media to encourage a friend. Let a coworker know you are praying for him or her. Take dinner to a neighbor in need. Ask a cashier how their day is going and really listen. Be intentional about forming relationships with people around you.

One more tip, and this is a biggie: Don’t underestimate the power of prayer. As Billy Graham once said, “Prayer is crucial in evangelism: … No matter how logical our arguments or how fervent our appeals, our words will accomplish nothing unless God’s Spirit prepares the way.”

Want to share the Gospel around the world without leaving home? Learn more about BGEA’s Internet evangelism ministry, Search for Jesus.
Sharing Jesus doesn’t have to be awkward. Watch the funny 30-second video below, then see how you can get involved in this fall’s My Hope outreach, which combines video programs with the power of personal relationships.

Focus on the Gospel.
Billy Graham has said, “I do not have to make the Gospel relevant; it is always relevant in any part of the world … [and] I must get the whole Gospel in [every] sermon.”

The Gospel has power to transform lives. If you’re short on time and want to explain the Good News in a nutshell, share John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

There are also things you can do to show your faith over time:

Live a consistent, Christ-centered life. (Need help? Find 9 ways to grow in your faith.)
Be a friend and a good listener.
The Holy Spirit gives us power to share the Gospel (Acts 1:8). Pray He will give you opportunities to share your faith.
Avoid arrogance and preachiness.
Remember, we’re all sinners in need of a Savior. Try to see people as God sees them—as treasured creations made in His image and loved unconditionally. When we see others that way, we will want to follow God’s command to share the hope of the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20).

How exactly do you share the Gospel, step by step? What do you say and how do you approach it? Read Sharing Your Faith 101.
Do you know someone with a specific spiritual need or question? Maybe someone struggling with loneliness, grief or addiction? Share one of these pages on Facebook or Twitter to address their needs and point them to Christ through our online evangelism ministry, Search for Jesus.
3. Share true stories of God’s power.
No matter how “ordinary” yours may seem, we’ve all got a story to tell and you never know what it can mean to someone until you share it. Jesus often talked in parables so people could better grasp God’s plans, instructions and power. In the same way, you can use personal experiences and stories to relate to others and tell them about Christ.

Keep in mind, though, that most people will only give you a few minutes to get your point across. So you don’t ramble on and on, try writing down your story—focusing on a few key points. Ask God to give you guidance as you write (James 1:5-6). These questions may also help you narrow your testimony down to three minutes or so:

What was life like before you accepted Christ?
How did you receive Christ? What did you hear? How did you respond? Why did you choose to put your trust in Christ? Try to mention a Bible verse or two, but be careful not to overwhelm your listener.
How has life changed since accepting Christ? It’s OK if you stumbled or struggled in the past. The important thing is to be honest and relatable here.
Do your best to write the way you speak and practice your story until it’s natural.

Can’t work up the nerve to share your own story just yet? Singer Lacey Sturm has often shared her testimony of overcoming suicidal thoughts. Whether you want to share this video of her story with someone who doesn’t know Christ, or study it to learn how to better express your story, this may help:

Above all, remember that it’s God’s business to turn a person’s heart towards Christ. Though we are to be obedient in sharing our faith, our persuasion alone is not enough. As 1 Corinthians 3:6 says, some plant, some water, but it is God who makes the seed grow.

David · August 3, 2018, 9:20pm

Maybe you’re afraid to share your faith because you don’t know what to say. Or maybe you’re sharing the Gospel but nothing is happening; people aren’t committing their lives to Christ. Are you doing something wrong?

You can’t open someone’s heart to the truth of the Gospel—but God can, by His Spirit. The Apostle Paul wasn’t eloquent, but God used him because he depended on the Holy Spirit to guide him (see 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). God guided many others in the Bible as well—like Moses, who at first asked God to get someone else to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, or Jonah, who didn’t think the wicked Ninevites deserved God’s mercy and tried to run the other way.

Remember that God does not call the equipped; He equips the called—and as Christians, we are all called to share what Christ has done. Some of Christ’s last words on earth were, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Sharing our faith isn’t just a suggestion, it’s a command. And God is with us when we obey Him.

What do I do?
One of the best ways to share your faith is to live a godly life. Non-Christians often look at Christians as hypocritical because we say one thing but do another. Show those close to you that you care—spend time with them, help meet their needs and offer to listen when they have problems. You might not be able to answer all of their questions, but they can’t deny the reality of what Christ has done in your life. If you find this is hard to do, perhaps God is speaking to you about your own need to walk more closely with Him every day.

Another important part of sharing your faith is to pray for those you interact with. If you can’t think of anyone who isn’t a Christian, pray for God to place someone in your life who needs Him.

Also make a habit of reading the Bible, praying and going to church. (Read more about diving into your walk with God through prayer, Scripture and relationships.) These things shouldn’t be done for attention or for the sake of doing them, but to help you grow in your own faith. Being passionate about Christ will help others see that there’s something different about you, and they will want to know what it is. You can also reflect Christ through kind words, patience, a gentle temperament, choosing to love even difficult people, carefully monitoring what you watch or listen to, and treating others with respect.

At the same time, we must do more than live godly lives. People need to hear the Gospel—to hear that God loves them, Christ died for them and that they can have eternal life. Romans 10:13-14 says, “‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

4 Simple Steps
To share the Gospel, you can follow these 4 simple steps:

Tell them about God’s plan—peace and life. God loves you and wants you to experience the peace and life He offers. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He has a plan for you.
Share our problem—separation from God. Being at peace with God is not automatic. By nature, we are all separated from Him. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God is holy, but we are human and don’t measure up to His perfect standard. We are sinful, and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Talk about God’s remedy—the cross. God’s love bridges the gap of separation between you and Him. When Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave, He paid the penalty for your sins. The Bible says, “‘He Himself bore our sins’ in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by His wounds you have been healed’” (1 Peter 2:24).
Our response—receive Christ. You cross the bridge into God’s family when you accept Christ’s free gift of salvation. The Bible says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

To receive Christ, a person needs to do 4 things:

Admit you’re a sinner.
Ask forgiveness and be willing to turn away from your sins.
Believe that Christ died for you on the cross.
Receive Christ into your heart and life.
Romans 10:13 says, “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Here’s a prayer you can pray to receive Christ:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In your name, amen.”

More resources to help you share your faith:

Share PeaceWithGod.net, an interactive website that presents the Gospel in a simple way.
Get involved in My Hope, an outreach combining short films with personal relationships.
Read more about the Gospel—what it is and what it does.
Find resources for sharing the Gospel, including videos, printable tracts, advice on sharing your testimony and articles about sharing your faith.
5 things to remember
Gary Cobb, a BGEA staff member who helps train others to share their faith, shares five things to remember.

Understand that your own life is a great part of your witness. If my relationship with Christ isn’t vital, then I really don’t have a lot to share. People not only listen to your words, they look at your life. We still fail and aren’t always a good example, so our only hope is to come to God and surrender to Him. It’s nothing that we can do. It’s God’s work.
Realize that we earn the right to be heard by sincerely listening to others. Everyone has a story. You can’t just blunder into a situation and callously share without listening. The Bible says that Jesus was a friend of sinners. That’s our example—to be a friend, to listen to people, see where they are, and then take them where they need to go.
Recognize that people are looking for a cure. When you go to the doctor, you don’t say, “I have cancer.” Instead, you describe your symptoms. That’s where most people live. They only see symptoms. “I’m lonely. I’m suffering from a broken relationship. I’m stressed. There’s darkness within me that I don’t know what to do with.” How do we share Christ with someone who is overwhelmed with their symptoms? We know the ultimate cure. It’s Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t die for their symptoms. He died for their sins. Yet, people don’t wake up in the morning and think, “You know, I need to accept Jesus.” They wake up with the symptoms, and so as people who are attempting to rescue those who are lost, we need to start with their symptoms, show them the disease (sin), and take them to the ultimate cure (Jesus).
Keep it simple. The Gospel is already simple. Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again. We need to turn away from the things that are wrong in our lives, and accept what Jesus did on the cross for us and receive Him as Lord. Don’t complicate it. So many times we throw in things like our denomination or other doctrines or we use religious terms that a lot of people don’t understand. We end up confusing them and creating barriers. Explain the Gospel in a way that people can understand.
Stress the love of God. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). It starts with love, and that’s where we need to start. Ultimately, we have to explain that we’re all sinners and have violated God’s standards, and, because of that, there is a judgment. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23, NIV). But don’t start with that. People know they’ve done a lot of wrong things, but they first need to hear that God is still open to forgiving them.

Ruth_S · August 3, 2018, 9:21pm

You know that sharing Christ with your friends is important. But it can also be pretty scary. What do you say? What will they think? These three students want to pass along a few things they’ve learned about sharing the Good News.

Know the Message
“Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10)

A few years ago, I had some friends who weren’t Christians, but I had no idea how to witness to them. Those friends were really lost. They were caught up in swearing, sex, drugs and whatever else they could find to fill the emptiness of not having Jesus in their lives. If I had known the Bible better a few years ago, I could have tried to help them know Jesus.

When the book of Ezra was written, the Israelites were coming back from Babylon after living as captives. Their children no longer knew God’s law. Ezra felt called to help get Israel back on track, but instead of just teaching others about God’s law, he spent time studying it himself. He made sure he understood it before trying to tell others about it.

We can all learn a lot from Ezra’s example. It’s really important that we take time to study God’s Word and know it. Then we can be better witnesses to our friends. —Tim

What About You?

If someone asked you a tough question about the Bible, would you know how to find the answer?
Think of some questions non-Christians might have about God. Then search your Bible and talk with your parents or youth pastor to find some answers.
Ask God to help you live out the things you learn as you read your Bible.

Live the Life
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

One of my friends wasn’t a Christian, but she knew I was. Without my knowing it, she was watching me to see what this whole Christianity thing was all about. One day, she told me she’d been paying attention to the way I treated people. She said one of my best traits was that I never hated anyone, or at least never acted like I did.

From that day on, she began to talk to me more about my faith. She was hesitant to become a Christian, but eventually, she gave her life to the Lord!

I feel fortunate that God used me as an example of the love Christians have for other people. Whenever we show our love to our friends and family, we show people that our relationship with Christ is based on love. And there’s not a person in the world who doesn’t need love.

God tells us to love others so that they’ll see his love in us. When we show God’s love to people, powerful things can happen. Just ask my friend! —Mindy

What About You?

What are some of the ways other Christians have shown you God’s love?
Think of a person at your school who could use a dose of God’s love. What can you do to show love to this person?
Ask God to help you love others.

Jude · August 3, 2018, 9:24pm

These Are the 7 Best Ways to Share Your Faith
When you have good news, what do you want to do with it? That’s right. You want to tell the whole wide world! Sharing your faith is GOOD NEWS! It can be easy to share the joy of your salvation from your heart when you know how to do it.

As a believer, each day is a new opportunity to encourage someone by sharing your faith. What is our faith? It is salvation in Christ Jesus that you and I received in our hearts when we confessed Jesus as Lord of our lives. He has saved us from eternal death and given us abundant life on earth. The word “saved” found in John 3:17 is the Greek word “sozo”. It means “to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively) — heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.”

Our salvation in Christ Jesus is exciting because by faith in His name we have been given everything that pertains to life and godliness through an increasing knowledge of Him (2 Pet. 1:3). Salvation gives you confidence in your heavenly Father’s love towards you and your family. This is GOOD NEWS that every believer should be excited to share with others as the opportunity presents itself.

We are to continue Jesus’s present day of ministry of saving and discipling new souls into God’s kingdom, according to Matthew 28:18-20. God the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of our hearts, is always there to lead us to the right person to share our faith, if we will obey Him.