How do you share your faith? How do you take every-day opportunities to invite people to find Jesus without sounding awkward or confrontational? Here, we’d like to share just a few tools about how to go about doing so.

 

We believe that Found people, find people! According to most studies, our unchurched friends and family are 63-70% likely to respond favorably to an invitation from someone they knew, to attend church with them. God has strategically placed us in contact with people to invest in that relationship, and then invite them to a worship experience where they will hear the Gospel and be given a chance to follow Jesus. It’s as easy as saying, “Hey it would mean a lot to me if you gave my church a chance. Would you join me Sunday?” If you do the reaching, we’ll do the preaching,

 

If you’ve been changed by the love of Christ, God has rewritten your story! You have a personal example to share with others of what God is already doing in your life. We sometimes call this a testimony. A good testimony has three parts:

–What my life was like before I came to faith in Christ. What were some of the catalysts, missing pieces, or life events that made you begin to evaluate your relationship with God? Who were you before Christ?

–How I heard and responded to the gospel. Who invited you, shared their story with you, etc.? What was it about Jesus that made you commit your life and salvation into His hands? What was that moment like when you let go and trusted in Him?

–What my life has been like since. How do you face difficulties, relationships, your own purpose now that you know Jesus? How has knowing Jesus shaped who you are now?

 

If you’ve known Christ for awhile, you know your testimony – your story of finding life in Christ. But perhaps you’re ready to share not just from your life but from the Scriptures, who Jesus is, why we follow Him, and how to become part of the family of God. Here are a few very helpful verses that we often use. Memorize these to answer some of the most common questions about how to lead someone to understanding faith in Christ – and to receive Him for themselves.

–Why can’t we just be good people and go to Heaven? We’re separated from God by all the shortcomings we possess as the human race. The Bible calls these shortcomings “sin.” God is perfect, or “holy”, and cannot be in the presence of any sin. No matter how much good we try to do, it doesn’t take away that sin nature. It’s like a spiritual-genetic cancer that’s hereditary. The Bible says, “We are all like one who is unclean; all our so-called righteousness are like a menstrual rag in Your sight.” (Isaiah 64:6). And that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

–What happens if we don’t believe in Christ? Our sin doesn’t just separate us from God from God in this life, but in eternity also. Why would God force people who have lived their entire lives apart from Him, to spend eternity with Him? He forces His love on no one, but the consequences of going our own way are disastrous. Jesus Himself said, “…he who does not believe [in Christ] has been judged already, because he has not believed on the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18) Also, “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). That death includes a very real place that Jesus talked about called Hell – and afterlife that is separate from God, but full of pain. It was never intended for humanity, but for our spiritual enemy, Satan. But in our sin, it’s the only alternative apart from Jesus.

-Doesn’t God love everyone? Yes! In fact Jesus Himself said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Also, Romans 5:8 tells us, “God demonstrated His love towards us in this: that while we [humankind] were still in sin, Christ died for us.”

–How can Jesus pay for everyone’s sin? Because he’s not an ordinary person. He’s God-incarnate. He lived a sinless life – a life we could never live – because He was born apart from our soul disease called sin. He performed miracles to prove He was the God-man, the “Messiah” that God promised to send centuries in advance. But most of all, He proved it by raising Himself from the dead and revealing Himself to hundreds of people. The Bible tells us, “But God raised Him {Christ] up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in it’s power.” (Acts 2:24)

–How do I put my faith in Jesus? Jesus offers us a new life! Life that He literally purchased with His own death and resurrection. And life in Christ means that when He died on the cross, our lives died with Him… and when He rose, we rose with Him – we live in His new life! The Bible again tells us, “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.'” (Romans 10:9-11)

–Example Prayer: As long as you truly believe, God hears your heart. To receive Christ, pray something to God like, “God I believe in you with all that I am. I know that my sin separates me from You, and that on my own, I can never reach you. But I know you love me, and you sent Jesus to die on a cross for my sin, and that He rose again to give me a new life. And today, right now, I put my trust in Jesus! I believe in Him, and receive Him as my Savior. God please forgive me from all my sin, give me a new life in Christ, give me a home in Heaven with You, and help me to live the rest of this life for You until then. Thank you God, for changing my life – for saving me. In the name of Jesus I pray all of this – Amen.”

–Now what? You may be wondering, “What now?” You’re not alone! You are now a part of the family of God: all the men and women who have trusted in Christ just like you did just now. We are all adopted into His family as brothers and sisters. The Bible calls this family the church! LifeCity is one place you can find that family meeting together, encouraging each other, and helping one another grow. We’d like to see you come and get connected! We’d like to invite you to express that faith decision publicly through baptism. No rush… whenever you’re ready, we’re ready for you. (Click here to find out more)