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*For a follow-up post, read 2 Tips for Sharing the Gospel

Sharing the gospel is something we’re all called to do as Christians. But for some of us it can seem intimidating to have spiritual conversations with people who don’t yet share our faith, or we simply don’t know how to approach those conversations. Here are three things Christians should do to be prepared to share your faith in Jesus.

1. Know how to communicate the gospel.

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

According to this passage, we should always be ready to explain our Christian hope to others. Can you communicate the gospel message? I’m surprised at how many Christians can’t articulate the basic truths of the gospel. But it’s possible to mature in understanding the truths of our faith and being able to speak about them with others.

Here’s what’s helped me: Study passages like Titus 3:3-8, the book of Ephesians (especially Eph. 2:1-10), the book of Romans, or the gospel sermons in Acts. Passages like these show us what content to include in the message in a succinct way. Study the life of Jesus in the gospels so you know about His character and life and ministry.

These articles by Dare2Share, Cru, and YWAM Denver have great tips to help you learn to communicate the main truths of the gospel message. I also break down these truths down in my blogs What Does It Mean to Be a Christian and What Happens When You Put Your Faith in Jesus.

The best thing you can do to grow your confidence in sharing the gospel and your ability to respond to questions about Christianity is read and study the Bible for yourself. If you abide in God’s Word and His word is in you, He’ll be able to bring that Word out of you to share with others. 

Sharing your faith in Jesus isn’t mostly preaching a monologued message at someone. Although, sometimes it may look that way if you’re giving a sermon or something like that. Most often, though, the gospel is shared in the context of relationships and communicated bit by bit in the midst of conversation. 

1 Peter 3:16 also teaches us about the attitude in which we should communicate the gospel. Knowing how to share the gospel means knowing the content to share and the tone in which to share it. Unfortunately, many of us have seen Christians share about Jesus in a way that’s rude and aggressive in the name of being bold, but that’s not biblical boldness.

The Bible says that when we tell people about Jesus we should do it in a gentle and respectful way (1 Peter 3:15-16), that we should speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and that our speech should be gracious and attractive (Colossians 3:4-6). Remember: being kind in your tone doesn’t compromise the truth of the message, and you don’t have to compromise the truth of the message in order to be kind.

2. Know how to communicate your personal testimony.

Your personal testimony is a powerful to tool in sharing the gospel with someone.

When the apostle Paul had to give a defense for himself before the governing and religious rulers of the day in Acts 22 and Acts 27, he shared what his life was like before meeting Jesus, how he met Jesus (Acts 9), and how his life had changed after meeting Jesus. That’s a good template for you and me to follow too.

Why don’t you craft a few sentences for each of those sections to tell your story. You can write them and try to loosely memorize them, or even practice sharing your story with some Christian friends. That way, your testimony is fresh on your mind and deep in your heart so you can share freely when God gives the opportunity.

You won’t be able to share every part of your story in a short timeframe, but you can focus on the key details. Sometimes if you’ve experienced intense traumatic situations or some dark sinful patterns in your past, it might be best (for you and for the person hearing you) that you not describe those aspects of your story in graphic detail but just reference them discreetly.

People can see the truth of the gospel at work in a real person when you share your story. Stories build human connection that helps disarm people and open their hearts. And, most importantly, every time you share your testimony you’re reminding yourself of God’s goodness in your life and bringing Him glory, regardless of how others may respond to it.

3. Know how to lead someone in response to the gospel.

The early believers in the book of Acts didn’t only know how to explain the gospel to someone. When someone was ready to put their fact in Christ, those believers also knew how to help them take the next step.

Know how to lead someone in a prayer of salvation to give their lives to Christ. Pastor Daniel Fusco models this really well (starting at about 1hr 37m in this video) in the altar calls he gives following his messages.The prayer itself doesn’t save them; faith and repentance do that. But the prayer helps them give confession to their belief in Christ (Romans 10:9-10) and gives them a “line in the sand” moment they can look back on where their life in Christ started.

After you pray with them, politely ask if you can get their contact information so you can follow up with them personally or help them get connected to a church that can follow up with them. You could also direct them to some online resources for new believers like the ones developed by Harvest Christian Fellowship.

You want them to be able to get Bible, get connected to Christian community, start getting discipled, etc. Those are quick, simple things you could do at the end of a gospel conversation (if that person is ready) to help them start growing in their newfound faith. As best you can, try not to lead someone to Jesus and then leave them hanging.

Ask God to help you as you grow in these three skills, and you’ll be even more prepared for Him to use you to tell others about Jesus.

*For a follow-up post, read 2 Tips for Sharing the Gospel

Let’s Talk: How do you want to grow in being able to share your faith? Discuss this post in the comments below.