In another post we discussed how your personal testimony is the most powerful witness of all, so if you haven’t read it yet, check it out.

Today we’re talking about how to share the Gospel with someone in an easy and non-confrontational way. Trust me, even introverts can try this.

So let’s say you’ve been praying for your friend and nurturing your relationship with them, then you get an open door to share the Gospel with them, what then?

Sharing the Gospel doesn’t have to be complex.

You don’t need a degree in theology to speak to them about God’s plan of salvation. In fact, the Gospel is most powerful when shared with love, clarity, and (most importantly) simplicity.

I’m going to show you an easy way to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ visually and conversationally.

This can be shared anywhere and can take as little as 10 minutes but it may have an impact lasting a lifetime.

Here’s a brief look at how it works:

Let’s say you’re in a coffee shop with ‘Chris’, one of your workmates, and God is leading you to share the Gospel with him…

Start by writing out Romans 6:23 on a piece of paper: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Everything you need is in this one verse. Ask Chris if you can show him a simple diagram based on this verse that will explain God’s relationship with us.

Wages

Circle the word ‘wages’ and ask, “How would you feel if your boss refused to pay you the wages that were due to you?” The answer, of course, is that he would want justice—in this case, the wages he had worked for. Deep down, we all know that it is only right that we get what we deserve. In the same way, we earn ‘wages’ from God for how we have lived our lives.

Sin

Draw a circle around ‘sin’ and ask your workmate Chris what he thinks when he hears this word. You might explain that sin is more an attitude than an action. It can be either outright rejecting God or simply ignoring Him completely. Ask Chris, “Has God ever seemed far away?” If he says “Yes,” you can go on to explain that that’s what sin does – it makes God seem distant, far away. Now draw two opposing cliffs with a gap in between.

Death

Circle this word and ask Chris was thoughts come to mind. Explain that death in the Bible always means some kind of separation—in its most basic sense, separation from life. God is the author and creator of life and a spiritual death simply means separation from Him.

But

While circling ‘but’, mention that it is an important word because it means that it cancels out everything that came before it. A sharp contrast in ideas is coming. What we have just looked at is the bad news; what comes next is the good news.

Gift

Draw a circle around this word and ask, “If wages are what a person earns, then what is a gift?” Remind Chris that although every gift is free for the person receiving it, someone still has to purchase it.

of God

Circle this and explain that the gift you are talking about is free. It is from God Himself. It’s so special that no one else can give it. Ask, “How do you feel when someone gives you a special gift?”

Eternal Life

Circle these two words next, and then ask, “How would you define these words?” Contrast one side of the cliff, death, with the other side, eternal life. Ask, “What is the opposite of separation from God?”

Christ Jesus

Write these words so they create a bridge between the two cliffs. Help your friend to consider that just as every gift has a unique giver, only Jesus Christ can give the gift of eternal life.

Believe

Write this word over the bridge you just drew. Explain that a true friend is a friend you can trust in, believe in, and tell Chris that Jesus is offering to be a true friend to him.

All Chris has to do is admit that he is responsible for his sin—either of fighting against God or excluding Him from his life. Trusting Jesus means believing that He has power to forgive us for rejecting God and that He will wash us clean from all that we have done wrong in life.

At this point, you can ask him if he wants to start a relationship with God that will last forever. If he says “Yes,” invite him to pray a short prayer in his own words, asking Jesus to forgive him and make him new.

Close by reminding Chris that this simple drawing shows us who God is: Someone who really cares about people—especially him. Invite him to read all about it in the Bible. The Gospel of John is a great place to start.

Summary

I hope this helps you to be confident in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ  with someone. It’s a simple, practical and visual way to explain God’s plan of salvation without Christian jargon.

• Where do you need to improve your presentation?
• What jargon do you need to remove?
• Did it make sense?
• Is it easy to remember?

If you speak with a non-Christian, let them know you are practicing — that helps alleviate some of the inherent tension in a religious conversation.

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.” 2 Tim 4:2

Do You Want to be Better at Sharing the Gospel with Your Friends?

What can you do in the next 30 days to grow your personal evangelism skills?

Start here with these recommended books on personal evangelism. Click on any of the books below to learn:

• How church invitations are part of evangelism
• How to discover and share your own journey to faith
• What you can say about the gospel message.
• How to personally lead someone to faith in Christ.

                   

Your Turn

How many times this week have you brought Jesus up in conversation?

How do you effectively share the Gospel?

Want to share from your own experience? Please leave a comment below.

Pastors and church leaders, don’t forget to check out free resources page for a ton of free downloads that will help equip you to take your church forward.