As Christians we are called to share our faith and make disciples. The last words Jesus spoke before ascending to heaven were a command for his disciples to go out and make more disciples. He calls us to be his ambassadors and spread the message of God’s reconciling love in Christ.

²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:20

But sharing our faith can feel like such a tall order and scary mountain to climb. We may want to be good at sharing the gospel and yet struggle knowing where to begin. So, I want to offer three tips on how to share your faith more naturally.

ASK GOOD QUESTIONS

Open ended questions are a great way of giving people a chance to think about their life, God, and the gospel. Start with simple questions to build your relationship. Be a good listener and get to know them and their story. Be interested in them as a person holistically. This will build trust that opens doors to bigger conversations and bigger questions. Don’t start with a zinger. Be patient and let good questions lead you to great gospel conversations. Also, good questions may be reciprocated and lead to you sharing your own answers.

Try these questions: Who is one person that has had a big impact in your life? What brings you joy and why? What is one thing you want to see different about yourself? What is something I can pray for you about? Who is Jesus to you?

SHARE YOUR STORY

Take time to write out your gospel story and be ready to share it with others. Who were you before meeting Jesus? What happened that helped you realize your need for forgiveness in Christ? Why does Jesus matter to you? How has following Jesus changed your life for the better? If you can answer these questions, then you are equipped to share the gospel in a powerful and personal way.

The benefit of sharing your story is that it takes almost all of the pressure out of the conversation immediately. You are not sitting there wagging your finger at them and their sin. Instead, you illuminate part of your own story and when and where you needed Jesus’ forgiveness. You don’t need to share all your dark secrets, but simply share that you were selfish and living apart from God. Share who Jesus is to you and why he matters so much. They will hear your point but it won’t be pointed.

START AND END WITH LOVE

Don’t see people as projects. Begin by loving them genuinely with a sincere compassion for their soul. This is key to good evangelism. You will avoid several pitfalls if you start and end with love. You won’t disrespect their boundaries or be too pushy. You’ll also avoid being too shy and timid. You know that they need the gospel and love will give you the courage to keep intentionally moving them towards Christ. If you don’t start with love, then you’ll be tempted to give up too soon or go too far too fast. So, love people genuinely and let the Holy Spirit shape the conversation through your sincere love for them.

Remember that the Gospel begins with God’s love for the world. He loved us while we were still sinners. His love is what compelled him to come for our rescue and to give his life for us. So, may the love of Christ fill us so that we can be more effective messengers for Christ to the world.