Evangelism: Sharing Your Story

John’s gospel may be my favorite gospel. Like the other three gospel accounts, the Gospel of John gives us a good sense of Jesus’s earthly ministry and helps us understand His message of repentance. But, it’s also focused on the identity of Jesus – who He is and what He came to do. For me, reading through this book takes me back to my earliest understandings of Jesus and the gospel. It’s a good reminder to me that Jesus came to save me from my sin, and He went to great lengths to do just that.

We can’t keep that kind of good news to ourselves, though. In a concise-yet-clear way, how can we communicate who Jesus is and what He has done? Start with these two steps:

• Describe Jesus in one to two sentences.

There’s a lot more to know about Jesus than can be contained in one or two sentences. However, we may not get the opportunity to have a lengthy conversation. So, be ready to share the basics about Jesus. John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). It’s simple, but effective! In your own words, describe who Jesus is and what He came to do.

• Explain the difference He has made (and is making) in your life.

Ideally, you’d have a lot of time to share about this, but that’s not guaranteed. Be ready with a brief explanation of how Jesus has changed your life. What are you thankful for? What has He done for you that no one else has done? This doesn’t have to be complex or lengthy; it only needs to be genuine.

John wrote his gospel account so that readers would know that Jesus is the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah who came to take away our sin. We can share that same message in our daily conversations in our community. Whether these are short exchanges or long conversations, they are each valuable. Don’t miss any chances to share your story!