By: Chris V One of the ways I LOVE to serve the body of Christ is by sharing the gospel with others! Sharing the gospel is an important part of the Christian life because it allows others to hear about the good news, our hope Jesus Christ. The Bible even commands us to share the gospel in Mark 16:15 (NIV): "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation". How exactly do we proclaim God's Word to the world? One way we can do that is through evangelism, which, according to Dictionary.com, is "The preaching or promulgation of the gospel...". So, how exactly can we evangelize in our day to day lives? Check out these five ideas below: 1. Share The Gospel With a Friend Sharing the gospel with a friend is an incredible way to share your faith (and for them to get to know you!). Now, some of you may be thinking, "Wait Chris! What if my friend doesn't want to be friends anymore once they find out I'm a Christian?" or "What if I'm not popular after this friend tells other people I'm a Christian?" If we were having coffee together right now, I would pull out my Bible and turn to John 15:18-19, which says "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you...but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you". This verse may not sound super encouraging at the moment, but let me ask you a question: is your friend and/or popularity more important than your faith and love for Jesus Christ? Is it worth denying Jesus, your Savior to "fit in" with the people around you? (Check out Peter's story about denying Jesus in Luke 22:54-62.) I don't think fleeting popularity is worth it- do you? 2. Speak Up In Class If you're like me, speaking up in class to share your faith in Christ may be a bit terrifying! Don't worry- God's with you every step of the way! Joshua 1:9 (NIV) tells us "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go". If something said in class goes against what the Bible says, speak up! Share your faith in Christ with your class! One "classic" example of this is when learning about things like evolution and/or the big bang theory in science class. Oftentimes, you hear of students speaking up about their faith and how they believe how the world was created as told in the Bible (Genesis 1-2). I think that there's nothing wrong with that- it brings glory to God! Keep in mind, though, to respect your teacher and other authorities when doing so (Romans 13:1-2). 3. Hand Out Tracts To Others While this idea can be a bit awkward, it is definitely worth it! Sharing the gospel with complete strangers is BY FAR one of my favorite ways to evangelize. One of the number one things I hear from other people is that they have no idea what to say. Don't worry- the Holy Spirit has your back! In Luke 12:11-12 (NIV), we're told "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say". One final thing: safety is key. When sharing the gospel, make sure you're doing so with a group of others. Also, ask your parents before doing this and make sure they are comfortable with you talking to complete strangers. 4. Invite Others To Church And/Or Your Youth Group Taking someone to church/ youth group with you is a great way for them to hear the gospel! That person will also be able to see what it's like in a Christ-centered community, and may be curious to learn more! (Note: Be prepared to answer questions about why you do things like communion, pray, etc.) 5. Follow God's Commands We are told actions speak louder than words- and that can sometimes be true! When you follow and obey God's commands in the Bible, you are glorifying Him and modeling what Christ looks like. When you avoid sinful activities that go against God's Word, people may start wondering what's up and what makes you different from others. (And that's a good thing!) You have incredible opportunities to share your faith with others just by the way you act. It may open doors to share your faith with unbelievers! Pray For Courage Sometimes, evangelism isn't the easiest thing to do- in fact, it can be quite terrifying! Don't listen to that fear! Go to God- He promises to be with you and give you the strength you need (Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 28:7). Be like the believers in Acts 5, where they pray "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness" (Acts 5:29). This week, I want to challenge you to pray for courage to share the gospel with others. Who knows? God may use you to bring someone to Him through Christ!
We'd love to hear from you! What are some other ways you can evangelize to others this week? Tell us in the comments below!
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