Share your story

Whether you’re a new Christian or a seasoned Bible scholar, your personal testimony of how you became a Christian is one of the most impacting ways to share your faith.

A testimony explains a certain part of your life. It is not your whole life   story. A testimony should explain what your life was like before you became a Christian, how and why you became a Christian and how your  life has changed since becoming a Christian.

Everyone loves a good story, and there aren’t many better stories than God coming through in a situation. Think back to the time you became a Christian, or a time when God answered your prayers, showed you He is real or did something miraculous. These are stories worth sharing! These stories have the ability to create “I want that!” desires in the hearts of those we are sharing with. People may find fault with elements of your theology, but they can’t argue with your experience.

Here are a few tips for when you do share... 

1 - Focus on what God has done and can do, not what He hasn't done. 
2 - Avoid Christianese words. Keep it simple and normal.  
3 - Be aware of the signals they are sending that indicate their interest, or disinterest.

See people the way Jesus sees them

Society tends to lean towards a default of hopelessness. You only need to read a few newsfeeds and see story after story pushing the heaviness of a world void of hope.

As Jesus followers, sometimes we can adopt a default of hopelessness. However that is not what we are called to do. We are called to to speak hope to the hopeless and to bring life to the lifeless.We need to be intentional about changing our defaults from hopeless to the hope-filled, from accepting what those around us are doing, to accepting what God says about those around us.

We can learn the art of changing our default from Jesus, He was an expert at turning defaults on their heads. Check out His encounter with the ‘women at the well’ in John 4. She was known by all in the city as a promiscuous woman who jumped from man to man. People kept their distance from her, but Jesus, rather than turning a blind eye to her and keeping His distance, He intentionally engaged. In turn, He not only impacted her life but also transformed the entire city! Simply because He chose to look past her life choices and see her as a person. He didn't see her as hopeless, He saw her as valuable.

We are called to bring hope. To do that we need to be able to see people the way Jesus sees them. Let’s be people who are intentional about seeing our families, friends, and workmates transformed. Because you are connected to and learning from the master of default changing, Jesus!

It is easy to make comparisons between the current state of our society and the ongoing narrative of Christianity being pushed out of the public square. Society has thrown out many of the Christian values which have woven the very fabric of humanity and decided to set up shop selling cheaply crafted morals. This has bled society dry of its heart. Crime is high, terrorism is rampant, suicide is normal and divorce recommended. You don’t need to be a Christian to agree that the future looks grim and seemingly hopeless (if it were to keep playing out the same way).

It is essential we let society know that there is a large global remnant of Jesus followers, with a knowledge of societies founding values, a strong passion to ensure they are never forgotten, and a desire to believe for more in the future. More compassion, more humility, more kindness, more love, more hope and more of Jesus in society.

Being a Jesus follower may push us to the edge, but we don’t have to be pushed out. Sure we may be in unusual and unique situations, feeling penned in by pressures to conform. Sure the costs associated with faith may rise, but this should not stop us from believing, sharing and declaring that hope is well and truly alive.

In fact, our unwavering trust in Jesus, despite odds and opposition will itself declare loudly to a hopeless world that “Hope Still Lives Here!”

John 8:12, reminds us that when we walk in the light of Jesus, that we ourselves will carry that life-giving light (the hope that others see). Let’s be beacons of love and safe havens of hospitality in a world void of true love and hospitality. Let’s be the rare smiles, meaningful conversations and long hugs to those used to angry faces, shallow conversation and cold shoulders. Let’s continue to live on mission and do all we can to show the world that hope still lives here, and His name is Jesus!

Pretty bold statement, let's dig into what Pastor Shane Russell of Lubbock, TX has written.

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I know it’s comforting to say that God is in control normally, but that doesn’t explain what happened this week. So let’s be slow with our words and know sometimes it causes more confusion than help.

If God is in control, there is no way this tragedy could’ve happened…. BUT God is in control of the outcome.

Free will doesn’t allow God to control choices as Evil or as Good as they are.

He won’t force us to Love Him.

So yes, God is good. Those babies are in His arms because again… He isn’t in control BUT He is in control of the outcome.

Who is in control? We are.

Jesus gave us the ability to go in and change the atmosphere on this earth OR leave it the way it is.

Go realize your ability to influence others. Be kind. See people. Don’t get too fixated on yourself. You never know what an encouraging word can do for someone.

The teen who did this pure evil had a level of evil in his heart that we can’t even comprehend. This leads me to a bunch of what if’s…

There is a lot that we don’t know but…

What if he wasn’t raised by his grandmother?

What if he had parents who loved him?

What if he had students who saw him?

What if he had an adult who saw him and cared for him?

What if he was connected to a church who pour identity into him instead of judgement?

I’m not defending him at all. I’m just turning the eyes inward so we can do better and be better. Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him and Jesus still washed his feet. Let’s love others like He loves us.

Pastor Shane Russell of Lubbock, TX
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So, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

* cover image from Jason Clark's God is Not in Control available at https://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Control-Whole-Better/dp/1946503088

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