How to Share the Gospel

One of the most common conversations I have with believers is about sharing their faith. Many Christ-followers genuinely love Jesus and want others to know Him, but they're often unsure where to begin.

Some are afraid they'll say the wrong thing. Others feel like they don't know enough Scripture or aren't equipped to answer difficult questions. As a result, many well-meaning believers remain tongue-tied.

The good news is that sharing the gospel doesn't require a seminary degree or years of theological training. God has called ordinary people like you and me to share the extraordinary message of Jesus Christ. While there are many ways to present the gospel, I've found that having a simple framework can help build confidence and keep the conversation focused on the essentials.

The outline below is one tool you can use to explain the Good News clearly and biblically. It starts with the existence of God, addresses humanity's greatest problem, points to God's solution through Jesus Christ, and concludes with the response each person must make.

My hope is that this simple guide will help remove some of the confusion and encourage you to boldly share the greatest news the world has ever heard.

Remember: You're not responsible for someone's salvation. That's the work of the Holy Spirit. Your responsibility is simply to faithfully share the gospel. The pressure is off. God does the saving.

1. THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: Speaking to our culture today, this is a good starting point. Start at the basics.

   God created order in the universe, and it is CLEARLY observable. Everything we see is finely tuned and created on purpose and with purpose. This directly contradicts the increasingly secular worldview that has become common in our culture today. It's found in our schools, media, politics, and sometimes even within professing Christian churches.

   
   

2. NOBODY’S PERFECT: No one can deny this fact. 

   Only God is perfect. He wants a relationship with us, but we all have sin in our lives, and that fractures our relationship with the God of the universe. We’ve ALL broken the 10 Commandments (See Exodus Chapter 20). The only way someone doesn’t need Jesus is if they’re perfect. I haven’t met one yet. Have you? 

   
   

3. WE ALL YEARN FOR ETERNITY: Everyone wants to live forever, right?

   We’re all searching for the "Fountain of Youth," but to no avail. Because we're all made in the image of God, we're made for eternity. And in fact, we WILL live forever. WHERE we live forever is the question all of us must answer before it’s too late. 

   
   

4. DONE, NOT DO: Since we are His beloved children, God does not want us to be separated from Him now and for all eternity. 

   Because of our sin problem, nothing we can DO is good enough. As a result, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth so that our relationship, broken by sin, could be restored both now and forever. Jesus lived the perfect life none of us could ever live, died on the cross for a debt none of us could ever pay, and rose from the grave, giving us the victory we could never win.

   
   

5. CHOICE/DIGNITY: Because God loves us, He made us morally responsible beings.

   Therefore, He will never force us to do anything against our will. Jesus is God’s gift to mankind, and each one of us chooses whether to accept that gift or not. This life is but a blip, so choose wisely; your eternity depends on it.

A final reminder:

Remember to share your story: We’re all on equal footing at the cross. Even if you haven’t exactly been through what someone else has been through, we all have one thing in common- we’re imperfect humans. We all struggle, we all fall short, and we all need Jesus. Sharing the gospel doesn't have to be complicated. Start where people are, point them to Jesus, and trust the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do. God doesn't call us to save people; He calls us to faithfully share the Good News.