Essentials To Sharing Faith by Dennis Hallaron

In 2014, I walked out of a Sunday service deeply challenged by my pastor’s sermon on sharing our faith. As I reflected on what he said, I realized I believed in sharing my faith, but at 57 years old, I had never actually done it.

I had been raised in the church and lived in it my whole life. I had raised my own kids in the pews. I taught Sunday School classes and led weeknight Bible studies. And yet, despite a lifetime of religious activity, I had never sat down one-on-one with someone and talked about God’s great love. 

The truth was simple: I believed in evangelism, but I did not feel prepared for it. I was living a life that loved Christ, but I wasn’t actively leading anyone into His kingdom.

So where should I start? What should I say? How could I share my faith well and effectively?

That Sunday, everything changed. I started reading, studying, and learning how to share the love of Christ with my family and friends, and I began to intentionally make space for spiritual conversations in my daily life.

Why Preparation Matters in Personal Evangelism

As Christ followers, our responsibility is simply to be ready when opportunities arise. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to change hearts and convict. And that is freeing … it’s not up to us!

Peter puts it this way:

“In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15

While there are countless ways to witness to those around us, I have come to believe that effective evangelism begins by answering three essential questions.

Three Questions to Answer Before Sharing Your Faith

To move past the initial intimidation, we must first get clear on our own experience of grace.

1. Why are you still a Christian?

This isn’t just the history of how you first came to believe, but a declaration of why you continue to follow Christ today. Here is my own answer:

“Because Jesus answers the ultimate question of my life. I know why I am here. I know that God loves me. More than that, I get to live in His love, peace, joy and purpose, both in this earthly life and in the eternal life that has already begun for me.”

Your answer will be different, and it should be. Authenticity matters.

2. What is God’s story?

Have you ever tried to explain God to someone else? Explaining the grand narrative of Scripture can be quite intimidating. I found that I had to write my words down so I could remember them when the moment to share arrived. Try it. Here is how I would summarize God’s story:

“God created all things in heaven and on earth. Human beings were a special creation, and from the very beginning He sought a close relationship with us. He created us with the ability to choose right from wrong (free will), but we don’t always choose well. We consistently fall short of His standard (perfect holiness) in the ways we treat Him and each other. That is called sin. Because of sin, our relationship with God was broken. Because God is entirely holy, sin separates us from Him for as long as it remains in our lives. Trying to be good, or doing good things, will not erase sin. But God loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to live the perfect life we couldn’t, taking the penalty for our brokenness upon Himself. He lived a physical life on Earth 2,000 years ago, teaching and living among the Jewish people. The religious leaders of His day rejected him. And yet, He performed many miracles with love and compassion. He was brutally executed, but His greatest miracle was that He said He would raise Himself from the dead 3 days after His execution. And He did, as hundreds of His followers witnessed. The Good News is that Jesus has done all the work to make up for our sins and restore our relationship with God. All we must do is believe and obey him, and then we can live forever in the close relationship God desired from the start.”

You do not need to memorize someone else’s words. What matters is understanding the gospel well enough to explain it clearly in your own voice.

3. What is your personal story?

No one can tell your story better than you can. People may debate theology. They may question Scripture. But they cannot deny your experience of God’s grace in your life.

As you think about your testimony, ask yourself: What do you know of God? What has He done for you that no one can take away and no one can argue with? Think of miracles you have witnessed, times when God worked in or through you, and moments when His word spoke directly to you.

A good personal story moves through the three stages of your faith journey:

What were you like before you found your savior? How did you come to know Him? What is your life like now?

Answer each of these questions in your own words. Borrow someone else’s and it will sound canned instead of authentic. Being real matters more than ever in today’s culture.

Once you have sat with your answers, you will find confidence growing within you. Look for opportunities to weave what you know to be true as a natural part of an ordinary conversation.

Of course, sharing our faith involves more than words. Our lives should reflect the character of Jesus. Loving our neighbor is an absolute necessity. Otherwise, we create confusion, or worse, we model the gap between word and action, and our message is swallowed up by hypocrisy. However, we cannot rely on our behavior alone. I used to think that if I simply lived differently, people would naturally ask me why. They never did. We must be ready to speak the word, not just silently model it. Faithful witness involves both living the message and sharing it.

Start With Prayer: Let the Holy Spirit Do the Work

In all things, begin with prayer. Let it be the starting point of your journey into evangelism. Each time you enter a room, ask God for His direction. Ask whether there is someone He wants you to reach.

And here is the freeing part again: you are never operating in your own strength, the work of conviction belongs to the Holy Spirit. A changed heart is not up to you. You are simply called to be a faithful witness and be ready to tell the Good News, the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Note from the Editor: Most Christians are not unwilling to share their faith; they simply do not feel equipped to do so. Start by answering these three questions for yourself. Write down your responses. Pray over them. Ask God to open a door for a spiritual conversation.