Stage 4 Stage 4 Stage 4

I’ve had a habit throughout my life.

When I met my wife in college, I told all my friends about her.

When I got my first job, I made sure to call my friends and family and let them know.

When I had my first child, I posted photos about her.

When I had my son, I did the same.

I have this habit of letting people know about good things that happen in my life.

Pastor Brandon McDaniel

At the core, that’s the heart of Christianity.

We have news that is meant to be shared with other people: that news is Jesus Christ.

But it’s not just the message about Christ. It’s about what Christ has done and is doing in our lives.

“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

This is a powerful verse about Christians, and says that we overcome the Devil and his work by what Jesus did for us by dying, being buried, and resurrecting. All that is implied in the phrase “Blood of the Lamb.” But also, we overcome by the word of our testimony.

By our witness about Jesus.

Every Christian is called to witness about Christ. The word “witness” implies a court setting. It’s a forensic term that speaks to testifying on behalf of someone.

You were saved by Jesus and then immediately called to testify about Him.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8

You were given the Holy Spirit so that you had the power to witness to the world about Jesus.

But many people don’t know how to share their story. They’re intimidated. They don’t want to lose their friends. They don’t want to get in trouble at work. They don’t want to come across as abrasive.

So, we oftentimes don’t share.

But sharing your story about Jesus was never meant to be that hard.

It should roll off your tongue like sharing about a spouse, a friend, a sports team that you love, or a family member.

It typically breaks down into a few areas that is usually fashioned after the Apostle Paul’s talk to King Agrippa in Acts 26.

It starts with your life before Christ.

Think about the critical events and turning points in your life. Think about moments of truth and disasters. Think about past failures and victories.

You’re going to have a lot of them. The key is getting to those real life-shaping events that happened in your life.

Being that you’re not writing an autobiography, you’re going to have to pinpoint the most influential moments, be they positive or negative.

Maybe your parent lost a job. Or your mom was diagnosed with cancer. Or you met that special someone.

Whatever the events were, highlight them and then mention why they were significant in your life.

Then bring God into it.

Beside each of these significant moments, explain what God was doing here and be honest.

On positive moments, describe how God was working at that time. Was He loving you, or blessing you, or strengthening you?

On the negatively impactful events, what was God doing? How do you know He was working?

For example, it’s okay to say, “I didn’t feel God then. I didn’t know He was near to me.”

It’s okay to say, “I struggled with the goodness of God at that time. How could He be good and be allowing this to happen in my life?”

And then share how God entered into the story. Did you pray at a church? Or with your parents? Did you have a “Come-to-Jesus” moment when you took your faith really serious?”

Share about that moment.

Then, you get to where you are right now.

You told someone about your past, you told them about the challenges and positives of your life, you told them the role that God played or didn’t play, but now you share about what’s currently going on.

You share that you’re on a journey. God is still providing. God is still transforming me. He’s still loving me. He’s still patient. You still struggle with doubts at times, but God has mercy on you.

During this story, make sure that you reveal the real you. Real emotions. Real feelings. Real thoughts and beliefs. Real obstacles.

Sharing your story isn’t about memorizing an outline or manuscript. It’s about letting someone know who Jesus is and what He’s done in your life.

Don’t make it more difficult than it is. It’s your story. You overcome through it. So, go give it to others.

Scripture References:Revelation 12:11,Acts 1:8,Acts 26