Read and Grow

Conversations about faith and religion always bring important questions and objections to the surface. These objections can often be misinterpreted as scary, discouraging, negative moments. In reality, an objection isn’t something to be feared; it’s an opportunity to engage.

When it comes to addressing objections, often it’s as much about how we respond as it is about the response we give.

For example, someone might be resistant to faith because of the violence involved in the Crusades. But as you listen more closely you realise that behind their question is a personal experience where they were hurt by the church. Why would people who claim to love in the name of Jesus act so hurtfully? Often resolving a question doesn’t just mean giving “the right answers”.

Ever heard the old adage: “people don’t care what you know until they know that you care”? How we speak speaks volumes. At the same time how we discern what’s behind the question can hold more value than a masterful apologetic response.

Here are 4 tips so you can respond rather than react when objections are raised:

1. Don’t be surprised

If challenging questions are raised, don’t assume that you’re being attacked. There are many reasons that objections to Jesus and the Bible are raised. They can come from a place of hurt, misunderstanding or from competing worldviews. And often the most alienating way we can respond is with surprise or alarm. Don’t be surprised: invite conversation.

2. Engage

Don’t avoid objections when they’re raised, engage with them. Good questions are your superpower. They are an excellent conversational tool that you can bring out when an objection is raised. Ask often: “What makes you say that?” It slows down the conversation and makes the thought process more of a dialogue.

It also gives you space to listen, think, and pray. Let’s say someone says “I just don’t understand how a good God can allow so much pain in this world.” By asking “What makes you say that?” you will uncover the heart behind the objection. You might discover they have an illness, or a loved one died recently. Ultimately, you’re not answering a question, you’re answering a person.

3. Learn as you go

Getting completely stumped in a conversation is an opportunity to learn. Don’t try to be an expert or “get it perfect.” Admitting that you don’t know an answer can sometimes be the best answer to give. Say you’ll look into it and get back to them. This keeps the conversation going, shows humility, and helps build your knowledge and resources.

Remember – there’s more going on behind the scenes than just a conversation. The Holy Spirit is always at work. Be honest and trust Him.

4. Be ready

The Bible says to be ready to “make a defence to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). Sharing Jesus and loving your neighbour means engaging in difficult conversations.

Spend time thinking about why you believe in Jesus–specifically. Why do you believe in Jesus rather than Buddha or Mohammad or nothing? Study the Bible and listen to a wide range of good apologetics podcasts (apologetics means defence of the faith). Include them in your weekly listening and study. Consider these things for yourself, and be ready to respond in gentleness and respect.

If you find yourself in a situation where you want to talk about Jesus but you don’t know what to say, just remember you have a story. Your story is a celebration of what Jesus has done in your life and He wants to use it to impact and change the people in your world. Stories have power; they have the ability to change and challenge you. Stories are often God’s chosen method for transformation.

Sharing your story is as simple as telling others how Jesus has changed your life–sometimes we call it a testimony. It is something Jesus often encouraged those who he healed to do (Mark 5:19). Taking the time to consider and construct your testimony is time well spent. It can be a powerful tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit as He guides you in conversations with your friends.

Here are some helpful tips on how to build and clarify your Jesus-story.

Construct a statement and story for each of the following points:

1. WHAT your life was like before Jesus? Without Jesus, our lives are void of identity and purpose. What was an area of identity or purpose that was lacking before you met Jesus? Perhaps you were filling your life with an addiction (social media, alcohol, bad relationships) because you lacked purpose. Or you felt lost in the world because you had no place to belong.
2. WHY did you to follow Jesus? The moment Jesus broke into your world and changed your life is a powerful story. Sharing it helps you avoid cliches and it personalises the Gospel. When you share your story, focus on what was happening internally for you, not just the sequence of events.  People will be impacted by hearing about your change of heart. For example:

“I really believed that no one could ever love me but I was looking for it everywhere. It wasn’t until I heard the story of Jesus’s death that I started to comprehend that I was loved–even cherished.”

3. HOW your life has changed since following Jesus? Jesus changes us. He gives us a new identity and purpose. Share how Jesus has impacted and changed your life. Focus particularly on the identity and/or purpose you were lacking in section one, then share how Jesus filled that lack. Share how His love and mercy has shaped your emotions (no longer angry, anxious, etc), or changed your actions for the better (love helping people, don’t react, forgive quickly).

5 Tips For Sharing Your Story

Be Fresh — Share what Jesus is doing in your life now. Jesus is always changing us, so take notice and be ready to share a recent story.

Be Honest — Authenticity is often the make or break for people. You don’t need to embellish or exaggerate. Instead, trust that the Holy Spirit will use what’s true to change the hearts of your friends.

Be Specific — Be vulnerable and include details–about the journey of your heart and the truth and lies that rose to the surface of your mind; this will help make your story relatable.

Be Normal — Use everyday language that your friends will understand. Avoid Christian cliches.

Be Sharp — A story that has a point is powerful. Be careful not to explore too many tangents, instead focus on the main thing Jesus has done in your life.

You have a story and the Holy Spirit is your helper. Get out there and start sharing your story. Trust the Holy Spirit will use your story to change people’s lives, just as He did with you.

Have you ever felt completely unqualified? You are given a job to do at work or an assessment task at university. It can make you feel overwhelmed. You might feel at a loss of where to start, so you keep putting off the task. Perhaps you feel this way about sharing Jesus. You know the Great Commission exists, but the task seems too grand and unachievable.

The good news is you don’t have to feel unqualified, because you’re not. God made you on purpose and with a purpose. You are qualified to share Jesus because God created you with a unique personality, and skills and abilities to reach the specific people in your everyday life.

Here’s some truth to speak against the lie that you’re unworthy to share the gospel. You are who God intended and created you to be. You are not a mistake.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb… I am fearfully and wonderfully made” . (Psalm 139:13-14)

God has given you gifts, passions, and a personality that are designed to do the work of sharing Jesus that He has prepared for you (Ephesians 2:10).

Here’s the bottom line. You don’t need to be someone else when talking about Jesus with your friends. Be the ‘you’, God made you to be. For example, if you love hosting parties and cooking for people, do that. Invite people to your place, cook for them and use that time to share your lives together. As you go, find opportunities to talk about Jesus. If you’re a creative person, find ways to share Jesus through your creativity. There are many ways you can translate your gifts, passions, and personality to sharing the gospel – the only limit is your imagination.

You are in the right place, at the right time. Your mission field is all around you.

Think about your friends, your family, the barista at your coffee shop, the people in your study group or sporting club. These are the people God has placed in your life to share Jesus with. Just like the words said to Esther in the Old Testament, you have been called for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Open your eyes each day to the mission field you already find yourself in.

So, how do you start?

1. Start by praying for the people in your world and ask the Holy Spirit for opportunities to have conversations and build relationships
2. Be salt and light. Let God bring out His flavours and colours in your life, and when people ask what is different about you, be ready to give an answer to what Jesus has done in your life.

God has placed you where you are for a reason. Don’t try to be someone else, be yourself. Think about the people in your life that you have regular contact with, how can you get creative with your gifts, passions, or personality to share Jesus with them?

Talking about Jesus can feel weird or uncomfortable. Maybe you struggle to find the right opportunities to share, or feel that you lack the necessary knowledge. Perhaps you don’t want to cause tension in your relationships or be perceived as “pushy”.

Life is increasingly feeling like a warzone of competing worldviews. This is an intimidating landscape to navigate when you’re attempting to share Jesus with people you care about. So what’s your gameplan? How do you go about sharing Jesus?

Here’s a simple 3 step approach to help set you up for sharing Jesus…

1. Pray — Be a Christian

The starting point for authentic evangelism is a current, honest and intimate relationship with Jesus. Think about it – if you don’t know Jesus well, it will feel weird and forced to share about Him. In any relationship, familiarity comes through communication, and life with Jesus is no different. Our modern idea of prayer can often be reduced to a one way conversation with God. But when it comes to being a disciple of Jesus, your prayer life needs to be more than that.

You need to know His voice to respond to opportunities to share the gospel and navigate conversations. You need to be familiar with Him to know how to call out lies that dress up as Him. You need to be familiar with Him to talk about Him to all kinds of people, and to respond any time, any place to questions about Him.

2. Connect — Be a friend

It may be stating the obvious, but you can’t share Jesus if you don’t have meaningful relationships – or at least a connection point – with non-Christians. There’s no judgment here – it’s just a good question to ask. Many of us are passionate about our faith and open to sharing Jesus, but because of our passion, we’re serving at church and running small groups or organising events and before you know it we’re stuck in a Christian bubble with no friends outside of church.

So if you’re looking for a way to share Jesus, find non-Christians in your everyday life. Focus on where you are already personally connected and start by intentionally growing natural friendships with these people.

3. Respond — Be a messenger

When you’re filled with the Holy Spirit through prayer, and connecting well with the people in your world, you’ll start to see natural opportunities to share Jesus. The Holy Spirit is already working in the hearts of people around you. Staying connected to Him and responding to what he asks you to do takes the pressure off of you.

It might look like being ready to pray with someone, telling your story, explaining the gospel, or inviting people to church. You might get asked why you’re different, or a conversation might suddenly turn towards topics like God and faith. Perhaps you’ll see someone that needs help, or the Holy Spirit will challenge you to do or say something. It could be anything! Participating in someone’s journey towards Jesus is a super exciting way to live.

If you’re struggling to make a start sharing your faith, begin with these simple steps. Build an authentic, honest relationship with Jesus, meaningful connections with non-Christians, and a prayerful willingness to respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit.