Read and Grow

Easter is one of the easiest times of year to share your faith with someone. This is because most countries still celebrate the religious holiday in their calendars, so talking about Jesus or attending a church service is a natural thing to do.

Although most people have some idea of the Easter story—that 2000 years ago, Jesus died and rose again—many are unaware of the details. Even some Christians may not fully understand why the event is significant or relatable for their lives today. Over the next week, we’ll be sharing some practical ideas on how to share Jesus with your friends this Easter. It all starts with deepening your own relationship with God.

The importance of empathy

Have you ever been in a situation where someone’s experience is so different from your own that you just can’t relate? Maybe you can’t relate when your friend buys a brand new iPhone outright, while you’re still rocking an iPhone 8. Or maybe you can’t relate when the straight-A student complains about a 94 on their test, because you’ve never done that well on anything before.

Sometimes, being a Christian in a secular world can feel like this too. You might worry that people won’t relate when you share your faith, or will ridicule you because they don’t have the same worldview. Sometimes you might even feel like you can’t relate to God because He’s “up there” and you’re “down here.”

While diversity is a beautiful thing, sometimes not being able to understand someone’s experience can damage your relationship with them. It can be especially painful if they brush off your experience as insignificant because they don’t—or can’t—empathise.

There is an old saying that goes, “Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes.” In order to truly connect and empathise with someone, you need to understand where they’ve come from.

In Hebrews 4:15, it says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (NIV).

Our God loves us so much that He willingly chose to walk a mile in our shoes. The Bible says that Jesus gave up His heavenly position and divine privileges to become a human being, and even be crucified (Philippians 2:6-8).

Our all-powerful, all-knowing God could have chosen to stay up in the clouds and say, “Can’t relate,” when you suffer. But He didn’t. Instead, He chose to experience all the same things as you—the pain, suffering, complicated emotions, relationships, hard work—so He could truly understand what you’ve been through.

In biblical times, the Jews expected their prophesied Messiah to be a mighty ruler and defeat the Roman empire—think horse and chariot, expensive armour and weaponry, social hierarchy, untouchable fame. But He didn’t. Instead, Jesus came humbly, riding on the back of a donkey, and was greeted by people waving palm branches (Matthew 21:1-11). There was no trumpet fanfare, no red carpet, “nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). Just an unexpectedly relatable guy meeting people on their level.

Can’t relate?

If you want to share your faith journey, but you’re afraid or don’t know where to start, a great first step is to reconnect with God. You could start by reading the story of Jesus’ final chapters on earth, in the lead up to Easter. This story reminds us that while God is all powerful and mighty, He is also accessible, understanding, and empathetic to our experience. He gets it. He can relate. And He just wants to be your friend—so much so that He willingly died for you. That, friends, is good news!

To read the Easter story, check out these passages:

• Matthew 26-28
• Mark 15-16
• Luke 22-24
• John 17-20

In a world where “living your own truth” reigns king, it can be difficult to share your faith. You might worry about coming across as pushy or salesy when sharing your beliefs—online or in real life. So how can we make Jesus seem attractive without being pushy, especially with Easter around the corner?

Rule 1 of sales: don’t try too hard, it’s suspicious

If you’ve been on Instagram or TikTok for more than five minutes, you’ve probably seen an influencer being paid to promote a product. Maybe they even had a snazzy discount code for you to try.

These days, it’s kind of uncool for influencers to be too “salesy”. So, to avoid being seen as “sold out” to corporations, they’ll use this line: “I’d never promote a product I don’t personally believe in!”

. . . Really, though?

Sure, some influencers might be telling the truth. But a lot of the time, you can tell that they’re only promoting a product to get paid or gain popularity. Why? Because they’re trying a bit too hard to sell it. This can be a huge turn-off.

Sometimes, you fall for the trap and buy the product (an often disappointing experience). But most of the time, we don’t trust influencers. If they have to try that hard to convince you to buy something, there must be something wrong with the product—right? The same is true when you’re talking about Jesus.

Rule 2 of sales: Let the product speak for itself

If a product genuinely meets needs, it will sell itself. So instead of trying to convince others that your faith is valid or even “cool”, you can simply share how Jesus has genuinely met your needs, and transformed your life. You can also actively help and share God’s love with others. By doing this, you’ll be allowing the Gospel message to speak for itself.

In the Bible, Jesus never begged people to listen to Him. He never twisted the truth or rallied a press team. And He definitely didn’t use discount codes. Even when Jesus died on the cross and rose again—the most cataclysmic event in the history of the universe—He didn’t try to sell tickets. And yet, this event split history and is still being talked about today.

Jesus didn’t need a marketing team. The way He loved others was so radical, and the peace He embodied was so complete, that His message spoke for itself. He healed physical and spiritual wounds and met needs everywhere He went, and because of that, followers flocked to Him in their thousands.

Jesus didn’t “sell” the gospel, and there’s no pressure on us to do the same. Instead, we should let the beauty of the message speak for itself. We can do this in two ways:

By sharing how Jesus has met our physical, emotional or spiritual needs.

If you’ve lost touch with this part of your story, maybe it’s time to reconnect this Easter by taking some quiet time with Jesus, participating in the communion service at Church, or reading the Easter story to remember how much He loves you.

By loving others radically, just like Jesus did

If you know someone who is struggling, you can verbally remind them of how much Jesus loves them, or you can spend time talking with them, cooking them food, supporting their family, or doing whatever it is that will meet their needs.

Remember, Jesus doesn’t need more sales reps or “influencers”. He needs more disciples who embody His teachings, want to be more like Him every day (whether they get “paid” or not), and who prioritise meeting people’s needs wherever they go.

Matthew 28:19-20

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Having a friend tell you that they want to learn more about Jesus is a really exciting experience. It can feel like a huge and wonderful responsibility; like you’re finally living out your purpose as a Christian (insert an adrenaline rush and praise songs here).

Easter is a common time for people to start asking questions about Jesus. While you might feel prepared to begin this journey with them, have you thought about the long-haul, or the potential for future disappointment? It’s important to prepare yourself for that, too.

What to do when a friend loses interest

When your friend first asks you about Jesus, you’ll naturally want to expose them to everything—Bible studies, church services, paying them a visit, giving them a Bible, or sending them sermons to watch online. In fact, you might have to “play it cool” and hold yourself back from bombarding them with too much information.

If your friend is receptive, you’ll get to witness them engaging with church for the first time and seeing their eyes light up when they learn new truths about the Bible, and about themselves. This can bring intense joy and fulfillment—both to them, and to you.

But sometimes as they journey with you, they might stop replying to your messages. They might stop turning up to Bible studies, asking questions, or showing interest. This can be really disappointing. You might start to wonder if they were offended by something you said, or if you came on too strong. You might even doubt God and His plan.

When spiritual conversations or relationships lose momentum, what should you do?

Step 1: Learn from the disciples

Firstly, you can take encouragement from the disciples’ experience. Walking with Jesus for 3 years, the disciples witnessed incredible miracles, teachings and grew in their relationship with God. But even though Jesus preached about a heavenly Kingdom and His death, they didn’t understand what He meant.

When Jesus died and lay in the tomb on Saturday, the disciples didn’t know what to do. They were devastated and began to doubt. How could their Messiah be the Son of God if He was dead? Were the last three years of their lives all a lie?

If a friend loses interest in their Christian journey, you might start to doubt and question too. Did your friend actually like coming to church, or were they just being polite? Were the revelations they experienced genuine, or just emotional highs?

When Jesus rose again on the third day, suddenly the whole gospel message made sense. Jesus was the Son of God because He had conquered death! This spurred the disciples on and they began to spread the Gospel with their communities, and the wider world. God had been in control the whole time.

Step 2: Get practical

If you have a friend who has lost interest in Jesus, take heart. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). God’s still in control, and He’s doing everything in His power to bring them back into a relationship with Him. But there are practical steps you can take, as well:

PRAY:

Pray that the Holy Spirit will open your friends’ eyes to the importance of Jesus, the Bible, and being in Christian community. Pray that their desire for Jesus will be revived.

CONNECT:

Send your friend a DM asking if they want to catch up for a meal or coffee. If you’re afraid you might scare them away, you can even say, “I promise I won’t be pushy or talk about church if you don’t want to, I just want to see how you’re going.”

INVITE:

If you think your friend would be open to it, invite them to your church’s Easter service. Easter is a popular time for even nominal Christians to attend church, so it can be a non-threatening opportunity.

If you have a friend who’s lost touch with your church community recently, Easter is a great time to get in contact. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday—don’t waste the opportunity! And who knows—just like Jesus rose on the third day, there could be a wonderful spiritual journey still in store for your friend too. You just wait and see!

As a Christian, you’re often told that you should get excited when people ask you about your faith—like it’s the best thing that could ever happen to you. But . . . if instead of excitement you feel dread, anxiety or shame, you’re not alone.

Sharing your faith can be a stressful experience for many reasons. Maybe:

• You get stressed because your Bible knowledge isn’t what it should be
• You haven’t been to church in months and feel distant from God
• There’s a specific sin you’re still struggling with
• You just don’t feel . . . good enough

Sometimes, we think that our sins or imperfections make us unqualified to share the gospel. If you struggle with feelings of unworthiness, having someone ask you “so what has Jesus done in your life?” can be awkward. You might feel like a fake, or a fraud—as though your sinful thoughts or habits cancel out any previous work Jesus has done in your life.

Church culture usually doesn’t help, either. For centuries, many Christian denominations have—consciously or not—upheld arbitrary standards of “perfection” that Christians should aspire to, which might make you feel like you’re not good enough to be loved by God.

This is all one massive, poisonous lie, and it’s actually a fundamental misunderstanding of what the gospel message is. The gospel isn’t that Jesus has made you perfect. It’s that even though you are a sinner, Jesus died for you and chooses to love you, every millisecond of every day (Romans 5:8). And nothing you can do will ever change that (Romans 8:39)!

The gospel is for you, too.

It’s tempting to believe that the gospel is for others, but not for us. This is toxic thinking, and simply not true! The Bible says that when Jesus died at Easter time, He “personally carried our sins in his body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24, NLT).

In other words, Jesus—being fully God and fully human—carried all the sins committed by every person on earth. That includes you! He has seen and felt all your insecurities, shame, trauma, jealousy, self-hatred, and selfishness. As humans, we can’t fully understand this. Our human bodies limit the amount of physical and emotional pain we can carry. But He carried all of it. He knows every intimate detail about you, and He still loves you infinitely.

So, what was that you said about not feeling “good enough”? If the Creator of the universe thought you were good enough to die for, then you’re good enough to do anything! (Yes, even share your faith).

Here are some things to remember next time you feel unworthy:

Remember the gospel message is for YOU!

Despite your sin, God loves you infinitely. That’s the real good news! It can be tempting to think that it only applies to other people . . . but nope! The gospel is for you too.

Remember that you don’t have to fix yourself:

By universal standards, humans are imperfect beings. And there is nothing we can do to change that (John 3:6-7). God is the only one capable of changing us from the inside out. Trust that He’s in control of that process.

Seek Jesus in prayer:

Take some quiet time and tell Jesus how you feel. Ask Him for forgiveness and a new heart (Psalm 51:10), and thank Him for loving you no matter what.

Be honest when you tell your story:

Opening up and honestly telling your friend, “Jesus has done so much in my life, but I still struggle and have a way to go” is far more encouraging than pretending to be perfect. It makes God’s love accessible to everyone.

If you’ve been feeling discouraged because you believe your sin makes you unqualified to share Jesus, take heart this Easter. God took your sin to the cross. You’ve been forgiven. Just as He rose from death to life, He wants to give you a new life free of sin (Ezekiel 36:26).

Pray that God will give you a new heart this Easter, and that the Holy Spirit will be with you as you share, even the messy bits.