Read and Grow

Talking about Jesus with your friends isn’t always easy, in fact, sometimes it’s just hard work. Have you ever felt like this? You don’t know how to start the conversation, afraid they’ll be offended. You’re worried you’ll embarrass yourself, or that you’ll be completely cast out of society, sent into the wilderness where children will gather to call you names and poke you with sharp sticks. Alright, that’s an extreme example, but you get the idea. Talking about Jesus can often feel like you’re trying to drive a car with no engine.

Be encouraged because 1) You’re not alone - this is how many of us feel, and 2) God has given you a solution. He has given you the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is that engine you’re missing. He is the power, he adds momentum and gives you confidence in each moment. It’s His job to draw people to Jesus (John 6:44), to humble them, convict them of sin (John 16:8-9), to change their hearts (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Your job is to jump in the car, get onboard with what He is doing and follow His lead.

So how do you do this?

First, understand that you are not alone. The Holy Spirit is your helper (John 14:16), and He is already at work in people’s hearts. Consider the story in Acts where the Spirit tells Philip to go to an Ethiopian man in his chariot and talk to him. Philip discovers that the Holy Spirit was already at work in his heart, and all he had to do was accept the invitation to get onboard with what the Spirit was doing. You too are invited by the Spirit to join Him in the work He is doing in the hearts of your friends and family. So, ease off any pressure you have put on yourself, accept His invitation and rely on Him.

Secondly, see the value in cultivating healthy spiritual practices. The Bible tells us we are to train ourselves in godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8), we do this through bible reading, prayer, repentance, worship and being involved in our church community. As you grow in godliness, your relationship with the Holy Spirit will deepen and grow.

Finally, recognise the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit as your helper and your guide (John 16:13-14). God speaks to us through His Word and by His Spirit. When we spend time with Him both in His Word and in prayer it gives us clarity to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit.

So, if you’re struggling to talk with your friends about Jesus and aren’t sure where to start, the answer is not to push harder, the answer is to connect with the Holy Spirit. He is the engine, so let Him set the pace.

Whether it’s choosing to rely on him instead of yourself, implementing healthy spiritual practices or setting aside time in your schedule to learn to listen to his voice - the starting point to talking about Jesus is connecting with the Holy Spirit. Why not put one of these into action today?

Lis is a passionate Brazilian, visual artist and mother. After losing her own mother, we spoke to her about the importance of empathy and how God can bring good things out of tragic circumstances...

Lis:

I lost my Mum to cancer. Not long after that I found myself in a conversation with a woman who also had cancer. I was still grieving the death of my Mum, but I didn't want to let that pain get in the way of the Holy Spirit's prompt to pray for her. I also didn't want that woman to miss out on everything that God could do in her life.

The dilemma in that moment was how to be empathetic to what she was going through and not be insensitive just because I wanted to talk about Jesus. So I asked an open-ended question to gauge her response: “Do you believe in God?” This was a great question because it gave her the power to direct the conversation and gave me the opportunity to listen and hear things from her perspective.

The question opened up a great conversation. I was able to share about the tangible hope that Jesus had given to my Mum and family towards the end of her life and in the end I was able to pray for her!

In Romans 8:28 it says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

This experience reminded me how important it is to reflect on your past experiences, bad and good, because God can and does use both.

When you remember what God has done, you will be prepared to share when the opportunity comes.

Some people just have a knack for talking about Jesus. It just seems to come so easily for them, but for many of us, that’s far from the case. It can feel awkward and forced. If this is you, be encouraged – as we move into Christmas time, you are still able to share Jesus even if you struggle to find the right words.

Jesus tells us one way to share his goodness when we don’t have the words to say, is to be salt and light.

Salt is added to food to bring out the flavours and to make it taste rich and full. Eugene Peterson explains it in Matthew 5:13-20 as bringing out the ‘God-flavours’ in our lives. When people see that your life tastes good because you are following Jesus, they might want a taste for themselves. This Christmas season, live your life on display. Not in a way that draws attention to you, but in a way that draws attention to the goodness of God.

Be transparent with your friends about what Christmas means to you personally and how your relationship with Jesus enriches your daily life. You might want to start sharing your faith on social media, or record a video testimony of how God has been good to you.

Jesus also tells us to be a light on a hill. The amazing thing about light is that darkness has no power over it. Light will always penetrate through and overwhelm the darkness if it is given a chance to shine. The very fact that we can see starlight from millions of light-years away is proof of this. The same is true for the light that you shine.

Let the goodness and power of God shine through you like a light on the top of a hill. In the busyness of the Christmas season, this light will draw attention to Jesus. Let the fruit of the Spirit be seen in your life, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. People will see it and some will ask you, what’s different about you. Be ready at that moment to talk about Jesus.

Put your life on display this Christmas. Walk through this season intentionally bringing out the God-colours and God-flavours and watch how God brings about opportunities to share about the goodness of Jesus!

Bible Verses

Matthew 5:13-16 - “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Ephesians 5:1-2 - Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

What does Christmas mean to you? Eggnog, baubles, snow, mistletoe? In all the noise, it can be easy to forget that baby Jesus is the same King Jesus that died on the cross to save the entire human race!

Make the most of Christmas this year by sharing the gospel with your friends and family who don’t know Jesus.

Here’s an easy to remember 4-part guide to help make the gospel simple to explain and easy to understand.

1. God’s Position Is Love

God loves the world and His love is on display all around you. This is not a love that must be earned or achieved, this is a love that is given unconditionally. God’s ultimate gift of love to the world is His son Jesus.

2. Our Problem Is Sin

Sin is humanity’s ‘own way’ attitude that cut off our relationship with God. Our sin separates us from God, so we need someone to save us.

3. God’s Solution is Jesus

Jesus is the saviour we need to bridge the gap back to Him. Jesus is God and He came to the world willingly to give up His life to take the penalty for our sin.

4. Our Part is Response

Believing in Jesus means turning from sin and trusting in Jesus as your saviour.

Here’s 3 practical ways you can share the gospel this Christmas:

PRAY

Ask the Holy Spirit to put people on your heart to share the gospel with.

CONNECT

Open deeper levels of conversation by asking meaningful questions.

RESPOND

Look for opportunities to share the gospel in conversations.

Make the most of Christmas by simply asking your family and friends who don’t know Jesus whether they understand why Jesus is so important. Memorise these 4 steps so you can explain the full picture of the gospel in a way that’s easy to remember.

DAILY CHALLENGE

Memorise the 4-part Gospel so you’re ready when you’re in a conversation about Jesus.