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When you share your story with just one person, you will simultaneously impact their lives and strengthen their faith. When you share your story of how you came to know and believe in Jesus Christ, you open the door to those with whom you share it. You give them hope by learning what God has done in your life.
I have shared my story (Testimony)not that I am important or anything; it is more because it gives me a chance to look back and see what the Lord has done in my life and can encourage you in your life. We all have obstacles to overcome, no matter if it is with an addiction or other problems that come our way. I pray that you are encouraged by our website and that you tell others about us. ~Bill Greguska
Psalm 66:16 Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.
What is a witness? A witness is called to testify before others about what he has seen, heard, or known. Paul stated that when he accepted the Lord, Ananias said to him, “For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard” (Acts 22:15).
Acts 1:8, the last words Jesus spoke before He ascended into Heaven, commanded His disciples to be witnesses – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The early church took this commandment literally. As a result, thousands were saved, churches were planted, and Christianity grew rapidly. The Bible teaches that we are saved to tell others. God has given His Son for each of us. Therefore, we should be anxious to tell others of this beautiful love.
Christians Do Not Need To Witness To Others… This Is Debunked!
Two Ways To Witness
1. Confess Christ to Others – Romans 10:9-10. Our salvation requires that we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This confession is given when a believer tells others he has accepted the Lord. It is also provided by stepping forward during the invitation to a Bible-preaching church and taking a public stand for Christ.
2. Witness to others to win them to Christ. In John 1:41-42, we find an excellent scriptural example of leading a soul to Christ. Andrew had come to know the Lord. The Scripture says that Andrew’s first thing was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
First – He found his brother.
Second – He spoke a witness to him.
Third – “And he brought him to Jesus…” (v. 42).
This should result from witnessing: We bring others to know the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what we call “soul-winning.” It means that we give ourselves to be used to witness so that someone else accepts the Lord Jesus Christ.
Loving Others And Overcome The Fear Of Witnessing! ~ Ray Comfort
Why Should Christians Win Souls?
1. The Bible commands us to be witnesses.
1 Peter 3:15 – But in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to provide the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
2. The Lord Jesus called His disciples to be “fishers of men.”
Mark 1:17-18 – “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once, they left their nets and followed him.
3. The early church example was on fire, winning souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 5:42 – Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
4. The Apostle Paul set us an example.
Acts 20:20-21 – You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but has taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
5. The soul winner is wise.
Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the wise one saves lives.
a. Wise because the soul winner is laboring with the world’s most priceless possession, the soul of a man (Mark 8:36-37). b. Wise because the only real peace in this world comes through Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28). c. Wise because the soul winner gains eternal reward (John 4:36).
6. The soul winner glorifies God.
John 15:8 – This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
7. The soul winner delivers souls from an eternal Hell.
Ezekiel 3:17-18 – “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
8. The soul winner has confidence at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Ezekiel 33:8 – When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
Requirement For Successful Soul Winning!
1. Personal knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior (John 1:12)
2. Assurance of salvation
1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
3. Purity of life
II Timothy 2:21 – Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work.
4. Yieldedness of life
Romans 12:1 – Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
5. Burden of lost souls
Matthew 9:36 – When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
6. A prayer burden for the unsaved – Paul had such a burden.
Romans 10:1 – Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites are that they may be saved.
7. A practical knowledge of the Bible
As a person develops in soul-winning, he needs to learn more and more in the Word of God. But you do not need to have an excellent knowledge of the Bible to start soul-winning work. In John 9, the blind man had just been healed when he was called upon to give his witness to the unsaved Jewish leaders. His witness was simple, but it was a wonderful testimony. He said, “One thing I know that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (v. 25).
He told them what he knew; he gave them a witness without knowledge of the Bible. You can start winning souls if you use John 3:16 and tell others what Jesus Christ has done for you. Then to continue winning souls, you need to grow in the Lord and know His Word.
8. Boldness without being ashamed
This man in John 9 was bold for the Lord and gave forth a clear-cut witness.
Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
How To Lead Someone To Christ?
1. Show them the fact of sin.
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The first truth one must see to be saved is that he is a sinner. If a person does not know that he has sinned against God, he will not realize he needs a Savior. Joe Henry Hankins said, “You must get a person lost before you can get him saved.”
2. Show them the penalty for sin.
Romans 6:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
3. Show them that Christ paid the penalty for their sin.
I Peter 3:18 – For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
4. Show them that salvation comes by receiving Christ.
John 1:12 – Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— The word “power” in John 1:12 means “right” or “authority.” Those who receive Christ have the right or authority to be called the sons of God. To receive Christ is to believe in Him.
I committed my life to Jesus Christ on June 25, 1986. That was the beginning of the end and the start of better days to come. It was the last time I used drugs or alcohol. Many things lead up to that life-changing decision. I did not see fireworks or anything like that, but I knew in my heart and mind that the answer to my life was Jesus Christ. The Lord gave me back my life, so I decided it was only fitting. I began to live my life for him. With all the help and encouragement that I was given by Ron And Sue Sauer, I was inspired to start NeedEncouragement.com in 2007 to encourage others as I was encouraged.
My relationship with Jesus Christ is significant to me because of all that God has taught me and saved me from; I have gotten into a good habit of starting each day in God’s word and journaling for many years now, and I also have stayed active in Bible study and church for many years. I do not believe that memorizing the Bible is what God wants from us (even though it is essential). But instead, God wants a relationship with us, and that is what I have, which I am very thankful for. My life is still nowhere near perfect, but I am far past where I used to be and striving forward to where God wants me to be more and more each day.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Questions To Can Ask When You Share Your Story Of Faith!
I notice that people seem to like to talk about spiritual matters. If anyone opens a conversation with you about God, faith, or religion, make sure you are ready to say something to shed light on the gospel. Them bringing up the topic gives you the freedom to share with them. Be sure you listen to what they say first. Listening is so essential. If, on the other hand, you bring up the topic of God, faith, or religion, you need to be more careful yet still be honest and loving.
20 Questions That Can Turn Any Conversation Into A Spiritual Conversation!
1. Many people talk about believing in God. What does believing in God mean to you?
2. If you had to say, do you view God positively or negatively?
3. Have you noticed that people spend tons of time and energy on their careers, physical bodies, and personal relationships but often disregard the spiritual part of their lives? How do you actively pursue spiritual growth?
4. We have known each other for quite some time, and I never really talked with you about the essential thing in my life. May I take a couple of moments and do so?
5. Do you sometimes think much about spiritual things? This can lead to a conversation about what “spiritual” means, which can open the door to the topic of religion versus a relationship with God.
6. Do you find that faith and spiritual values play a role in your (work) (day) (marriage) (and perspective on life)?
7. When you sleep at night, does anxiety or stress steal your sleep? Do you know how I overcame my fear after I became a Christian?
8. How have your personal growth experiences affected your thoughts about God?
9. If you happen to die tonight, are you sure you will go to heaven? Has anyone ever explained how you can know for sure?
10. Do you go to church? Why or why not?
11. We have never had an opportunity to talk about your religious background. How would you describe your spiritual journey with God?
12. I Would Like To Tell You How I Established A Personal Relationship With God.
(Tell your testimony of how you became a Christian. Please keep it to three minutes, using the following outline: Before-What characterized my life before I trusted Christ? During-How, I came to trust Christ. After-How I am different now.)
13. Before I got to know Christ personally, I used to think that God was a vague concept that I could not relate to. How would you describe your view of God? Jesus? Is He real to you, or is he more of a fuzzy picture?
14. If you could be sure there is a God, would you want to know him? Or if you could know God personally, would you like to?
15. Have you ever co in your life where you trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, or do you think that is something you are not ready for yet but are hoping to be someday? May I share with you how I trusted in Jesus?
16. Would you be interested in hearing my thoughts about church, or possibly would you be willing to tell me your thoughts about the church in general?
17. Bring a friend to your church or a Christian event, then ask: What did you think of church today? Did what the pastor said make sense to you? Have you discovered knowing God personally, or would you like to?
18. I would not like you to come to my church and not understand what it’s all about. Would you want to get together and discuss what we believe together?
19. Would you be interested if I shared what I’ve found most important to being a Christian?
20. What do you think someone has to do to become a Christian?
Lord, my story is my story and cannot be debated. People can argue with me about you and about the Bible, but they cannot debate with me concerning my testimony – it is my account of how you have worked and are working in my life. Each one of us has a testimony that can be a little different, yet faith-based testimonies are based on faith in you, Lord, and what your word proclaims. It’s hard to argue with that!
I pray that I do not keep my faith a private matter. Please continue to give me boldness, respect, kindness, wisdom, and patience when I witness to others. Increase my confidence in you, Lord, when I share my faith.
I want to be a witness for you with my actions, as well as my lips. Lord, I pray that I can be the best witness possible but sometimes my words are criticized and I’m insulted. I have discovered that handing out encouragement business cards is a great way to witness to others. The cards are an ice breaker that points people to you, which is my goal. This and my website give people the time to think and ask questions at their own pace.
I pray that when I share my faith, my message can be just what they needed to hear to awaken their own faith and salvation in you, Lord. In turn, I hope that they, too, will share their testimonies and be the link to someone else’s salvation. I pray that others can come to know you as Lord and Savior because of our testimonies and the Holy Spirit working in their hearts.
The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love, and loyalty. ~ Zig Ziglar, famous author and motivational speaker.
I suggest discussing these questions with another Christian first, which would give you an idea of where such a conversation might go and give you the confidence you need to share with others. Next, I pray together to provide you with the will to give you the boldness to ask some of your unbelieving friends these thought-provoking questions. This way, you would avoid stumbling over your words and appear not to know what you are talking about.
Keep In Mind When Sharing Your Testimony:
When sharing personal testimonies (or, in other words, your story), I suggest you outline it on paper and go over it by yourself or with someone you know before sharing it. Here is my testimony about how I lived before I met Christ, how I met Christ, and what Christ did in my life.
Be sure that you are somewhat organized, that your story is familiar to you and that you are to understand and follow who you plan to share.
How did things use to be?
What personally made the difference in your life?
What changed in your life?
Try to share it like you are just talking with someone, and try not to seem like you are just reading it off a piece of paper, but if that is the way you need to do it, that will work too.
Remember that your story is your story and that nobody can argue with what you say because it happened to you, which is why it is your testimony. You will not influence the person(s) you are speaking to, but the Holy Spirit will be doing the work.
Some Specific Scriptures To Encourage You:
Job 12:12 ESV
Wisdom is with the aged and understanding in length of days.
Psalm 60:3 ESV
You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
Proverbs 7:7 ESV
And I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense,
Ephesians 5:1 ESV
Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children.
Acts 2:17-18 ESV
And in the last days, it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
Romans 3:23 ESV
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Acts 2:38 ESV
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
