This is not the only technique. One of the most important tools in evangelism is what we would call "Sharing Your Testimony." That's a bit of a "churchy" phrase, but what it simply means is telling someone what you believe and how it has changed you both inside and outside (what you believe and how you act). Here's an outline to follow when preparing your testimony.
When preparing and practicing your testimony, remember the following elements:
● Purpose: To glorify God for His salvation, and tell people that they can be saved, too.
● Theme : A life changed by God
● Focus : The gospel message believed
● Desired Response: “I can relate to what you were like before Christ! I need Jesus in my
life, too!”
First, pray for guidance (James 1:5-6). Next, write out your testimony so you can remember and
refine it. You can divide your testimony into three parts: before you became a believer, what you
heard and how you came to believe, and after you became a believer. You could think through a
thirty minute version of your testimony, a three minute version, and pick just three words to
describe each part of your testimony (the “elevator pitch” version).
1. Your life before you became a believer.
● Keep it fairly general. Avoid gory details or too much information.
● What things were most important to me? What did my life revolve around? If it was
work-related, mention that.
● How did I seek security, fulfillment, happiness, or even favor with God?
2. What was the message I came to understand and believe? Summarize.
● What was my first reaction to the message of the good news?
● Why did I first begin to feel positive about the good news of Jesus Christ?
● Why did I finally decide to stop living for myself and surrender to Christ? (Perhaps you
became painfully aware of sin, you felt unclean, guilty or you felt shame, or you realized
you could not make life work without Christ, or...you came to recognize God’s greatness,
glory and holy goodness and saw how you could never measure up at home or at work?)
● What decision(s) did I make when I turned away from my sin and began to live for Christ?
● What happened when you first believed?
○ Which scripture was meaningful?
○ What did you do? What did you pray?
○ What did you come to believe? Make the gospel clear here. (edited)
3. After I turned and trusted in Christ…what has changed, what’s different?
● How did Christ change the areas I wrote down in point #1 (Before)?
● What are some of the specific changes in my life now, including at work?
● How has God brought you through difficulties especially at work? Give specifics.
● Is my life problem-free now? These work friends will know if it isn’t! If not, what is
different? (New values, new story, real hope and power to change through the Holy Spirit - I
John 3:3-4)
These are important parts of a gospel explanation:
1. God our Creator is holy and just, patient and loving and it is right for us to be accountable to
the God who made us.
2. Humans have turned their backs on the Creator and rejected His design for living and
working in God’s creation.
3. In love, God sent Jesus to solve this problem for all who stop rebelling and trust in Christ. It
is only through the person and work of Jesus Christ that God accomplishes salvation for us.
In Christ, God rescues us from the coming judgment we deserve for our sinful rebellion.
Jesus restores our relationship with our Creator God.
4. God makes us new people, adopting us into His select family and includes us in his
worldwide faith community called the Church. Through Christ’s perfect life and sacrificial
death, God has redeemed people from all nations, and has begun restoring all things to
himself.
5. One day, God will fully restore creation. Then, all believers in Christ will dwell in peace
with God and one other eternally in the new heavens and new earth.
When preparing and practicing your testimony, remember the following elements:
● Purpose: To glorify God for His salvation, and tell people that they can be saved, too.
● Theme : A life changed by God
● Focus : The gospel message believed
● Desired Response: “I can relate to what you were like before Christ! I need Jesus in my
life, too!”
First, pray for guidance (James 1:5-6). Next, write out your testimony so you can remember and
refine it. You can divide your testimony into three parts: before you became a believer, what you
heard and how you came to believe, and after you became a believer. You could think through a
thirty minute version of your testimony, a three minute version, and pick just three words to
describe each part of your testimony (the “elevator pitch” version).
1. Your life before you became a believer.
● Keep it fairly general. Avoid gory details or too much information.
● What things were most important to me? What did my life revolve around? If it was
work-related, mention that.
● How did I seek security, fulfillment, happiness, or even favor with God?
2. What was the message I came to understand and believe? Summarize.
● What was my first reaction to the message of the good news?
● Why did I first begin to feel positive about the good news of Jesus Christ?
● Why did I finally decide to stop living for myself and surrender to Christ? (Perhaps you
became painfully aware of sin, you felt unclean, guilty or you felt shame, or you realized
you could not make life work without Christ, or...you came to recognize God’s greatness,
glory and holy goodness and saw how you could never measure up at home or at work?)
● What decision(s) did I make when I turned away from my sin and began to live for Christ?
● What happened when you first believed?
○ Which scripture was meaningful?
○ What did you do? What did you pray?
○ What did you come to believe? Make the gospel clear here. (edited)
3. After I turned and trusted in Christ…what has changed, what’s different?
● How did Christ change the areas I wrote down in point #1 (Before)?
● What are some of the specific changes in my life now, including at work?
● How has God brought you through difficulties especially at work? Give specifics.
● Is my life problem-free now? These work friends will know if it isn’t! If not, what is
different? (New values, new story, real hope and power to change through the Holy Spirit - I
John 3:3-4)
These are important parts of a gospel explanation:
1. God our Creator is holy and just, patient and loving and it is right for us to be accountable to
the God who made us.
2. Humans have turned their backs on the Creator and rejected His design for living and
working in God’s creation.
3. In love, God sent Jesus to solve this problem for all who stop rebelling and trust in Christ. It
is only through the person and work of Jesus Christ that God accomplishes salvation for us.
In Christ, God rescues us from the coming judgment we deserve for our sinful rebellion.
Jesus restores our relationship with our Creator God.
4. God makes us new people, adopting us into His select family and includes us in his
worldwide faith community called the Church. Through Christ’s perfect life and sacrificial
death, God has redeemed people from all nations, and has begun restoring all things to
himself.
5. One day, God will fully restore creation. Then, all believers in Christ will dwell in peace
with God and one other eternally in the new heavens and new earth.