Everyone has a story - Sharing yours

 "... if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." 1 Peter 3:15

On Sunday mornings we have been studying through Acts 13-28 in a series called "Always on Mission." We've been following the life of the apostle Paul, a man who fully lived his life on mission for the Lord. Yesterday, (Feb 12) we looked at Acts 22 where Paul gives tells his savlation story before an angry mob who wanted to execute him. He also gives his testimony in Acts 26 before Herod Agrippa and Festus.

When Paul tells his story, he follows a distinct pattern: what his life was like before he met Christ, how he encountered Christ, how Christ changed his life, and what Christ has been doing in his life recently. It is a great pattern to follow to learn how to share your testimony.

CRU Ministries (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) has a worksheet to help Christians develop their testimony. Take a few minutes to work through these questions so you can tell others what God has done in your life:

My Life Before Christ

• What about my life before Christ will relate most to the non-Christians I know?
• What did my life revolve around? Where did I get my security, identity or happiness from?  
• How did those things begin to let me down?

How I Came to Christ

• When was the first time I heard the gospel? What were my initial reactions?
• When and why did my perspective begin to change toward Christ?
• What were the final struggles that went through my mind just before I accepted Him? Why did I finally decide to accept Christ (or give Him complete control of my life)?

My Life After Coming to Christ

• How is my life different now? List some specific changes in your character, attitude and perspective on life.
• What motivates me now? What do I live for?
• Even though my life still isn’t perfect, how does knowing Christ help me deal with that fact?

I would add What Christ is Doing in My Life Today as a conclusion to your testimony. Having a relationship with the Lord means we should be able to give evidence of that relationship in our day to day lives.

Take a few minutes to write out your story as if you were telling it to someone, and then pray for opportunities to share your story.