Let Your Light Shine – Sharing Your Testimony
 

Some Guidance from Acts 26 on Sharing Your Testimony/Faith Story with Others

 

Preparing your heart and mind:

  1. Before, during and after, pray for God to be at work – saving faith is something God alone works in a person
  2. Consider it a privilege: we are blessed to have the opportunity to share (Acts 26:2)
  3. Seek permission – “Can I share with you a little bit of my story?” (Acts 26:1)
  4. Re-read Acts 26 and how Paul shares his testimony
  5. Practice with another Christian/Small Group until you can articulate your testimony and the Gospel
  6. No testimony/sharing of faith is perfect – there is no formula
  7. Be real, genuine, honest It isn’t about how much learning you have – it is about how available you are and how capable God is
  8. A whole range of responses to your testimony is possible – be ok with that
  9. Invite them to church, small group or to talk again and hear more
  10. Consider sharing more of your testimony by writing a letter(s)
  11. Share parts of your testimony on social media with an invitation to church
 

Things to Remember:

  1. You are “salt” (essential to the goodness of God at work in the world)
  2. You are “light” (illuminating and helping others see the truth by your good deeds in the world) (Matthew 5:13-16)
  3. This is about “making disciples” or apprenticing others in the way of Jesus (Matthew 28:16-20)
  4. The motivation and foundation that drives how we are to share our testimony is a deepening love for God and a growing love for neighbor (Matthew 22:24-40)

 

The Testimony itself:

  1. Share the Before Salvation chapters of your story

         Acts 26:4-11 is an example of Paul

         List some of the core parts of your story before coming to faith in Christ

 

 

 

  1. Share about Receiving the grace of Christ and becoming a believer, disciple, follower of Jesus, Christian…
    What are some of the elements of salvation that Paul includes in Acts 26:18, 20, 23? How can your experience of salvation help you in sharing with others?

 

 

 

  1. Share the After Salvation chapters of your story – what it is now to live as a Christian in community with other Christians (See Acts 26:25-29)
         How are you changed/new since coming to faith?