The Christian Man Chapter 10

Sharing My Faith – Having authentic spiritual conversations with my friends.

I took notes on this chapter over two days. It was a lot. It was the most important aspect of the book. We are called to be glorifying and the best way is to talk.

The first note was that we can pray for anyone. We can give them love, kindness, empathy and respect. Our goal is to have the other person reconcile with God. The questions begin with why, how to start, how to share, and how to help?

The big truth is that God sets what is true and relativism is not truth. We do not get to decide truth. In court, a person can give their opinion of what they think happened, but it does not mean it is the truth. But the typical non-believer does not believe God sets truth, and they are perfectly willing to accept that their limited opinion is the only right one regardless of how limited their knowledge on a subject.

Even worse, most non-believers do not care what anyone else thinks and especially push away the opinions of Christians as irrelevant. There is a quote from someone that I messed up that goes something like “Nothing is as incredulous as the answer to an unasked question!” If they do not ask your opinion, they do not care to hear it and will reject it out of hand.

The best argument for Christ is how Christ has changed your own life. If you can communicate this in understandable terms, then you have a chance to impact the non-believer. But we must remember that the language of a mature Christian is different from their own children’s and even more so from those influenced by Satan through the culture we exist in.

 So, the output of the chapter, and therefore the book, is a process by which we can reach other people. But we are not to try to fix the other person. We must be willing to invest in the other person and allow time and the outpouring of God’s love through us to have an impact. Here is the process:

• See the person, take note of them, etc.
• Pray for the person
• Ask for conversation
• Engage in conversation
• Ask “Where are you on your spiritual journey?”
• Listen
• Share your story (When asked) giving reason for hope, in gentleness, with respect, and include before, now, and future aspects

 

• Share the gospel – God loves you, Jesus died for you, Personal salvation

1. 1. Birth
   2. Life
   3. Teachings
   4. Ministry
   5. Death
   6. Resurrection
   7. Who, what, where, when, why, how, etc.

 

• Ask if they have accepted Christ

1. 1. Ask:Tell me about it?
   2. Ask: Do you want to now?
   3. Ask: Can I follow up? And then do if allowed

 

Remember, we still live to serve. Otherwise, like some weird cults do, we would believe we would be  removed from life as soon as we were saved.

So go out there, ask questions, and share your story.