My Story of Faith

Many Christians want to witness, but they lament, “I don’t know what to say!”  However, if you know Christ, you have a story to tell, the story of how God has worked and is still working in your life.  There are distinct advantages in telling your story to not-yet Christians.

• People love stories.  They prefer a true-life narrative to a theological essay.
• Stories are personal.  They reveal you as a real human being, warts and all, making you authentic to both friends and acquaintances.
• People may want to debate original sin or the divinity of Christ, but there is less to argue about concerning your personal experiences.
• The story of how God has acted on your behalf points people to the same God who is working in their lives.

Our lives consist of episodes.  One of them is the story of your conversion. I used to think a personal testimony was always a conversion story.  I learned otherwise from E. V. Hill, a seasoned African-American pastor of a church in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. After giving a helpful presentation at a Billy Graham School of Evangelism in the late 1980’s, he said “Before I close, let me share with you my testimony.”  What I expected to hear was the story of how E. V. had became a believer in Christ long ago.  Instead, he testified concerning God’s present faithfulness in the wake of the recent death of his wife.  His poignant words taught me that our testimonies include every chapter of our lives where we see the gracious hand of God.

However, we don’t gab our entire life story in one sitting. As you chat with a not-yet Christian friend, ask the Lord to show you which chapter is pertinent to what your friend is talking about. The next time we see that friend, God may open the door to share another portion of your story.

Recognizing this fact, I designed a six-session course called “My Story of Faith.” All you need is you, some friends, your Bible, a pencil, and this free 2-page handout. Each session of the course has three features.

1. You read and discuss a testimony recorded in the Bible.  These models reveal the wide variety of experiences you can share with people.
2. Each week you prepare a portion of your story. Two methods are suggested: one topical, and one chronological. Take your pick or use both.
3. Spend at good chunk of time telling your stories.  As you chat in groups of 2 or 3 (and sometimes in the full group),  you will grow comfortable relating what God has done in your lives.

Over the 6 weeks of this simple yet effective course, you’ll discover that God has given you something precious to share — your personal story of faith.