One of the greatest privileges any believer has is introducing someone to life-changing faith in Jesus Christ. This is what we call “the gospel,” which simply means good news! The good news is that the kingdom of God is here and God is inviting His people into His mission to bless the world and welcome them into His family. Jesus said that His purpose on earth was to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). When we share our faith, we are joining Him in His mission to seek and save the lost people in our world.
The idea of sharing our faith can sometimes feel overwhelming. Just to take some pressure off, remember the definition of successful witnessing is
“Taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, leaving the results to God.”
So do not worry about how they will respond, that is God’s business. Your job is simply to take the initiative and trust God. He will take care of the rest.
Why Reach Students?
Just like an athlete trains for their sport in the off-season, we need to hone our skills in sharing our faith. We prepare to share our faith to be ready for the challenge, to gain confidence and skill, and to be able to speak from the heart when the time comes. We also prepare to share our faith in Christ with high school students because of the following:
- 80% of all Christ-followers begin a relationship with Jesus before the age of 18.
- 92% of all teenagers are on the public high school campus.
- We want to see people experience the same love and forgiveness we have.
- There is still room in heaven for one more.
- We want to share the message plainly and accurately.
- We want to honor God and be obedient to Him.
In His classic article, “Let the Nations Be Glad!,” Pastor John Piper shares this advice for why we should want to share our faith:
“Don’t wait for a feeling of love to share Christ with a stranger. You already love your heavenly Father, and you know that this stranger is created by Him, but separated from Him, so take those first steps in evangelism because you love God. It is not primarily out of compassion for humanity that we share our faith or pray for the lost; it is, first of all, love for God. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:7-8: “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.”
Tools Help Share the Gospel
Cru became famous for its wide use of “The Four Spiritual Laws” gospel tract, which lays out the essence of the gospel in four simple points that are easily communicated and backed with scripture. This simple tool has changed millions of lives over the last 70 years. There is no way, and no need, to share everything you know about the totality of the gospel in one conversation, but you can share God’s message of salvation using one of these tools:
- The Connecting with God booklet – is made specifically for High School students!
- The Knowing God Personally (KGP) booklet
- The FOUR – easy to draw or explain quickly. Available on wristbands, stickers, etc.
- The God Tools app – a free app with many evangelism tools
They are all very similar. For this training, we will use the KGP Booklet. While an outline is not the only way to communicate the gospel, we like it because it is simple, transferable, and brings the person to a point of decision.
Each of the different tools has four main points, just worded slightly differently. It goes like this:
- God loves you and created you to know him personally.
- We are separated from God by our sin, so we cannot know Him or experience His love.
- Jesus is God’s only solution for our sin. Only through Him can we know God and receive His love and forgiveness.
- We must each respond to Jesus by placing our trust in Him as our Savior and Lord. Only then can we know God personally.
The gospel of Jesus is a message of love and acceptance for drowning people who need a life raft, and it can only be accepted by people who want to hear it.
Become an Expert with One Tool
Select the best evangelism tool for your setting. You need to become comfortable with the outline of the gospel presentation and aware of its contents and the Bible verses each one uses to make each point. Pay close attention to the transitional phrases at the bottom of the page, which are good points to pause and make sure the person is tracking with you. While it is possible to present the gospel by just reading through the booklet, most conversations are much more fruitful if you go about it in a more casual, conversational way.
For example, take some time to talk about what sin is during point #2, and ask them to think about how they have sinned in their life. To be more conversational, know the booklet well. At the very least, pause often to ask them to restate a point in their own words, such as asking them to explain what Ephesians 2:8-9 says in their own words during point #4. If they can explain this, they are likely grasping the essence of the gospel. Try alternating who reads each page, so that you are not talking the whole time. You want to make sure that you take time to listen to them and hear them out on whatever questions or comments they have as you go through the presentation.
Lead to a Decision
Just after the fourth point, the presentation has two circles with chairs in them, symbolizing “the throne of your life.” These circles are an excellent way to help the student wrestle with and clearly communicate where they are in their relationship with God. It also gives them a clear next step–to ask you a question, bring up a doubt or fear they have, or turn to Christ in faith. While we always want to share the gospel at the first good opportunity and bring the person to a point of decision about Jesus, we never force the gospel. We simply invite people to respond to God’s radical love for them.
Once you are done with the gospel presentation, ask them if they would like to pray and accept the sacrifice of Jesus on their behalf and follow Him as Lord of their life. We simply bring them to a crossroads and invite them to respond. Whether they want to right then or not, make sure you get their phone number or social media and set up a follow-up appointment to help them take the next best step in their spiritual journey. Check out Thrive Studies for awesome follow-up material!
No Matter What, Show Them Love and Care
The gospel of Jesus is a message of love and acceptance for drowning people who need a life raft, and it can only be accepted by people who want to hear it. We are not in the business of pressuring people to pray a prayer or treating them in an unloving way if they are not interested. If someone is far from God and wants to stay there, the best thing you can do is pray for them and treat them lovingly. In the words of Jesus, “do to others as you would like them to do to you” (Luke 6:31 NLT).
Next Step
Take your next step in sharing your faith. If you're new at this, practice a gospel presentation with a friend. If you're ready for the real thing, text someone right now to see if you can meet with them. For help in turning the conversation to the gospel, Bridges to Gospel Conversations will help.
Bridges to Gospel Conversations
