Share Your Faith: Spark Spiritual Interest

Sometime ago I began to look in depth at aspects of sharing our faith.  I believe no greater model for sharing the Gospel exists than the story we have recorded in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John.  

You can click on the link(s) at the bottom to examine my other entries.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the
reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
                                                                       – 1 Peter 3: 1,2,15 NIV

Sparking spiritual interest is not always achieved through conversation, in fact, it probably rarely is.  But it should always lead to conversation.


Here are a few ways to raise interest through your actions.

·       We can arouse spiritual interest by our example

·       By showing kindness and compassion to all, even the evil and wicked

·       By not harboring racial or social prejudices to those who are different

·       By our own example of faith and hope

Here are a few ways to raise interest through your actions.(Acts 13:16-22)

·       We can raise questions or make statements that shift conversations to spiritual matters

·       "What do you think our world is in such a mess?"

·       "Would you be interested in what the Bible says about...?"

·       The discussion should first involve matters of common agreement

·       Start with things upon which you agree, to build rapport and instill confidence

·       This was the practice of apostolic preaching 

1) Connect Socially 
2) Common Interest

Share Your Faith: Common Interest

Sometime ago I began to look in depth at aspects of sharing our faith.  I believe no greater model for sharing the Gospel exists than the story we have recorded in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John.  

You can click on the link(s) at the bottom to examine my other entries.

2) Common Interest

Tracts, billboards, street preaching, church signs, door-to-door evangelism, bumper stickers, and t-shirts all have on thing in common.  They are one-offs.  A one shot chance at impacting someone with the Gospel message.  Let me be clear, I believe each and every one of these things can, and have been, useful; but on the whole these methods are not the most successful means for impacting someone with the Gospel.

In my last post on this topic I wrote about our need to venture outside the walls of our churches and safe Christian sub-culture to impact and connect with non believers socially.  This entry further develops that with what would be a necessary next step in the efforts to connect and share the Gospel.

The natural next step in sharing your faith as observed in John 4, is establishing common interest or, build rapport.

This is not always an easy task.  It can, in fact, come off like empty small talk--something contrived merely as filler conversation--if you are not careful. Common interests can be many things.  A few topics may be; family, sports, hobbies, school, activities, or shared experiences. The key is to be meaningful.  If you have to force it, you don't mean it.

Once a bridge for communication has been established, it will be easier to discuss God's word with someone.  Don't feel that you must immediately begin talking about spiritual matters.  Take time to nurture common interests.  Yet at some point we want to reach the next stage.


1) Connect Socially
3) Spiritual Interest 

Everyone. Everywhere. Everyday.

I once heard a pastor that I have a tremendous amount of respect for give a lecture on his thoughts concerning evangelism. If you read the title of this entry, then you already have the gist of what the pastor I speak of had to say that day.

Everyone. Everywhere. Everyday. This means that anyone you cross paths with, at any location, or at any moment, could be depending on you to share the Gospel with them.

I do a lot of teaching about how to talk to people about Christ. Not all people you share the Gospel with will require, or need, to hear words from you. In fact, some will be impacted much more if you just live it out authentically in front of them. There are, however, those that need to hear someone put into words their reasons and results from living a life with Christ. Because of this, we need to be willing to share the Gospel with everyone, everywhere, everyday.

H is for Heaven

The final piece of the plan of salvation, one that all Christians will one day experience, is eternal life.  Jesus spoke often of it during His public ministry.  One of my favorite passages is Christ’s verbal exchange with the woman at the well in John chapter four, but here are a couple more of His shorter words concerning heaven.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. – John 10:10

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. – John 14:3

Do we understand everything about heaven?  Of course not.  Nevertheless, the Bible declares to us the reality of this eternal place.  I’m so glad to know that we have an eternal home.

T is for Turn

Being reconciled to God along His plan of salvation means that at some point one must make a change.  In other words, you must eventually turn away from the habitual failures of the past to embrace a forgiving future life endowed by the Father.  Unless this turning to God takes place, there is no salvation.  A commonly used word for this act of turning to God is “repent”.

I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish – Luke 13:3

To turn to God is to embrace the realization that you need His forgiveness, you recognize it is available; you know it is impossible apart from Him, and you are desiring a new life.  I find it incredibly humbling that something with such far reaching affects can be accomplished with such ease.  One need only do as described in Romans 10:9 to find salvation.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9

Turning means to walk away from sin, and selfishness, to embrace Christ alone.

I is for Impossible

Sin separates man from God.  You need only to go back and read the third chapter of Genesis for the sad account of Adam and Eve and their failures in the Garden.  As a result of their actions God forever removes them from his presence.  A condition we all face prior to salvation is our eternal separation from God.

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” – Romans 3:10

It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven.  God is loving and just, his judgment is against sin, and we are all sinners.  How then can a sinful person enter heaven, when God allows no sin?

Mercy triumphs over judgment. – James 2:13

Just as we are inclined to communicate the necessity of forgiveness and it’s availability; it is also of upmost importance that we realize access to God is impossible apart from God’s own means.

A is for Available

Just as the first talking point in the “plan of salvation” is forgiveness, or helping someone to realize their need for it, the second is the availability of forgiveness to any who come to God seeking it.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

Most of us are incredibly familiar with this oft-quoted passage, but a key component of salvation that often goes overlooked is that it does require something on our part.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 7:21

Forgiveness is available for all, but it is not automatic.  It requires acknowledging our need for God, accepting the forgiveness that is available, and submitting to God’s will for our lives.

F is for FORGIVENESS

So often Christians desire to share their faith with people, but aren’t really sure what to say.  Sometimes an authentic God-centered lifestyle really is enough to spark conversation about faith, and sometimes it takes words, but at some point it will always lead to discussing what is commonly referred to as the “plan of salvation.”

I’m going to spend the next few posts looking at an acronym for faith I came across while studying several years ago.  Yes, it is cheesy, as all good acronyms typically are, but its principles are superb.  It is essentially your primary talking points when discussing salvation with someone unfamiliar to this concept.

F is for FORGIVENESS.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. – Ephesians 1:7

Each of us needs forgiveness in our lives.  Your failures and moral misgivings are your own.  No one else can vouch for them, well no one amongst your normal social circles.  The fact of the matter is that we are, all of us, in desperate need of reconnection with the Father.  This is only achieved through forgiveness, which in turn only comes through Christ.

The first point of communication then is in helping someone understand their need for God.  Until they realize this, there is no moving forward.