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Sharing the Gospel
Sometimes “Gospel” can feel like a
really big word. It’s easy to say, but
when it comes to talking about or
sharing it with someone else, it can be
intimidating. We feel like it requires us
to have a wealth of Bible knowledge
or to develop a particular skill in order
for it to work. Fortunately, that’s not
the case, so let’s put your mind at
ease right from the start. The Gospel
can be summarized in one sentence:
We all have a sinful nature that
separates us from God, but He loves
us so much that He sent Jesus to free
us from our sins and give us new life.
When we talk about sharing the
Gospel, we are simply sharing who
God is and what His salvation means
for us. Nothing more, and certainly
nothing less. We are the messengers,
and the power of the Gospel comes
from the work that God does in
the lives of those who hear this
good news.
THE GOSPEL
We are in need of a savior. The Bible
teaches us that we are all born with
a problem. We are all born separated
from God by an imperfect nature.
It’s not our original nature - we were
created to be with God, but sin
(immoral actions) infected humanity
and changed everything. Romans 3:23
says, “For all have sinned; we all fall
short of God’s glorious standard.” Our
imperfect nature means we struggle
with fear, selfishness, greed, lust,
anger, and other things. It means that
we have limitations to our physical,
spiritual, and mental capabilities;
and it means that we are incapable
of saving ourselves. “For the wages
(penalty) of sin is death, but the free
gift of God is eternal life through
Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Jesus is that Savior. Thankfully, the
story doesn’t end there, because the
Bible also teaches that God provided
a Savior. Romans 5:8 says, “But God
showed his great love for us by
sending Christ to die for us while we
were still sinners.” In other words,
before Christ, we were hopelessly
bound to our sinful nature, building
up a warehouse full of debt that
separated us from God. Through His
death and resurrection, Jesus paid off
our debts and offered us a chance at
a new life.
A new life is our free gift. Amazingly,
the new life that is available to us is
FREE! When Jesus completed His
work on the cross, He didn’t hand
out a new rulebook; in fact, in many
ways, He tossed out the rulebook.
Rather than making it about our
ability to perfectly complete a series
of religious tasks, He made it about a
relationship and about faith. Romans
10:9-10 says, “If you openly declare
that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved. For it is by
believing in your heart that you are
made right with God, and it is by
openly declaring your faith that you
are saved.”
When we talk about sharing the
Gospel, it’s really about telling the
story of who God is and how He
made a way for us to be rescued from
our sinful nature. On this trip, you will
have the opportunity to share your
faith and maybe even tell someone
about Jesus (share the Gospel). You
can use some of the verses from this
article to help you. But more than
that, keep it simple and share your
story. Share about when you first
realized who God is, how massive He
is, and how you came to realize your
need for Him. Remember that we are
simply the messengers. We are not
the savior in this story; we are sharing
with others the good news that there
is a Savior and that they can know
Him too.
Time to practice! Take some time
to put the Gospel into your own
words. This will really solidify the
principles and will prepare you for
the mission field!