2. How Do I Share Jesus with My Friends?

Many of us want to share Jesus with those around us, but it can be scary.

1. Maybe we’re afraid they’ll ask questions that we can’t answer
2. I struggle with my own faith
3. I never learned how to
4. I don’t know how to start the conversation

Let’s talk about these fears…because they are real! 

Fear #1: What if they ask my a question I don't know how to answer?

First of all, you don’t have to have all the answers. Let them know that you don’t know the answer to the question…then from here, you can do a couple things:

You can connect them with your youth pastor or someone else who may know the answer. 

Say, “Truthfully, I don’t know the answer, but I can connect you with someone who would know." 

Then, it’s super important to do this part no matter what…is say, “All I know is I know who I was before I met Jesus and what He did in my life, and it changed me.”

Then go into sharing your story.

 Fear #2:  I struggle with my own faith.
This is where being authentic is super important. They don’t expect you to be perfect, otherwise, you will turn them off from Jesus, because there is no way that they can be perfect. Tell them that you aren’t perfect, that you still mess up and then go into sharing your story.

 Fear #3: I never learned how to. 
That’s why I’m sharing this episode with you!!

Fear #4: I don’t know how to start the conversation that will lead to sharing my story. We'll talk about this a little later.

1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

 Now, you may be asking…how to I share my story? What do say? How do you start the conversation?

 Ask questions to genuinely get to know and care about them:

 Then if you see a pain point or a passion point, ask them if you can pray for them. 

 A pain point is something they mention that is hard for them. Maybe a family member is not doing well or they had a family member pass away or they are failing a class that they really need to pass.

 A passion point is maybe they have a solo at a choir concert or they have a gymnastics competition or they have a speech and it’s scary.

 Ask them if you can pray for them. If they say yes, go ahead and pray for them. They don’t care if you have the right words, they are just blown away that you would ask them to pray for them. Don’t get held up with perfectionism. Believe God will give you the right words and if you mess up, who cares. They get to see a genuine, authentic relationship with Jesus. They get to see that they don’t have to be perfect. Perfection will turn them off from Jesus.

 After you pray for them, here are a couple of questions you can ask them to lead that conversation in the direction of sharing Jesus. 

1. What are your thoughts on God?
2. Do you have a good church that you go to?

Then answer the question yourself authentically and go into sharing your story.

 Now you may be thinking, “What do I share, though? I’m not sure what to say!”

There are 3 parts to your story…

1. Before you met Jesus or decided to go all in with Him.
2. What led you to that decision
3. And then since you made that decision, what has God done in your life. 

It’s that easy! 

To find out more, check out this week's episode of the UncommonTEEN Podcast!

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