SHARING THE GOOD NEWS

• Hospitality in the form of eating and drinking was Jesus’ “go to” tool to share the Good News. He frequently attended meals at the marginalized and far from God homes. He used the opportunities to be with people and to share with them the Gospel – Himself. 

As Jesus’ disciples, sharing a meal can be one of the most effective ways to build relationships with those far from Jesus and share the Gospel with them.

Consider these opportunities:

1. Invite your neighbors over for a meal, block party, or cookout just to get to know them. Who they are, what’s their name, what’s their heart going after?
2. Accept an invitation from a friend or social connection with the express purpose and prayer to share Jesus with them. Look for opportunities.
3. Go to a bar or restaurant with consistency getting to know the owner, servers, and patrons. Be the best customer you can be. Tip well! Be like Jesus to them.
4. Make your home open to your extended family for large gatherings. Pray and share a devotion before those meals/events.
5. Create a home that is always open to your kids’ friends. Be the house that other kids want to hang out at.
6. Make meal time with your own family a priority, talking about Jesus and the Word together.

• This is the most nerve-racking part of sharing the Gospel with others. But it doesn’t have to be. Why? Because the Gospel is that which drew you to follow Jesus. As a disciple of Jesus, it is what you hang your hope on and should be the center of your identity and therefore the root of everything you do, say, and believe. However, so many are afraid or worried about getting it wrong or not having the words. 
• First and foremost sharing the Gospel is not dependent on you, it’s dependent on the Holy Spirit. He leads, He gives the words, He gets the power. Your role is simply to be willing and ready to share.
• Second, there are many tools and acronyms out there to help share. We recommend using these categories:
  • God created everything perfect including mankind.
  • Man committed treason and sinned by attempting to become God.
  • As a result all creation is broken and in need of restoration.
  • Jesus is God in the flesh and through His life, death on the cross, and resurrection He reclaimed man from sin, death, and the devil and restored man to a right relationship with the Father.
  • One day Jesus will come again to usher in the renewed heaven and earth – the full expression of the kingdom of God, while we wait we have the Spirit of Jesus who reminds us that we are forgiven and spurs us on to practice the way of Jesus – being with Jesus and being like Jesus. Not to be saved, but because we are saved.
• To be saved we simply need to receive the amazing gift of Jesus. We believe this is for all people and therefore encourage you and your entire family to be baptized – a means that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us this gift of salvation and the beginning of a life lived in the identity Jesus offers.
• Your Story – The best tool for sharing the Gospel is your own story. Click here for a helpful tool in preparing your story to share with others.