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3 tips for starting a spiritual conversation in the most helpful way
At one point in my life, my job involved spending several hours each day trying to start spiritual conversations with total strangers. I was trained to start conversations about God by using spiritual interest questionnaires, decks of cards about different worldviews, and packets of photographs. As I had only ever spoken about my faith with friends and family, finding tools that worked allowed me to overcome my lack of confidence and fear of sounding stupid.
Over nine years, I talked with several hundred people about Jesus, the gospel, and what it might mean to them. But crucially, I knew at the time I was unlikely to see most of these people again.
When it comes to talking with people who matter to you – friends, family, co-workers – it can feel like there's a different dynamic. You have more at stake.
I now know the things I learned by talking with strangers changed the way I had conversations with friends. The skills I learned were transferable.
Of all the different tools and techniques I was given to talk with people, none was more important than learning how to start a spiritual conversation.
Being completely honest, when I started sharing my faith regularly, the focus was on what was most helpful to me. I saw myself as the one taking all the risks and carrying the weight of every conversation. I no longer see things that way.
Starting a meaningful conversation about God with someone is as much about understanding what’s most helpful to the other person, if not more so.
So let’s think about a few tips for starting spiritual conversations in helpful ways.
#1 Avoid focusing too much on what will work
When I was being trained to start spiritual conversations, I always had one question at the back of my mind: “What will definitely, or almost definitely, work?”
It’s natural to look for approaches that contain the greatest potential for success, or even the least risk of humiliating failure. But is this really helpful?
Think about a few of the people in your life you’d like to talk with about God. We’re thinking of people who do not share your spiritual beliefs yet. Maybe you’re thinking of a friend from university, someone you work with, a person you see regularly at the gym, or one of your parents or grandparents.
These people are individuals, created by God to be unique and diverse. They may have things in common, such as the location they live in and the language they use. But they have different interests, different backgrounds, different worldviews.
So why would there be a single way of starting a spiritual conversation with such a diverse group of people?
Change your focus from finding techniques that guarantee success to thinking about what each person needs in order to enter into the conversation you hope to have.
Here are a few things they might need:
- A sense that the conversation is as much about what they think as what you believe.
- A conversation built around language you both understand equally.
- A safe environment to open up about deeper things.
Now the focus is shifting from what will help you, to what will help the other person.
When Jesus spoke with the woman at the well, Matthew the tax collector, and a Roman Centurion, each conversation began very differently. But Jesus thought carefully about how to communicate with each one as an individual. In the same way, you’re going to think about who you’re talking with before you think about what you want to say.
#2 One size does not fit all
GodTools has created the Openers tool because each conversation is unique. Every conversation is a meeting point between two or more people whose minds work in different ways. Our task is to find common ground, and not treat people as though they are a category or type.
A conversation is not just a Christian talking with an atheist, for example. It's a unique individual talking with another unique individual.
Think about the person you most want to have a spiritual conversation with. What do you know about them in terms of their interests, their opinions or beliefs, and the way they like to communicate with others?
By taking the time to think about these things, you can be confident you’re going to be respectful and helpful when you decide how to start a conversation about God with the person.
You might even say something like, “Hey, I was thinking about you the other day, and I realized I’ve never asked you what you believe about spiritual things. Would you feel comfortable telling me what your perspective on that stuff is?”
How often does someone actually tell you they’ve been thinking about you when you were not together, or express curiosity about your perspective on things?
It’s less common than most of us probably wish. I love talking with people who are genuinely curious about my experiences or views on things because I feel valued. The chances are so will the person you want to start a conversation with.
#3 Recognize when the conversation’s already started
Sometimes a spiritual conversation has started before you’ve even realized it.
As Christians we can wrongly presume two things; we always have to start any spiritual conversation, and the other person probably does not want to have one. These are not true.
Even if someone says they’re not interested in hearing why you became a Christian, they might be willing to talk about what gives their life meaning, or how hopeful they feel about the future. They might want to talk with someone about a sick family member, or a parenting issue. These can be spiritual conversations, too.
You might not be explaining the gospel to someone, but you’re building trust, applying your faith to real-life challenges, and learning to have an authentic two-way conversation.
In my experience, the more willing I am to talk about what other people are thinking about, or what’s happening in their lives, the more I suddenly find them asking me about something more obviously spiritual.
Always be curious about people, and they are more likely to become curious about you.
Where to go from here
If you’re looking for specific ways to start a conversation with someone, the GodTools app provides everything from gospel explanations to an Emoji survey you can send to a friend.
Now with the Openers tool, you can also choose from dozens of questions people have used in real conversations.
Simply pick a category you think your friend might be interested in talking about, then choose from a selection of questions to get the conversation going.
Openers is here
Transcript:
Hi, my name is Samm and I’m on the GodTools team.
At GodTools, we believe everyone can have natural and honest conversations about faith, but we also know that for many people knowing how or where to start is the hardest part.
When I was in high school I took my lunch in a brown paper bag every single day. My mom wrote a question on the outside of the bag for me to discuss with people at the table. Some days the questions were silly and some days they were more serious. These questions gave me incredible opportunities to have great conversation and hear others perspectives.
Having seen the power of a good question firsthand, I’m so excited to introduce to you Openers, the latest tool from GodTools.
Openers is a collection of questions on a wide range of topics. These questions have been used to start spiritual conversations all over the world.
Choose a topic you think you and the other person are interested in and pick one or more questions to get the conversation going. You can find Openers in the ‘All tools’ tab within the app.
As always, we’d love to hear about your experience with this tool, especially if you have a story of using an Opener with someone you know.
Thanks for using GodTools. We have more exciting developments coming in 2022 so stay tuned.
Follow this link on your mobile device to see the new tool.
How to talk about God with people who are uninterested
Apatheist. This is a new word to me. I discovered it while searching Google for something else.
"An apatheist is someone who is not interested in accepting or rejecting any claims that gods exist or do not exist. The existence of a god or gods is not rejected, but may be designated irrelevant."
I know atheists. I know lots of agnostics. But I’ve yet to meet someone who described themself as an apatheist.
However, I have met people who apparently had no desire to have a spiritual conversation with me.
It’s easier to start conversations with people when you know they are already interested. I can remember telling myself that I should leave the uninterested people to God. I figured I’d wait till they showed some interest before talking with them about the gospel.
But why would I write off trying to have a spiritual conversation with someone I care about, just because I’m not certain they’re interested yet?
The answer probably lies more in my own anxiety than in concern for their preferences.
What if you were labeled “uninterested”?
I was curious about God long before I became a Christian. I wondered whether my life had a meaning or purpose.
Few people knew this about me. Sometimes I kept it hidden. Other times my curiosity died down for a while.
But there were also times when I struggled to find someone I felt safe talking with about my questions.
I’m sure some of my Christian friends presumed I was uninterested. Many of my lifestyle choices reinforced that idea.
The truth is, I spent years excluding myself from conversations about faith because I thought I would never be able to live the way Christians did.
But then some people took a step of faith with me. They asked questions that made me feel like my opinions and experiences, however confused, had value. That was how I began considering what God thought about me. What if he believed I was worth his time and attention?
So how do you have the conversation you’re praying for when a person shows no interest in God or even spiritual things? This is the question we’re going to try to answer.
No two conversations are the same. So if anyone gives you a simple formula, it should come with a warning label “DO NOT ACCEPT SIMPLE FORMULAS!”
But here are some questions I suggest asking yourself that I hope will help.
6 questions to ask before talking with someone you think is uninterested
1. Has the person actually said they’re not interested in God?
I can think of several people in my own life who I presume belong in the “not interested in spiritual things” category. But I’ve yet to actually ask them if that’s true.
It’s natural to piece together an opinion of someone’s opinion about God or faith from your various interactions.
But some people have just never been asked what they believe about God. In some cases that’s because the Christians they know presumed this conversation was off-limits.
2. What is the person uninterested in?
Words and phrases often mean different things to different people. Especially loaded language, such as “God” or “spiritual.” So if you ask someone what they think about these things, confirm they understand your terms and intentions correctly. You might be asking an open question about someone’s spirituality, but they may presume you mean a particular brand of religion.
If someone tells you they are not interested in God, you could say, “Can you explain why that’s the case? Is it the idea of God even existing, or something else?”
The person might be afraid that you’re gearing up to try and convert them. Or they may fear talking about spiritual things might lead to friction in your relationship. Be sensitive to your friend’s apprehensions. Reassure him or her that you genuinely want to understand this part of their life.
3. Why is the person uninterested?
Let’s imagine the other person has explained why they’re not interested in talking about God. If you’re confident the other person feels safe with you, this does not mean a door is closing.
Try paraphrasing what you think you’ve heard your friend say. This achieves two things:
- It confirms you’ve understood the other person properly.
- Your sensitive curiosity demonstrates you value him or her.
Once you know you’ve understood your friend’s perspective, try asking, “Have you always felt this way?”
If the answer is yes, try discussing what it takes for people to change the way they see the world.
If the answer is no, try exploring how their current perspective formed. Was it new information, particular experiences, or something else that most influenced the way they see things now?
Either way, begin by asking a question — rather than making a statement — resisting the temptation to take control of the conversation.
4. What’s going on in the person’s life right now?
Apathy often grows or declines with circumstances. What someone thinks about spiritual things is connected to what’s happening, or has happened, in their actual life.
Mental and emotional health, for example, influence the way someone feels about Christianity’s claim to offer the only real and lasting source of hope. That’s a bold promise. The risk of disappointment becomes a barrier to many people.
So ask your friend questions about his or her whole life, not just spiritual beliefs. It’s all connected.
5. Have you demonstrated how deeply you are interested in them?
As Christians, we believe God is interested in every person because he created each individual. But many people fear this is not true. They feel overlooked, misunderstood, or even forgotten by God.
The way we talk with people is an opportunity to demonstrate how God feels about them.
Some people fear Christians only want to talk about what they believe. Sometimes that’s true. That’s why GodTools stresses the value of being curious about the people we talk with.
What’s the ABCs of GodTools? Always. Be. Curious.
It’s not a trade-off, or a bait and switch. You’re not luring someone into a certain conversation by asking them a few questions. If you ever feel that’s what you’re doing, hit pause.
Give yourself permission not to have “the right conversation.”
Be curious – then be more curious – then a bit more.
Do you care about the person enough to listen to them, or just enough until they’ll listen to you?
6. Can you focus on building a relationship before starting the conversation?
If you’ve been praying for an opportunity to talk about God with someone, you might feel under pressure. Each time you meet, you might find yourself wondering if this is the opportunity you’ve asked for.
GodTools exists to help you feel ready for every conversation about Jesus. But sometimes this means having the wisdom to know when to let go of having a specific conversation.
It’s important not to view building a relationship and initiating a spiritual conversation as mutually exclusive. See them as parts of the same thing; loving the other person the way Jesus calls you to.
You know you’re investing in your relationship with someone when:
- You refer to things the person told you in a previous conversation. It’s a way of saying you care about them.
- You’re happy to talk about mutual interests or look to find some.
- You invite the other person to enjoy a shared experience or say yes to their invitation.
None of these examples guarantee a conversation about Jesus. But they all help create a relationship where talking about deeper things feels more natural.
When you’re sharing your life with someone, being curious about the way they see the world — including God — makes sense.
God will provide opportunities to talk about him as you love someone the way he does..
The power of being interested in people before they’re interested in God
I think we’re surrounded by people who, for whatever reason, think they are not worth God’s time. It’s painful to feel like God is uninterested in you. When people feel this way, they tend to become apathetic towards God as well.
Other people just think about spiritual things in a different way. Maybe they use different language or have a perspective that’s far removed from the way the Christians they know think about things.
They are not interested in having the conversation they think their Christian friends want to have. But if the conversation is going to include questions like “Where does hope come from?”, “Can people really change?”, or ”Does life have a greater meaning?”, they’re all in.
A few people paid attention to me when others had deemed me “spiritually uninterested.” They gave me space to work out what I thought and, more importantly, what my real questions and issues were.
In doing so, they brought me closer to God.
Try a conversation starter with your family
It sounds simple – just talk about the weather or a TV show you’re enjoying.
But being intentional about having deeper conversations, and talking about spiritual things, feels different. It seems more complicated or even scary.
Using GodTools conversation starters helps you feel ready to talk with anyone.
A seasonal sample of our latest tool
This time of year many of us are looking forward to spending time with people we love. Check out some questions to help you start a great conversation.
Read more from Conversations
See what’s happening in our Instagram space.
How to start spiritual conversations with someone in your family
The family context causes its own particular challenges when it comes to having spiritual conversations. You might expect a negative reaction, an awkward situation, hard questions or even an argument.
Talking with a family member can often lead to the feeling of “Oh no, here we go again.”
So how can you go about this in a way that’s less likely to cause tension?
How you think about conversations with your family is as important as the actual words you choose.
Here are three ingredients to having the right mindset about spiritual conversations with a family member:
1. Forgiveness
If there is tension in the relationship, it becomes much harder to have an open and honest conversation, especially about spiritual things.
Forgiveness does not mean excusing the other person’s behavior if that person hurt you in some way.
Forgiving the other person demonstrates God’s love by keeping the door open to relationship. This paves the way for honest conversation.
2. Humility
It’s easy to make wrong assumptions about people in our family.
Practice humility in a spiritual conversation by being curious.
The more curious you are, the more the other person will realize you’re genuinely trying to understand him or her.
3. Patience
With your family, you can take a longer-term approach to talking about your faith.
Think about each time you discuss your beliefs as part of an ongoing conversation.
Try not to worry about covering the whole gospel in one discussion.
God is working in this person’s life.
What makes talking about faith with your family so hard?
Click an answer below to see our suggestions.
Focus on talking about why following Jesus matters to you and how he changed your life.
You can listen patiently and show respect, even if the other person does not.
Give yourself time to think about how you see God working in your life. Then you’ll be ready to share that with your family.
Even small talk can help you learn more about your family.
Ask about special memories they have or past experiences to keep the conversation moving toward meaningful things.
Consider asking a question like, “What’s a favorite memory you have from childhood?”
Focus on being interested in them and things they care about. This helps you build a connection and creates a platform for talking about deeper things.
Try writing down things to pray about for each family member. Make time each day to pray for them.
Approach your family member with a desire to understand his or her position, rather than defend your own.
If the conversation feels like it’s becoming an argument, pause. You might need to come back to it later.
Alternatively, you could ask the other person why he or she thinks the tone of your conversation is changing.
Try to understand why the person thinks the way he or she does.
Is there a topic or issue you can start a conversation about to help you understand your family member better?
Ask a question like, “How did you come to think that way about this issue?” or “What’s the most important part of this issue to you?”
Remember, your past experiences of talking about faith with your family do not have to determine what future conversations look like.
God is working in your family. The way people think or feel about God and faith can change over time.
Be ready for the conversations you hope to have. Then trust God to create opportunities.
Explore more GodTools Lessons
This content was adapted from one of the Lessons available in the GodTools app.
Watch this video to find out how GodTools Lessons help you have the conversations you’re praying for.
How do you describe God to someone?
There are so many ways to describe God. Why does it matter which one you choose?
Because how you describe someone important to you reveals how and why you value that person.
You can describe God in a way that makes him sound like the central idea of a religious system. Or your language can create the sense of God as someone you have a life-changing relationship with.
What language do you choose to describe God?
Your answer will likely determine whether you describe a God you know or just a God you know about.
People are more likely to be interested in how you experience knowing God in your everyday life than in a “right answer” you prepared before the conversation.
What’s different about the way you live each day and see the world because you know God in a personal way?
Maybe you cannot find the perfect words to describe knowing God. That’s okay. Be yourself. Describe your personal experience of God. Then trust the Holy Spirit to do what only he can do in opening the other person’s mind to what you’re saying.
Describing God – where do you start?
It’s normal to think we need a prepared explanation of what we believe about God. Of course, it’s good to know what you believe. But “off the shelf” descriptions often fail to resonate with people.
If you’re having an open and honest conversation with someone, it may be better to start from what that person thinks about God or the idea of God.
Resist trying to get a person from where he or she is to where you are too quickly. First, make sure you really understand where the person you care about is coming from.
How does the person you care about describe God?
If you’re unsure how to answer this question, try being more curious. If you’re genuinely interested in someone else’s ideas and beliefs, he or she is more likely to be interested in yours.
You can create opportunities through your curiosity to describe the God you know.
You might say something like this:
“Hey, I’ve been thinking about the way I describe God to people. And it made me wonder what words you’d use to describe God. Are you comfortable telling me?”
The other person may not have thought about this before. But he or she is still likely to have some kind of immediate response to your question.
If the person talks about not being a Christian, or about believing in another religion, remember to affirm that. He or she has a way of thinking about God, and you’re genuinely curious about it.
It’s possible no one ever took the time to ask what he or she thinks about God or spiritual things. By asking, you’re demonstrating your desire to know the person on a deeper level.
A good spiritual conversation is two or more people genuinely interested in and trying to understand one another. A great conversation is when those people discover together what is true.
How to have conversations about God during COVID-19
Life has changed for everyone during this pandemic. How is that shaping the way we have conversations about God?
As 2021 begins I know many of us hope we’ll see some sort of return to normal life in the coming weeks and months. While I’m conscious of the tragic consequences of the coronavirus all over the world, I’m trying to look for positives. I do see some.
The pandemic has touched every corner of the planet. A positive side effect of this is the common experience we all now have as a point of connection with one another. I hear so many people talking about how they value human connection in a new way because of the restrictions we’re living with.
None of us know exactly when the pandemic will end. So we must choose how we’ll maintain meaningful connections with the people in our lives. This includes anyone we hope to have conversations with about the gospel.
Do you want to have conversations about the gospel with someone in your life this year?
Think about the following three questions.
1. Who do I hope to have a spiritual conversation with?
Sometimes a meaningful conversation happens when you least expect it. But in my experience, being intentional about praying for conversations with specific people makes them more likely to happen. So perhaps you want to start praying for a conversation with someone specific. Maybe choose a person from one or more of the following categories:
- Close friends.
- Neighbors.
- Colleagues from your workplace.
- Classmates from your college campus.
- Parents you regularly see at your children’s school.
I find it helpful to write down the names of people I want to have a conversation with about the gospel. I keep the list in my Bible as a daily reminder to pray for those opportunities.
2. How do I start the conversation I’m praying for?
Starting a conversation about faith often feels like the hardest part of sharing the gospel. But COVID-19 has given us common ground with everyone in our lives in an unprecedented way. The longer the virus lasts the harder it has become to just tell each other “I’m fine.” Talking about superficial things feels more unnatural in this climate.
You can make the most of this opportunity to build more authentic and meaningful relationships with whomever God has placed in your life.
So rather than just think about how you can start a conversation about Jesus or the gospel, take a step back. What could be happening right now in the other person’s life that he or she might want to talk about?
Consider these questions as you think about the people you want to start a conversation with:
- Has their work or living situation changed in a significant way due to COVID-19?
- Do they have children struggling to understand what’s going on around them?
- Have they or someone in their life experienced the virus firsthand?
Your goal is not just to find an easy route to explaining what you believe about God. If you show genuine concern and empathy for whatever someone’s going through, you build a foundation of trust. As you pray, God can use that foundation to open up opportunities for you to talk about how your faith has helped you during the pandemic.
3. Will you call, text or video chat?
How do you usually prefer to connect with the people in your life? Would you rather have a phone call, send a text message or talk via a video call?
Lots of people are talking about having “Zoom fatigue” as a result of COVID-19. Many people have jobs involving lots of video meetings. Perhaps your preferred mode of communication has changed as a result of the pandemic.
God can open doors no matter the method of communication. But try to choose whichever means of communication the other person prefers. You want that person to feel as comfortable as possible so you can focus on the substance of your conversation.
Will you give your best gift away?
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5, NIV).
This Christmas I want to experience the gift of Jesus himself and the light he brings into my life. As I do this, I believe I’m better prepared to offer the gift of his life to people I’ll come in contact with. That’s a gift we could all use.
If we’re not careful, the word “gift” can cause more busyness and stress than joy and celebration.
This past Saturday morning I had a million things rushing through my mind. In the middle of feeling so distracted, a picture came to me. It was of a snow globe with flurries of snow in constant motion.
I was busy with all my good intentions of “doing advent,” and was paying attention to my list of gifts to buy and rooms to decorate. I needed to be still and let the flurries fall away so I could see clearly what to focus my heart and mind on.
I remembered that life comes from Jesus. God gave his only Son as the ultimate gift to humanity, to bring us into his family. He is my best gift and my truest treasure. He is what I most want to offer everyone I have a meaningful conversation with over Christmas.
My picture of a snow globe simply reminded me that if I want to give anyone the gift of knowing what it’s like to enjoy Jesus during the Christmas season, I need to take the time to enjoy him myself.
Give the gift of “Conversations”
As a reader of our content, have you ever thought about sending it to someone you want to encourage? If you find our articles and stories helpful, that person might too.
Our prayer is that the practical tips and encouragement in each email help you feel more confident in talking about God. We hope this empowers you to play your part in whatever God’s doing in the lives of your friends, family and co-workers.
Do you know anyone who would benefit from a gift that grows his or her confidence in talking about the gospel?
Simply click here to email “Conversations” to a friend or family member.
Help someone in your life feel safe enough to talk about God with you
How willing do you think people are these days to talk about spiritual things? In particular, I’m thinking about the people you know who would not call themselves Christians. Some people genuinely do not want to talk about this stuff, but I’m amazed by the number of people who really do.
My friend Charmaine Lillestrand works with the City Ministry of Cru. She helped lead in-depth research into how and when people want to talk about spiritual things.
Charmaine says, “Large numbers of people are ready and willing to have meaningful spiritual conversations about God. But these people need to be approached with sensitivity and empathy. We can do that if we take the time to think about what they need from us.”
What makes people ready for a gospel conversation?
Charmaine’s research suggests that when certain conditions are in place, a spiritually curious person is more open to having an honest conversation with a Christian about what he or she believes.
These five behaviors could help someone in your life feel safe enough to have that conversation with you.
1. Be fully present
Instead of looking to get your words out, pray as you listen for insight into the other person’s life. Follow the conversation rather than trying to drive or control it too strongly.
2. Find common ground
You probably have some things in common, so have fun discovering what you both like doing. Build a relational bridge that overcomes any spiritual distance between the two of you.
3. Walk in the other person’s shoes
Set out to understand the other person, including the hurts and joys he or she has experienced. How can God use you in that person’s story?
4. Talk like a real person
Try to imagine which words are foreign to someone you want to speak to. Even terms that feel core to explaining the gospel — like sin and judgment — might be foreign or carry a different meaning for the other person.
People feel stupid when they struggle to understand the words we use when talking about God. This is the last thing we want.
5. Create a better story
Most people understand there is a decision to be made surrounding Jesus. What they have yet to discover is whether following him is worth it. They need to hear why you believe it is.
So tell them what difference Jesus makes in your life today.
Far more people than we might think are ready and willing to talk with us about spiritual things if we can approach them in this way. This is not what many people expect from us as Christians, though. So we need to ask God to help us communicate in this way.
Find out more about the research we’ve referenced here by reading “How people really want to talk about Jesus.”
How do you share the story of your relationship with God?
A great way to show the power of the gospel to people in your life is by sharing how God brings you hope.
The apostle Peter encourages us, “If someone asks you about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (1 Peter 3:15).
Let’s talk about how to share from your own life how knowing God brings you hope. We’ll call this a God story.
Which of these two stories would be more compelling to a friend who struggles with anxiety?
Option 1:
“When I was 12 I went to a summer camp and had an awesome experience. I got baptized, and now I go to church most Sundays. Last Sunday the pastor preached about anxiety and it was really good. Do you want to come to church with me?”
Option 2:
“Last week I had a conflict with a co-worker that caused me a lot of anxiety. But at church on Sunday the pastor shared a Bible verse about how Jesus helps us carry our burdens. I realized I do not have to deal with my anxiety alone. I was able to resolve the issue at work because I knew Jesus was with me. Can I show you that Bible verse and hear what you think?”
While the first story was good in some ways, the second story would be more empathetic and compelling.
Let’s look at a few tips for sharing a compelling God story.
1. Remember Jesus is the hero
Ultimately your story is less about you and more about what God is doing in and through you.
You can make Jesus the hero of your story by answering three questions:
- What has Jesus done in your life? Try thinking of a time when God met a spiritual, physical, emotional or relational need for you.
- What was your life like before Jesus worked in this way? Think of some adjectives that describe that time in your life, like angry, lonely, hopeless or depressed.
- What has changed in your life since then? Again, try being descriptive with adjectives such as peaceful, abundant, joyful or restful.
You might have experienced God working through someone you know, like a pastor, mentor or friend.
It’s great to share how God worked through those people. But try keeping it centered on Jesus, not on another individual or organization.
2. Pick a specific topic or theme to frame your story
For example, the theme in our story was anxiety.
Choosing a time when you noticed Jesus work in a specific way will give your story and your conversation more focus.
3. End your story with a question
You’re inviting your friend to take a step toward Jesus or to reflect on his or her own life.
Here are two questions you could ask someone:
- How do your spiritual beliefs help you deal with _____?
- Could I show you what Jesus says about _____ and get your thoughts?
Sharing a personal story shows how the gospel changes your life.
With a little preparation and practice, you can always be ready to explain the hope you have in Jesus.
You never know how God could use a story from your life to open doors to deeper spiritual conversations.
Explore more GodTools Lessons
This content was adapted from one of the lessons we recently made available in the GodTools app.
Watch this video to find out how GodTools Lessons can help you have the conversation you’ve been praying for.
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