Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out by Scott Hildreth and Steven McKinion is a fantastic resource for anyone who really wants to learn how to share the gospel in a way that takes everyday conversations and turns them into gospel conversations. Evangelism can seem overwhelming if you are spending all of your time practicing a certain method and system that causes you to live in fear of missing a step or something like that. The joy of evangelism is found in learning how to truly listen to a person and ascertain their areas of need or struggle in order to point them to the hope that they can have in Christ. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a great tool in shaping intentional gospel conversations moving forward.
I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…
- We are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20
- Principle #1: You have all you need to begin sharing Jesus with other people right now. P. 3
- Evangelism is an overflow of the Christian life. P. 6
- You are part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9
- Evangelism is storytelling, and every Christian has a story. P. 9
- Evangelism is relationship, and every Christian has relationships. P. 11
- Each of your current and future relationships exists as a ready, natural, ongoing conduit for the gospel. P. 12
- Christian evangelism can always be enhanced, of course, by churches putting on big events or launching big programs, inviting the whole community to attend. But nothing will ever be more effective—more natural—than ordinary, everyday Christians building genuine, lasting, individual friendships through which others can both see and hear the gospel. P. 16
- I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
- Principle #2: You don’t have to prove the claims of Christianity, just present them clearly.
- Evangelism is not about winning an argument. P. 21
- The Gospel as Story
- CREATION | God created the entire universe and everything in it.
- PROVISION | God made the earth habitable for human beings, then made Adam and Eve and put them in a garden where he provided everything they needed for life.
- FALL | Adam and Eve sinned and had to leave the garden to live in the wilderness.
- PROMISE | God promised a Son who would make a way for them to return to the garden and have eternal life. P. 34
- Evangelism is retelling THE story—the grand story of the Bible—in which God created a place, created a people, and created a means fo those people to enjoy him forever, even after we separated ourselves from him and found the world and our lives in such a mess. P. 35
- Sharing Jesus means immersing yourself in THAT story—the story of the Bible—participating in that story and then retelling it to other people in a way that demonstrates how they, too, might participate in it. P. 35
- Conversion, of course, is a spiritual work that God alone is able to accomplish. Converting others is not your job. P. 35
- He reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshipped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Acts 17:17
- Principle #3: Gospel conversations are better for everyone.
- Relationships are built on conversations, not pronouncements. P. 39
- People can tell if you CARE about them. P. 49
- People can tell if you BELIEVE what you are talking about. P. 50
- People can tell if you PRACTICE what you believe. P. 50
- I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22
- Principle #4: Every context is an opportunity to share the joy of the gospel with others.
- Evangelism is learning to get both parties in the same place, understanding language about the gospel in the same way, so that true communication can happen. P. 54
- Context helps you know where to start in communicating so that you’re sharing in a language that squares with the other person’s experience. P. 55
- Even if the culture we’ve described here is in keeping with the type of community you knew growing up, chances are good you’re reading this book today in a place where that world no longer exists—a place more akin to the Athens of Acts 17 than the Jerusalem of Acts 2. You’re likely to live in a setting where your coworkers, friends, and neighbors form the majority of their core interpretations on life from a different starting place than the Bible. P. 57
- We live in full view of people who are not yet Christians. And an honorable life reflects the gospel of Jesus Christ. It allows unbelievers the opportunity to see God’s grace in action as he gives strength and beauty to those of us who by nature are weak and unlovely. If we say that God has brought us out of darkness but we refuse to live as people enlightened, what do our lives say about God’s power to save and transform? P. 65
- Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:4
- Principle #5: The issues people face are open doors to connect the gospel to them.
- Listen to the stories of others. P. 73
- Ask questions and listen for the answers. P. 74
- Give genuine encouragement. P. 76
- Speak to the heart as well as the mind. P. 77
- Remember that the real person lives below the surface. P. 78
- This is why we constantly thank God, because When you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God. 1 Thessalonians 2:13
- Principle #6: People are already interested in what is best for them; the gospel is best for all people. P. 83
- Here are four reasons the person you are witnessing to has not yet become a Christian. As you share with that person, you will want to recognize why they have not received the message. P. 95
- Hostility
- Suffering
- Refusal
- Apathy
- In his book, Fools Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion, Os Guinness writes, “Our age is quite simply the greatest opportunity for Christian witness since the time of Jesus and the apostles, and our response should be to seize the opportunity with bold and imaginative enterprise.” P. 98
- You might not have all the answers, but you can be like the man in John 9 who said, “One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!” (V. 25) p. 99
- Here are four reasons the person you are witnessing to has not yet become a Christian. As you share with that person, you will want to recognize why they have not received the message. P. 95
- In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience. 1 Peter 3:15-16
- Principle #7: Gospel conversations must be grounded in relationships, both with Jesus and with others.
- Evangelism takes the long view on relationships. P. 116
- We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8
- Principle #8: A Jesus-sharing lifestyle starts with a plan to share Jesus as a part of everyday living.
- When you discover something that’s of life-changing importance to you, you’ll start developing the habits that put you in positive to achieve it. P. 120
- We encourage you to pray for at least four things everyday.
- Pray for boldness. “Boldness in evangelism is simply going one step beyond your comfort zone.” Preston Nix, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Professor of Evangelism
- Pray for power
- Pray for partners
- Pray for people
- open their eyes to spiritual things (2 Corinthians 4:4)
- give them ears to hear (Matthew 13:15), faith to believe (Acts 20:21), and the will to respond to the gospel (Romans 10:9)
- send a faithful witness into their lives (Luke 10:2)
- help you build genuine relationships with unbelievers (1 Corinthians 9:22-23) p. 129