Introduction:

Chances are you have already experienced sharing your faith. A paraphrase of a Bible study produced by the ELCA has an important reminder. It says that every Christian has already experienced someone sharing the Gospel. Faith does not simply spring up from inside on its own. Faith is created by the Spirit when someone – or maybe many someone(s) - shared the Word with us. Faith sharing goes on in congregations, in homes, in regular conversations, at local gathering places, with our neighbors and at work. Whenever we tell the story – tell our story as it is connected to God’s story we are sharing our faith. We are also creating an opportunity for the Spirit to create and strengthen our faith and the faith of those with whom we talk. So, chances are that you have already shared your faith sometime in someplace. Or, you have heard someone share their faith.

On the other hand, you might be one of many Christians who are afraid of sharing your faith or simply apathetic about it. You might buy into the old adage, “don’t talk about religion or politics”. You might believe that there is a right and wrong way to share your faith. You might believe that you don’t know enough to share your faith. Finally, you might tell yourself that sharing the faith is for evangelists and/or fanatics. You might believe that faith is a personal thing and everyone has their own spin on it so it doesn’t do any good to share it with someone else.

Faith Sharing – A Process of Spiritual Growth.

1. Take some time to do a map or timeline of the recent years in your life. Note both the good times and the bad, the significant events, memorable times, significant relationships, and changes.
2. Reflect on how you perceive that God was present in the events of your time line.
3. In your eyes did anyone in your life demonstrate or reflect the love of God to you?
4. How do you see God at work today?

1. Who are the people you regularly interact with?
2. What are your conversations normally about?
3. Do you know the concerns or any of your friends or have you had occasion to talk about their values or beliefs.
4. What’s on your friend’s mind?
5. How do your friend’s concerns/issues/stories intersect with yours? Where are you on the same page with them? What do you have in common?

1. What is your favorite Bible story?
2. What do you know about the life of Jesus?
3. What do you recall of the stories of any of the key people in the Bible?

1. How do you describe God? (creator, lover, father, spirit, redeemer, mother, etc.)
2. What do you know about Jesus Christ and what does Jesus do for you?
3. How would you describe Jesus? (forgiver, healer, teacher, savior, Lord etc.)
4. What do you know about God the Holy Spirit?
5. How would you describe the Holy Spirit? (comforter, advocate, living power of God, breath of God etc.)