On this page you will find some of the tools that I, Cody, use when the Lord gives me an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone. You may be able to find other sources that suit you better. There's definitely better Gospel sharing people out there. But all that I have is available for you. So, please, look through, memorize, and use however the Lord leads you.
Cody's Standard Gospel Presentation
When I share the Gospel, I typically explain how a person must choose to accept "3" things as reality:
1) That Jesus is truly God's Son
2) That Jesus really did die on a cross to save us from our sins;
3) And He did this because of how much He loves His Father and Us.
Chair Illustration for Accepting Reality
"When you sat in your chair today, did you test to see if the chair was strong or sturdy? Did you carefully inspect the chair to see if there was any weakness? Probably not. More than likely, you gave the chair a quick look and sat down. But in that moment, you made a choice to believe a certain reality. In a split second, you chose to believe that the chair would support you. Therefore, you sat down. Choosing to believe in Jesus is much like this. We choose to believe the Bible is true - everything in it. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead on the third day. After choosing to believe these things as "real," you live your life as if they are. Much like you sat in the chair."
Illustration about Obedience
Imagine one day, you come home, and your parents hand you the keys to a brand-new car. Not just any car, your dream car! Your dad says, “I just want you to know, we bought this for you because we love you so much.” Imagine how excited you would be. But then your dad says, “Now I want to go with you on your first drive, but first I have to go clean up the trash in the back yard. Some dogs got in our can and strung it across our yard.” What would you do? Hopefully, you would tell your dad, “No, no! Let me go clean the back yard!”
Why would you do that? Not to get a new car from your parents. They already gave it to you. You would go clean up the yard because of how thankful you are at what they did for you.
This is like our obedience to God.
Personal Testimony
Some things to remember:
• Be joyful. - Don’t lie or embellish. - Faith comes from hearing the scriptures (Romans 10:17), so include a couple of key verses, especially ones instrumental in your salvation. Avoid terms that confuse people, such as “redeemed,” “saved,” “righteousness,” etc. For instance, if you tell someone that you “felt convicted,” they might ask you if you’ve been to prison before.
• If you aren’t sure as to the exact moment you came to faith, simply talk about a time when you may have come to Christ. You may get a chance to explain a later time when you were certain God had changed your life.
• Keep it current. If you talk only about a decision made in the past, you will fail to represent the work of Jesus in the believer’s daily life.
Your Background (less than 1 minute)
- You can talk about a number of things here such as what your family life was like, what you used to think about God before salvation, etc. You just need enough background information to communicate who you were or are.
- If you came to Christ at a young age, you may have trouble with thinking of what to communicate here, especially if you can’t ever remember not being a Christian. If this is your case, simply communicate how you grew up, your family, etc.
Salvation Experience (1-2 Minutes)
- A few things need to be shared here for a person to choose to believe:
- Sin separates us from God and makes us guilty before Him (Isaiah 59:2; Rom. 3:23);
- Jesus is God’s Son (John 3:16)
- Jesus died on the Cross to save us from our sins (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8)
- Jesus died for us because He loves us (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8)
- Therefore, choose to believe that He is God’s Son and choose to obey from this day forward (Rom. 10:9).
Life with Christ (1 Minute or Less)
- Briefly explain how your life has been different since salvation and/or simply explain the hope that you have in Christ.
- When you are done, bring the subject of salvation back to your listener. You could ask them, “Has anything like that ever happened to you?” If they say, “No,” you can say, “Would you like it to?” Regardless of what you say, it is crucial that you get them to think about their need for Christ.
Transitioning Conversation to the Gospel
Here’s a link if you would like to purchase the book.
Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations by Jimmy and Steve Wright
Here’s a Youtube video from one of the authors summarizing info from the book.
The Romans Road
Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s standard.
But God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us.
The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your hear that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved!
Everybody who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
A Model of Salvation Prayer
This is a model not a script. A salvation prayer may have these elements in it. This prayer is not the way someone is saved (i.e. say this and you're good). My hope is that you will be able to TEACH someone how to pray to God, and accept His free gift of eternal life.
Acts 26:20 – “Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should REPENT, and TURN TO GOD, and DO WORKS WORTHY OF REPENTANCE.”
Element #1 – “REPENT” – TURN AWAY from Self, the World, and the Enemy – Admission of & Repentance from Sin –
- Ex: Lord, I am a sinner. I have sinned against you by___________. Please forgive me. Protect me from the temptation to return to these sins.
Element #2 – “TURN TO GOD” – TURN TO God by Believing that Jesus is God’s Son – Believe that Jesus is God’s Son, who Died on the Cross to save you from your sins, Because He Loves You.
- Ex: Lord, I choose to believe that you are the true God and that you sent your Son, Jesus, to save me from my sins because You love me.
Element #3 – “DO WORKS WORTHY OF REPENTANCE” – OBEY THE LORD by Reading His Word and doing what it says – Submitting to His Lordship by Obedience
- Ex: Lord, I submit myself under your Lordship for You to do with me as You will and to lead me where You want to go and do. Guide me by Your Spirit, Lord, and teach me Your truths.
Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”