HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 357
page A355
blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a
sinner.” “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind,
and now I can see!”
A straightforward description of your personal encounter with Jesus is a powerful testimony.
How will God help me be a witness to my faith?
• MA R K 1 :1 7 | “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
Sharing your faith is a natural expression of your relationship with Jesus. When you pray
for sensitivity to know what to say, God promises to lead you to those he has made ready
to hear his Good News.
• A C T S 1 :8 | “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will
be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit will empower you and help you to speak.
• 1 T H E S S A L O NI A NS 1 :5 | For when we brought you the Good News . . . the Holy Spirit gave
you full assurance that what we said was true.
Go ahead and speak, and the Holy Spirit will do the work in people’s hearts and minds.
• 1 T H E S S A L O NI A NS 2 :4 | Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the
motives of our hearts.
What if I find it difficult to share my faith?
• MAT T H E W 1 8 :1 4 | “It is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones
should perish.”
Our commitment to witnessing begins by understanding that lost people matter to God.
• J O H N 7 :1 3 | But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public.
Even those who knew Jesus best struggled with a hesitancy to witness.
• L U K E 1 2 :8 | “I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth,
the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.”
• DA NI E L 1 2 :3 | “Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.”
God will honor those who honor him by proclaiming the Good News of what he has done.
There is no greater purpose in life than sharing the message that could make the eternal
difference in someone’s life.
• 2 T I MOT H Y 1 :7 -8 | For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power,
love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be
ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you,
be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.
When the enemy tries to intimidate you with lies about your inadequacies, you can summon that same power God used to transform your life to boldly share your faith.
Isn’t witnessing a job for trained people—like pastors and missionaries?
• J O H N 9 :2 5 | “I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” (See note on page 964.)
Every follower of Christ has the privilege and responsibility of bearing witness to Jesus.
• 2 C O R I NT H I A NS 5 :2 0 | We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.
Every believer is an ambassador of Christ to a nonbelieving world.
What should my witnessing include?
• E X O DU S 1 8 :8 | Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and
Egypt on behalf of Israel . . . and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles.
HelpFinder
You are not alone when you witness. God is there to give you the words and the strength
to proclaim the message.
W
Focus on pleasing God rather than on pleasing people.
• A C T S 1 8 :9 -1 0 | One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid!
Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you.”