How Do I Share My Faith?

Session 4: How Do I Share My Faith?

ICE BREAKER Leader: This ice breaker is a game you might have seen on late-night talk shows or on social media called “What’s in the box?” In this game, a person must stick their hand into a box and figure out what is in it only by touch. No peeking! You will need to have 3–5 different items. They can be simple items: a lemon, a plush toy, or an unusual trinket you keep on your shelf. You can alternatively prepare some items like a bowl of cold spaghetti, for example. The goal is for each of the items to have a unique texture. To start, pick a person to be your guesser and take them out of the room. Show the rest of your group the item, and then place a box upside down on top of the object. Make sure the guesser cannot see what the mystery object is (you can also use a blindfold to cover his or her eyes). The guesser can either reach under the box or through a hole cut in the side of the box to feel the object. The guesser must then try and guess what it is. Note: You can have members of the group bring items to put in the box, but make sure none of the items are potentially harmful. After the items have all been guessed, have everyone sit down and start the session. For those of you who were guessers, what was it like to put your hand in the box? Were you nervous or scared? Why or why not? It’s normal to be afraid of the unknown. You probably knew none of the things in the box would hurt you, but there might have been a nagging question in the back of your mind: “But what if…?” When we start to think about what might happen, our imaginations can run wild, often to worst-case scenarios. Evangelism can be nerve-wracking for Christians. We know it is good to share our faith and that people need Jesus. But we never know how people will react to us when we start talking about Jesus. What if they get angry? What if they reject us? What if I mess up and say the wrong thing? Evangelism is like the box—it scares us. But we shouldn’t be afraid of the “what ifs.” Instead, we should be confident in God in every situation. In the final session of this study, Marquise will show us how to overcome our fears and share our faith, and he’ll help us learn how to talk to and build friendships with people who disagree with us.

VIEW Show Session 4: How Do I Share My Faith? (13 minutes).

REVIEW Leader: In the video, we heard from students who struggle with how to balance truth and love. A lot of your students probably relate to the challenges, questions, and doubts they shared. Give space for your students to share their questions and experiences when appropriate. Often, sharing a doubt or frustration is the first step to finding a path forward. In the video, Marquise talked about the reasons we should share our faith. Why do you think we should tell people about Jesus? How do you normally talk about Jesus to people who don’t know him? Sharing the gospel with someone can be scary. What are some of the reasons we might not share the gospel with someone? We all want to be accepted, and it is hurtful when we are rejected for sharing something that we care about. What are you afraid people might do or say if they reject Jesus? We often think too much about the bad things that might happen when we share our faith. What are some of the good things that could happen if we share our faith? What is the best-case scenario of telling someone about Jesus? It may be that people will not immediately accept or reject the gospel when we tell them about it. They may want to think about it or have some questions for you. What do you think we should do if someone wants to think about the gospel? What would it look like to be a faithful friend to someone who has heard about Jesus but hasn’t made the decision to follow him? Marquise spent the second half of this session teaching us how to interact with people who disagree with us. This includes people who have rejected the gospel. But no matter why they disagree with us, we should follow Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” What is the normal way people in your school treat the people they disagree with? Hw is this different than the way Christians should treat people we don’t agree with? Why do you think some people disagree with Christians? Do you think it is possible to live at peace with people you disagree with? Why or why not? Marquise gave us three ways to live at peace with people we disagree with. The first is to offer them Jesus, not a fight. What makes it easy to argue with someone with whom you disagree? What do you think it looks like to talk about Jesus without picking a fight? How might you respond to someone who wants to argue with you about Jesus? The second way to make peace with people who disagree with you is to live out your faith in an open and obvious way. Marquise encouraged us not to censor our faith. We shouldn’t change who we are depending on if we are around Christians or non-Christians. Why do you think we tend to censor our faith around people we don’t go to church with? People should not only hear you talking about Jesus but also see you living for him. What are some ways you can openly live for Jesus at your school, on your team, or in your neighborhood? The third piece of advice Marquise gave us was to focus on Jesus. When the conversation starts to turn to politics or side issues, we can refocus the conversation on Jesus and what he did for us. In what ways can spiritual conversations get off track and focus on things other than Jesus? What could you say to refocus the conversation on Jesus? It is easy to be dragged into an argument about Jesus. It is easy to reject people we disagree with by never speaking to them or by being unkind. But, as Christians, God calls us to be gentle, respectful, and eager to befriend people who disagree with us. Living for Jesus is as simple as being kind to the people around you.

BIBLE JOURNEY Instead of being afraid to evangelize, we should stand confidently on the truth of God’s Word. Can someone read 2 Timothy 1:7–8 for the group? Verse 7 starts by calling out our “spirit of fear.” What do you think it means to have a spirit of fear? How might a spirit of fear affect our Christian lives? Thankfully, God didn’t give us a spirit of fear. What are the three qualities of the Spirit God gave to us? Instead of being controlled by fear, we should live confidently, loving others and controlling ourselves. It is better to love the people around us than it is to live in fear of their rejection. What does love have to do with evangelism? Why is sharing Jesus the most loving thing we can do for another person? Unlike a spirit of fear, God’s Spirit should lead us to self-control. Why do you think it is important to have self-control while talking to people you disagree with? What are some ways we might let our emotions get the best of us while defending our faith? In what ways do we sacrifice love when we lose control and start to fight with people about Jesus? Verse 8 reminds us to not be ashamed of Jesus and then shares a difficult truth: we will have to accept some amount of suffering for claiming Christ. What kind of suffering might we experience when we share the gospel? Do you think evangelism is worth the risk of suffering? Why or why not? In what ways might we be tempted to sacrifice truth to avoid suffering? In the first session of this study, we looked at what happens when we choose to keep quiet about Jesus to avoid uncomfortable situations. But remember, we don’t have to choose between truth and love. We cannot control the way people react to Jesus, but we can be confident in the truth of God’s Word. Instead of focusing on the bad things that might happen if you share the gospel, think about what God could do through your evangelism. Who could you share Jesus with this week? What are three good things that could happen if you share your faith with them?

LAST WORD We do not have to choose between loving people or sharing the truth with them. God calls us to do both. He has given us the mission of sharing the good news of Jesus with people who do not know him and has given us a Spirit of power, love, and self-control. Despite our fears, we should openly live out our faith and help others meet God. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies . . .” The people we disagree with aren’t enemies to be defeated, but people made and loved by God. Evangelism is a chance to introduce them to the hope you have in Jesus. Leader: End your time by having your students write down the names of three people they know who do not know Jesus. Give them space to pray for those people and encourage them to continue praying for them throughout the week. Now that you have prayed for these people, commit to telling them about Jesus. Don’t just hope that they will figure it out on their own—help answer their questions. Let’s pray that God would give us the courage and the words to say when we tell them about everything his Son has done for them!