witness

Sharing Your Grace Story

Alvin Cheng D-Groups , , , ,

As part of the MyCircle Training we experienced on Sunday, we were encouraged to do three things related to unbelievers in our lives: pray daily, engage weekly, and share monthly. One of the tools provided to help us share monthly was to write out our grace story. This consists of two parts: sharing our salvation story and sharing our ongoing story. 

Our salvation story is usually known as our personal testimony. However, when we share our personal testimony, we often only talk about our salvation story, and we forget to include God’s ongoing work in our life. When this was taught to us on Sunday, it was so evident to me that most unbelievers that I’ve engaged with aren’t always interested in how I came to Christ but instead interested in how Christ is working in my life today. Yet, it is the part that I often leave out! 

Scripture lays it out for us in 1 Peter 2:11-12: “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” Peter urged the exiled Christians to pattern their lives according to the salvation that they have received and for God to receive the glory. This was in the hopes that when they were questioned about their conduct, they could reflect it back to their salvation in Christ, the One who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light! And now, we are asked to do the same, to share our Christ-transformed life with unbelievers.

Elliot Clark in his book Evangelism as Exiles puts it this way:

We know the gospel has many powerful effects on our lives: deliverance from sin, communion with the saints, an eternal inheritance. But another critical and sometimes forgotten outcome of our conversion – and part of the message we proclaim – is that we’ve been transferred out of darkness and into God’s glorious light. As such, an integral part of our evangelism is the visible demonstration of our new nature as those walking in the light. Gospel declaration is linked to life transformation (emphasis mine).

So, Church, as we begin to write out our grace story, remember to include the ongoing work that Christ is doing in our lives. The MyCircle Training workbook provided some questions to help us with this part: Why do you follow Jesus today? How is He continuing to refine your life? How does the hope of eternal life bring you rest? How does Christ and His Word impact your worldview? How have you seen God move in your life these last few months? Why is being a part of Christ-centered community important to you?

A Christ-transformed life helps declare a Christ-centered gospel!  Happy writing!

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Live Dangerously & Witness Deliberately

Matt Otto D-Groups , , ,

One of my favorite genres to read when I need a pick-me-up or simply a kick in the pants is biographies. These accounts of men and women’s lives are filled with demonstrations of great wisdom, perseverance, and valor! A few years ago I received a short biography of Alexander the Great. The biography reminded me of an illustration I heard many years ago when I was first learning how to more effectively share my faith with others. Whether historically accurate or not, the event described certainly fits with Alexander the Great’s character.

The late D. James Kennedy shares the account in the following manner:

One day, Alexander held court in Nebuchadnezzar’s great palace in Babylon. He sat upon the great golden throne, pronouncing sentences for the crimes charged to his soldiers. The sergeant-at-arms brought in one soldier after another and read their crimes. No one could deliver them from Alexander’s severe judgments.

Finally, the sergeant-at-arms brought in a young Macedonian soldier and read aloud his crime: fleeing in the face of the enemy. This cowardice Alexander could not tolerate. But as he looked on this young soldier, Alexander’s countenance changed from stern to soft. Smiling, he said to the lad, “Son, what is your name?” The boy said softly, “Alexander.” The smile left the king’s face. He said, “What did you say?” The young man snapped to attention. “Alexander, sir.” The king turned crimson and shouted, “WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” The boy began to stammer and said, “Al . . . Alex . . . Alexander, sir.” The king burst out of his chair, grabbed the young man by the tunic, stared him in the face, then threw him on the ground and said, “Soldier, change your conduct or change your name!”

If you are a follower of Jesus, you have been given a name that carries royal undertones: Christian. Your life and mine must be lived in a manner worthy of that name. It should be consistent, courageous, and complete in its witness. As Christians, we have been called to obey the Lord by living dangerously and witnessing deliberately. The early church, as described in the beginning chapters of Acts, understood this unflinchingly and lived it fearlessly. The Gospel of Jesus Christ so gripped each believer that nothing caused them to shrink from proclaiming the good news to the captive and the lost.

This is a serious commission! One that requires the surrender or, as Jesus put it, death of ourselves. As He very clearly told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Lk 9:23-24).

When it comes to our witness, let us not cower or remain silent, but let us stand firm in the Lord’s name, living up to our calling as Christians – disciples who know the value of the Gospel and treasure its Provider! And then, let us proclaim it boldly!

Acts 5:29-32 (ESV) – “Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.’”

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We’ll Leave the Light On!

Matt Otto D-Groups , ,

One of my favorite commercials used to be the Motel6 advertisements on the radio. As to why, is hard to say. Maybe it was the relatable reflections combined with their musical simplicity. Maybe it was the witty lines, delivered by the friendly voice of Tom Bodett tinged with the sound of southern hospitality. Who knows. Regardless, almost every one of the adverts ended with the memorable tag-line “We’ll leave the light on for you.” There is something incredibly reassuring to know that no matter the time or circumstances, the light is on!

In the Bible, the memorable voice was that of John the Baptist, who proclaimed the arrival of the long-awaited Light. When the priests and Levites asked him about his identity and purpose, John responded with the following words: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (Jn 1:23). Interesting response, right? It is more than a humble confession, but a shifting of focus from the herald to the King of Glory. Furthermore, it is a challenge to John’s hearers to remove the barriers and the hindrances in the wilderness of their hearts and level them for Jesus’ entry. At the epicenter of the Baptist’s witness was a straightforward and lasting message: repent and believe (Matt 3:2; Jn 1:7;).

The appeal hasn’t changed for contemporary heralds of the Good News. We too are to proclaim the wonderful coming of Jesus. The message declared by John the Baptist and confirmed by Jesus Himself (Mk 1:15) is now ours to share. Jesus told his disciples that “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (Jn 20:21). We are witnesses to His power that changes the lives of those who are penitent and simply believe. The Light has come and is powerful to perfectly transform our dark hearts and bring new life.

Is this true of you? Has the Light entered in? If so, are you walking in the light? Is your light shining? As the little children’s song asks, “Hide it under a bushel?” Our clear and unequivocal answer must be a resounding, “No!” This Christmas, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:19).

John 1:6-8 (ESV) – “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.”

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