How to Share Your Story

Written by Bob Schindler, Executive Director of CEDE Partners – an Initiative of CEDE Sports

“Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.” Psalm 66:16

The beginning of the Psalm starts out with the author praising God for all He has done through history for the Israelites but then in verse 16, the focus turns to what God has done in their individual life.  The chapter is more about worshipping God than anything else but when I read verse 16, I thought of evangelism.

How many times have you heard from someone (or even thought this yourself) something like this: “I don’t know how to witness to people.  I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

Start with You

Well, I know a good place to start.  Start with you!  Start with how God has moved in your life.  If you don’t have much experience sharing your story, let me offer this framework: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation.

Often times this framework is used to share God’s story, the Gospel, however it works as a great formula to share your story too.

Creation: Start with your background and your family and then segue to your spiritual beliefs (before Christ).

Fall: Discuss the flawed ways you lived life and the dissatisfaction and emptiness it brought you.

Redemption: Tell of how you encountered Jesus and how He has reoriented your life.  Talk about the things you struggled with and how the Gospel has changed you.  In other words, discuss the old and compare it to the new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Consummation: Beyond the here-and-now-hope that Christ brings, discuss the future hope for you personally.  Tell of how all of the brokenness will be fixed and everything will be made new.

You see, everyone has a Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consummation story.  If you’re following Christ, He has done great things for you (even if it has been through pain and suffering).  Look for ways to share it and look for people who are willing to listen.