Practical Ways to Share the Gospel Without Being Pushy

You’ve just been asked to share the gospel message with someone. Does that thought cause you to break out in a cold sweat? Do you get nervous thinking that you might come across negatively? Or, maybe you think that you are not knowledgeable enough about the gospel message. Whatever it is that causes anxiety, know this. You CAN do it. You know everything you need to know to talk about Jesus, and with practice, your confidence level will rise, allowing you to accomplish that very thing that caused you stress.

So, let’s get you equipped to share the gospel message with friends and even strangers. Take your time reading this. Make notes in your bible if you need to, and let’s build up your confidence in doing the very thing that Jesus commands us to do.

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My First Experiences to Share the Gospel

I remember back in the ’90s, I was talking with a friend who casually mentioned an issue that she needed help with. Of course, I knew of the perfect Person to introduce her to, who could help her.

I invited her to have coffee, and while we were talking, the conversation turned to her struggle, and of course, I jumped at the opportunity to tell her about Jesus. He has all the answers and could help her, but somehow in my gospel message “presentation”, I couldn’t convince her to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

I felt like I had to talk about Jesus in such a way that I explained everything I knew about Him. Talk about overkill!

Yikes! I was like a bull in a china shop and made a mess of everything.

I remember watching Pat leave the restaurant, and at that point, I felt like a failure. What was I doing wrong? I couldn’t even tell her about Jesus and why she needed Him.

In those early days, I shared the gospel message a few times with other friends, and as far as I know, none of them accepted Christ.

After that, I became fearful of sharing the gospel message and hid behind my calling as a teacher of Christian Education. Though I taught children of all ages through to adults in the Sunday School or Kids Church setting, I can’t say that I led anyone to Christ. I hope I am surprised when I get to heaven.

I’ve learned a few things since then, and I am now ready to talk about Jesus with others. Would you like to know what I’ve learned? Maybe it will help you share the gospel with your family and friends and even with strangers.

How to Share the Gospel with Others

What comes to mind when you think of sharing the gospel? Do you think that you need to know the Bible inside out before you can talk about Jesus with anyone?

Well, that’s not the case. There are a few things you do need to know about the gospel message, and that’s what I’m here to help you with.

It’s Not About You

While talking about Jesus includes telling your story, it isn’t all about you.

It’s what Jesus has done for you and in you.

Don’t feel bad, but you’re not the hero of the story, Jesus is, so if you remember this, you’ll feel better with the outcome, whatever it may be.

Do you remember the parable about the sower and the seed in Matthew 13:1-23? Basically, it’s about planting seeds, watering seeds, nurturing the growth, and harvesting the bounty.

This relates to you in that you may be in any of those positions when you talk about Jesus with others. You may be the one planting the seed of faith in them.

You could be the one who is watering what someone else has already planted.

Or, you could nurture the tender growth of faith in that person’s life.

Or, maybe you’ll be the one to lead someone to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Everyone needs to hear about Jesus and eternal life with Him.

It’s not about you. It’s all about Him.

One more thing, it might even be that you’ll be the one to plant the seed as you talk about Jesus, and then lead that person to salvation in Jesus.

No matter what it is, the Holy Spirit will deal with the person. Knowing this should free you up from thinking that you have to ‘close the deal’ before you part ways with your friend or that stranger.

Be Yourself as You Share Your Testimony

You don’t need to be the “pastor” as you share the gospel. Just be yourself. Use the words that you normally use rather than use words that don’t sound like you. Be authentic.

To talk about Jesus with others means you need to know who Jesus is and what He has done for you. Basically, you tell others about your salvation story of how you met Jesus.

Your testimony is unique to you, and God will bring someone across your path who needs to hear what Jesus has done for you. So, without being a bull in a china shop, like I was, simply talk about Jesus. Just be you without second-guessing yourself. Don’t let the enemy give you doubts about your story. Simply share your gospel message.

What are some of the things Jesus has done for you that would encourage others?

Has He

• healed you, physically, emotionally, or mentally?
• provided you with employment or helped you work out a tough situation at work?
• prompted you to stay home when you were supposed to travel somewhere, and later you found out that there had been an accident on the route you were to take?
• helped you to sleep better or even help you to wake up earlier in the mornings?

All of these examples are evidence of what Jesus has done for you. Others need to know that Jesus cares about the details in your life, so naturally talk about Jesus.

You don’t need to embellish the story either. Simply tell it like it is/was and let the other person see how special life is with Jesus.

Know What the Gospel Is

Jesus said in Mark 16:15 just minutes before He ascended into heaven, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

How can you preach the gospel if you don’t know what it is? You may have an idea of what you know, but you may not be sure if that is the gospel message or not.

Oh, and “preach” the gospel is simply talking about Jesus and what He’s done for you.

To help you know for sure what the gospel is, let’s condense it to four key points:

1. His virgin birth
2. death
3. burial
4. resurrection

Learn these four points, and you’ll be able to share the gospel naturally. To have a better understanding of salvation, you should read this post, as it begins with a basic understanding of salvation.

You don’t need to memorize the contents of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You simply need to know why Jesus died on the cross, which includes the four elements of His death.

The Born Again Question

Jesus answered an important question posed by Nicodemus one night. It was about being born again when you are old. How is that possible? Jesus explained that it means being born of a spiritual birth rather than a physical birth. Being born again is another term for salvation.

Sharing the gospel in this way helps you remember the core point of the gospel. You must understand salvation so that you can share the gospel message with your friends and anyone else whom the Holy Spirit brings your way.

You may find that as you’re talking with someone, you may not even talk about His death on the cross. It may not even come up in conversation, and that’s okay.

What your friend needs to hear is what Jesus has done for you in your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to steer your conversation with them, and you can’t go wrong. Leave the results with Him.

Share the Gospel in a Natural Way

As I mentioned earlier, be authentic in your speech. Don’t use words that you don’t normally use. For example, don’t start using words like “propitiation” or “dispensationalism” if you don’t know what they mean.

In fact, these words can wait. They don’t need to be explained at this point, and it may be a long time yet before you ever explain those words. What you do need to say is simply what Jesus has done for you. I know, I’ve said that before, but it bears repeating.

As you talk about Jesus, the Holy Spirit will prompt you on what to say. Follow His leading and let Him do the rest. Say what needs to be said and let the Holy Spirit deal with your friend or that stranger. And afterwards, when you are alone, don’t second-guess yourself as to what you should and shouldn’t have said. Remember, the Holy Spirit led you to speak, so what you said is what He wanted you to say.

Not Everyone is Ready for the Gospel Message

There may be times that you sense the Holy Spirit is leading you to share the gospel or talk about Jesus, but something doesn’t seem right. You may have a check in your spirit not to say anything. The person’s manner or body language may be combative or filled with contempt for Christians. She could have a bee in her bonnet and be taking things out on you.

However, don’t take it personally because remember, it isn’t about you. It’s about Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will steer your conversation to plant seeds or to correct faulty teaching she may have. Or, at the very least, you may simply show kindness and love in action.

Let the Holy Spirit lead you and leave the results with Him.

Be Available to Share the Gospel

As I mentioned earlier in my story, I hid behind my calling as a teacher as I taught the Bible to children and adults. I am still teaching the Bible today, and I believe that this is a very important gift.

In the past 10+ years or so, I have taught both in local women’s groups as well as online virtual groups.

Through my teaching and blog posts, many women have come to understand their Bibles better. I’m thankful that God is using me in this way as an instrument of equipping women to understand what the Word teaches.

But now I’m at a point where I want to be used outside the walls of my home. I want to be where people are to be available to God.

I want to plant seeds or water the tender seedlings. It would be great to reap the harvest of seeds planted by another sister or brother.

Is this your desire, too?

You might find this post by Arabah Joy, called 20+ Simple Ways to Share the Gospel interesting.

Or, you might enjoy this short post about 3 Easy Ways to Share the Gospel.

Go Where the People Are to Share the Gospel

When we first moved across the country to this new city, I looked for God-given opportunities to share the gospel. He gave me many openings and I befriended several women as I showed Christ’s love to them.

I didn’t lead any of these women to Christ, and that’s okay because the outcome belongs to the Holy Spirit.

I made myself available and planted or watered seeds. Maybe I even nurtured the tender growth, and someone else will reap the harvest. I pray this is so!

I do know that there have been numerous times when God used me to talk about Jesus or help someone with their understanding of the Bible. Pointing others to the truth in God’s Word is always fruitful!

Share the Gospel by Planting A Seed

I remember one time, shortly after I was saved in 1981, that I wrote a letter to a male friend who was in jail.

I shared the gospel with him, and many years later, I heard his salvation testimony, which included my letter that he received. What a surprise to hear that, as I had no idea that the words I wrote would plant seeds in his heart for someone else to reap the harvest.

How awesome is that?! I had forgotten about planting seeds in him.

How many stories like this do you have? We’ll find out the extent of our efforts when we go home to heaven.

God wants you to be available to Him. Let Him use you, whether you share the gospel message or not. Sometimes we share the gospel with words, while other times it is love in action.

Maybe you’re meant to simply be there for someone as they share what’s bothering them.

Simply mirror Christ wherever you go. Be available as His instrument and let the Holy Spirit lead you.

A Tip to Help You Talk About Jesus

You may be a Christian since you were very young and wonder if you have a testimony to share. You may not have a story like a reformed addict or alcoholic, or even a story like someone who walked away from an abusive life. That’s okay.

Your story is comprised of the various things that Jesus has done for you. How he’s helped you work through sicknesses and injuries. Or maybe He helped you at your job as you dealt with unkind coworkers.

We all have stories to tell, and your story needs to be told. To help you with that, here’s a tip for you and a bit of homework, too.

1. Briefly describe your life before salvation. Don’t glory in the sin but acknowledge that you no longer live that life.
2. Make a list of things God has done for you, such as forgiveness of sins, healing(s), miracles, protection, leading you, victory in adversity, etc.
3. Share how your life has changed since you became born again.

You won’t share these stories in the same way each time, but having the various stories fresh in your mind will help you as you talk about Jesus to others.

To Summarize How We Can Share the Gospel Message

As we close this post about talking about Jesus with friends and strangers, let me encourage you to stay available to the Holy Spirit. Let Him lead people across your path who need to hear what you have to say. As you begin each day, pray for the Holy Spirit to help you be sensitive to His leading, then be obedient when He does.

To wrap up the main points,

• be available to the Holy Spirit as He brings others your way
• be authentic as you share your story of what Jesus has done for you
• know the gospel in five points: virgin birth, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension
• talk about Jesus naturally, in words you would normally use
• most importantly, go where the people are

If this is new to you, simply remember that it’s not about you but all about Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit look after the results of your conversations.

It might be that you spent time with someone sharing the gospel message, and you didn’t see results. Please don’t consider that a failure. Learn from it, but also let the Holy Spirit take care of the outcome.

Also, remember that it is important to show kindness and be authentic as you engage with others.

If you have already been sharing the gospel with others and have reaped harvests, would you mind sharing your stories?

If you have a moment, would you please leave a comment or even some helpful suggestions for sharing the gospel without being pushy? I’d love to hear from you!

In Him We Live,

~ Cindy ~

~ Related Posts to this Topic ~

• Understanding Salvation for New Believers
• 6 Vital Steps for New Believers
• Are You Sure Heaven is Your Eternal Destination?
• What Does Born Again Mean?