How Do I Start Sharing the Gospel in This New Year?

A pastor shared this with me, and I’m wondering if you feel the same way. He knows the gospel well. But he finds that the hardest part of sharing the good news of Christ is getting started. Many of us feel this way, don’t we? But what if we are making a false assumption that is stopping us in our tracks?

Here’s the assumption: you must begin sharing the gospel by talking about evil. You make a new acquaintance or run into an old friend. Your conscience whispers, “I need to share the gospel.” So, some way or other, you must turn the conversation to sin, sinners or sin’s consequences. So, you blurt out, “Do you know that all have sinned…?” or “There is none righteous, no not one” or ask, “If you died right now, are you sure you would go to Heaven?”

Most of us who read these lines will cringe when we think of starting a gospel conversation that way. Why? There is a better, more natural way to start sharing the good news of Christ; it’s in the Scriptures and it still works today. Instead of starting your gospel conversations with sin, why not start with the glory of God?

Think of it this way: how can someone understand “All have sinned” without understanding what follows: “and come short of the glory of God?” (Romans 3:23). So, what if we could start our gospel conversations with the glory of God? Those who are familiar with the Bible know that when the prophet Isaiah saw the glory of the Holy God, he said, “I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5).

Start with the Glory of God

Now here is the most exciting part of this post: Anything you are legitimately interested is your way of starting a gospel conversation! I have watched believers light up when they see the potential. They have told me how they can start glorifying God in gospel conversations by talking about woodpeckers, trees, flowers, math, geometry, language, taste buds, mantis shrimp, slime mold, structural materials, giraffes, building black powder rifles (!) and combustion engines. Here is how you could join in the conversation using what you already know.

Here is a memorable outline you could use to keep your gospel conversations on track:

G – The Glory of God

R – The Rebellion of Mankind

A – The Awful Penalty for Man’s Rebellion

C – Christ Paid the Penalty for Man’s Rebellion

E – Embrace Christ by Faith Today

“G” – The Glory of God. Why does glorifying God work so well to start a gospel conversation? God delights in a believer who glorifies Him. Believers are commanded to give God glory, and doing so corresponds to the message of creation. For instance, in Psalm 96:7 and 97:6, “Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. . .The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory.” Obey the Lord by giving Him glory and you will find Him to be your powerful ally. You will find that praising God in such a positive way brings the fear of God into the conversation and leads naturally to a discussion of sin.

Passing thought: Especially considering the assassination of Charlie Kirk, many believers are asking how they could share the gospel the way Charlie did. To help you do this, I recommend that you memorize this G.R.A.C.E. outline and then watch for ways to apply it to everything you see around you. This will help you carry through on 1 Peter 3:15 and share your Biblical worldview to those around you.

Anything you are legitimately interested in is your way of starting a gospel conversation!

Where do we go next? Back to the G.R.A.C.E. outline.

“R” is for rebellion: man’s rebellion against God. It’s in the news constantly: murder, theft, substance abuse, fraud, lying, etc. The people around you are already talking about this evil. Keep your eye on G.R.A.C.E. and join in the conversations. Take them back to God’s glory to show how serious that rebellion against God really is.

“A” – the Awful Penalty for the rebellion of mankind. Mankind is in bondage to the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). Read about it in the news each day and get ready to hold gospel conversations. Disasters, disease, daily heartaches, alienation and the second death are all starting points for your next G.R.A.C.E. conversations.

“C” – Christ paid the penalty for the rebellion of mankind! “… while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The gospel of Christ the Savior is the corrective. He alone can turn sinners and whole societies away from rebellion to humble repentance. The next time the conversation turns to the need for a return to right thinking and behavior, be ready to talk about the risen Christ and how His gospel grace made the difference in your life.

“E” – Embrace Christ by faith today and forevermore (2 Corinthians 6:2). When the talk turns to a general need for faith, that is another opportunity to share the gospel. Why do people need to place their faith in Christ? It’s because they can’t get real help on their own terms. When people see the glory of God and understand that Christ alone is the answer for man’s rebellion and its awful penalty, the next step is clear: it’s time to embrace the Christ who loves us and washes repentant sinners from their sin in His own blood (Revelation 1:5).

G.R.A.C.E. is an outline that could help you start your gospel conversations. Get ready. These next few months could be your best year ever!

To illustrate this G.R.A.C.E. approach with a gospel presentation, I have written the book, “TRUST. What religions don’t tell you but God wants you to know.” It is available as a paperback, e-book and audiobook online and wherever books are sold.

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After a lengthy pastoral ministry, Gordon Dickson now serves as a writer and conference speaker. You can contact him at LiveServeLead.