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One of the most powerful tools in leading someone to Christ is your own story of how by God’s grace you came to personally know Jesus. Paul shared his story when he appeared before King Agrippa. Read Acts 26:1-29, then answer the following questions:
How did Paul begin his story? (verses 2-3)
What characterizes his background? (verses 4-5, 9-11)
(Note: blaspheme means to speak evil or contemptuously of God or sacred things.)
What reversed the direction of Paul’s life? (verses 12-15)
How did Paul explain the gospel? (verse 23)
What did Paul ask Agrippa? Why is this question important? (verse 27)
As was often his style, Paul began sharing the gospel by explaining how he had personally come into a relationship with Christ. Then he shifted into sharing the message (verses 19-23). God doesn’t need you to argue his case, but simply to tell others what He has done for you – how your life has been changed.
Every believer has a grace story. Some may be more dramatic than others. Such was the case with Paul, formerly the notorious Saul of Tarsus, who was an aggressive persecutor of Christians. Regardless of how incredible your story may seem, God can use your story of coming to believe to draw others to believe in Jesus.
In sharing your “grace story”:
- Make it personal – don’t preach. Tell what Christ has done for you. Use “I,” “me,” and “my” – not “you.”
- Make it short. Three or four minutes should be enough time to cover the essential facts.
- Keep Christ central. Always highlight what He has done for you.
- Use the Word of God. A meaningful verse from the Bible that convicted you personally will add power to your story. Remember the Word of God has a keen cutting edge.
Sharing your personal story will help you find common ground with a non-believer. You can tell him or her of your former life and attitude before coming to Christ, and then explain the changes that came afterward. God often uses personal stories to lead people to faith. In Paul’s story of how he surrendered his life to Christ, he included the following:
- What life was like before he believed
- How he came to believe
- How Christ changed his life
Take a moment to think about how you came to believe in Christ and the changes that have taken place in your life now that you are a Christian. Using these points, write out your own story just the way you would share it with a friend. Make the story clear enough that the person hearing it would know how to surrender their life to Christ.
