Global Outreach Day

 (Photo by Roxsand LeCroy)

 

 So you've made a cake to take to your neighbor, and now you are struggling to know what to say to them when you deliver it. Sharing your faith can be hard, especially in the emotionally charged culture we live in today. But sharing your faith doesn’t have to be something that is scary, and telling others about Jesus is something He specifically instructed us to do as a sign of our faith: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20 King James)

 GlobalOutreach Day is held on the first Saturday in May, and organizers have put together a plan of action to help you share your faith:

 • First of all, you need to get someone’s attention. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus asked her, “Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:7). Jesus did not begin with a sermon, but rather with an everyday topic. The water was a point of contact with the woman.

 • Start your conversation with a “Hello.” Smile at the person and be friendly. Get the person’s attention, listen carefully, and find a shared interest.

 • Start your conversation with something about everyday life.

 • Ask a good question, like “have you ever heard that God loves you?” To communicate effectively, you have to gain the person’s trust. You should ask open questions, such as: “What do you think about God?” or just “How are you doing?”

 Once you have gotten his attention, wake his interest. In John 4:10 Jesus replied, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink.” To keep him interested, choose a topic, like:

 • I have found a one-of-a-kind hope for my life. Are you looking for hope as well?

 • Where would you be if you died today?

 • You could experience the best thing ever happening to you, today.

 But you certainly won’t arouse a person’s interest by just talking. Show genuine interest and the other person will open up. Find out what the person you are talking to really needs and include that in your conversation.

 Jesus told the woman: “Go, call your husband and come back.”

 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.” (John 9:16–18)

 He addresses a central topic in her life, and she is deeply touched. Perhaps the person you are talking to has no assurance of eternal life, or feels guilty. Maybe the person has a problem, or is sick. Jesus met people in their need. God is still able to heal the sick, repair marriages, and free people from every bondage. However, the biggest problem everyone has is eternal separation from God.

 Your personal story is very important! Talk about how Jesus has changed your life. Share your story in an interesting way; do not use words that an outsider wouldn’t understand and do not exaggerate.

 Your story in three parts:

 • What did your life look like before?

 • How did you get to know Jesus?

 • What changed in your life?

 Maybe recount what gave you a purpose in life or how God healed you. Your story is unique; learn how to share it in a unique way. Share things from your life your conversation partner can best relate to.

 The Gospel can save someone only if he understands and believes. You can explain it along using the following points:

 * It was God’s plan from the beginning to be friends with mankind. In the beginning, everything in the world was created perfect. There were no wars, no injustice, no sickness – everything was complete and well. Mankind lived in peace and harmony with God. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. – Genesis 1:31

 * Mankind decided to go its own way and turned away from God. Today we can see the results of this decision. Instead of being able to live in peace and harmony with one another, lies, hate, jealousy, sickness, and war are everywhere. However, even worse than that is being separated from God forever. The problem is that out of our own efforts, mankind cannot restore the connection to God. The various religions are a desperate attempt to get closer to God again. Because of guilt, mankind has been separated from God. There’s nobody living right, not even one. (Romans 3:10)

 * God is just and therefore cannot simply ignore our guilt. Because God loves us so much, he came up with a perfect plan to redeem everyone, which means you can be brought back into relationship with Him as well. God showed this love by sending his only Son, Jesus Christ, into our world to die on the cross for everyone. In doing so, Jesus took the punishment for our guilt upon himself. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead, just as he said he would. He is alive today, and through him, the way to God has been reopened.

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

* Our good deeds, our own efforts, meditation and church attendance are not enough to come to God. There is only one way: We have to turn to Jesus and step away from a selfish life in which we lived simply for ourselves.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

 * The decision to follow Jesus is the most important decision in life. You now have the privilege of leading the person to Christ. Ask him the decisive question. “Would you like to get to know Jesus personally?” Now pray a simple prayer and ask the person to pray along with you with all his heart and ask Jesus into his life. Pause after each sentence to allow the person to repeat it.

 “Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. I believe that you died for my sins. Please forgive me of my sins and come into my life. I believe that you rose again from the dead and are alive today. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. I will follow you for the rest of my life. Amen.”

 Explain the most important aspects of the Christian life:

 • Prayer: Talking with God and building a relationship with Jesus.

 • Bible: Reading God’s word in order to understand his will, his character and his plan.

 • Fellowship: Finding a church or fellowship close by.

 • Evangelization: Sharing the Gospel and your new experience with God to others.

 Exchange addresses and meet with each other within the next three days to build a relationship. Pray for the person and become friends. If possible, pick up the person and visit a church service or small group together.

 The Vision of Global Outreach Day is for every believer to share the Gospel on the last Saturday of May each year. Millions of Christians worldwide are sharing the Gospel on that day. To be part of it visit their website for more ideas on how to share the Gospel and participate in the Global Outreach Day with your friends and church. https://www.globaloutreachday.com