Share your testimony

Luke 8:38, 39 - Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

Objective

To equip you to share your three minute testimony in a simple, clear and appealing way so that others will want to know Christ.

Your testimony

A testimony is a declaration of the truth as you have experienced it. A testimony is your own story and not someone else's. As you prepare to give your testimony remember what you are doing is telling others what Jesus Christ has done for you.

The nature of your testimony

There are two basic kinds of testimonies:

1. Salvation testimony
   • Crossroads testimony - a specific life-changing experience at a particular point in time, e.g. the apostle Paul in Acts 9
   • Process testimony - coming to faith over a period of time, such as one who is brought up in a Christian home, e.g. Timothy in 2 Tim 1:5, 3:14
2. Experience testimony
   • God's work in your life - A specific life experience where you experienced God's work or direction in your life, e.g. the man from the Gadarenes in Luke 8:38, 39.

The form of your testimony

Crossroads testimony

1. Life before knowing Christ
2. How you came to Christ
3. The change Christ has made in your life

Since a testimony should be about three minutes and you have three parts, each part should be about one minute long. In this way you avoid stressing one point more than others.

Process testimony

1. Childhood nurture
2. The difference between knowing Christ in your life as opposed to not knowing Him.

Experience testimony

1. It is important to share what God is doing in your life. In this way you acknowledge His faithfullness and love.
2. God is not just a Saviour, He is also a Sustainer - we must acknowledge this truth.

Points to remember	Things to avoid
Pray	Avoid focusing on how your life was before accepting Christ
Start with an interesting, attention-grabbing sentence.	Avoid criticizing others. Some listeners may be offended and stop listening to what you say.
Communicate in such a way that others can associate with you.	Avoid speaking in religious terms, e.g.: Born again = given new life Saved = found hope for life Gospel = God's message to man Lost = had no hope Sin = disobedience to God Repent = made a decision to change
Use a scripture vers and emphasise Christ.
Be realistic. Jesus taught us how to live peacefully and with confidence in difficult times.
Be positive. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you are motivated, your message will motivate others.
End your testimony with a challenge, so that your listeners have to think about their lives and Christ.	Avoid giving too many details - it confuses listeners.

By Paul Abel. Sources taken from OM Ships Toolkit, 2002 edition

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