Have you ever wanted to know how to share the gospel most effectively? Here is how you make it personal.
Do you have your own gospel? I do. Jesus healed my body when I was close to death. He healed my daughter and got her out of the hospital in 12 days instead of the 12 months they said she would have to be there. He changed my hard heart and gave me a loving heart. He called me to serve Him and miraculously walked beside me each step of the way. I could tell you many good stories about what Jesus has done in my life.
You also have a gospel. You have good news of what Jesus has done in your life. Scholars tell us the gospel is simply Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. However, when you read Scripture you will see that Jesus was proclaiming “good news” (the gospel) before the cross. His disciples also told others the good news of Jesus. In fact, everyone who encountered Jesus just had to tell others the good news of what Jesus had done in their lives. How did they share the gospel? By saying “He opened my eyes,” “Look, I can walk again,” “He told me all things I have ever done,” or “Because of Jesus I am giving away half of everything I own and will restore four times what I have taken wrongfully!”
Paul proclaimed the good news about Jesus, referring to it as “my gospel.” He said, “when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” (Romans 2:16). And, “I… communicated to them that gospel which I preach” (Galatians 2:2). What about you?

What is your gospel you can share?

People can read five gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and you. I cannot promise you they will read the first four, but they will read yours. Does your life reflect the joyful news of Jesus? Do your words reveal the hope you have in Him in spite of life’s difficulties? Do you dwell on and talk about good news or world news?
Every week, Jesus is adding to your gospel. Are you sharing it with those He puts in your path? He sent you an experience with Him expecting you to “tell what great things God has done for you.” (Luke 8:39). You have read the texts from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What about you? Have you texted others what Jesus has done in your life? Have you posted, memed, tweeted, or pinned your Jesus experience? The apostles called out to others the good news; have you called anyone with yours? Tell your circle of influence what Jesus means to you!
Too often, believers today simply try to invite people to church. Many will not come for a variety of reasons. But you can bring Jesus to them when you know properly how to share the gospel. Once they meet Him, they will have a reason to gather with you and grow in that faith.

Do you have a “gospel of me”?

There is a difference between having a “my gospel” and having a “gospel of me.” Many soul-winning-technique seminars and books teach people to develop their testimony like this: “Before Jesus I was like this ________, but after Jesus, I am now like this: ________.” That is all well and good, but if you listen to some people’s testimonies, they are the messiah, not Jesus. You did not die for anyone’s sins.
According to Grider’s book Crucial Conversations, a believer can begin to make himself the hero of the story. That sounds something like this: “Before, I used to drink a lot. I would come home drunk all the time. One day I went to church (or attended a Bible study, or repented of my sins) and everything changed. Now, I volunteer at the homeless shelter and teach a Bible study in the jail.” As nice as that story is, does Jesus get the glory from it?
Revisit your stories about Jesus and make sure He is central. Here’s a remix of that testimony that puts Jesus at the center of it all: “Before I met the Lord, I used to drink a lot. Alcohol controlled my life and was destroying my home. Then, Jesus stepped into my darkness. I would love to tell you all about how and where, but the main thing is that He showed up and turned my life around. I used to hate everyone and just wanted to hide from society. He put so much love and joy in my heart that I cannot stop helping people. I want everyone to know Him and He has gotten me involved telling others about Him—even people I never would have wanted to be around before.”
What is the difference? One is the gospel of me. The other is my gospel of what Jesus is doing through me. A Christian is not an appliance who plugs into God—we are outlets who let others draw strength from the Spirit flowing through us.

How to share the gospel and the “how” of the gospel

But what about your moment of conversion? What about happened at your baptism? What about when you received the Spirit? Those are all important aspects of how Jesus broke into your darkness. First, though, we must focus on the who—Jesus. This is how we share the gospel. On the Day of Pentecost, Simon Peter stood up and spoke to a crowd who were all wondering about this speaking in tongues they were hearing. He turned the focus on Jesus. After they realized how great Jesus was, they asked how they could take part in what He was doing. Then, He told them of the how: repent, get immersed in water in Jesus Christ, and be filled with His Spirit (Acts 2:38).
You have a gospel of Jesus that no one else has. With it and the leading of the Spirit, you will bring many into the Kingdom! Once you know how to share your gospel, train others so they will turn and share their gospel with others.
“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith — to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever.” (Romans 16:25-27)

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