C05 Tell Me
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C05 Tell Me
A believer, named Adrian, was very much interested in my mentoring. I pushed him a little to tell me his story – as if I were his unbelieving friend. Adrian wasn’t proud of his story at all. The talk began with a boring classic that he was born into a Christian family and such. But then there was a moment when his grandpa died and the corpse was still at their house for a while before it was taken away. Adrian’s older brother was joking that now Grandpa would go to scare them. All this made Adrian wonder what it was like to die. „What if I died?“ he thought for himself as a fifteen-year-old.
„I’d catch it here!“ I jumped in. „Cut off the other stuff and build it from here further. Starting with a Christian family won’t impress anyone. Briefly describe what your look at the dead grandfather did to you and how it eventually directed you to Jesus… “
What will you catch your story by? What was your turning point that led you to Jesus? Make your buddy to go through the previous two lessons and then tell him the current version of your story! As an outside observer, he may advise you on what to catch it by.
I have a few more notes for you on how to tell your story.
1. Preparation
Prepare your story well. Really WELL, so that it would be interesting and touchy from the point of view of your unbelieving friends, and clearly pointing to Jesus and his influence on your life…
2. Without Christianeese
From abundant experience with people out there, I assure you again and again that our Christian vocabulary in presenting the living Jesus is utterly counterproductive. Of course, we can’t do without the words „Jesus“ and „Bible.“
3. Emotions
Insert emotions into your story. The Good news about Jesus carries strong emotions! Emotions attract attention. Emotions support thinking, searching, questions! Emotions show urgency, the need for a decision…
4. Try it
Work through your story with prayer and write it down. But soon go out and try it with several people – unbelievers and believers! And according to their response, continue to work on it. „George, once an interesting series of events happened to me. I wonder what you think about it. Your feedback will help me a lot!” I’m sure that even when you don’t have it perfect, Jesus will use it anyway…
5. By heart
I was tuning my story for a few weeks and after trying „out there“ I memorized it. Memory mastery makes my narration natural, authentic. I don’t run away from my point, I don’t „invent“ anything on the spot, I know exactly where I’m going, and I have room to observe my George.
One new John tried his story with me twice. The second time was much better! But he wasn’t happy with it at all. So he tried again and again. That evening he had the opportunity to share it with a friend who did not know Jesus yet. You should have seen the contentment and certainty with which Honza was telling it. And he was watching what his story would do to that friend…
6. Internal setting
Narration of my story is based in my connection with living Jesus at the moment. I speak normally, intelligibly and with no religious language! At the same time, I look George in the eye and stay in touch with Jesus…
Once again:
1. Prepare the story well.
2. Speak normally, it means with no Christianeese.
3. Sensitively insert appropriate emotions into your narration.
4. Try it with a few people.
5. Memorize it.
6. Check your internal setting again and again.
Lord Jesus, I pray for Your mighty blessing as we prepare our stories, and especially when we tell them to others…