Sharing Your Faith

“Do the work of an evangelist.” (2 Timothy 4:5)

Sharing your faith with others can be one of the most daunting and intimidating aspects of the Christian life. Many believers struggle with how to start conversations about faith, how to communicate the message clearly, or how to navigate difficult social situations.  You may feel the tension of wanting to share Jesus with the people in your life, but not knowing how to go about it in a way that isn’t awkward.  If so, you are not alone.  This article will explore some ideas to lovingly and naturally be able to engage in more spiritual conversations in a way that honors the other person and creates a comfortable place for them to explore their need for Jesus. In this article, you will process insights for sharing God’s love in relationships, creating a comfortable space for spiritual conversations, meeting people where they are at spiritually, asking thoughtful questions, listening well and sharing truth.

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Sharing God’s Love in Relationships

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Building relationships with others can be a huge component in evangelism. We should love and build relationships with non-Christians whether or not they come to Jesus. Jesus never viewed people as evangelism projects, and neither should we. It is in the context of relationships that people can begin to trust us, see Christ through us and let their walls down to converse about Jesus.  When people feel like they can trust you and feel genuinely loved, they are more likely to open up to spiritual conversations. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Over the course of time, in a relationship, you can consistently love them, serve them, show up when they are in need, be generous, show them grace, pray for them, answer questions and give them time to see how your life is different. Doing so can often soften another person’s heart towards Jesus.

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Create Comfortable Spaces for Spiritual Conversations

“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.” (Philippians 4:5)

Many people carry emotional or spiritual walls—often built from past hurt or disappointment—especially when it comes to faith. For meaningful spiritual conversations to happen, people need to feel safe, seen, and genuinely cared for. That kind of trust is built through humility, patience, and real love. Think about the people you feel comfortable opening up to. What traits do they embody? They likely listen non-judgmentally, withhold unsolicited advice, and accept you even if you don't agree on everything. These are the same qualities we should embody, especially with those far from God or wounded by religion. It means seeking to understand before being understood, overlooking differences to simply connect, and waiting for the right moment rather than forcing a conversation. When someone knows you're not trying to fix them but truly care, their heart becomes more open. When you can be honest about your imperfections, instead of acting like you have it all together, that can also help people feel more comfortable. Accepting people where they are at doesn't mean compromising the truth, it just means you recognize that we are not called to be the moral police for non-Christians.

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Develop a Farmer’s Discernment

“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6)

In the Bible, sharing the Gospel with others is sometimes referred to as “planting a seed” in the “soil” of a person’s heart.  When you plant an actual seed in the soil, it takes time for that seed to sprout, grow and fully bloom.  Similarly, when you are sowing Gospel seeds in a person’s heart, it can take time for those seeds to sprout, grow and fully bloom into a faith that fully trusts in Christ and receives salvation.  It can also take multiple encounters with the Gospel before someone is saved. According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the average person hears the Gospel around 7 times before deciding to follow Jesus. If you are planting actual seeds, it would be helpful to know what stage of growth that seed is at and how quickly it grows.  That way you can be patient with it and know how to properly tend to it at each stage until it fully blooms.  Similarly, when we sow Gospel seeds in the hearts of non-Christians, it is helpful for us to know what pre-salvation stage they are at and how quickly they are willing and able to grow towards genuine faith in Christ. Then, we can meet people where they are at, be patient with whatever stage they are at and whatever speed they grow (or don't grow). Check out the chart below showing 6 faith development stages. This chart does not represent linear stages that everyone goes through.  Instead, it is meant to help you start to gauge roughly where the non-Christians in your life are at so that you can wisely walk with them through that stage.

🛑 1. Fenced-In Yard: This person has put a fence up around the “soil” of their heart. They may have had bad experiences with religion, experienced church hurt, assume Christian doctrine is immoral, believe God can’t be good, or were taught to never talk about religion so they refuse to open up about spiritual matters. They are not open to Christianity. Some people in this stage can be hostile towards Christianity and unwilling to have reasonable conversations about it or just adamantly avoid talking about it all together. Depending how closed off they are, the Christian may be best off secretly praying for them and showing them God's love through action instead of trying to dialogue about spiritual matters.

🤝 2. Yard Gate Opens: This person opens the gate of their “fenced-in yard” and lets a Christian have access to closer parts of their life. As the Christian secretly prays for them, shows consistency, love, grace, listening, and serving, the non-Christian opens the door to the “fence” around their heart to let the Christian in. At this stage, some people will be willing to open up about their spiritual worldview or hear the Christian’s spiritual views and some people won't.

🌱 3. Soil Cultivated: The “soil” of their heart has begun to be cultivated by the Holy Spirit and the love of the Christian so that it may be more open to receive seeds of truth. They may begin to ask questions or express spiritual curiosity. They might show more openness to answering the Christian’s questions and dialogue about spiritual matters. They're not ready to believe, but they are willing to explore and think more deeply.

🌾 4. Seed Planted: The seed is planted in the soil, lying dormant but full of potential. This is the moment when someone first hears truth about the reality of Jesus, the cross or something that suggests the truth of Christianity. You may or may not see something happen on the outside, but a seed of truth is planted. As we learn from Jesus in the parable of the four soils, this seed can take 4 different paths depending on the quality of that person's “soil” in their heart (Matthew 13:1-23). However, some people whose faith progresses can follow the next two stages below.

🌿 5. Vegetative Growth: The plant strengthens. Leaves form, and roots go deeper. This person is learning more about Jesus, the Gospel, their need for God, wrestling with questions and exploring who God is. Their heart is softening, but they're not quite ready to surrender. God is patiently working.

🍎 6. Harvest Time: The seed has formed into a fully blossomed plant. This is the moment of salvation. The person repents, believes, and puts their faith in Jesus. They’re reconciled to God and enter a personal relationship with Him. The harvest has come—what began as a small seed has become new life in Christ.

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Ask Thoughtful Questions and Listen Well

“You must all be quick to listen and slow to speak.” (James 1:19)

Asking thoughtful questions and listening well are the most underrated aspects of evangelism.  No matter what pre-salvation faith development stage a person is at and no matter what speed they seem to be moving towards Jesus, asking thoughtful questions and listening well are key to engaging people spiritually.  We often think of a good evangelist as being the best talker, having the best Gospel presentation or coming up with the best argument for Christianity.  However, if you have all of that, but are not good at asking questions and listening, you likely will not get very far.  Jesus is masterful at asking thoughtful questions and listening to people.  He used questions to help people reflect, uncover their own hearts, and encounter truth on a deeper level. (i.e. “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “What good is it if a person gains the whole world, yet loses their soul?” “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”) There can be many benefits of asking thoughtful questions as opposed to solely giving people advice.  To wrap your head around this, imagine if a Muslim whom you didn't know very well came up to you and started telling you how you should believe and live differently to align with their worldview.  What kind of a reaction would that illicit inside of you?  Most people would feel surprised, have their walls up and feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, imagine if that Muslim instead took time to get to know you, genuinely cared about you regardless of your beliefs, asked your opinion on a certain topic, asked if you have heard about what the Quran has to say about that topic and asked if they could share it with you and get your opinion.  Would that illicit a more positive response in you?  The approach of asking thoughtful questions instead of giving unsolicited advice is more likely to keep people from putting their walls up. It shows mutual respect, allows people to discover opposing ideas without getting defensive and promotes deeper thinking. In many contexts, you will find this to be a better approach in evangelism.

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Understanding Their Spiritual Landscape

“The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” (Proverbs 20:5)

From an evangelism standpoint, asking thoughtful questions is the best way to understand their “spiritual landscape.” Their spiritual landscape includes things like the evolution of their spiritual beliefs over time, knowing what contributed to their viewpoints, their level of openness to Jesus, any positive thoughts they have about aspects of Christianity, church hurt, doubts, questions, walls they have up or demonic oppression that is trying to block their salvation. Below is an example of a series of questions that could go into a conversation in which you are exploring someone’s spiritual landscape:

“Did you grow up with any spirituality? [...] Do you still hold those beliefs? [...] What kind of pivotal moments, twists or turns have you experienced on your spiritual journey to lead you to where you are today? [...] Wow, that’s been quite the journey for you! So, based on what I'm hearing, right now your spiritual worldview is _____, correct? [...] I respect that and can see how your journey led you to where you are today. [...] On your spiritual journey, have you ever heard much about Jesus or explored Him for yourself? [...] Why do you think so many people across the world rave about Him? [...] Are there any doubts or questions you have about Jesus? [...] Those are valid questions to wrestle with. Do you have any curiosity to hear a [spiritual thought, experience or resource] I have about that so I can get your thoughts on it?”

After you ask thoughtful questions and begin to understand their spiritual landscape, you can better know when, where and what type of Gospel seeds to plant.  Sharing truth without asking thoughtful questions is like going out in your yard without exploring the soil and haphazardly throwing seeds around.  Your seeds could land in the wrong places at the wrong time.

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Questions for Spiritual Conversations

Below are some questions that invite authentic dialogue, allowing you to listen, empathize, and better understand the person’s thoughts and struggles about faith.

• Have you ever had any negative experiences with religious people?
  
• What do you think about religion, and what led you to develop that perspective?
  
• If you could say something to Christians, what would you want them to hear?
  
• What do you find most difficult to accept when considering the claims of Christianity?
  
• What makes you struggle with the idea of God’s existence?
  
• Why does the topic of God stir up such strong emotions for you?
  
• Why do you think God seems so real to some people, but not to others?
  
• What would you want God to do to prove His existence to you?
  
• What kind of experiences did you have with organized religion growing up?
  
• Why do you think there are so many different religions in the world?
  
• Do you think it’s possible for all religions to be equally right?
  
• What criteria do you use to determine if something is true?
  
• If you had the chance to ask God one question, what would it be?
  
• Have you ever had an experience that made God seem real to you?
  
• What has led you to change your views on spirituality over time?
  
• What doubts or questions do you have about Jesus?
  
• What are your thoughts on Jesus?
  
• On your spiritual journey, have you ever been curious about exploring Jesus further? Would you be open to that now?
  
• Why do you think so many people are drawn to Jesus?
  
• What do you think Jesus would say about [insert topic]?
  
• Does the thought of death scare you?
  
• What conclusions have you reached about life after death?
  
• Do you think it’s possible to be certain about where you’ll spend eternity?
  
• Have you ever explored what the Bible says about eternal life?
  
• Based on your understanding, how does someone become a Christian?
  
• Many people have heard of the cross, but do you know why Jesus chose to die on it?
  
• Would you be curious to hear what the Bible says about how people can begin a relationship with God?
  
  

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Planting Seeds of Truth

“And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.” (1 Peter 3:15)

If you are unsure how open someone is to hearing your viewpoint, you can ask permission to share. Then, share truths that naturally fit into the conversation. Try to use their language instead of religious jargon.  Also, people often do not enjoy long monologues, so instead offer something brief yet thought-provoking. If they show openness to continue the conversation, invite them to explore more. If they seem closed off, you do not have to force it. Here are some ideas for sharing truth:

• Explain what Jesus did on the cross and what that means for everyone.
  
• Share your testimony in a way that highlights God's goodness, realness and the changes He made in your life.
  
• Share meaningful aspects of your faith journey that relate to their situation.
  
• Simply share about how amazing Jesus and His attributes are.
  
• Ask if you can share “a spiritual thought” (aka biblical wisdom) that pertains to their situation.
  
• Present a defense of the Christian faith using apologetics
  
• Help them see how nothing in this world will securely fulfill their desires for love, satisfaction, identity, meaning in life or hope other than intimacy with Jesus.
  
• Graciously and gently help them see discrepancies their unbiblical worldview.
  
• If they are facing challenges, offer to pray for or with them.
  
• Ask if they would be interested in experiencing what your church is like.
  
• Shift from presenting statements about Jesus to inviting them to explore Jesus on their own. Some people need to explore and wrestle with Jesus overtime. Suggest that they read the Gospel of John. Offer for them to do it independently or with you.
  
• If someone expresses a desire to receive Jesus, guide them through confession, repentance, trusting in Christ, getting filled with the Holy Spirit and getting plugged into Christian community afterwards.

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Leave Room for God to Work

“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

At its core, evangelism is about trust—trusting that God is the one who transforms hearts. Our job is to plant seeds and create space for the Holy Spirit to work in people’s lives. When you see someone genuinely grow closer to faith in Jesus or become born again, know that is the Holy Spirit working. This awareness takes the pressure off us and allows us to focus on being faithful in the process while leaving the rest to God.  Evangelism isn’t always about presenting the perfect argument or having all the answers. It’s about loving others, creating comfortable spaces for spiritual conversations, meeting them where they are at, asking thoughtful questions, listening attentively and sharing seeds of truth in the right moments.  When you do these things, you can create environments in which people can explore faith in an authentic way. When we approach evangelism with this perspective, we can be used by God to help others on their faith journey, pointing them to the One who created them, died for them, and desires a loving, eternal relationship with them.  What could be a more important way to love people than to point them towards eternal salvation with the God who created them? Are you ready to share your faith with others?