SHARING YOUR STORY (EVANGELISM PT. 3)
LEARNING TO TELL OUR STORIES WITH PAUL
In my previous two posts we’ve been unpacking ways we can begin talking to others about who Jesus is and what he has done in our lives. In fancy religious terms we call this evangelism. Since that’s a term that causes either guilt or fear, we’ve been trying to give some thoughts and tips on how to take the terror out of it.
We’ve talked about how we can simply tell our story. We’ve talked about how we can use the major milestones of other peoples stories to help us think through our own. We started with Peter. In this post we’re going to look at major milestones in Pauls life and how there might be some similarities in our own.
One thing I do want to mention is that we don’t have to have answers to all of the questions from Peter’s life or from Paul’s life. These are their stories and not ours. We’re just using the way that God has worked in their lives to spur us on to think about how he has worked in ours. Also, feel free to take milestones from Peter’s life and milestones from Paul’s life to describe your own story. Additionally, we are able to look at their lives start to finish and tell the whole story. We’re still in the middle of our own stories, so it’s okay if it’s not neat and tidy and we don’t have the ability to see how God is using some things in his plan.
The point of telling our stories is not to have a nice tidy book at the end. We learn to tell our stories because it helps us look back at where God has shown up, how he has led us, and how he is still working on us. We tell our stories to others because its a simple way of letting them know that Jesus is real to us and it invites them to see how Jesus wants to be part of their story as well.
So, with that said, let’s jump into the life of Paul and see where we can find similarities to our own stories.
MAJOR MILESTONES IN PAULS LIFE
Paul is born into a religious home and trained as a Pharisee Acts 22:3, Philippians 3:5-6
- What were some benefits of growing up in a religious background?
- What is some baggage you carry because of your religious background?
Paul is hostile towards Christians/Christianity/Church Acts 7:58, Acts 8:1-3
- What aspects of Christianity were difficult for you to believe and why?
- What relationships influenced you in feeling this way?
Paul has a powerful encounter with Jesus and is baptized Acts 9:1-9
- What happened to change your mind about Jesus? What circumstances or people?
- When did Jesus become real to you?
- When did you first decided to follow him?
Paul begins telling sharing the good news and everyone is shocked Acts 9:20-31
- How did everyone react when they heard that you had given your life to Jesus? (happy, disbelief, antagonism)
- Who encouraged you and stood with you like Barnabas did for Paul?
Paul uses his gifts and his testimony to serve Jesus and make him known Acts 14
- How has Jesus given you opportunities to use your past or your gifts to serve in God’s family?
- How can you see what you’ve been through or are able to do can show others Jesus is real?
Paul and Barnabas meet with the Apostles to discern what is necessary for salvation and what is not Acts 15
- How have you seen Christians struggle with what is truly important in following Jesus?
- How have you seen Christians fail and fight about things that are not important
- How have you succeeded or failed at this as well?
Paul and Barnabas have a strong disagreement and part ways Acts 15:36-41
- Have you ever had a painful falling out with another Christian? What happened? Were you able to reconcile at a later time?
- How did Jesus use that situation to start you down another path?
Paul meets Timothy and becomes his spiritual mentor Acts 16:1-4
- Who has Jesus brought into your life that you have shared your faith with and helped them grow?
- How have you seen Jesus work in their lives?
After being opposed by the Jews for so long, Paul commits to preaching to Gentiles Acts 18:6
- How has Jesus modified or changed your plans through unforeseen people and circumstances?
- Where is the unlikely place or position you have found yourself because of God’s plan?
Paul receives a thorn in his flesh to keep him from becoming spiritually prideful 2 Cor. 12:7
- What experience in your life could have been used by Satan to destroy you, but instead it kept you humble and kept you dependent on Jesus?
Paul is warned by the Spirit and travels to Jerusalem and is arrested Acts 21
- Have you been aware that following Jesus was going to be dangerous for you in certain circumstances?
Paul is in prison yet still able to trust God Philippians 4:10-14
- Have you ever found yourself in a dark place and yet not crushed by it because of your faith in Jesus?
- How have you experienced the presence of Jesus in the middle of difficult circumstances?