3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
I was sitting at a McDonald’s playground watching my little girl play when I looked over and saw a woman sitting alone. As soon as I looked at her, I felt a prompting from the Holy Spirit to go over and talk with her. I am an extravert, but striking up a conversation with a complete stranger is not something I am completely comfortable doing. I decided to respond to this prompting in faith, and I am so glad that I did, because God made a way for me to share the gospel with this lady!
I sat down beside her and introduced myself. I asked her if she brought her kids to this playground often, at which point she responded that she was new to the area. I could tell that English was not her first language, so of course I asked where she had moved from. She told me she and her family had just moved here from Vietnam. When I asked her why they chose to come to America, she smiled really big and said, “To be Christian!”
I then asked her what being a Christian meant and she went on to talk about political freedom. She never once mentioned the life, death, or resurrection of Jesus. She thought being a Christian meant having political and religious freedom.
At this point I was able to share the gospel message Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, that Christ came to earth to rescue us. I told her how He paid the penalty for our sins by dying for us (Romans 6:23) and how He rose again, proving that His sacrifice was accepted by God the Father. I explained to her that those who repent from their sins and receive Christ’s forgiveness no longer have to be afraid of death, because just as God raised Jesus from the dead, so will He raise everyone who accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
To illustrate these truths, I used the Navigator’s one verse Bridge illustration. I love this tool and have used it many times to share the gospel. The Bridge walks through Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” I took time to explain each part of this verse as I drew it out.
When I finished, the lady was so excited that she took the piece of paper and asked if she could have it, so she could go home and share it with her family! I was in awe of how receptive and appreciative she was.
God did something in that woman’s life that day, but He also did something in mine. He grew my faith and reminded me that He is at work drawing people to Himself. I only need to be faithful to respond to His leading to start a conversation and see where it goes!
Questions to Ask Yourself
- Are you praying for opportunities to share the gospel?
- In 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, Paul says we are ministers of reconciliation, and as we share with people, God is pleading through us. Do you know how to share the gospel in a clear and concise way? If not, consider memorizing Romans 6:23 and reading these tips on how to have a Gospel Conversation!