You Can Do This.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

What if she thinks I’m weird?

I’ll wait until she has a crisis. Then I’ll give her some biblical encouragement. Maybe that will get the ball rolling.

I’ll keep telling her I’m praying for her. Surely at some point she’ll ask me more about my faith.

I’ll host a book club. Maybe that will bring up some good questions and I can mention my faith a little then.

Do any of these thoughts or questions resonate with you? They certainly resonate with me. For years I wrestled with how to share my faith with those around me. These fears dominated my thoughts and kept me paralyzed so I ended up doing nothing. Well, I did try the book club route, but while it was fun to read a book together, it didn’t lead to any good spiritual conversations, sadly.

For years, disciplemaking existed as a vague concept in my mind. I knew what it meant to follow Jesus and study His Word myself, but sharing truth with unbelievers always seemed out of my reach. I thought Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 known as the Great Commission is reserved for special people with the gift of evangelism.

Several years ago, by God’s grace, He opened my eyes to something I had been missing. I began understanding the Great Commission is for EVERYONE. Including me. But if I didn’t have the “gift of evangelism,” but did have a heart and desire for others to know the Lord, how was I to do it?

As I prayed and wrestled through this, I became convinced that if there is a Bible study that is very foundational and easy-to-use, perhaps I could just invite people to do it with me. What is the worst thing that could happen? They could say no. But what IF some of them are spiritually interested and just need a safe starting point. Maybe this would seem accessible to them.

I began searching for basic Bible studies that spelled out the most fundamental building blocks of Christianity. While there are some good studies, I couldn’t find what I was looking for in a study. I finally came to the realization I am going to need to write it for myself. So that’s what I did. I called it 101: Exploring the Basics of the Christian Faith.

Even three years since I first taught the study, I remain amazed for two reasons. The Lord continues to show me MANY people are searching for clear and simple answers to their spiritual questions but they don’t know where to start.

Secondly, there are many, many women like me who have known the Lord for years but struggle to communicate their faith with those around them. This study made it possible for women (and men!) to see we became stuck because we lacked the right tools and confidence.

I’m so thrilled this idea is catching on and more and more people are taking meaningful risks to invite others to know more about Jesus. The 101 Christianity Bible studies give the leader a clear road map taking the guess work out of what to do. People are growing in their faith! This goes for the leaders as well as the participants, some whom have placed their faith in Christ for the first time.

We may always experience a little fear in sharing our faith, but what do we have to lose? God goes ahead of us to handpick those He wants to have in these groups. We just watch expectantly and participate in His plan by sharing truth. The results are up to God. This is such an exciting way to live! Let’s continue taking meaningful risks as we seek to obey the Great Commission.

Courtney Garrett is the founder of 101 Christianity which seeks to help you know the truth and share the truth. She is the author of 101: Exploring the Basics of the Christian Faith and 101: Discovering the Character of God, both available on Amazon. For more information go to 101christianity.com.

 

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