Branch On The Vine

By: Alli Matthews

You’re sitting at one of your favorite restaurants with someone in your life who you care about deeply. You know this person doesn’t have a relationship with God, and you’ve been wanting to tell them about how Jesus changed your life. Now seems like a good time, but where do you start? 

I’m going to walk you through that today. But first, if you haven’t read last week’s post, you should actually start there. In that post I explain why we should share our faith story (A.K.A. testimony) with people, some goals to focus on, and ask you some questions to help you brainstorm. Here is the link: How to Share Your Testimony Part 1 – Branch On The Vine 

This week we will explore how to outline your testimony to effectively share your story, give God the glory, and ask people to share their thoughts about it. As I mentioned last week, the first part is about something you struggled with in the past or still might struggle with. Then, you describe how God stepped in and changed your story – the turning point. Next, you explain how your life has changed because of what God did. Finally, you invite your audience to think about how God might have worked in their lives. Basically, the order is: you, God, you, audience. 

Let’s break this down now. 

Your Struggle

Start with where you’ve been and what you’ve struggled with. Don’t feel like you need to be perfect in any area of sin or hurt that you’ve experienced. God doesn’t expect that, and people can’t relate as well to perfect people. You can share about something you’re still struggling with and how God is working. He can use your current brokenness to reach someone who is also experiencing brokenness. 

Some of the different testimonies that I have shared with people are how God has redeemed and healed me from anxiety, depression, trauma, lust, drunkenness, and perfectionism. And remember, it’s not that I never struggle with these things anymore, but it’s that God has changed my heart and helped me know that He is holding me no matter what I struggle with. 

Here is an example of how I share about my past: When I was in high school, my number one goal was to get good grades.  I would spend countless hours doing homework and studying to ensure that I would do well on tests.  My success in school drove me to points of exhaustion as I was also involved in a very time-consuming sport called pom pon.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” God comforts us in our struggle so we can show compassion toward others. Don’t be afraid to be honest with where you’re at – it could change someone’s life to know they are not alone. 

How God Worked 

Now you get to talk about how amazing God is. Two ways to do this are to explain the Gospel and add a Bible verse. 

There are many ways you can do this, but I like to start with how God stepped into my situation. Then, I include a Bible verse about what God taught me or a verse that explains the Gospel. Then, I further emphasize the Gospel.

Continuing from the story about my past, here is an example of sharing about how God worked in my life: When I came to college and struggled tremendously with chemistry, almost failing a test, God met me in my upset and taught me that I am not defined by my success in school or anything else I did.  Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” He taught me that my worth comes from His never-ending love for me. Because His son, Jesus, sacrificed His perfect life on a cross, I have been offered the gift of new life, salvation, and a relationship with God. 

The goal of this section is to give God all the glory. You get to brag about how good God is here! This should probably be the longest section of your testimony to help you keep the focus on Him rather than yourself. 

How You Changed 

In this section, you will describe the fruit of having a relationship with God. What fruit am I talking about?

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Which one or two fruits has God most prominently brought into your life since redeeming you from your struggle?

The story goes on; here’s an example of sharing about how I’ve changed: Through the assurance of His unconditional love for me, God helped me heal from the anxiety that came with trying to live out my own version of a “perfect life”.  I experienced so much peace when I finally rested in God’s love every day knowing my worth comes from His love for me instead of my academic success. 

Invitation to Your Audience 

For me, this part can feel the most awkward, but try to be genuinely interested in the person instead of worrying about how you’re coming across. Here is a list of example questions you could use to ask someone about their experience with God:

• So that’s my story; have you ever considered what a relationship with God would look like in your life? 
• That is how God worked in my life. (How) have you ever experienced God working in your life?
• So that’s how God has changed my heart. (How) have you ever experienced God changing your heart or mind about something?
• So that’s a little about my journey with faith. What has your spiritual journey looked like? 

Part of the goal is to help the person you care about think critically about God. If they answer “no” to your original question, try asking an open-ended question. They usually start with “how” or “why”. It gives people the chance to explore their thoughts, beliefs, and experiences more in depth. 

Remember, the BIG goal here is to love people by sharing your experience and your love for God. Your goal is not to convert or change someone. Only God can change people’s hearts. 

To pull it all together, here is the my full 30 second testimony to help you understand how these different sections flow together: 

30 Second Testimony: Falling Short of Perfection

(Your Past:) When I was in high school, my number one goal was to get good grades.  I would spend countless hours doing homework and studying to ensure that I would do well on tests.  My success in school drove me to points of exhaustion as I was also involved in a very time-consuming sport called pom pon. 

(How God Worked:) When I came to college and struggled tremendously with chemistry, almost failing a test, God met me in my upset and taught me that I am not defined by my success in school or anything else I did.  Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” He taught me that my worth comes from His never-ending love for me. Because His son, Jesus, sacrificed His perfect life on a cross, I have been offered the gift of new life, salvation, and a relationship with God. 

(How You Changed:) Through the assurance of His unconditional love for me, God helped me heal from the anxiety that came with trying to live out my own version of a “perfect life”.  I experienced so much peace when I finally rested in God’s love every day knowing my worth comes from His love for me instead of my academic success. 

(Invitation to Your Audience:) So that’s my story; have you ever considered what a relationship with God would look like in your life? 

To Conclude…

Now that you have all this wonderful knowledge, it’s your turn to communicate your testimony with people! I recommend writing out multiple 30 second testimonies about different areas of your life in which God has moved and redeemed you. The more examples you have of how God has worked in your life, the more likely you are to pull one out of your back pocket so that you can relate to someone else’s story.

Don’t think of sharing your testimony like telling a huge story, but instead think of it as relating to another human and sharing how God’s goodness has impacted you. 

I hope that this post has helped you feel equipped to take the step of faith to share your story. Remember, you do not need to do this perfectly. God works through our brokenness and imperfection.

Lean on God’s strength to empower you and guide you as you imperfectly share your testimony. I’ll leave you with what Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”