Speak or Squeak - Rachel Atkins on how some preparation can make the most of opportunities to speak about Jesus

Just imagine... you're in the bar after the game, tucking into a pack of prawn cocktail crisps and your mate turns to you and said something like, ‘Have you always been religious?’ There it is, the opportunity you have been praying for weeks! Your heart thinks I’m back on the pitch and starts to pump that little bit harder; You have about ten seconds to think about what to say, while you swallowed the prawn cocktail crumbs, and about 30 seconds to answer the question!

Below is something that we’ve found useful from the Contagious Christianity Course for just such an opportunity. It isn’t a case of memorising pat answers word for word, but we believe that it is important to think through these scenarios and to be prepared to answer questions that may come up at any time. I certainly know from experience that when I haven’t had illustrations like this to draw on, my answers have been a random collection of words that are often no good to man or beast!

The 'Do vs Done' Picture

1. Religion is spelt D-O, and is all about trying to DO enough to please God.

2. The trouble is we don’t know if we ever do enough, and the Bible tells us we never can do enough.

3. But Christianity is spelt D-O-N-E.

4. Jesus has done what we could never do. He lived the perfect life and died on the cross to pay for all the wrong stuff we have done.

5. But it’s not enough just to know this; we have to receive what he has done; we have to ask Jesus to forgive us and to be the leader of our lives.

Then you could ask them what they think, whether they understand the difference, and if they see the need for Jesus.

Rachel Atkins

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