Growing up in “typical two married parents, Christian, American household” and “accepting Jesus into my heart” at the age of 3, the word testimony made me shudder, in fact, I’m pretty sure I broke out in invisible hives. When I was asked to “share my testimony,” I scrambled to explain something that had any sort of meaning and often felt that I flunked out afterward. Who wants to tell the boring story of “I accepted Jesus when I was 3…blah, blah, blah…I’ve never done drugs…”?? Certainly not me. But as I got older and closer to Jesus, I realized that I was missing the point.
Testimonies weren’t my “conversion story” – they were exclaiming what Jesus has done in my life. Which is so many things!! My church calls Sunday morning testimony time “God Stories!” and it quickly became one of my very favorite parts of the service. I love hearing what God has done throughout peoples’ weeks and sometimes sharing what He is doing in mine.
Anyone who spends time around me quickly learns that excitement and passion bubble out of me when I am talking about something I adore, such as people, traveling, Royal Family Kids’ Camp, the woods. I want to demonstrate that same passion when I share what Jesus is doing in my life and how He is teaching me!
When we learn to share God stories, we outwardly express gratefulness to God and we get to encourage and identify with other people!
The Deets - “Who, What, When, Where, Why, How”
Who – “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel!”
Matthew 28:16-20
“The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Then Jesus came near and said to them, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
This is applicable no matter where we are – the grocery store, work, school, church, sitting in a coffee shop, in airports!
What – Our God Stories
Dwight Robertson has a great chapter in his book “You’re God’s Plan A {and there is no plan b}” called “Your Story, God’s Story.” Two of my favorite passages in it say the following:
“[Y]ou know what’s great about telling your story? You’re an expert on the subject! No line-by-line memorization required. You don’t need a degree in theology to share what God has done in your life. Your story validates His love for you – and them. Our stories confirm that God shows up in all kinds of situations, for all sorts of needs, in countless ways, for ordinary people like us. Imagine the hope and encouragement that provides” (page 111).
“Some people say that five gospels have been written: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and You. All five are jam-packed with stories of changed lives. But of the five, yours is the foremost gospel that people in your sphere of influence will read” (page 117).
We tell our stories to say, “Look what the Lord has done for me! He can do this for you!”
MercyMe penned the following lyrics that are the perfect way to define our stories -
“If I told you my story
You would hear victory over the enemy
And if I told you my story
You would hear freedom that was won for me
And if I told you my story
You would hear Life overcome the grave
If I should speak then let it be
Of the grace that is greater than all my sin
Of when justice was served and where mercy wins
Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in
Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my savior all the day long”
When and Where – Whenever opportunities arise, we share what the Lord has done!
“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.” – Lemony Snicket
Believe me when I say, this is an area I’m still working on! God wants to tell us things. His thoughts towards us are more numerous than the stars (Psalm 139:17-18). He wants to speak to us and encourage us. He wants to use us to encourage others!
In order to hear His thoughts, we need to be listening. We need to make daily quiet time, and when we are out and about our days, we need to listen to quiet promptings He gives us.
The other day at a concert, He told me to go pray over a police officer that was there. I kept ignoring it, until I got super uncomfortable and just had to force myself to go up to the officer. I made small talk with the officer for a few minutes and thanked him for serving the city. But in the end, he took a phone call and I didn’t move fast enough to pray for him before that because I was stalling.
That was disobedience on my part and I had to repent for it with the somber reflection that my actions are accountable to God.
1 Samuel 15:22 says, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice…”
In his book, Dwight says, “Our obedience to His ‘in the moment’ promptings matter for eternity” (page 194).
Many, many times our “random thoughts/ideas” are actually God thoughts and ideas! Don’t discount what God may be trying to speak to you!
Why - Meditate on the motive for why we tell God Stories.
Psalm 71:15-16 - I will declare your righteousness and your salvation every day, though I do not fully understand what the outcome will be. Lord God, I will come in the power of your mighty acts, remembering your righteousness—yours alone.
Mark 5:19 - But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”
Psalm 22:22 - I will praise you to all my brothers; I will stand up before the congregation and testify of the wonderful things you have done.
1 John 1:2-3 - This life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Messiah.
Psalm 35:28 - My tongue will declare your righteousness and praise you all day long.
Daniel 4:2 - I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.
How – A lot of times sharing God Stories starts to come naturally, but other times you have to acknowledge the awkwardness!
My friends often laugh at how many random conversations I have with people (or people have with me!) out in public. Sometimes it’s from me just smiling and being friendly and that blossoming into a conversation. Other times, people come up to me and just start talking and spilling events from their lives and then I am able to say, “Something that happened to me was…and God used that to…”
There are times that I know it’s going to be a slightly more unnatural transition into something about God, so I often preface it with, “This is weird, but…”
The other day, I went to Aldi’s and bought several bouquets of flowers for a church event. As I was checking out, I had a thought that it would be really neat to buy some flowers sometime and just hand them out to random people there. I finished checking out and was packing my groceries at the counter when a lady beside me said, “Wow, those are beautiful! Are they expensive?”
I replied, “Just a few dollars! I love buying them for the house.”
She pointed at one of the bouquets and said, “This one is my favorite!”
I handed it to her and said, “You may have it!”
She had a surprised look on her face and said, “Are you sure?!”
I told her, “This is going to sound strange but God was just telling me I needed to give flowers to someone, I guess it was you He wanted to bless! Have a wonderful day!”
_________________________________________________________________________________
In the book, Dwight Robertson poses a list of questions to help figure out some of your God Stories (page 118):
What have been spiritual turning points in your life – when God used a circumstance or life even to turn you toward Him? (summer camp 8th grade)
When did God unexpectedly show up for you? Surprise you? (Vegas)
When has God turned something painful in your life into something good?
How has God changed you? How are you different because of Him? (increase of patience)
How has God helped you – or your friends and family? Those are your stories! How has He used other people to make you more like Him?
Take time every day to think, and write down if you can, something that God did that day! It doesn’t matter how insignificant it seems, express gratefulness! God can use anything to bless us, teach us, encourage us, and encourage others!
A Karen Wheaton song I sang growing up states the WHY perfectly – “Look what the Lord has done, Look what the Lord has done, He healed my body, He touched my mind, He saved me it was just in time, I'm gonna praise His name, Each day He's just the same, Come on and praise Him, Look what the Lord has done!”
Be emboldened by your stories and go out and encourage the world!
**As a short side note: if you have a "cool original testimony" don't let that stop you from seeing the new things God is doing in your life every day!**
Testimonies weren’t my “conversion story” – they were exclaiming what Jesus has done in my life. Which is so many things!! My church calls Sunday morning testimony time “God Stories!” and it quickly became one of my very favorite parts of the service. I love hearing what God has done throughout peoples’ weeks and sometimes sharing what He is doing in mine.
Anyone who spends time around me quickly learns that excitement and passion bubble out of me when I am talking about something I adore, such as people, traveling, Royal Family Kids’ Camp, the woods. I want to demonstrate that same passion when I share what Jesus is doing in my life and how He is teaching me!
When we learn to share God stories, we outwardly express gratefulness to God and we get to encourage and identify with other people!
The Deets - “Who, What, When, Where, Why, How”
Who – “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel!”
Matthew 28:16-20
“The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Then Jesus came near and said to them, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
This is applicable no matter where we are – the grocery store, work, school, church, sitting in a coffee shop, in airports!
What – Our God Stories
Dwight Robertson has a great chapter in his book “You’re God’s Plan A {and there is no plan b}” called “Your Story, God’s Story.” Two of my favorite passages in it say the following:
“[Y]ou know what’s great about telling your story? You’re an expert on the subject! No line-by-line memorization required. You don’t need a degree in theology to share what God has done in your life. Your story validates His love for you – and them. Our stories confirm that God shows up in all kinds of situations, for all sorts of needs, in countless ways, for ordinary people like us. Imagine the hope and encouragement that provides” (page 111).
“Some people say that five gospels have been written: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and You. All five are jam-packed with stories of changed lives. But of the five, yours is the foremost gospel that people in your sphere of influence will read” (page 117).
We tell our stories to say, “Look what the Lord has done for me! He can do this for you!”
MercyMe penned the following lyrics that are the perfect way to define our stories -
“If I told you my story
You would hear victory over the enemy
And if I told you my story
You would hear freedom that was won for me
And if I told you my story
You would hear Life overcome the grave
If I should speak then let it be
Of the grace that is greater than all my sin
Of when justice was served and where mercy wins
Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in
Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my savior all the day long”
When and Where – Whenever opportunities arise, we share what the Lord has done!
“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.” – Lemony Snicket
Believe me when I say, this is an area I’m still working on! God wants to tell us things. His thoughts towards us are more numerous than the stars (Psalm 139:17-18). He wants to speak to us and encourage us. He wants to use us to encourage others!
In order to hear His thoughts, we need to be listening. We need to make daily quiet time, and when we are out and about our days, we need to listen to quiet promptings He gives us.
The other day at a concert, He told me to go pray over a police officer that was there. I kept ignoring it, until I got super uncomfortable and just had to force myself to go up to the officer. I made small talk with the officer for a few minutes and thanked him for serving the city. But in the end, he took a phone call and I didn’t move fast enough to pray for him before that because I was stalling.
That was disobedience on my part and I had to repent for it with the somber reflection that my actions are accountable to God.
1 Samuel 15:22 says, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice…”
In his book, Dwight says, “Our obedience to His ‘in the moment’ promptings matter for eternity” (page 194).
Many, many times our “random thoughts/ideas” are actually God thoughts and ideas! Don’t discount what God may be trying to speak to you!
Why - Meditate on the motive for why we tell God Stories.
Psalm 71:15-16 - I will declare your righteousness and your salvation every day, though I do not fully understand what the outcome will be. Lord God, I will come in the power of your mighty acts, remembering your righteousness—yours alone.
Mark 5:19 - But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”
Psalm 22:22 - I will praise you to all my brothers; I will stand up before the congregation and testify of the wonderful things you have done.
1 John 1:2-3 - This life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Messiah.
Psalm 35:28 - My tongue will declare your righteousness and praise you all day long.
Daniel 4:2 - I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.
How – A lot of times sharing God Stories starts to come naturally, but other times you have to acknowledge the awkwardness!
My friends often laugh at how many random conversations I have with people (or people have with me!) out in public. Sometimes it’s from me just smiling and being friendly and that blossoming into a conversation. Other times, people come up to me and just start talking and spilling events from their lives and then I am able to say, “Something that happened to me was…and God used that to…”
There are times that I know it’s going to be a slightly more unnatural transition into something about God, so I often preface it with, “This is weird, but…”
The other day, I went to Aldi’s and bought several bouquets of flowers for a church event. As I was checking out, I had a thought that it would be really neat to buy some flowers sometime and just hand them out to random people there. I finished checking out and was packing my groceries at the counter when a lady beside me said, “Wow, those are beautiful! Are they expensive?”
I replied, “Just a few dollars! I love buying them for the house.”
She pointed at one of the bouquets and said, “This one is my favorite!”
I handed it to her and said, “You may have it!”
She had a surprised look on her face and said, “Are you sure?!”
I told her, “This is going to sound strange but God was just telling me I needed to give flowers to someone, I guess it was you He wanted to bless! Have a wonderful day!”
_________________________________________________________________________________
In the book, Dwight Robertson poses a list of questions to help figure out some of your God Stories (page 118):
What have been spiritual turning points in your life – when God used a circumstance or life even to turn you toward Him? (summer camp 8th grade)
When did God unexpectedly show up for you? Surprise you? (Vegas)
When has God turned something painful in your life into something good?
How has God changed you? How are you different because of Him? (increase of patience)
How has God helped you – or your friends and family? Those are your stories! How has He used other people to make you more like Him?
Take time every day to think, and write down if you can, something that God did that day! It doesn’t matter how insignificant it seems, express gratefulness! God can use anything to bless us, teach us, encourage us, and encourage others!
A Karen Wheaton song I sang growing up states the WHY perfectly – “Look what the Lord has done, Look what the Lord has done, He healed my body, He touched my mind, He saved me it was just in time, I'm gonna praise His name, Each day He's just the same, Come on and praise Him, Look what the Lord has done!”
Be emboldened by your stories and go out and encourage the world!
**As a short side note: if you have a "cool original testimony" don't let that stop you from seeing the new things God is doing in your life every day!**
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