Supposedly, he’s an introvert (and I do believe him), but 2,300+ words later, I’d almost forgotten completely. I love his stories. Here’s our conversation.

*****

Marshall: So first of all, I really just wanted to learn more about what all you’re doing. For anyone who doesn’t know, are you planning some kind of trip in the near future? Where are you headed?

David: We are moving to Germany on May 2. This will be the third time we have been there. The first time was in 2005-06 for an internship with a church, and then we went for six weeks in 2008 with an organization called Let’s Start Talking. The town we will be serving in is Peine, Germany. It’s near Hannover.

The background

Marshall: So you’ve already been twice before. I knew you’d been once, but I didn’t know twice. Let’s go back to that first trip. Back then, what prompted you to go? Had you always been interested in missionary type work?

David: I was never interested in Missions when I was young. I thought missionaries only went to Africa and lived in huts down by a mosquito infested river.

Marshall:

David: The first time I realized that missionaries went all over the globe was in speech class. My speech teacher had just returned from 10 years in Russia.

I didn’t realize that Europe even needed missionaries. I think this is when the seed was planted in me, but I didn’t really consider it until a few years later.

My wife was a Missions major at Bible college (I wasn’t). She needed an internship in order to graduate. The college was actually going to let her pass without doing this requirement.

One day I decided it might be a good idea, so I started looking for internships.

I looked at several and Germany stuck out to me. The reason is because the church we were going to be working with focused in relationships. And in Germany, this is key.

Marshall: That’s interesting about your wife. I was actually going to ask about that… how involved she was in initiating the ideas (or if she was more on the other side… just going along with it).

So on that first trip, did you speak German?

David: Something funny…

We were sitting at Target when my wife said out of the blue, “David if you ever die I think I will be a missionary.” What!? She didn’t have to wait for me to die. I think this is what got me into thinking it was important. I think after that we were on the same page. It was a total surprise that I started looking for internships, but she was happy that I did.

I spoke very little German. I still do.

My wife speaks it better than I do.

Marshall: Wow, that’s a fantastic story.

I know the language side of things can scare people. I know it does for me. How has that worked out for you? (Evidently it hasn’t scared you off because you’re going back!)

David: I know it is going to be difficult to learn the language but I am in this for the long haul. If it takes me two or three years to learn the language, I will be fine with that.

Another little story…

Marshall: Oh, I love ‘em.

David: While on my internship, I walked over to a drink store and was paying the cashier. He said something to me. I of course didn’t understand. Then he yelled what he just said louder. Like a light bulb was going to go off and I was all of a sudden going to understand German. I think this was the first time I realized that yelling at people doesn’t help them understand your language.

Marshall: No kidding. Wow, that’s tense. Did someone eventually help you out, or did you just go on not knowing what he was saying?

David: He just shrugged his shoulders and handed me my receipt, and I left. No hard feelings – I was just a little embarrassed. Also I was thirsty, so what was I going to do?

Marshall: Yeah, I like that spirit. It’ll be tricky at times, but just brush yourself off and keep going.

The coming move

Marshall: So jumping back to this trip coming up in May, what’s the plan? First off, how long are you staying (or is this a more permanent move)?

David: It is more of a permanent move. As we speak, my wife is looking through our stuff and trying to decide what is going and what is going to be given away. We will come back every four years for furlough. Furlough will last about 4 months, and then we will go back for another 4 years.

Marshall: That’s incredible. This is something I’ve not really had a chance to ask any of my friends who’ve done something similar. It seems like you’re saying you take everything with you or give it away (you don’t leave any of it here for when you come back in other words). Is that right… at least in your case?

David: Every full-time missionary who leaves the states (that I have heard of) either gives it away or takes it with them. For us, we aren’t taking anything that can be purchased in Germany because it would be too expensive to ship. Also, we can’t take anything that plugs in because they use a different wattage than us.

Marshall: Right.

So when you come back, it’s mainly to get back in touch with old friends and relatives, not live for much time.

David: Oh, yeah, we don’t leave anything here in storage because we are basically starting our life anew over there.

Correct.

Marshall: And this coming trip will be the longest you’ve done so far? Is that right? How have you and your wife been preparing yourselves for it?

David: This will be the longest trip except this time, we won’t classify it as a trip because we’ll have our own apartment.

We have been ready to do this full-time for the last 4 years. We have had to visit churches, send letters, pray, feel confused on why support wasn’t coming in like we desire, so pray some more, send more letters and trust God.

Right now specifically we are in the beginning stages of packing. We got new glasses and driver licenses. There is so much to do I am not even sure of all of it yet.

Marshall: Once in Germany, what are your plans? Are you working with a local church there, or helping start one, or… just in general, what will your responsibilities be on a daily basis?

David: We will be working alongside an established church. The church is called Christusgemeinde (Christ Church). We will be hosting Let’s Start Talking (LST) teams. The teams will come for 6 weeks at a time and offer free English lessons. The text they use will be an easy to read version of the book of Luke. After the 6 weeks are over and the teams go back home Amanda and I will do the follow-up work.

Basically, we will build relationships with those who are still interested in learning English. The goal is for me to be their friend and plant seeds in their life. I will share Jesus with them through their lessons but also through my life. And if they don’t want any of that, I will still be their friend because they, like me, are created in the image of our Creator.

Marshall: That’s wonderful. As you said earlier, it seems you were drawn to this because of the relationship focus. I see what you mean now. I hear so often of the groups who go in, spread the word, but don’t offer any followup, so the roots never grow. I can see how what you’ll be doing will help in such a wonderful way.

It’s what we, as Christians, should be doing even in America, but I don’t necessarily think we always are. Just making friends.

David: I think our churches are trying, but a lot of the time we think small groups is the answer. It is to some extent, but we should also just be friends with people in just about any context.

Marshall: Absolutely. The small groups, as you said, still feel too churchy. They’re still not straight relationships.

Let’s see, can you share about developing those relationships in the past while you were there? Perhaps something where you felt God using you in a specific way to minister?

David: Let me tell you about my wife. My wife has some kind of magnetic pull with people who are special needs. She works at a school were most of the children have autism. In Germany, one of our friends is special needs, and my wife is wonderful with her.

I have a friendship that I have been building on for the last 6 years. My friend is an Atheist, and I do feel like God is using me. Out of everybody in the church I believe that I am the one who makes the best connection with him.

Other than this my wife and I have a desire to serve others. We feel God using us every time we can be hospitable and serve others. I don’t have any serving suggestions, though – that is your area of expertise.

Marshall: Thanks, David.

The advice for others

Marshall: Okay, what about someone who’s just starting to get interested in this kind of work. Perhaps they read this interview and it raises their curiosity. What advice would you give them on deciding if this is something they should pursue?

David: First, I have heard a lot of people tell me that they don’t have an interests in missions. I think they will never know if they don’t try. I think short-term missions is a wonderful idea. Maybe go for one or two weeks. If you didn’t like the country you visited, then maybe try another one. I am suited for Germany, but I don’t believe I would do well in China.

If they liked the missions trip, then maybe plan on going on another longer trip. For Amanda and I, we realized how important it was to go for nine months. This was because when one first goes on a missions trip, there is a sense that it is a vacation. Eventually, the vacation mode is replaced with culture shock. This is when the tears start to come and homesickness.

If a person can stick through this, then they have passed the test, or so I believe. If one is interested in missions work, then they should start with serving in their home church. Service starts at home.

I would add that one figure out what they are gifted at. If you are gifted at teaching children, then being a hospice chaplain may not be for you. Do what God has gifted you at.

We are not going through an organization, but these could be helpful also. Google search “Christian missionary organizations,” and that should produce a good list, or just ask your church what they are involved in.

Also, start having the leadership of your church pray for you about this. Missions takes time, support raising, sending letters, getting people to pray for you – these are all important.

Marshall: You said about nine months. Is that right after the point where it starts to get difficult then? I understand what you’re saying about the “vacation” feeling.

David: After 3 months, the vacation is over.

Marshall: I see.

All right, one more. What about the enthusiastic, “I’m totally doing this” person. I love the advice you already gave about preparing. What are some things, though, that you would do differently? Or maybe do more of something else if you could do it over again?

David: Pray more. I want to do it all myself, but everything is in God’s time. I would personally try harder to raise support. We are still only at 39% of our monthly finances. It can be intimidating to call churches and ask for money. As long as we do missions, we will be calling churches.

I think anxiety levels decrease when one depends on God for support. Though we depend on God, it takes a lot of hard work. Most of the time God doesn’t lay loads of money in our laps. We trust Him to help us raise support as we work to raise support.

Marshall: I’m a big fan of dependence, but yes, it’s totally difficult. That becomes even more obvious, I suppose, doing full-time ministry work.

The contact info

Marshall: Finally then, how can readers get in touch with you and support you and your family? What are some of the best ways?

David: I’ll give a few ways.

1. They can connect on Twitter (@davidaknapp) or Facebook.

2. They can visit our site at MosaicMercy.com.

-If they would like to find out how to support us, they can visit our site and click on the Plants Seeds photo in the sidebar, which will lead them to How To Partner With Us.

-If they want to contact us and ask any questions, they can do so on our contact page.

Marshall: Fantastic, David. I just checked, and right now, this interview is already over 2,000 words. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your Saturday to share.

David: Thanks for letting me speak about something I am very passionate about. This was the best interview I have ever been in.

Marshall: Thanks. We’ll have to do this again, especially once you settle in more in Germany. I’d love to get your perspective from the other side.

Well, I don’t really know how to end this. Do you have anything else you’d like to share?

David: Germany is awesome, Germans are great people, Germany needs more light, and we are the light of the world. God is good.

Marshall: Definitely. I’ve loved this. Just connecting more personally (though still not in person).

David: Absolutely.

Talk to you later then.

Marshall: Yes, see you around. Adios.

*****

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Visit David’s blog. Read around. Let him know I sent you. Comment. Connect. Encourage.

(2) This is the first interview I’ve done like this here. What did you think of it – should I do this more often? I’d love to get your suggestions on how I could make this better and more useful for you. Let me know in the comments.

—

Many thanks to David for his help putting this together. Also, happy Good Friday, everyone. Enjoy your Resurrection Sunday.

• Practice sharing your testimony – 6 steps
• How to win points but NOT influence people
• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 2)
• Try this to get clear on salvation
• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 1)

One of the most common excuses for not sharing the gospel is, “I don’t know what to say!” I think that’s only part of the problem, but I’ll go with it for a second.

If you don’t know what to say, why not practice it? And like I said, if you don’t practice, one of your friends probably doesn’t either.

Here’s the drill…

6 steps to finding a practice partner

1. Choose a close friend who’s also a Christian.

2. Ask your friend if you can practice your testimony on him/her. (If no, move on to asking someone else.)

3. Practice. Run through it.

4. Ask if your friend would like to practice on you. (If no, no problem.)

5. Ask if your friend would mind doing this again in the future. (If no, thank your friend for listening, but look for another practice partner.)

6. Set a time/date to practice again. [Very important.]

I’ve written a lot about testimonies before, and you might find some of that helpful. But you really don’t need to go through all that. I encourage you to go through this once, including setting up to do it again, before you even try to “improve” it.

This isn’t that difficult, but it is scary and awkward. If it’s scary awkward for you, though, it probably is for your friend too. Do your friend a favor and initiate.

And do the next person you should share your testimony with a favor and practice.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Step by step, one through six. This has got to be one of the most overlooked practices in Christianity.

(2) Have you ever practiced before? How’d it go? If not, how do you share so you know what you’re doing?

• How an introvert is becoming a missionary – with David Knapp
• How to win points but NOT influence people
• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 2)
• Try this to get clear on salvation
• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 1)

Do you actually care? (Photo: Samuel Trip)

Short answer for winning points but not influencing anyone in a positive direction:

Share a message of truth instead of a message of love.

I think we’ve all experienced this before.

A not-quit-friend approaches you and attempts to convince you of some wonderful truth. It doesn’t even have to be Christian. It could be as simple as a fitness program (based on ancient principles, no doubt) that promises to catapult you into a happy, pappy, thin, and trim person.

And maybe the program really is outstanding. Trouble is, you’ll never know because you won’t give it a shot.

This pal of yours isn’t sharing out of a genuine desire to improve your life. Your pal’s gunning for points – nothing else. Your pal wants influence, not improvement. Thanks a load, pal.

Selling for points

We all do it.

Why do Girl Scouts sell cookies? They’re sure not doing it to enrich your life with joy and gladness. While I have nothing against the Scouts (and I love the cookies), I know they’re primary motivation isn’t to bless me.

Same applies to those 12-year-old baseball players selling raffle tickets door-to-door. And, I’d guess, the same applies to those cycling Jehovah Witnesses who try to share their gospel on your porch.

They’re “selling” to you to win “points” for themselves. They’re not in it to make you a better person. Seriously.

Your pal wants more program members. The Girl Scouts want to meet their quota. The ball players want to buy new jerseys. Maybe the Jehovah Witnesses do too.

They all have motives, but their motives aren’t you.

Are you selling for points?

I’d guess 85% of “evangelism” is for points. What about you? Are you sharing the gospel, or any recommendation for that matter, to win points?

Everyone oohs and aahs when you win a soul for Christ. Everyone respects you when you bring loads of friends to church. But is that why you share?

Do you share the gospel because it’s the right thing to do? Or do you share because you care about people? If you do care, do they know it? Does God?

Truth is not enough

Truth, as you know, is easy to share. Truth is bits and pieces. You and I can share truth in bite-sized chunks. Then duck.

Truth is part of love, but truth by itself is not love. Contrary to popular opinion, you do have to like people to love them. Love is a comprehensive package. You and particularly I forget that way, way too much… but the people we’re sharing with never do.

They don’t care about truth – they want love. I know because that’s why I’m a Christian: the love, not the truth.

Sharing truth will win you points. That’s why it’s dangerous – because it looks like you’re making progress. But it rarely influence anyone. So turn this around…

Share a message of love instead of a message of truth.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Share your testimony with others but share it because you care about them as individuals, not because you want to “get someone saved.”

(2) Share what you know with others but share it because you care about them as individuals, not because you want to “set ‘em straight.”

• Why you can’t just “be yourself”
• How transparent should we be with non-Christians?
• The Opening Principle: How to help others open up
• How a youth pastor quit to write and speak – with Josh Riebock
• How an introvert is becoming a missionary – with David Knapp

Jesus humanized God's awesomeness. (Photo: Flowery *L*u*z*a*)

You have to believe Jesus died then came back to life to be a Christian. I mean that literally, not like some metaphoric tale from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Jesus actually died then came back to life.

But that’s not enough for salvation, which leads to my next question:

“Do you believe Jesus was a man and God?”

The question links directly back to Part 1. And if you believe Part 1, the rest isn’t far off. Here’s how:

• If you believe Jesus died, you’re close to believing He was a man. Gods don’t die the way we do, and Jesus died the way we do.
• If you believe Jesus came back to life, you’re close to believing He was God. People don’t come back to life by themselves, and Jesus did.

Most people have more trouble believing that Jesus is God than that Jesus was a man. They agree with many of Jesus’s teachings. For example, they (mostly) appreciate the Sermon on the Mount. But they often don’t agree when Jesus claims to be God:

“I and My Father are one.” -John 10:30

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him… He who has seen Me has seen the Father…” -John 14:7,9

Don’t worry about trying to beef up Jesus’s authority on other matters without first pointing out that He died and came back to life. The “coming back to life” part of His bio has authority built into it. Keep this in mind when you share.

But other people have died then come back to life before, so this second part is also crucial for salvation. Bluntly again, you’re not a Christian if you don’t believe that…

• Jesus was a man.
• Jesus is God.

Putting this together with the first part…

“Do you believe Jesus died then came back to life, was a man and is God?

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Do you believe that? I’ve drawn a line (but didn’t make it up). Now choose which side you’re on.

(2) Are you emphasizing this as part of the starting point for Christianity? It doesn’t have to be a judgmental thing. It’s just a matter of finding where everyone stands. It’s the beginning of serving others on a whole new level.

• Try this to get clear on salvation
• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 1)
• Your testimony revolution: Shifting your story to change lives
• People pleasing vs. people pleasing: What’s the difference?
• What I’m learning from questions, Monkey Town, and questions about Monkey Town

But there’s a problem… at least for me. I can’t define in clear terms the requirements for salvation. Can you? As a Christian, this is a fundamental belief I can’t continue to overlook. And if you’re not clear on it, neither can you.

Let me give an example of how salvation can get muddy.

The virgin birth example

I believe Mary, Jesus’s mother, was a virgin when Jesus was conceived. To me, that’s an important part of my belief in Christ – without it, I find it difficult to hold that Jesus was in fact Christ, God in human form.

But is a belief in the virgin birth required for salvation? No, I don’t think it is.

Here’s why. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was five years old. At the time, I had no idea what “virgin” even meant. Some might say I couldn’t have received Christ into my heart so young because I didn’t fully understand what it meant. I can only appeal to my own experience and similar experiences of others on this, but I’m pretty sure I did accept Christ that day.

I don’t say this to get into an argument about the importance of Jesus’s virgin birth – many other similar example apply as well. What I’m getting at is this: you and I need to define clearly what’s required for salvation and cut out what’s not… at least for now.

To start…

Salvation is based on what we believe, not what we fail to believe.

As a five year old, I failed to believe in the virgin birth because I didn’t understand it. If I had fully understood it and actively denied it, that might have been more of a problem. But since I didn’t fully understand, I don’t think it stood in the way of my salvation.

But that’s tricky. Almost anytime someone doesn’t believe a specific detail, we could write it off as a lack of understanding. For example, what if someone says they don’t believe Jesus died on the cross? We could assume that’s because they don’t understand how it could happen. But is that on the same level as the virgin birth?

No, I don’t believe it is. So the question is…

What elements of salvation are crucial for a belief in salvation?

That’s the question I’d like you and I to flesh out in detail.

I know, I know – this can get deep. This is the territory of theologians and professional Bible studiers. But as Christians whose job it is to share salvation with others, we better get fairly clear on it. Otherwise, we’re wasting everyone’s time trying to reach the lost world.

I’ve started sharing what I think is crucial in You’re not a Christian if… (Part 1) and plan to expand on that. But more than agree with me, I  hope you can run through this process on your own.

Here’s my challenge for you (and me) in constructing salvation:

Construct salvation so a five year old can believe.

I don’t mean dumb it down. I don’t mean drop out essentials. I mean get specific about what’s actually required in terms anyone can understand.

If you’re a parent, you might have already gone through this. My challenge is to keep salvation that simple… not make it more complicated for anyone over five years old.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Begin contructing salvation. Write it out in clear, non-Christian terms.

(2) Share some of what you come up with in the comments.

• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 2)
• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 1)
• Your testimony revolution: Shifting your story to change lives
• People pleasing vs. people pleasing: What’s the difference?
• What I’m learning from questions, Monkey Town, and questions about Monkey Town

The message of the cross is the message. (Photo: Ihar)

So you’re chatting with a friend, and she says, “Well, I’m a Christian, and I’m Baptist.”

Or, “I’m Catholic.”

Or, “I’m Episcopalian.”

Or, “I’m Emergent.”

Or, “I’m…”

Forget all that for a moment (perhaps forever). What does “Christian” mean? Step back and start off with the basics:

“Do you believe that Jesus died then came back to life?”

In Christianity, we often take that one for granted. I’m consistently amazed at how many people call themselves Christians but deny these basic beliefs.

So here’s the (not James) blunt version: you’re not a Christian if you don’t believe that…

• Jesus died.
• Then Jesus came back to life.

Nice and simple, and I wish it were more obvious. That’s why I’m trying to keep this ridiculously straight forward here.

If you don’t believe those two things, in order, you are not a Christian. Don’t be offended if I say that. And don’t be offended if I hold onto those like crazy.

I don’t think believing these alone make you a Christian – there’s more to it. But if you do, you’re way, way ahead of everyone else. And certainly not far off from joining the ranks of the Jesus Freaks.

So as a bondChristian, your job is to make those two points inescapably clear. Those who say they’re Christian can’t back down when you (or anyone else) start pressing those two criteria. A lot of other stuff is debatable – in Christianity, these aren’t.

It’s a crazy radical belief – I don’t deny that. But it’s the foundation for all things Christian. The rest of Christianity makes no sense without Jesus dying and coming back to life. That’s why it’s important to stay very clear on it.

“[I]f Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.” -1 Corinthians 15:14

Yes, I’m confident God could somehow reveal Himself to islanders off the coast of Africa without talking specifically about Jesus dying and coming back to life. Also, I’m sure many of the Old Testament believers didn’t know the specifics of how Jesus would save the world. But…

But this is the New Testament. We know. And we have the Bible. Or at least we’ve had the opportunity. You and I actively denying that Jesus died and came back to life is much different from the naive islanders or believers before Jesus.

Believing that Jesus died then came back to life is crucial for you and me and everyone we share with.

If you haven’t believed this in the past, you’re not hopelessly lost – you can still choose to believe right now. That’s the beauty of it all.

Also, if you or someone you’re sharing with doesn’t believe this, telling them probably isn’t going to change anything, especially if they’re just taking my word for it. That’s not necessarily the point of this article.

This article is here to get the conversation going, just like the question at the beginning. Because whether you believe or not, it’s a good idea to at least acknowledge your position.

“Do you believe Jesus died then came back to life?”

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Do you believe that? I’ve drawn a line (but didn’t make it up). Now choose which side you’re on.

(2) Are you emphasizing this as the starting point for Christianity? It doesn’t have to be a judgmental thing. It’s just a matter of finding where everyone stands. It’s the beginning of serving others on a whole new level.

• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 2)
• Try this to get clear on salvation
• How to “one-more” and take advantage of incremental growth
• Option overload
• Your testimony revolution: Shifting your story to change lives

Jenn Joshua from Our Generation asked me to write a guest post for her blog about friendship and evangelism. If you’re visiting from her blog, welcome – thank you for stopping by. If you haven’t yet seen the post, go read it here:

• “To friend or not to friend: Top 10 thoughts on adding friendship to evangelism“

I’ve written about sharing the gospel before. Specifically, I’ve written two groups of posts about relating to people through personal experience and interaction:

• “The ‘How to be interesting’ series“
• “Your testimony revolution: Shifting your story to change lives“

Still, I’d not covered the topic of how friendship works in evangelism. It’s something I’ve been exploring on and off for for the past year or two (though Jenn didn’t know that when she asked). I’d like to think I learn about it because it fascinates me (which is true), but it’s mostly because I need all the help I can get.

(Which reminds me – if you have any suggestions, let me know.)

As I was writing the guest post, I thought of three books that have influenced me the most in my understanding and motivation for evangelism. I thought I’d share them with you.

1. The Bible: Of course, you don’t need an introduction to this book. Specifically, though, check out the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for examples of how Jesus introduces the gospel to the woman at the well, Nicodemus, and even Pontius Pilate and how He trains His disciples.

2. The Soul Winner by Charles Spurgeon: This is intense – it took me a long time to wade through this (it’s not long – just densely packed). But, if you can get through it, it’s a fantastic resource for developing an overall perspective on salvation, evangelism, and discipleship.

3. Out of the Saltshaker & into the World by Rebecca Manley Pippert: This is much more accessible. The stories she shares matched many of experiences (and fears) perfectly. While Spurgeon’s book focuses more on the mindset, Pippert offers the practical skills for sharing the gospel.

I hope you’re able to use some of these resources. Bringing others closer to Christ (or introducing them to Him for the first time) is the best way to serve others and glorify God. It should be our primary mission in life. As Jesus said:

“Go, therefore, and make disciples…” -Matthew 28:19

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Visit Our Generation, if you haven’t already,  and read the post (and leave comments).

(2) Visit the About page, if you’re visiting from Our Generation, and introduce yourself.

• People pleasing vs. people pleasing: What’s the difference?
• Ask yourself these 40 questions to evaluate your premises
• What’s your premise? ‘Cause Machiavelli had the right tactics
• Learning what people REALLY want
• 37 solid strategies to find out what they want

Photo by Randy OHC

Who does that, right? Who even thinks like that? Who even wants anyone to think like that?

Marketing to serve others is impossible. Marketing is evil. Marketers are liars. And anyone wanting to be marketed to is a moron.

I used to think something like that. Ah, but like so many other misnomers, it’s not the tool but the craftsman who makes it evil.

Marketing (the tool) tells people what they want or need to hear about.

Imagine you’re the inventor of Blue Bell Ice Cream. That’s fantastic – your product has a lot of potential. But who cares if no one knows about it. Marketing is telling the would-be, ice cream lovers about the deliciousness.

Marketing asks the question, How can I tell people what they want or need to hear? (And marketing follows up with action to make it happen.)

Thanks to selfishness, though, marketing (ironically) developed a bad reputation.

1. For some, marketing means lying. It’s often about finding ways to trick customers into thinking you’re offering what they want or need to hear. Enter cheesy, crazy promotional stunts.

2. For some, marketing means spam (not the spicy ham variety). Marketing is associated with marketers bombarding everyone with some worthless product offer, hoping some random fool will go for it.

Both these strategies, lying and spamming, are lousy. I’d argue they’re lousy for the marketer too, but they’re especially lousy for the potential customer. Who wants lies or spam?

But there’s another side to marketing. The other side actually has an amazing product. The other side promotes the amazing product to people who actually want or need it. That’s good marketing – that’s serving others.

For some, marketing means serving others.

And you know it’s serving others because the “others” actually want or need the product.

Marketing is a tool. You can use it to serve others or [not serve] others. It’s not marketing that’s the problem if it’s used the wrong way. It’s the marketer. Like any other power tool, you can either embrace marketing  to use it to serve others for God’s glory or ignore it to let others take advantage of it instead.

I’m sure you can guess what I suggest.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Start by recommending something you’re enthusiastic about. Somehow Christians have developed the belief that marketing equals evangelizing, that it’s wrong to market anything else. But if something helps others, even if it’s not explicitly Christian, isn’t it serving others to market it?

(2) While you’re at it, recommend something for us here in the comments. I’ll start…

• How an introvert is becoming a missionary – with David Knapp
• Why I’m NOT a big fan of authenticity
• Practice sharing your testimony – 6 steps
• How to win points but NOT influence people
• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 2)

After beginning, though, I realized it doesn’t take ten verses to share the gospel. I also realized I already knew enough verses to share the gospel (you probably do to). Here’s what I use:

Romans 3:23 >> John 3:16 >> Acts 16:31

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” -Romans 3:23

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” -John 3:16

“…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…” -Acts 16:31

I like this set up because it’s the perfect sales pitch (in a good way). Romans 3:23 reveals the problem. John 3:16 gives the solution. Acts 16:31 calls you to a specific action.

What could be better? Don’t bother trying to make up the gospel message in your own words – just tell it like it is, the way God wrote it.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) If you haven’t memorized these three sections of Scripture, I encourage you to go for it. Even if you know all the sections, practice a couple times repeating them in order (including the references).

(2) Share this with someone else. Teach (or remind) someone of the gospel, the good news.

• How an introvert is becoming a missionary – with David Knapp
• Practice sharing your testimony – 6 steps
• How to win points but NOT influence people
• “You’re not a Christian if…” (Part 2)
• Try this to get clear on salvation

Photo by House Of Sims

Testimony revolution? Check.

Testimony planned? Check.

Testimony lived? Check.

What’s left? Your friend is still waiting to hear it.

We’re accustomed to presenting our testimony without having clear goals. We tell a story. But often, we don’t know why we’re telling the story. We just tell – or ramble.

We know the testimony is supposed to bring glory to God. Yes, we’ve heard that 7 septillion times. It’s not much help, though, because we don’t understand how a testimony actually accomplishes that.

If we ask our legal friends or marketing mates, they tell us of…

Three Types of Testimonies

1) “Just the facts”: professional, accurate, measurable
2) Expert testimony: given by experts in their field
3) Personal experience: based on an account of personal reality

Uh oh, complication: you will give all three types in one testimony. You need to include “just the facts” for your testimony to be credible. You need information that is measurable and accurate.

But you also need an interpretation of those facts. You’re the expert. You’re the only one who’s lived your life. Apart from God, you know your situation best and should convey this in your testimony.

Your testimony should stay trustworthy while saturated with life, or no one will care. Often, testimonies lean to one side or the other, toward facts alone or experience alone. Your testimony needs balance.

To help, I’ve broken this down to give your testimony four goals. And to keep it memorable (read: corny), I’ve worked it into an acronym. Maybe it’ll help you remember (it helped me).

What to include

Grace
Audience
Truth
Experience

This is your GATE for your friend. The purpose of your testimony is to include all four parts of the GATE.

Grace

“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…” – Ephesians 3:8

All is given from God. You didn’t work for it. You didn’t help God do it. You didn’t contribute any part to your abundant life with Christ.

Your accomplishments might seem impressive to you. Ha, don’t kid yourself – they’re not impressive to your audience. If, on the other hand, your accomplishments seem scrawny, don’t worry. Grace is the reason people listen to the gospel. Grace is the reason your testimony can impact others. You’re testimony should compel others to see how God has worked in your life, not what you’ve done for God.

Audience

“I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” – 1 Corinthians 9:22

Without an audience, you have nothing to share. Adapt to them. You testimony is not a sales pitch – it’s a product review. We don’t respond well to advertisement when we’re being gamed. Your testimony will persuade based on results, the results of Jesus Christ in your heart.

If you argue your testimony, you lose your audience. If you force your testimony on your audience, they build walls to keep you out. Work with them. Include them in the plot. Give them what they want to know about life with Christ.

Truth

“A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.” – Proverbs 14:25

Truth conveys authority. The random bum on the street can make up a fun story. Your audience doesn’t want that “fun story”. Think product review, remember? Keep your story interesting by modifying the structure to fit the audience, but maintain accurate details.

Don’t exaggerate. Tell what you know. Authenticity is the key to a compelling testimony. If you still struggle with pride, don’t hide it by saying God cured you. From your friend’s perspective, no one is perfect. Don’t pretend you are. Show your friend the real Christ-follower.

Experience

“…be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” – 1 Timothy 4:12

What’s a testimony without experience? Deliver your testimony from an excruciatingly personal perspective. Explain how your feelings and thoughts have changed, but do it through examples. General terms don’t mean anything to your audience without concrete examples.

Imagine Betty Lou telling you she saved a bunch of money through a program she purchased. Now imagine Betty Lou telling you she saved $100 on groceries this week because of the program. Which is more convincing? Your testimony is a story. Stories need details.

Taking this GATE as a guide, tell what you’ve lived…

How to include it

Start with Scripture to support why you live a certain way. Try this:

1) Quote a Bible passage. Example:

“…idle chatter leads only to poverty.” - Proverbs 14:23

2) Explain how you lived it. Example:

“Instead of idle chatter, which wasted countless hours of my life, I started consciously digging into deeper conversations, and I’ve since gained a wealth of new friends…”

If you followed the steps in the planning article, you could use Galatians 5:22-23. This formula draws your friend into your experiences while leading back to the Word of God.

Keep it brief. Shoot for less than five minutes (unless you’re presenting your testimony formally for a large audience and are required to speak for a longer period). Ideally, you should be able to talk forever about Christ in your life. But your friend doesn’t want that speech.

Limit your story so your friend doesn’t feel obligated to listen to your personal War and Peace. Your testimony needn’t to include your life story – it’s an example of how you live with Christ.

Encourage your friend to ask questions. If you fill in all the gaps, leaving nothing out, your friend will burn out. End your story while your friend wants more. Remember, you share your testimony for your friend’s benefit, not your own.

You want to find common ground so your friend can relate. Your experience as a Christian will set you apart enough. Don’t worry about trying to be different (everyone’s different anyway, right?).

Stay flexible. Don’t get too comfortable in one testimony. God might want you to tell some other detail or structure it in a different way.

Sometimes you might quote three verses with three different examples from your life. Other times you might quote only one verse and give many subtle examples or quote many verses, relating them all to one experience in your life. Or you might…

“…Hold it, Marshall, that’s enough.”

Yeah, okay.

I’m making up these suggestions as I go now. And you can too. You can expand, contract, add humor, add Scripture, include friends in a group testimony, or create one that includes only you and God. It’s entirely flexible to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you.

Be available. That’s all God wants. He’ll take care of you.

“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” – Luke 12:11-12

You don’t need me here to walk you through each of these steps for compiling your story. Tell how God’s worked in your life. Consider your audience. Hold the truth. Offer detailed experience.

That’s it. Like pie, if you can make it through baking it, delivery is easy.

Now, where’s that friend of yours?

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Another “go do it” suggestion. You have the tools. All you need now is the decision and the action.

(2) Bonus: See if you can work your testimony creation into your testimony. I did this the other day. I told my friend what God’s shown me about creating my testimony. When you consider it, every action in your life can count as testimony material. Get in the habit of using it all.

• Convo-Tip #5: Own a conversation starter
• Convo-Tip #4: Ask for advice or opinions
• Convo-Tip #3: Speak like a singer
• Convo-Tip #2: Ask a deep question… twice
• Convo-Tip #1: Acknowledge awkwardness but go forward anyway