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What?!Why?!How?!!!
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What?!!...!do!your!friends!currently!think!re!your!faith?!...!is!it!exactly,!we!want!to!say?!!!!
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Why?!!...!bother!saying!anything?!...!not!leave!people!alone?!!!
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How?!!...!to!say!something!without!causing!offense!...!to!say!something!to!provoke!response!!!
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What?!!...!do!your!friends!currently!think!re!your!faith?!...!is!it!exactly,!we!want!to!say?!!!!
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What!is!it!we!want!to!say?!prior!question!what!is!the!gospel?!gospel!=!good!news!good!news!=!God!turned!up!to!rescue!us!!!!
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What!is!the!gospel?!• !we’re!deeply!loved!• !we!have!hope!and!a!future!we!don’t!deserve!• !there’s!forgiveness,!reconciliation!and!new!life!• !but!there!remains!condemnation!for!rebels!!!!
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What!is!the!gospel?!• !God!• !Man!!• !God!• !What!if!you!do?!• !What!if!you!don’t?!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!–!made!a!perfect!world!!–!wrecked!it!by!wanting!to!do!his!own!thing!!–!calls!everyone!to!put!him!back!as!No!1!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!–!through!Jesus,!totally!forgives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!–!face!God’s!judgment!!
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What!is!it!we!want!to!say?!• !not!a!rehearsed!gospel!outline!!• !but!you!have!to!be!clear!on!the!good!news!• !so!you!know!what!you’re!NOT!trying!to!say!• !and!you’re!heading!in!the!right!direction!toward!!!the!end!goal!of!sharing!the!good!news.!!!!
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Why?!!...!bother!saying!anything?!...!not!leave!people!alone?!!!
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Why?!1!Peter!3!But&even&if&you&should&suffer&for&what&is&right,&you&are&blessed.&“Do¬&fear&what&they&fear;&do¬&be&frightened.”&15&But&in&your&hearts&set&apart&Christ&as&Lord.&Always&be&prepared&to&give&an&answer&to&everyone&who&asks&you&to&give&the&reason&for&the&hope&that&you&have.&But&do&this&with&gentleness&and&respect,&16&keeping&a&clear&conscience...&&
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Why?!Colossians!4!5&Be&wise&in&the&way&you&act&toward&outsiders;&make&the&most&of&every&opportunity.&6&Let&your&conversation&be&always&full&of&grace,&seasoned&with&salt,&so&that&you&may&know&how&to&answer&everyone.&&
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Why?!2!Corinthians!5!!!14#For&Christ’s&love&compels&us,&because&we&are&convinced&that&one&died&for&all,&and&therefore&all&died.&15#And&he&died&for&all,&that&those&who&live&should&no&longer&live&for&themselves&but&for&him&who&died&for&them&and&was&raised&again.!!
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Why?!2!Corinthians!5!!!16#So&from&now&on&we®ard&no&one&from&a&worldly&point&of&view.&Though&we&once®arded&Christ&in&this&way,&we&do&so&no&longer.&17#Therefore,&if&anyone&is&in&Christ,&he&is&a&new&creation;&the&old&has&gone,&the&new&has&come!&18#All&this&is&from&God,&who&reconciled&us&to&himself&through&Christ&and&gave&us&the&ministry&of&reconciliation:&19#that&God&was&reconciling&the&world&to&himself&in&Christ,¬&counting&men’s&sins&against&them.&And&he&has&committed&to&us&the&message&of&reconciliation.&&
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Why?!2!Corinthians!5!!!20#We&are&therefore&Christ’s&ambassadors,&as&though&God&were&making&his&appeal&through&us.&We&implore&you&on&Christ’s&behalf:&Be&reconciled&to&God.&21#God&made&him&who&had&no&sin&to&be&sin&for&us,&so&that&in&him&we&might&become&the&righteousness&of&God.&!
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Why?!...!bother!saying!anything?!
!Scriptures!urge!us!to!have!a!ready!answer!!we!are!compelled!by!the!love!of!Christ!!we!are!Christ’s!ambassadors!
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Why?!...!not!leave!people!alone?!
!love!!arrogant?!!beggars!telling!other!beggars!where!they!!can!Rind!bread!
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How?!!...!to!say!something!without!causing!offense!...!to!say!something!to!provoke!response!!!
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How?!with!gentleness!and!respect!with!a!clear!conscience!full!of!grace,!seasoned!with!salt!with!a!sense!of!urgency!sense!of!honour!!!!
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How?!• !simple!invitation!• !promise!to!pray!• !recall!an!experience!• !recount!something!you’ve!learnt!!!
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How?!• !refuse!an!invitation!• !tell!them!what!you!love!about!your!church!• !add!a!Christian!perspective!on!world!event!• !share!a!book!you’ve!found!helpful!!!!!
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How?!• !prepare!an!answer!for!‘how!come!you’re!always!so!caring/hopeful/generous/joyful?’!• !“I&know&how&loved&I&am”&• &“because&Jesus&has&been&so&generous&to&me”&
• &“because&I&know&God&is&good”!!!!
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How?!• !!“I’ve&learned&to&trust&God&for&everything”&• &“I&know&I’m&accountable&to&God”&
• &“I&know&God&is&with&me&all&the&time”&
• &“I&just&pray&about&it&and&the&Lord&helps&me”!!!!
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How?!Have!in!mind!some!one!liners!which!will!draw!people!in!or!intrigue!–!even!provoke!them!–!eg:!- its$not$about$religion$but$about$rela.onship$- I'm$not$into$religion$- Chris.anity$is$completely$upside$down$to$
religion$!
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How?!- its$not$about$what$we$do$for$God,$but$what$he$
has$done$for$us$- I$deserve$nothing$from$God$- God$doesn't$owe$me$anything$- why$blame$God$for$what$people$have$stuffed$up?$- God$loves$you$more$than$you$can$imagine&!!!
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How?!Remember&some&retorts&to&common&challenges:&You$don’t$believe$that$nonsense$do$you?$
$What$makes$you$say$it’s$nonsense?$A$man$doing$miracles$–$it’s$all$made$up$
$But$Jesus$was$God$turned$up$in$person!&&!
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How?!The$church$has$done$terrible$things$over$the$years$
$I$totally$agree.$Shocking!$$$But$also$–$lots$of$good$–$welfare,$hospitals$etc$
The$roof$would$fall$in$if$I$turned$up$to$church$
$Well$I’m$there$every$week$and$it$hasn’t$yet!&&!
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How?!General&2ps&
!Never!get!in!to!a!heated!argument!!“with!gentleness!and!respect”!“with!grace”!!Always!take!the!conversation!back!to!Jesus!!Know!something!about!the!history!
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How?!CRITICAL&2ps&
!It’s!all!about!rela9onship!!just!say!something!!live!consistently!with!what!you!believe!!pray!!good!works!–!1!Peter!2:11Z12,!Matt!5:14Z16!
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