The greatest gift we can ever give someone who doesn't yet know Jesus is an introduction to Him. Sharing our life stories is the most powerful way to show the transforming power and salvation offered through Jesus Christ. When we tell our stories of transformation, we tell the story of God.
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Take 2-min surveyGroup Discussion: Which of these reluctant reasons do you relate to most? How could the insights offered in response to those reasons give you more confidence to share your story?
Invite someone to pray, asking for the Spirit’s leading as each of your group members prepare to write their personal faith story.
Are you ready to share your stories? It’s now your opportunity to write a 3-5 minute version of your story and then practice sharing it with someone in the group. We suggest using a three-part outline to help you write your story. That same outline is apparent in the story of Jesus healing a blind man in John 9:1-34:
Dave and Jon Ferguson offer this commentary on Jesus’ interaction with the blind man:
“As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth” (John 9:1). We don't know this man's name. We only know that he's blind and has been all his life. Then a little later, John tells us he's the man who used to sit and beg (John 9:8). So not only is he blind, but he also begs for a living.
As Jesus comes across this man, he does a very strange thing. He spits on the ground, makes mud from it, and spreads the mud over the blind man's eyes. If this were my story, I'm not sure I would have loved the idea of someone spreading spit-filled mud on my eyes. But the blind man cooperates and follows Jesus’ next instructions to wash out his eyes.
Then look what happens: “So the man went and washed and came back seeing” (John 9:7). A miracle! This man who had been blind since birth suddenly can see! Can you even imagine? For years you've lived in utter darkness, and in a matter of minutes Jesus smears mud over your eyes and now you can see as clear as day.
Obviously, the guy is blown away — and he can't keep quiet. When his neighbors ask him what happened, he says: “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see” (John 9:11).
Notice this man can't fully explain how it happened. And I'm guessing he was a little hesitant to share about the spitting part, so he simply tells him what Jesus did and how his life is now forever changed.
What I love about this story is that we can't always explain exactly what happened after we chose to follow Jesus either. We just know what happened. And that's OK.
Later, when the man is asked again about what happened, he says, “I was blind but now I see” (John 9:25). I love his reply! He didn’t try to quote Scripture or articulate theology. He simply shared his story. (Ferguson, p. 123-124)
Here are five story-writing tips for writing your story:
Here are some questions to consider as you write your story in the space below:
Special Note: If you’re someone who is still asking questions and has not yet committed your life to Christ, we want to invite you to simply share where you are in your spiritual journey, as you feel comfortable. All of us are in different places spiritually. As group members share their stories, you’ll hear how each one has taken different spiritual steps to arrive at where they are today.
Instructions for writing, sharing, and debriefing our three-part stories:
Next week we will dive into our seventh rhythm, Worship - Both in our personal lives and as a church family, we intentionally praise God as our King, expressing our gratefulness for all He has done and giving Him all glory as we worship and celebrate all that He is.
Between now and our next meeting together, your homework is to complete the Daily Reflections 31-35.
We hope you had a great experience with our Life in Rhythm study. Please take two minutes to complete this short survey and let us know how we can serve you better. We'd also love to here your story! Please share a story of how you’ve sensed God speaking into your life or your group through the Life in Rhythm series!
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