Hello,

First I would like to implore you to drop the idea that they need to "feel" the way you did when you came to Christ. How they "feel" about it is not the important thing (although it would be awesome if they did). The important thing is that they hear and understand the gospel message. And I mean specifically by that the message of Christ and what HE DID on the cross. NOT how He made you feel and what He changed about your behavior. Those things can be helpful but they are not the gospel.

So, how to start the conversation. I can usually start one whenever I feel Im being led by the Spirit to do so. And he moves me to do so quite often. However, i did pick up some training along the way. I am familiar with several gospel sharing methods and they are all ok, to a point. The best one I have seen to date is called Evangelism Explosion. Or EE for short. It presents 2 questions that are AWESOME to get a conversation started. Even if you hate EE these two questions ROCK and help start a conversation as well as pinpoint what the person is trusting in to get eternal life.

The questions are as follows...

1. Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you are certain that if you were to die you would have eternal life?

2. Suppose you were to die and stand before God and He were to ask you "Why should I let you into My Heaven?" What would you say?  

Now... One more important note.

The gospel is OFFENSIVE. Not everyone is going to believe. In fact very few will come. The low success rate of converting people has moved Christians and Churches to try to offer a less offensive gospel that in the end winds up being no gospel at all.

Don't be afraid to get some training! Paul went away for a bit to do the same thing.

Grace and peace to you and may the Lord make you a mighty fisher of men!

~Michael

I was an Athiest. I can speak from experience in saying that everything that MC_Shann said is completely and totally wrong. People 'selling' Christianity like a common good to needy consumers, in the manner that MC described, were the reason I was Athiest as long as I was. Don't attack people with the Word, though it be a sword.

Honestly, there is one simple step to sharing the Gospel and the love of Christ: be genuinely compassionate for the person you're sharing with. Love them wholy. I don't mean give a homeless man a meal and then share with him. Truly seek to understand the person so that you can truly say that you love them for who they are, rather than know them for who they aren't (Christian). Love them and then let your behavior shine as a light to them and they will see and wonder. When they ask a question, explain and expand on your faith. If they don't ask a question, eventually you'll say something about church (don't try to do this. You can tell when someone brings something up on purpose, trust me.) that contradicts what they think. They'll ask a question and you can explain a better way than what they know, the true way. The loving way.

Love truly and the rest will follow. It will be easy when it is right, but don't push it. God will work out His will. But I could be very wrong. I'm still young in faith (and in age, at sixteen :P).

Edit: But I'd like to add this: Don't compromise with the Gospel. Don't sell anyone short of the truth. Don't tell someone that they're going to become rich and happy and life will be easy once they've accepted Christ. Don't cheapen our faith. What does it matter if everyone is a Christian if no one knows what a Christian is anymore? Let them know that being a disciple is supposed to mean a different way of living, even if all don't follow it. Tell them about the early disciples and how they lived, and that giving ten percent and being a Christian on Sundays doesn't cut it. (It does, but your heart will not be with you.) Help them to their feet, but don't do it by giving them crutches.

The majority of people get weirded out when you talk to them about religion (me included). A lot of times if you try to talk about it, you sound preachy which turns people off. 

http://media.vineyardcolumbus.org/jh/media/mp3s/2005/07_breathe03.mp3

Really good sermon on how to talk about Jesus with anyone.  I've listened to this sermon a lot, it is very helpful.

One thing that might be helpful is to try to be the Gospel to other people: which means you can't really share it with everyone.  Sure you could sure the bullet points of the Gospel with everyone.  But you can't be God's love to everyone. 

Really loving other a people a lot and letting it be known that it is because you are the man whose debts have been forgiven (the man, referring to do the one in the parable), and therefore you can't but do likewise to others is the best way to go.

@StrokeofThought@xanga - Really interested in the sermon, but the link you've provided doesn't work!

If someone wants to learn about God they'll go to church. Stay in church, and when someone comes in those doors wanting more information there is your chance. 

One method is to live by the mantra --- 'people must know that you care before they care what you know.'   Live as a Christian.  Show you care about the person.  Use subtle ways, a shirt which proclaims a message for example or read the Bible openly, to incite a question.  Provide help to all without seeking remuneration.  If someone asks, then you are invited to share the hope that is in you.  A witness is more than just words. 

There are some people, and even whole denominations, that teach that we are all supposed to verbally evangelize.  That really messed me up and caused our Father to lose face with those whom I tried desperately to convince into the Kingdom.

Being as swift as I am, it only took me about a decade to figure out this was accomplishing the opposite of what it was intended to.  Eventually, I studied the scripture enough to realize that all I was being taught was not what it was saying.  Paul put all the gifts of the Spirit as equal though he adjured that some pray for prophesy to be manifested in their groups.  And the Great Commission is not to evangelize all nations, but to make disciples of all nations.  This requires all the gifts.

In my 25+ years of being in the church I have noticed that lifestyle evangelism is the most powerful.  That means being a transparent child of the Most High.  The effects of His love on a life have a much more potent effect on the observer than a million well assembled words.  When one goes to Him regularly and is filled to overflowing with His love, it can't help but be spilled out on those around them.  When those who belong to Him suffer horribly, but come through it with more wisdom, strength, mercy, grace and love, this speaks volumes to the observers.

Bathing in the love of our Father accomplishes everything for the one who has entered through the love performed on the cross.

Yeah, the first entry nails it. I wank you JERKWADS to get the hell away from me!

I want to unsubscribe. Can you understand? TAKE ME OFF YOUR LIST!! GO AWAY. STAY AWAY FROM ME.

How can I make it clear to you? I will contact Xanga if I have to. STOP YOUR EMAILS TO ME

IS THAT CLEAR!!!

I've grown up in church my whole life but until about a few years ago I never felt like I could share my faith with people... Now I love to share the great news with people. Mission trips are high on my list of enjoyable things to do.

You cannot teach someone who does not want to be taught. You cannot save anyone who does not want to be saved, in fact, you an't save anyone. We, as desciples of Christ are called to plant seeds in the hearts of men, water those seeds through prayer and let God do the rest. For us to try to push Christ on anyone is basically saying that we don;t believe that God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit have the strength or power to do it; when we push, we are saying that we are greater than God.

Jesus sent His Spirit (the Spirit of Truth) to REVEAL ALL TRUTH to those who believe and receive. Only the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit can breath life into death, or turn a stone heart into soft tissue.

God turned away from His own chosen Nation because of their hard hearts. Will He not do the same thing today? Yes he will. If not for Christ, who sits next to the Father as our advocate, we would have succumbed to our daily sins long ago. But God the Father, when He sees us sin, turns to the Son and sees the Lamb who has already drank the full measure of the Gods cup of wrath, and his wrath melts into loving kindness. But only IF we repent and receive the freedom offered through Christ Jesus.

It is hard to know that a loved one rejects the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but we have to let go and let God handle it. We cannot know what God has planned for that person. they might be transformed as Saul was on the road to damascus. it's not for us to know.

I have seen hard hearts soften and turn to Christ; I've heard the prayers of hurting wives whose husbands refuse to surrender, I have agreed with their prayers; and I have seen those men come to Christ, broken hearted and repentent, not because of anything we might have done or said, but because of love; love on the part of God towards the person being prayed for and towards those standing in the gap on behalf of another, and love on the part of those praying for another.

We are called to give our testimony, as living witnesses of Gods faithfulness, share the gospel AS THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS US TO, water those seeds - in faith with prayer and supplication, and trust God to do what He does best. Create life from death.

@GaugeCheck - I agree with Mc_Shann, as I have personally shared the gospel with hundreds of people also, helping them to understand sin, righteousness, and judgment, the same way Jesus and the early disciples did. Many people have shaken my hand and thanked me for making it understandable, as they could never really figure out why Jesus had to die. Most people believe that they are good and that God sees them that way. To show them how He really sees them is the kind thing to do. Unless a person sees him or herself in truth, that they are guilty wretched sinners, they will not truly repent. My son talked to a professing Christian once who seemed truly on fire for God, but he said something really interesting. He said, "if I had been made to feel bad about my sins, I would never have become a Christian" One does not come to Christ without Repentance ,which is turning from sin, and one will not do so in the biblical sense of the word without being broken over his sins to some extent. Many come to a jesus who gives them all kinds of warm fuzzies, but in the end, if they don't repent, they will hear those fearful words, depart from me you evil doers, I never knew you.