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church

How To Give Your Testimony: A Primer for Christians

Testimony, even rephrased as bearing witness, is for court-room dramas and evangelical fundamentalist Christians circles. It shouldn’t be though. Peter tells us to be ready to answer any person who asks us why we believe (1 Peter 3:15). Simply put, giving your testimony is telling your story to answer the question of how God has worked, and continues to work, in your life.

Many Christians, are afraid of the “telling” bit (since speaking in front of people is horrifying). Others fear the “story” thinking that their testimony is boring. Some folk don’t know how to do it and others just do a bad job. This post will teach you how to give your testimony in any situation.

Categories
hermeneutics study text/language

On Examining A Story

James was found riding his bike every other Saturday.

Allow me a moment to apply a term to this sentence that isn’t normally used: story*.  You understand that the sentence is attributing an action (riding his bike) to a specific person (James) within a certain time frame (every other Saturday)—but this doesn’t have to be a beginning or an ending.

It remains as a self-contained Happening in James’ world. It’s believable to enter into that world. There’s no logical contradictions encountered. It just exists.

From here, you can walk away from this story and remain happy. The story stands on its own.