Not every Testimony is a wiz bang
exciting story. But every conversion is a amazing miracle by God; God gave us a righteous nature and we are covered by Jesus righteousness. God
converted and transformed a person from a lover of sin to a lover of
righteousness. To a person who loves God, loves the Bible, loves
Jesus, loves others, and praises, thanks, worships and glorifies God.
Salvation in and of itself is a miracle.
Your testimony does not need to include a bunch of the bad things you did in life, if you came to Christ in your adult years; you can find a way to summarize it, and place the focus on being a sinner, and the gospel in the message, so people see why we all need salvation.
You will basically give 4 points.
In the area where you understood sin and how serious your crimes against the Holy God were, you can include a short gospel as part of the testimony when you got saved.
See the testimony samples page for examples.
Let’s take a look at how to put your story together, piece by piece. There are four basic parts to telling your story: your life before Christ, how you came to Christ, your life after Christ and the closing.
Your Life Before Christ. Paint a picture of what your life was like before you came to Christ. Don’t dwell too much on or brag about past sins or struggles. Share only the details that relate to your theme — just enough to show your need for Christ.
How You Came to Christ. Give the details about why and how you became a Christian. Communicate in such a way that the person you are talking with, and anyone who overhears you, can understand how they can become a Christian too. Even if your listeners are not ready for that, God could use your story and explanation of the gospel to draw them to Himself in the future.
Your Life After Coming to Christ. Share some of the changes that Christ has made in your life as they relate to your theme. Emphasize the changes in your character, attitude or perspective, not just the changes in behavior. Be realistic. We still struggle as Christians. Life is far from perfect. But what’s different about your life now?
The Closing. You can include a closing or call others to the gospel.
HELPFUL HINTS
- Pray before you write out and share your story.
- Write the way you speak.
- Don’t be overly negative or positive. Be honest.
- Don’t criticize or name any church, denomination, organization, etc.
- Think about your listeners. Avoid overly religious terms.
- Keep it short. Aim to tell your story in three to five minutes.
- Don't go on and on about your sins and sinful life; people do not need all the details.
- Revise, revise, revise.
- Ask a believer who shares "the Law & the Gospel" when witnessing, to review the testimony for any suggested changes.
- Memorize and Practice telling your story until it becomes natural.
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