Dear friends,

On Saturday, I attended a training session for the Alpha Course—an evangelistic video series designed to help people explore the Christian faith through discussion. It originally came out of the UK through Nicky Gumbel and is used worldwide. Each session includes a video and then a group discussion. Trained Christians help facilitate these conversations.

One comment from the trainer really surprised me.

He said, “When you're in a discussion group with non-Christians, it's very important that you don’t give your opinion.”

That caught me off guard.

I thought, Well, isn’t it good to say what I believe? But the trainer explained that when we lead with opinion, we end up in a debate—your opinion vs. mine—which often drives people further from faith in Jesus.

He said, “The disciples didn’t share opinions. They shared what they had seen and heard.”

That really made me pause. I realized—it’s not about my opinion. It’s about what really happened. And the best way to share that with this generation is through story.

Here are some ideas:

• A true story from the Bible: what Jesus did for someone else.
• A story from my life: how God has changed me.
• Something I’ve personally witnessed or experienced: the difference Jesus has made.
• A story about someone I know: how Jesus met them in their situation.
• What I’ve learned through prayer or a step of faith I took.

That’s powerful. And that’s not an opinion—it’s testimony.

As the apostle John wrote:

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.”
—1 John 1:3

Peter and John put it this way:

“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
—Acts 4:20

And even Jesus said:

“Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.”
—John 3:11

So let’s keep sharing—not opinions, but true stories of what God has done.

Let's pray:

"Lord Jesus, thank you that our message is true -- that you have come to redeem us and qualify us for heaven.  You did so many miracles while you were here on earth and you continue to work in our lives answering prayers and changing us.  Show us how to testify about these things.  Give us words that communicate well to our neighbours and friends.  Let us remember the things we have read, seen and experienced so that we can pass these on to others.  We want to see you glorified.  May your kingdom come.  Amen"

Have a great week testifying about Jesus, what he has done, is doing and will do.

P.S. Who do you think would be encouraged by this email?  Forward it to them and let them know they can walk alongside experienced cross-cultural evangelists by visiting: https://hereslife.com/encouragement