+ Before Faith

What your life was like before you knew God—this might include struggles, questions, or a sense of emptiness.

+ Coming to Faith

How you came to believe—this could be a specific moment, a gradual realization, an experience, or someone’s influence.

+ After Faith

How your life has changed since accepting your faith—what’s different in your values, behavior, purpose, or inner peace.

+ Came to faith as a late teen or adult

You trusted Christ as a late teen or adult. You have a distinct before, how, and after to your testimony.

+ Came to faith as a child and later deepened your commitment later in life

You need to evaluate whether the early conversion experience as a child was genuine. If you conclude that it was not genuine, then use the first testimony type as your model. If it was genuine, your life may have been characterized by spiritual immaturity, or a life-style similar to that of a non-Christian before making your true commitment to Christ.

+ Came to faith as a child and continued to grow in your faith

You probably grew up with Christian parents and have a strong church background. You may have very little to say about what it was like for you before you came to faith.

+ Before

a. Many people’s actions spring out of their unsatisfied deep inner needs. What were one or two of your unsatisfied deep inner needs before you came to know Jesus Christ? Some examples of inner needs are:

• lack of peace
• desire to be in control
• lack of significance
• fear of death
• loneliness
• no real friends
• something missing
• lack of security
• no motivation
• no meaning to life
• lack of purpose

b. Non-Christians are usually trying to satisfy their deep inner needs through unsatisfactory solutions. In the past, what unsatisfactory solutions did you use to attempt to meet those deep inner needs? As you develop your testimony list positive as well as negative solutions you may have tried. Some examples are:

• family
• sports/fitness
• school
• hobbies/entertainment
• possessions
• sex
• drugs/alcohol
• wrong friends
• entertainment

+ How

a. Describe the circumstances that caused you to consider Christ as the solution to your deep inner needs. Identify the events that led to your conversion. In some cases this may have taken place over a period of time.

b. State specifically the steps you took to become a Christian. If there is a passage of Scripture that applies here, you may want to use it. Usually you will simply paraphrase it.

c. Include the gospel clearly and briefly. The gospel includes:

• All have sinned.
• Sin’s penalty.
• Christ paid the penalty.
• Must receive Christ.

+ After

a. State how Christ filled or is filling your deep inner needs. In the before you expressed your needs and how you tried unsuccessfully to meet them. You now want to briefly show the difference that Christ has made in your life.

b. Conclude with a statement like: “But the best thing that has happened is that I know for certain that I have eternal life.” The person you talk to will tend to comment on the last thing you say. Often it is natural to move from the testimony into a clear presentation of the gospel.

+ Sample Testimony - Conversion as an adult

Before: A few years ago I found myself lacking purpose in my life. Something was missing. Nothing seemed to fill the void.

I majored in Electrical Engineering in college and got a great job when I graduated. I kept striving for one promotion after another, thinking that the next promotion would be the one that would satisfy me. But it never did. I began working longer and longer hours giving myself to my profession. This began to have a negative effect on my family. I kept telling my wife I was only doing it for her and the kids, but I knew otherwise. What started out as the “ideal” marriage was coming apart at the seams. It got to the point that I did not want to go home at night. “Happy hour” was more fun than arguments.

How: In my next job I was asked to attend an engineering seminar with David and Jack from work. David seemed to have a certain something that was missing in my life.

On the way home from the seminar David told me about how Christ had changed his life and had given him a whole new reason for living. Many of the things he said seemed to be directed right at me. He talked about having been successful in business but that he was always falling short of his goals and expectations. Then he said that the answer to his frustration was have personally committed his life to Jesus Christ. He had admitted to God that he was living in disobedience and had turned control of his life over to God. He mentioned the Bible said that Christ had died on the cross so we could be forgiven for everything we had ever done wrong. I had heard this before, but now it seemed to make a lot more sense. A couple of days after I returned home I took a walk down by the lake near our house I prayed and confessed to God some of the things I had done that I knew had hurt and displeased Him. I asked Christ to come into my life and take over, because I wasn’t doing a very good job with it by myself.

After: Well, there was no flash of light or earthquake, but I do know that I felt as if a large weight was lifted from my shoulders. Not everything is perfect now, but I do feel as if I have a whole new purpose for living. God has given me a whole new set of priorities to live by. But the greatest thing of all is that I know for certain that I have the gift of eternal life.

+ Sample Testimony - Early conversion/Full commitment as an adult

Before: Not too long ago you could have characterized my life as lacking nay real inner peace. Everything around me seemed to be in utter turmoil. Nothing I did would ease the tension in my life.

It didn’t seem as if anything could fill the longing that was growing in my heart. I thought I could fill that void by getting involved in activities. I joined the health club, took tennis lessons, and was involved in transporting our children to all their various activities. I considered going back to work part-time. Then my husband received a promotion and we were transferred to another city. If I had felt the pressure before, the move just added to the intensity. It seemed that the only relief I could gain was by taking tranquilizers, but that was only temporary and it scared me to realize that I was beginning to depend on them for relief.

How: We had gotten out of the habit of attending church over the years, but the Johnsons invited us to go to church with them, so we started going. After we had attended for a couple of months, we decided to participate in a Bible study discussion group. There we met people who were fun but took their Christianity seriously. They began to challenge us to really commit our lives to Christ.

We reviewed some thing I had heard while growing up: that we were all breaking God’s laws and deserved to be separated from Him, but that God had provided the way to restore that relationship with Him. That provision was the death of His only Son, Jesus Christ. What I needed to do about it was acknowledge my disobedience to God and turn from it and ask Christ to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. So I asked Christ to take over my life.

After: It wasn’t until we got involved in that Bible study that I really understood what it meant to be committed to Jesus Christ. It was there that I learned that I could not gain inner peace in my life if I was going to try and run my own life. As a result of the Bible study I made a whole new commitment to Christ. The inner peace that I was striving for so desperately was finally there. But the greatest knowledge I have now is that I know for certain that I have a personal relationship with God and have eternal life.

+ Sample Testimony - Early conversion/Consistent Growth

Before: As I look around me, I see people feverishly trying to fill voids in their lives. People are giving themselves to their jobs, and in the process sacrificing their families. Several of my fellow workers seemed to be trying to find meaning in their lives, but just when they think they have attained what they want, they realize these things are not meeting their deepest needs. I find myself being involved in many of these same activities, but I am finding satisfaction. What is the difference?

How: I realize that I’m not reacting to life the way many people do for a good reason. I have something in my life that has given me peace and purpose that many others do not have. I have discovered that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ fills the voids that many people are trying to fill with activities and things that just don’t satisfy.

As I was growing up, my parents were very active in church. Because they were active, they figured that I should be also. So every Sunday, there we were. What was real to them was just a game to me. Then one summer I attended a church summer camp. This changed my whole view of “religion.” I discovered at this camp that Christianity was more than a religion; it was a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. In the evenings our discussions centered around who Jesus Christ was and what He did. They were interesting to me. One day after we had finished sports my counselor asked me if I had ever personally committed my life to Jesus Christ or was I still thinking about it? I told him I was still thinking about it. We sat down and talked. He explained from the Bible what I would need to do in order to become a real Christian. I saw that I had done many things wrong and that the penalty was eternal death. I saw that Christ had died on the cross to set me free from that penalty. I prayed with my counselor right there and committed my life to Jesus Christ.

After: As I grew physically, I also grew spiritually. I find that when I try to do things my way and leave God out of the picture, I have the same struggles as everyone else. But when I let Him be in control, I experience a peace that can only come from God. But the greatest knowledge I have is that I know for certain that I have eternal life.

+ Adult Conversion

BEFORE:

1. What was a deep inner need/struggle in your life before you met Christ?
2. Give some examples of how you tried to meet or fulfill that need with unsatisfactory solutions.

HOW:

1. Describe the circumstances that caused you to consider Christ.
2. State how you trusted Christ. (Briefly include the gospel).

AFTER:

1. Give an example of how Christ met or is currently meeting your deep inner needs.
2. End with a statement to the effect that you know for certain that you have eternal life.

+ Early Conversion/Adult Conversion

BEFORE:

1. What was a deep inner need/struggle in your life before you met Christ?
2. Give some examples of how you tried to meet or fulfill that need with unsatisfactory solutions.

HOW:

1. Briefly describe the situation in which you made a deeper commitment to Christ.
2. Refer back to your conversion experience. State how you trusted Christ. Briefly include the gospel.

AFTER:

1. State how Christ is currently meeting your deep inner needs.
2. End with a statement to the effect that you know for certain that you have eternal life.

+ Early Conversion/Consistent Growth

BEFORE:

1. State the deep inner needs/struggles you see people around you trying to fill?
2. Describe how you see people trying to meet or fulfill that inner need with unsatisfactory solutions.

HOW:

1. Explain why you never experienced this problem.
2. Refer back to your conversion experience. State how you trusted Christ. Briefly include the gospel.

AFTER:

1. Illustrate how Christ is currently meeting your deep inner needs.
2. End with a statement to the effect that you know for certain that you have eternal life.