Share Your Faith

Photo by Gary Meek

Story by Debra Smith

After Roger Stahlhut finished explaining to his seatmate the Good News about Jesus’ death on the cross to pay for others’ sin, he asked if the person would like to commit to following Jesus as Lord and Savior. Then suddenly, the two found that their conversation had become three-way: “What about me? Can I give my life to Jesus too?” the person sitting behind them on the plane asked, leaning forward. Delightedly, Roger led them both in prayer to begin a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Evangelism not only ends with prayer, according to Roger, but begins with prayer. “I’m constantly asking God to give me opportunities to share Him with people and to guide me regarding how and when,” he testified. “As I strike up conversations and take an interest in people, I’m always trying to bring Jesus into the discussion.” While the results sometimes appear glorious—as above—and other times dismal, Roger clarified: As long as a believer is led by God’s Spirit, “There are no failures in evangelism. The only failure is not opening your mouth.” Roger, who pastors Calvary Chapel Open Door in Anaheim, CA, also trains believers in evangelism. “Take your eyes off yourself and your insecurity,” he tells anyone hesitant regarding sharing Christ. “If you genuinely love people, you must tell them.” In daily interactions, Roger continued, “I try to find transitions into the Gospel. If someone wears a symbol on a necklace, has a tattoo, wears a shirt with an emblem or slogan, I ask if it has any meaning. In the ensuing conversation, there’s frequently opportunity to ask if the person knows Jesus or has any personal religious faith. If the answer is yes, I ask what it is and how they came to hold it. That bridges into opportunity for me to share my testimony—briefly—and the Gospel.”

You can find the complete article in the Fall 2012 issue of Calvary Chapel Magazine. To subscribe click here.