Personal evangelism is my weakest trait when it comes to following Jesus. Maybe you can relate. Yet the fact of our current weakness doesn’t mean we can’t grow; God is not finished with us yet.

So, what is personal evangelism? I heard it described as “two nervous people talking about Jesus.” There is some

truth to that due to the weight of the conversation. Although we may never lose that nervous feeling, a verse at the beginning of the book at Acts may help us take our next step in sharing our faith. Jesus said,

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in

Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

To help us with personal evangelism, let’s consider three observations.

1) We are not to rely on our own power. God has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to tell others about

Jesus. Do we fail in personal evangelism because we are leaning into our own strength, wisdom, or

knowledge?

2) Jesus simply wants us to be His witnesses. He doesn’t say, “You will be my lawyers, arguing people into my

kingdom.” He simply tells us to be His witnesses, telling others who He is and what He has done. The core of

evangelism is found in the words of the blind man healed by Jesus: “… One thing I do know, that though I

was blind, now I see” (John 9: 25).

3) We don’t have to go to a foreign country to follow Jesus on mission. Jerusalem was the city they were in, and

Judea was the larger region. Sure, some were called to go to tough places (Samaria) and others to the ends

of the earth; but we are to be His witnesses wherever we are, including our own city.

These observations may nudge us forward in the area of personal evangelism, but I also want to share another

helpful resource. “Who’s Your One?” (whosyourone.com) is an initiative of the North American Mission Board to

equip believers and churches to share the gospel. It is a simple concept that encourages every Christian to identify one person they can focus on sharing the gospel with.

So, ask yourself, “Who is the one person I could focus on sharing the gospel with? Pray for? Invite to church or small group activities?” We don’t need to become a Billy Graham to be faithful in evangelism -- just start with ‘the one’ God places on your heart.

I may not excel in evangelism overnight, but I can start with one person. Who is your ‘one’?

By Philip Jones

Philip and his wife, Stacy, have been attending Immanuel since 2015 and are blessed to be raising four kids. His

passion in ministry is to help others follow Jesus through teaching, preaching, and personal discipleship.