Evangelism | a 4-Day Skate Church Movement DevotionalNäide

How do we evangelize?

“Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:15-16

Have you ever been the first one within your skate crew to land a new trick? Your friends get hyped for you and quickly begin asking you how to do it themselves. Wanting them to experience the same stoke you just discovered, you begin showing them the proper foot placement and motions to execute the trick. In a similar way, the same hype we have over landing skate tricks and sharing our knowledge with our friends is how we can go about sharing our faith.

I grew up in the church, but didn’t fully give my life to the Lord until I was around Junior High age. Just like Luke 6:45 says, “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” After giving my life to Christ, I couldn’t help but talk about my love for Him. I turned pro in 1998, but was given the chance to skate in the Tampa Am contest in 1996. I was especially stoked to share my faith through the opportunities Tampa Pro brought me. When I think about the question, “How do we evangelize?” I always come back to the thought that we naturally share the things we enjoy. When you watch an awesome movie or eat at a restaurant that has amazing food, you naturally invite and share that experience with those closest to you.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:16, “Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!” Paul is saying that if we truly love Christ with our whole heart, then we become compelled to talk about Him. It becomes something we’re excited about and love doing instead of feeling obligated.

We will never talk about the things we’ve never experienced, but the deeper our relationship with God grows and the more we experience Him, the more we will want to share the Good News of the hope found in Him with others. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” Just like sharing a skate spot or a clip after you get a new trick, we’re called to share what God has done in our lives with those around us. Remember, sharing those things is always done naturally and out of excitement. Sharing your faith is no different at all!

Pushing Further

1. Do you find it difficult to share your faith?
2. Do you feel like you’re obligated to talk about God, or are you excited to talk to others about your faith and/or share the Gospel?