Sharing the Gospel with Courage and Grace

We have been given the greatest story, the greatest mission, the greatest message, and the greatest gift in the history of humanity: the good news of Jesus Christ.

Like a wildfire, the work of God in our lives should not remain contained. As the gospel takes root in our hearts and the Holy Spirit works through us, that fire should spread to the people around us—our friends, neighbors, family members, coworkers, and communities.

Yet many Christians struggle to share their faith, especially when they fear opposition, arguments, or difficult questions. What happens when someone challenges what we believe? How can we respond when people disagree with Christianity?

In this message, we explored five practical ways to become more prepared, confident, and courageous when defending our faith.

1. Know Why You Believe

In 1 Peter 3:15–16, Peter writes:

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

Peter was writing to Christians who were experiencing significant opposition and persecution because of their faith. His instruction was not simply to believe—it was to be prepared to explain why they believed.

There is a difference between knowing what you believe and knowing why you believe it.

For some, the answer might be, “I just believe.” For others, it might be, “I grew up in a Christian family.” While those things may be part of someone's story, they aren't necessarily reasons that someone else can understand or engage with.

Our parents' faith cannot save us. Each of us needs a personal relationship with Jesus and a story of what Christ has done in our own lives.

Two powerful areas to explore are experience and evidence.

Experience: What moments have you experienced where God clearly moved in your life?Maybe God answered a prayer. Maybe He brought you through an incredibly difficult season. Maybe there was a moment when you knew He was leading or working in a way you could not explain.

Take some time to write those experiences down. Remembering what God has done gives you stories you can share with others.

Evidence: What evidence for Christianity do you personally find compelling?

One important area to investigate is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Christian faith ultimately rests on the historical reality of Jesus' resurrection. As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile.

That makes the resurrection worth investigating.

Knowing why you believe doesn't mean you need to become an expert in every theological or philosophical argument. It means you should be willing to grow in your understanding of your own faith.

Practical challenge: This week, write down the experiences you've had with God and begin researching the evidence that has strengthened your belief in Jesus.

2. Be Gentle and Respectful

Peter doesn't simply tell us to defend our faith. He also tells us how to do it:

“Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience.”
— 1 Peter 3:15–16

Our tone matters.

We live in an age where arguments are everywhere, especially online. Social media often celebrates people who “destroy” or “own” someone else in a debate. Winning an argument can feel like winning a victory.

But winning an argument doesn't necessarily mean winning the person. It's possible to win the debate and lose the relationship.

The sermon illustrated this through a personal story from seminary. Having plenty of theological knowledge but not necessarily the wisdom to use it well, the pastor once entered into a theological argument determined to win. And he did.

But afterward, the Holy Spirit convicted him: “You just lost.”

He had won the argument but lost the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation with the person.

A contrasting example came from Christian apologist John Lennox. Lennox has participated in public debates with prominent atheists while maintaining respect for those who disagreed with him.

His approach demonstrated something important: the person you're talking to is more than an argument.

They are someone created in the image of God.

We don't have to approach people as though we have everything figured out and they have everything wrong. We are simply beggars pointing another beggar toward the food.

So what does this look like practically?

• Listen first.
• Be curious. Don't simply wait for your turn to speak. Ask questions and genuinely try to understand what the other person is saying.
• Be kind.
• You can disagree with someone's beliefs without treating them as an enemy.
• Be gentle.
• The goal isn't to destroy an opponent. The goal is to point someone toward Jesus.
• Don't just win the argument. Win the person.

3. Choose When Not to Engage

Not every argument is worth having.

There will be times when someone genuinely wants to talk and understand. There will also be times when someone simply wants to fight.

We aren't obligated to remain in a conversation where the other person has no interest in listening or having an honest discussion.

Jesus even taught His disciples that some people would reject their message. In those situations, they were instructed to move on rather than remain indefinitely trying to convince someone who wasn't listening.

The sermon illustrated this through a story from a college ministry trip to Chicago. While handing out lunches to people experiencing homelessness, the pastor attempted to share the gospel with a man who repeatedly interrupted him by saying, “It's going to rain.”

The pastor continued trying to share the gospel for nearly an hour.

It never rained.

Looking back, he realized that he had spent an enormous amount of time trying to have a conversation with someone who wasn't actually participating in the conversation. There may have been other people nearby who were ready and willing to hear the gospel.

The lesson wasn't that the man didn't matter. He absolutely mattered.

The lesson was that wisdom is needed to know when to continue a conversation and when to move on.

Pray for discernment.

When a conversation begins to go nowhere, ask:

“God, are You asking me to remain here, or are You giving me permission to move on?”

If it's clear that the conversation isn't productive, it's okay to say something like:

“It seems like we're going in circles. I'd be happy to continue this conversation another time.”

Then move on.

There are many people who need to hear about Jesus. Don't allow one unproductive conversation to prevent you from reaching someone who may be ready to listen.

4. Get to the Core Issue

Sometimes the question someone asks isn't actually the question they're struggling with.

Jesus demonstrated this repeatedly.

In Matthew 19, a rich young ruler approached Jesus and asked what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus began talking about the commandments. The man confidently explained that he had kept them.

But Jesus knew there was a deeper issue.

Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man walked away sorrowful because he had great possessions.

Jesus had gotten to the heart of the issue: his wealth had become more important to him than God.

Jesus did something similar with Nicodemus in John 3. Nicodemus came prepared for a theological conversation, but Jesus immediately went to the heart of the matter:

“You must be born again.”

And when Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman in John 4, the conversation moved from religious and political disagreements to the reality of her personal life.

Jesus understood that sometimes the argument someone presents isn't actually the core issue.

What might be underneath the objections?

The sermon identified several possibilities:

A desire for autonomy: Some people don't want anyone—including God—to have authority over their lives.

Past hurts: Someone may be angry with God because of suffering, loss, rejection, or tragedy they've experienced.

Hypocrisy within Christianity: Some people have been deeply hurt by Christians or the church and have consequently rejected Christianity itself.

These things require more than an intellectual argument. They require compassion.

Instead of immediately trying to prove someone wrong, ask questions that help you understand what is really going on.

Three questions that can help:

• “What has your past experience with religion been?” This gives someone an opportunity to tell their story.
• “What do you find difficult to believe about Jesus?” This can help reveal the specific obstacle they're wrestling with.
• “When did your views about God begin to change?” Their answer may reveal an experience, relationship, teaching, or circumstance that shaped their current beliefs.

And there is one particularly revealing question:

“If I could answer your objections, would you be willing to accept Jesus as your Savior?”

That question can help determine whether someone is genuinely searching for answers or simply looking for reasons to avoid the gospel.

5. Do Your Research

One of the biggest fears people have when sharing their faith is:

“What if someone asks me a question I can't answer?”

The answer is simple:

You don't have to know everything.

If someone asks a difficult question, you can simply say:

“That's a really good question. Can I do some research and get back to you?”

We live in an age where more information is available to us than at any other time in history. There are countless resources that can help us become better equipped to understand and defend our faith.

The goal isn't to become argumentative or to know every answer.

The goal is to stay curious and keep learning.

Recommended Resources

The sermon highlighted several resources for learning more about Christianity and apologetics:

• Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus — Nabeel Qureshi
• The Case for Christ — Lee Strobel
• Reasonable Faith — William Lane Craig
• I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist — Norman Geisler and Frank Turek
• Cold-Case Christianity — J. Warner Wallace
• Mama Bear Apologetics — Hillary Morgan Ferrer

For those who prefer video resources, the church also provides access to RightNow Media, including apologetics and faith-defense resources from teachers such as Sean McDowell, Wesley Huff, J. Warner Wallace, William Lane Craig, and Natasha Crain.

The point isn't simply to collect resources.

Use them.

Learn.

Ask questions.

Investigate your faith.

Become better equipped so that when someone challenges what you believe, fear doesn't keep you silent.

Sharing the Fire

The message began with the picture of a wildfire.

A wildfire cannot remain contained. When a fire is truly burning, it spreads.

In the same way, the gospel is not something we're meant to keep to ourselves.

If the fire of God's work is burning in our hearts, we should want others to experience it too.

But sharing our faith doesn't mean becoming argumentative, combative, or fearful. It means becoming prepared, courageous, wise, compassionate, and willing to listen.

Peter's words give us the foundation:

“Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

And just as importantly:

“Yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

So when you're challenged about your faith, remember these five things:

1. Know why you believe.

Be able to explain your faith and recognize the ways God has worked in your life.

2. Be gentle and respectful.

Your tone matters. Don't win the argument and lose the person.

3. Choose when not to engage.

Not every argument needs to continue. Pray for wisdom and know when it's time to move on.

4. Get to the core issue.

Look beyond the surface-level objection and seek to understand what someone is really wrestling with.

5. Do your research.

You don't have to know every answer. Stay curious, keep learning, and be willing to investigate difficult questions.

We have been given an incredible gift and an incredible mission.

Let's not keep the fire contained.

Let's allow the gospel to move through our lives and share the hope of Jesus with the people God has placed around us.