Giving yours in public..

TrinityLives · #1 (**permalink**) 11-09-2007, 08:51 PM

HI

I was listening to Charles Swindoll today ( yeah as your figuring he is one of my fav's now) shoot maybe it was Chip Ingram oh well anyhow, He was talking about how we should have our testimonies down to a 3 minute ( give or take of course) speel.( is that a word?)

He reason was that you never know if that person in a cab or on a bench next to you may need to hear and if we aren't prepared well the moment can be lost ( of course it won't be if its God's will)
Anyhow if we are unable or it takes 30 minutes to talk about it then well you know the moment may be lost or we may leave feeling inadequate.

I have heard many talk about testimonies and have heard many given at meetings ... but I have never put one together really in my mind.

Have you?
If so how does it go?

I gotta run.. I shall elaborate more l8tr
:pray:

Annie · #2 (**permalink**) 11-09-2007, 09:00 PM

well i've never given my testimony to a large group of people before publically (unless online counts

) but i remember when i was getting baptized i was giving my testimony to a group of about 8 people and even with that i was pretty nervous so i just tried to keep it as short as possible. It probably was only about 5 minutes or so.

i'm not sure though if it is necessary to always keep it under 3 minutes though. If God has brought someone into your life just to hear the gospel and how He has worked in your life than 3 minutes may be entirely too short and in fact might even make that person wonder if all you can give them is 3 minutes worth of information. I don't think its something to worry about - trust the Holy Spirit to guide you and your words and He will work through you in that moment to do the work He wanted whether its in 3 minutes or 3 hours.

just remember to include in your testimony how you realized you were a sinner and why you needed Christ - i hear waaaaay too many testimony's where the whole salvation thing is just skipped over entirely and the person just talks about what a hard time they had in school or something but then went to summer camp and suddenly they had friends and then were happy

Without the salvation part of the story it just isn't a testimony IMHO.

soblessed53 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-09-2007, 09:20 PM

Do you mean just your testimony of how you came to accept Jesus?

I don't recall giving that in church,but I have given many,many testimonies of how the Lord has worked in my life or lives of others,and I have been *incredibly blessed *by so many that I have heard and read,from others.

I truly do believe we should never leave without testifying,when the Lord puts in on our heart,because I know it's true that sometimes it it a message of hope that someone needs to hear.I have even heard just the thing that I needed to share with someone else,and it blessed them and me!

What is really awesome is when the entire church service gets taken over by the Holy Spirit,and not even a sermon was preached,it becomes nothing but a Praise and Worship service!WOW, I get chill bumps just remembering those times!

:pray:

TrinityLives · #4 (**permalink**) 11-09-2007, 11:49 PM

Annie:

That is a good point.... I have never "officially" gave a testimony I don't believe. I seem to share bits of the gospel and how I have been affected when the time has been right. Maybe I have always seen a "testimony" as something bigger then it is. Like those who do stand up at a group meeting and read how their life was before Christ and now.

Maybe a testimony is a bit of both... That you have bits and pieces that help others and you have STORIES and paragraphs that help some.

For me when I think of my own personal testimony I get hung up. I have been through many things before I was saved, still many after I came to Christ and will continue. I always felt that or it seemed that , those who were giving their testimonies seemed to be done. You know at peace that no matter what trials lay ahead it was "all good". I figure my testimony isnt written yet because I still struggle with some sinful responses in life..
So is a testimony speaking of how things were before and after you came to Christ?
Wouldn't most expect that things were better for them after they were saved?
I know the enemy loves to try the newly saved and for some the first year is the roughest ( maybe more)

Yeah Soblessed I was referring to sharing how you came to Christ and how your life has been changed.

My guess is that the speaker was trying to say that we should be prepared and able to give why we believe, how we came to that conclusion in a precise manner so if our time is short.

He said the reason he did this was after he was saved and others would ask him all the typical question and one of them was " Of all the things you read and see and could believe in why do you believe in Jesus?'
And for a short time he felt he was stumped and not able to speak clearly how he came to believe.
I suppose that is why as you read more, pray more and get closer to God you can speak easier of how you came to know him?

One thing that I found odd though is he stated that his wife had written hers down and memorized it so she could "naturally" recite it when necessary.
I found that odd.. I mean, and maybe this is because I am a girl and respond girly, but if you pray before and during your contact with the unsaved that the Lord will lead you in thought and words?
I feel that there is something fake to memorizing or reciting the same thing over and over when each person may need something different.
kinda sounds like a saleman.. when it comes to Christ I don't feel I am selling but just informing others of the truths that can be so hidden in this world..

So there are some more ramblings of mine

soblessed53 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Yeah Soblessed I was referring to sharing how you came to Christ and how your life has been changed.

My guess is that the speaker was trying to say that we should be prepared and able to give why we believe, how we came to that conclusion in a precise manner so if our time is short.

He said the reason he did this was after he was saved and others would ask him all the typical question and one of them was " Of all the things you read and see and could believe in why do you believe in Jesus?'
And for a short time he felt he was stumped and not able to speak clearly how he came to believe.
I suppose that is why as you read more, pray more and get closer to God you can speak easier of how you came to know him?

One thing that I found odd though is he stated that his wife had written hers down and memorized it so she could "naturally" recite it when necessary.
I found that odd.. I mean, and maybe this is because I am a girl and respond girly, but if you pray before and during your contact with the unsaved that the Lord will lead you in thought and words?
I feel that there is something fake to memorizing or reciting the same thing over and over when each person may need something different.
kinda sounds like a saleman.. when it comes to Christ I don't feel I am selling but just informing others of the truths that can be so hidden in this world..

I have always had questions since I was a little girl,like where did the first man and woman come from,and what is the purpose of people? So when I was about 20 and living in a two-family apt. building,I was hungry to hear the gospel message from the Christian couple upstairs. I started going to church with them and answered the call from Jesus one afternoon in my bedroom,and was baptized soon after.

A few years later they moved to FL,and I did not yet drive,and my husband was not a Christian,so I stopped attending church,and went back into the world with Him. Yet I always loved studying the word,and I don't think I ever stopped praying. But I wasted 20 years,until my husband died '97,then I went running back to the Lord,and because of His immeasurable mercy,He forgave me,and I re-dedicated my life to Him,and He has proven His love,and grace, over and over again to me,not only in my life,but in the lives of those I love,and some even that I barely know.

My mom-in-law always said that "a self-whippin hurts worse than any other" and I have to say that is the hardest part about coming back from a backslidden state,is forgiving yourself.

I have trials just like anyone else,and even some worse than others,starting with losing a dearly loved spouse of 30 years,but in the last 10 years,I have felt God's touch 5 times,in such a way,that I believe I would give my life for Him,if He asked,and I also believe 100% that He would give me the grace that I would need. There is nothing in this life to compare to His presence and His touch,and though I hunger for more,what He has already given me is enough to sustain me for the rest of my life,if that is His will. I Love Him with all my heart,and my two desires is to know Him more and more,and to never disappoint Him again.

As for witnessing,I think first one must love Him,and you cannot love someone you do not know,not even God,so first we must know Him,then it just comes natural. Just as when we see a great movie,read a great book,or fall in love,we cannot help but share what we have found with others.In fact it is impossible to keep it to ourselves!

The wife that wrote her testimony down and memorized it,I will not even comment on.I'm sure her listeners are as unmoved by her testimony as she obviously is!

TrinityLives · #6 (**permalink**) 11-10-2007, 02:32 AM

"As for witnessing,I think first one must love Him,and you cannot love someone you do not know,not even God,so first we must know Him,then it just comes natural. Just as when we see a great movie,read a great book,or fall in love,we cannot help but share what we have found with others.In fact it is impossible to keep it to ourselves!"

Thank you, I know why I asked my question now.... that makes complete sense to me

irishman82 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-11-2007, 07:54 AM

I'm not sure as what would work but IMO I'll give it a go, I think some of the things that you need to deliver in a message is a series of impacts.

After thinking and re reading your post I can just give you an example, like movie trailers or commercials, which show you in 20 or 30 seconds what the movie theme is all about, some times we get excited about them since the movies drew our interests, or sometimes we don't get the theme (rarely) about what the movie is all about.

I have edited videos in the past, it's a part of my hobbies, and I have a lot of footage that I'd like to place but I always rely on the sound more than the images I have... so long story short I end up with a lot of footage unedited, however on a good note, the footage that I edited and added to my video delivers a message, which is what I want.

A good start would probably be to write down the story then narrow each paragraph of your story to a line.

Another thing that could possibly work, is to have the person who is in need to listen not only listen to you and your experience but most important make him/her feel like you know what you are talking about since you have been in his/her shoes. IE: I know you must feel like this, Yes I know your situation is hard, I've been there and this is what helped me...

And finally since you are the one talking but it's for the benefit of the other person, make sure you pause or stop talking when he or she has a question for you so understands the whole process and why you say what you said. A conversation of such magnitude should rely on the person's time and terms, I tell you for experience, since it's the only thing that really brought me closer to God, is the space and understanding the person gave me.

My 2 cents