Posts

1. Preparing Your Personal Testimony

I've been wondering if I could capture in print a broad overview of my life.  I'm not thinking so much of a chronology, but rather the main themes that have shaped me.  I had a dream the other night where I felt deeply motivated to capture some of the things I've been learning during my seventy years on this planet.  In my dream, I started writing on a cloud-filled sky.  When I realized others might read what I had to say, I panicked.  I wasn't sure what anyone would think if I was freely candid and honest about myself.  The next morning, I reflected on that dream and concluded, "What the heck?"   Might as well give it a try.  I might learn something about myself, and who knows, it could be of some benefit to someone. I think Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living."   Taking time for personal reflection is not much in vogue these days.  Think of all we are missing.  Key events have shaped us, certain peo...
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2. Healthy Reflection

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  Introspection is often considered a bad word, especially morbid introspection.  When we talk about reflection, we're not talking about morbid introspection. It's possible, when seeking to write your story, to try to look deep into your psyche.   When we look at key events in our past, we are tempted to ask, "Why did I respond that way?"  It's possible to get so inwardly focused that you lose all objective perspective.     During my college days I fell into this trap.  I was looking inwardly to find meaning and purpose.  For me, in those days, I was struggling with the reality that life should provide more meaning than I was finding.  I thought by looking inward I might find what I was looking for.  Boy, was I mistaken.     The journey inward is a deep, dark chasm.  It is a spiral to nowhere.  I think Soren Kierkegaard said, "The distance between objecti...
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3. Drama

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 Consider most shows we watch.  The main character is stuck in some sort of dilemma.  Maybe it's a quest, or a relationship issue.  They start to work their way out of their problem.  We can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We identify with them.  We are hoping they can make it.  Then there is always a setback.  Our hopes are crushed.  But they pull it out.  They attain their dream, or not.  End story.   Why do other people's drama seem more captivating than our own?  They don't hurt so bad.  Or they seem more vivid than our own.  Or we can comprehend them in an hour and a half.  Our dramas stretch over months and years.  They don't always come to closure.  There are loose ends and unanswered questions.   Often, we fail to see the forest for the trees.  There are themes imbedded in...
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4. New Birth

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Even though I was searching, I wasn't ready to find anything yet.  I had attended church, read parts of the Bible, attended a Billy Graham movie, and visited a tent revival.  It sounded strange and funny to me, almost like they were speaking another language.  When I took my date to the door after the Billy Graham movie, "The Restless Ones", I apologized to her. I hadn't realized it would be religious.  We were a bit obnoxious in the theater.  We kept giggling.  Although I was genuinely searching, I was not ready to find. But something happened between my senior year in High School and Spring of my freshman year in college.   I could say that I found Christ, but He found me.  A group of students at Penn State were systematically sharing Christ with the freshmen in West Halls.  Since my name started with "Z" I was one of the last ones they talked with.  I'm glad they were thorough. ...
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5. Setbacks

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  Unfortunately, growth in the Christian life is rarely a steady upward climb.  Sure, we are being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), but that doesn't mean there aren't setbacks.  To be truly authentic about your story, you want to share some of these setbacks. For me, the summer after I came to Christ was just such a setback.  I met Christ in April of my freshman year in college and was seeing significant growth.  But when the summer semester hit, I lost touch with the Christian students I had been hanging out with.  The group on campus changed locations and most went home for the summer.  I stayed for the summer semester.  I continued to read my bible and pray, and that was very meaningful for me. But the new friends I met were not believers, nice people, but they didn't know Christ in a personal way.  I started to pick up on their habits, and ended up falling to a dark place, spiritual...
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6. Outline

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  Now that I've shared several aspects of my own story, it's time for you to work on yours.  Maybe you have a personal testimony that you have prepared.  In that case you might want to rework it.  Otherwise, you will be putting the pieces together to construct a solid three-minute testimony that is versatile for many uses.  You will give special thought to communicating across cultures and generations.  It will be powerful and universal in its appeal.  You will be prepared to share Christ in a moment's notice.   but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,  always being ready  to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;  (1 Peter 3:15) The Apostle Paul used his testimony to witness to the life-changing message of Christ in several occasions.  Two are noteworthy- Acts 22 and 26.  In both cases his theme was about how he had formerly been a pers...
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7. Theme

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  Many people, possibly most, share their testimony as a chronology, a timeline.  "I was born at a very  early age"…  This can be a bit boring for the listener, and hard to understand.  Where is this heading, they might ask?  It's much stronger to build your story around a main theme.  Thus far we have talked about many common themes: the search for meaning and purpose, damaged relationships, setbacks, and the fear of death.  Possibly you can think of many others.  Reflect on these questions, "What was the biggest change Christ has done in my life?"  "What was it that drew me to Christ?"  "What was my greatest need before coming to Christ?"  Take as much time as you need.  Pray for wisdom.  Take a pen and paper and jot down your thoughts. Write out your conclusion.  I once was _______, now I am _________.  Fill in the blanks. One problem...
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