The gospel is a kind of spiritual grenade. It’s powerful in and of itself. Like a grenade, it doesn’t matter who pulls the pin and lobs it into a conversation—whether a Marine or a 14 year old girl—when it’s explained in a clear, compelling way, its inherent power has impact.
That’s why it’s so important that we train our teenagers to explain the full message of the gospel. A clear presentation of the gospel will penetrate into the soul, mind and conscience of the listener by revealing who God is and what He wants from us.
As youth leaders, we must equip our students to engage in honest, authentic conversations about the gospel with their friends who need Jesus.
Asking the Searching Questions
Teenagers specialize in searching and questioning.
Have you ever considered that part of the gospel’s power is that it answers some of the key questions anyone searching for the meaning and purpose of life wrestles with?
- Why are we here?
- Why is the world so messed up?
- How are things made right?
- What happens in the end?
At Dare 2 Share, we train teenagers to share their faith in Jesus using the following GOSPEL acrostic. See if you can identify which core truths from the acrostic below address which key questions mentioned above.
God created us to be with Him.
Our sins separate us from God.
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.
Paying the price for sin Jesus died and rose again.
Everyone who trusts in Him has eternal life.
Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.
Learning to Inject the Gospel into Conversations
Are your students intimidated by the very idea of talking about the gospel with others? Maybe they need some coaching. Here are a few ideas that might help you get them trained and equipped to share the gospel in a relational and relentless way.
- Start by praying!
- Get others talking. Use the power of questions, like:
- What are your spiritual beliefs?
- Is there a God?
- Why are we here?
- Have you ever heard Christianity presented as a relationship instead of a religion?
- Can I pray for you?
- Where do you turn when you’re hurting?
- What do you think happens when we die?
- Explain the full message of the gospel in a way others can relate to personally. Don’t be afraid to quote the pagan poets of music and media like the Apostle Paul did in Acts 17:28 when he said, “As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” Dare 2 Share’s free weekly Soul Fuel articles are designed to help them do just that!
- Follow up with questions like:
- Does that make sense?
- Are you willing to put your faith and trust in Christ right now?
- Don’t be consumed by the perception of others. How foolish in the eyes of the world did Jesus look when He was dying on the cross?
- Don’t fall into the trap of thinking discussions about the gospel are just a debate among many equally valid belief systems. The gospel is not just another idea. It is the greatest story ever told. The power of its message is not philosophical speculation or another religion. It is far from either. It is the truth.
So equip your teenagers to share this message in humble confidence knowing that it is the truth. In Romans 1:16 Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
Let’s help our teenagers really grasp that truth and just pull the pin on their spiritual grenade. Then get ready to see some spiritual impact as they share that truth with others!
