Is your faith something that others want? A workshop presented at Berea Women's Retreat, Hebron, NH September 2015

1. Contagious Christianity?
DO PEOPLE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE?

2. I give you this charge: Preach the word; be
prepared in season and out of season; correct,
rebuke and encourage—with great patience
and careful instruction.
1 Timothy 4:1b-2

3. How did you catch
Christianity?

4. Did you catch Christianity through this?

5. Captain Obvious Asks
“Why do you
share your faith?”

6. Jesus
puzzled
people
Do you?

7. Peter & John
puzzled people
Do you?
When they [the rulers, elders and teachers of the law] saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that
they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with
Jesus…. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had
happened. (Acts 4)

8. Captain Obvious Also Asks
“Who should hear
about Christ?”

9. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind. ’This is the first
and greatest commandment. And the second is like it:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40
Great Commission
Great Commandment

10. Perspective from Others
WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT CHRISTIANS

12. 16-29 year olds perceive Christianity to be
anti-homosexual
judgmental
hypocritical
too political
sheltered
focused on getting converts, not caring
about the person.

13. Our own behavior is often
Pharisaical
https://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/611-christians-more-like-jesus-or-pharisees#.VfzgJd9Vikp

14. https://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/611-christians-more-like-jesus-or-pharisees#.VfzgJd9Vikp
51% of self-identified
Christians in the US have
the same hypocritical and
judgmental attitudes and
actions portrayed by the
Pharisees in the New
Testament.
Barna Group. 2013
Ouch.
Only 14% live with
attitudes like Jesus.

22. The Concept of Other = Prejudice

23. Consider
Paul
…and Ananias

24. Contagious faith draws people to Christ
PEOPLE STAY AWAY FROM TOXIC FAITH PEOPLE WANT A FAITH THAT MATTERS

26. A Faith that Matters
LIVING FOR CHRIST

27. You’re different.
Why? What should differentiate us?

28. Do people know
you are a Christian?
How?

29. You’re not like other
Christians I know.
Good or bad statement?

30. When should we
share our faith?

31. Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for
the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect… 1 Peter 3:15

32. 321
How do you share your faith?
Before
I met
Christ
How
I met
Christ
Since
Imet
Christ

33. cba
How do you share the gospel?
All have
sinned
and that
keeps us
from God
But God
loves us
so much
He sent
Jesus to
die for us
Christ
died for
you.
Come to
Jesus.
Romans 3:23 John 3:16 Romans 10:13

34. People don’t decide on faith – they discover it.
Their experiences with
others is one of God’s
powerful ways for them to
encounter God’s love.

37. Thanks for coming!
Find me online
Jean Marrapodi
 www.applestar.org
 jmarrapodi@applestar.org
@jmarrapodi
This presentation is available on slideshare.net/jmarrapodi