Try these opening lines on for size:

• When I was in high school I was always worried about what people thought of me.
• I was in an abusive relationship, but I was so lonely that I was afraid to leave.
• My family life was a mess, but I wanted people to think that we had our act together, so I always pretended everything was OK.
• I used to look for happiness in the wrong places… alcohol, relationships, entertainment … but nothing ever really satisfied me.

Each one of those makes you want to know what happened next, don’t they?  That’s because we love STORIES.  And each one of those stories openers above sets up for the next part of the story: “But then I met Jesus.”

How about this one, “In the beginning, God created everything”?  That’s a great opening line, huh?  I want to know what happened next!  Try this opener: “I was serving God in all the wrong ways.  I was so zealous for God that I was having people locked up and even killed if they didn’t believe what I believed!”  That one will get you listening.  And that’s pretty much how Paul begins sharing his life’s story with King Agrippa in Acts 26:9-10.  And King Agrippa is hooked!  As a matter of fact, after hearing Paul’s story Agrippa says “Keep this up much longer and you’ll make a Christian out of me!” (Acts 26:28 MSG).

What is really interesting about Acts 26 is that Paul gives us a great model for how we can share our own Christ-story.  It breaks into three simple and easy to remember segments:

• Acts 26:4-11 –Paul’s life before he trusted Christ
• Acts 26:12-19 –How Paul came to trust Christ
• Acts 26:20-23 –How Paul’s life changed after trusting Christ

Read Acts 26 a few times this week.  Take a moment to write out your story using this simple formula and answering three questions:

• What was my life like before I trusted Christ?
• How did I come to Jesus?
• What has my life been like since I trusted Christ?

Next week we will look as some “do’s and don’ts” of sharing your Christ-story.

By Michael Smith

Community Pastor, Fellowship Bible Church of NWA

mismith@fellowshipnwa.org