This week in our growth groups we will all have the opportunity to start work on filling in the blank for ourselves. The next key part of the “Jesus is…” mission is you having something personal and engaging to say when you are asked who Jesus is. We are looking at something no longer than 30, or at the outside 60, seconds (that is, 5-10 sentences) that will make people consider who Jesus is afresh.
It is crucial to understand that your choice of answer may be positive or negative, straightforward or quirky. However you pitch it, it must be personal, engaging and lead to an opportunity to share the truth. The idea is to engage people’s attention and get them into a conversation with us about Jesus. In particular, we want to invite them to share their opinion, but we also want to take the opportunity to advance the claims of Christ, and what he has done for us. So you can choose something entirely counterintuitive or strange but you must lead in your 5-10 sentences back to Jesus and the truth.
As Jesus once said when he walked the earth, “Who do people say that I am?” and “What about you? Who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:28-29). It’s just about the most important conversation a person could have.
It’s important to see that Jesus can defend himself, and if we want a conversation, we don’t need to be overly defensive or censorious of others’ opinions.
Here are some suggestions for how to complete the “Jesus is _______” phrase… You can take one of these and make it your own or you can create your own.
- Not for everyone • Still not healing the sick
- The reason I’m not afraid to die • A denial of reason
- Worth it • Confusing
- My Lord • Is a Capricorn
- The reason I smile • Indescribable
- Just one religion among many • Not what you expect him to be
- Anti-Gay • Time lord
- The reason I’m alive • As good as it gets
- A Narcissist • Not God
- Ashamed of the church’s behaviour • Trending
- Our Saviour • Visible on my grilled cheese
- A loser • A God delusion
- Anti-Religion • An imaginary friend
- Alive • Absolute truth
- My rock when all else crumbles • Make believe
- Closer than my barista • Gaining ground
- Cleaning up • Inviting
- Taking way too long • Not great
- Just like Mohammad & Buddha • For losers
- Pro-Life • Beyond fiction
Who do you say Jesus is?
In Christ
Nigel