I have a thought for us today: We don't have to know everything to share something!

How many of you are good at dancing? Some of your probably are, spent lots of time

**Set-up: our niece Jordyn got married this weekend....Jude our 5 year old nephew was one of the attendees. :-) Has anyone been at a wedding with 5 year olds or little kids? :-)

VIDEO: Jude doesn't know everything about dancing, we're going to see right here in this video. :-)

-Jude knew a little bit about dancing, to get out of his seat & on to the dance floor

-he didn't care (Great thing about being 5) what others thought about his knowledge of dancing

-He shared what he knew (a few moves) ...most of us have 1 or to "go to" dance moves! :-)

Most of the people you know who are incredible at something—like playing an instrument—have practiced the same things over and over and over.

Most pro athletes aren’t just making millions because they’re athletic freaks... Most of them are great at what they do because they’ve put in more workouts, reps, sets, time, practice sessions than anyone else on planet Earth. Same for other professionals: musicians, actors, teachers, stylists, writers, managers, etc.!

People you know who understand the Bible really well, or who seem to really connect with God in prayer, are people who have made it a priority to put in time and grow in these areas.

And just like you get to know people better when you talk to them and listen to them, you get to know God better through reading His Word and praying. (LAST WEEK)

And today we’re going to talk about SHARING

This practice isn’t just about the people you talk TO. This is about YOU—this practice grows YOUR faith.

But if you’re anything like me...& most people, the idea of talking about our faith brings a LOT of fears, questions, and insecurities.

What would I say? When I’m having a conversation with somebody who isn’t familiar with what it means to follow God, it’s hard to know what to say about it. And how do you make it seem like a natural part of the conversation?

What if I sound stupid? What if someone asked me what I believe about a controversial subject? And what if I fumbled my way through my explanation of my viewpoint (which has happened to me more than once)? Bottom line: What if I make an idiot of myself? Because when it comes to something as important as our faith, we want to sound smart and confident. And if we don’t feel like we’re going to sound that way, then we might as well stay quiet.

Will I make people mad? It’s no secret that faith can be a heated subject. Any Facebook search on a controversial religious topic reveals just how angry people can get! The idea of us admitting that we’re Jesus-followers can instill some fear and insecurity because we don’t want to find ourselves in heated, angry arguments.

But for the sake of what we are talking about today, I want to make it super-simple. In fact, I want to bring it down: "Share something"

In the book First Peter, Peter, this was the person who wrote the book (and who probably spent more time with Jesus while He was on Earth than anybody), addresses those moments when we have an opportunity to talk to people about our relationship with God. He says this:

Let’s say you have a friend, classmate, teammate, or bandmate who asks you why you believe what you believe. Peter is basically saying "Be ready to talk in that moment." Also, its to BE READY...so it might be times that you might not be thinking it will happen.

Now, before you break into cold sweats, let’s clear some things up. When Peter says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone,” he's NOT saying you have to . . .

*understand 100% of the Bible,

*or be able to explain dispensational eschatology. (Yeah, you’ve probably never heard that phrase before.)

But don’t miss the phrase Peter mentions at the end of the verse: “for the hope that YOU have.” Peter is simply referring to what he did in those situations—he shared

But that may still sound overwhelming, so maybe this illustration will help.

Let’s say you go Hawaii with your family on vacation.

This would be amazing!

But let’s say no "drama" happened (fighting in cars or plane, forget to pack important thing, _____) happened and it was an awesome trip. You loved it, and your family got along better than usual.

When you get home, there would probably be people who would ask about it. They’re all going to ask the EXACT same question:

“How was your trip?”

In that moment, they’re asking for you to recap the experience

*They don’t want to hear about your cousin’s trip there.

*They don’t care what the guidebook says about it.

*You don’t have to know what types of rocks & marine animals are there

No, when they ask, “How was your trip,” they are asking

You and I are used to talking about our experiences this way. But did you know that the same is true when you talk about your relationship with God? You don’t have to be able to explain Old Testament stories like Jonah and the whale. You don’t have to know why bad things happen to good people.

All you have to know how to do is talk about your life, story, and journey with God.

But when you share out of your heart and your experience with God, you come across as a real person who’s had a real encounter with Jesus. (GENTLENESS & RESPECT)

KEEP IT SIMPLE, DON'T GET OVERWHELMED

*Think about it. What has already happened in your life? What have YOU experienced in your faith? Why do you go to church? Why do you pray before meals? Why do you believe in God? Why are you nice to people? No detail is too small, and no experience is disqualified. Think through all the ways you’ve seen God work in you and through you. Those things are a big deal! And worth sharing!

*Practice telling your story. Write it, type it up, or say it out loud. The more practice you have at getting your thoughts in order, the more prepared you will be.

But also keep this in mind: Your story doesn’t just have to be things that have affected you. It can also be things that have affected people around you.

The people who are around you are a key part of your story, so feel free to write down the ways God has impacted their lives as well.

If your parents’ marriage was rescued by faith in God, that’s part of your story. If your mom is a single mom, and she says, “The only way I survived this is God,” That’s part of your faith story, because she’s your mom.

*Don’t ignore your doubts. Questions about faith are part of your story and experience as well. And sometimes, it’s good for other people to hear that. As you search for answers, I believe you’ll learn about God in a new way. Just know this: You don’t have to have it all figured out to talk about it.

...REMEMBER, GOD IS WITH US ("surely I am with you always")

As you talk about your relationship with God, you’re going to discover more about Him. As you talk with outsiders, you’re going to be forced to really examine the reasons behind what you believe, and that is going to stretch your faith. As you talk with people who do believe, you’re going to learn more things about God, because you’re going to hear about faith from their unique perspective.

And as you share you’re going to find yourself knowing God better....When we know God better, we become more like Him, more like Jesus,

"TAKE AWAY: You don’t have to know everything to share something.

Be the one, like in the verse we just looked at "send me" "Be Ready!!, God will use you!"