Your Story

“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.”—Luke 8:39 (NIV) 

By Danny Saavedra 

Today, we’re going to help you craft a testimony. Telling people what God has done for you shouldn’t be any more intimidating than telling someone about a great vacation, a new job, an awesome meal at a restaurant, or a movie you just saw. In fact, we should be more excited and ready to share the story of what Christ has done in our lives than we are anything else! 

Before we begin, here are a few helpful things to note:

1. Write the way you speak; make the testimony yours.

2. Practice saying your testimony until it becomes natural.

3. Your testimony should be no longer than three minutes. At this length, it's something you can easily inject into a conversation without it becoming a monologue.

Crafting Your Story

Below you’ll find an outline for writing a testimony. This will help you identify the most important things to share and will help you structure your story in a way that makes sense and is concise. We suggest you start by answering these questions, and then taking those answers and putting them together in a way that makes sense and flows naturally.

I. Before I accepted Christ and gave Him control of my life . . .

A. What was my life like? Describe an aspect that a non-Christian can understand.

B. Where did I find security and happiness? What did my life revolve around? (The non-Christian is often relying on something external to give him or her happiness.)

C. How did those things let me down?

II. How I received Christ and gave Him control of my life . . .

A. When was the first time I heard the gospel? 

B. What were my initial reactions?

C. When did my attitude begin to turn around? Why?

D. Did I have any hesitations before I accepted Christ?

E. Why did I move forward and decide to accept Christ?

III. After I accepted Christ and gave Him control of my life . . .

A. What specific changes did Christ make in my life?

B. How am I motivated differently?

If you need some inspiration, the apostle Paul provides us with an excellent model in Acts 22:1–21:

I. Before Paul accepted Christ (Acts 22:1–5) . . .

1. Paul describes what he thought and did before he became a believer.
2. Your goal: Give specific, appropriate examples of what your life was like      before Christ—attitude, philosophy, needs, problems, how you felt about life.
3. Remember that the examples you give will establish you as a credible witness in the minds of non-Christians. However, avoid a religious focus. You want to      make it about Jesus and your need for Him. Don’t spend a great amount of      time talking about church activities or events. Likewise, avoid being explicit or sensational when speaking about sins such as drug abuse, immorality, crime, or drunkenness.

II. How Paul accepted Christ (Acts 22:6–11) . . .

1. Paul explains how he became a believer.
2. Your goal: Allow listeners to walk away with a clear understanding of how you      became a Christian and how they can trust Christ as their Savior.
3. Be careful not to use clichés and church language. Talk in terms they’ll      understand. 

III. After Paul accepted Christ (Acts 22:12–21) . . .

1. Paul explains how becoming a believer changed his life.
2. Your goal: Explain specific ways Christ has changed your life in order to show      that having Christ in your life really does make a difference!
3. Avoid using general statements like, “I have so much peace now.” Be specific. It is      the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to draw someone to Christ, but you want to communicate your story in a way that shows the listener that your life is different and more meaningful with Christ. 

Now, write your testimony!

Closing Thoughts: Your story is powerful. It’s a miracle. God took you from being a hopeless, helpless sinner to a forgiven, accepted child. He brought you from death to life. He transformed you and renewed you. There is power in your story that He wants to use to do the same in others!