By Andrew Williams
The Living Gospel (Week 3: Crafting Your Testimony)
Opening Prayer
Lord, give us clear and simple words to explain Your profound truth. Help us to remove every unnecessary barrier to the Gospel.
Today’s Scripture (NLT)
Colossians 4:6
“Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”
Sometimes, without realizing it, we can talk about our faith in a way that sounds like a foreign language to people who didn’t grow up in the church. We use insider language, or “Christianese”—words like “justification,” “sanctification,” “washed in the blood,” or “quiet time.” While these terms are meaningful to us, they can be confusing and create a barrier for others.
Paul’s instruction is for our conversation to be “gracious and attractive.” This means it should be accessible, clear, and inviting. When crafting your testimony, think about how you can explain spiritual concepts in everyday language. Instead of saying, “I was convicted by the Holy Spirit,” you might say, “I felt this deep sense that the way I was living was wrong.” Instead of, “I was redeemed,” you could say, “I felt like God rescued me and gave me a fresh start.”
The goal is not to dumb down the Gospel, but to make it understandable. By avoiding jargon and using relatable language, you are giving the “right response,” one that builds bridges instead of walls and makes the beautiful truth of Jesus accessible to everyone.
Disciples’ Life Tip: Take a look at the testimony you’ve been working on. Can you identify any “Christianese” words? Challenge yourself to rephrase those sentences using simple, everyday language that anyone could understand.
Closing Prayer: Father God, make me a clear communicator of Your grace. Help me to speak in a way that is attractive and understandable, so that the power of the Gospel can be heard without the clutter of confusing language. Amen.
