The Christian witness should not be awkward. A rigid recitation of facts will never effectively introduce unbelievers to “the way, the truth, and the life.” Early on in my witnessing I was taught to use key Scriptures from the book of John and the book of Romans. While this is very helpful, we must never remove the leading of the Holy Spirit from our witness. Every person is different and every situation is different. The Lord Jesus approached each individual as an individual, and so should we.

Read the conversations of Christ. They were real conversations! Person to person. Full of compassion and interest. Don’t give a presentation – have a conversation.

• Begin where they are. People can tell if you truly love them. Show sincere interest in the lives and needs of others. Accept people where they are. The Lord is our great example: He loves us where we are but He does not leave us there. Start your conversation with common points of interest. Christ began with fish, a water pot, birth, anything that was at hand to open the person’s heart and mind to the truth.
• Begin where you began. Sometimes those of us who have been saved a while forget what it means to be lost. Go back in your mind to the day before you got saved. Start with the basics. Do not assume they understand religious terms. Avoid complicated arguments and just give the simple message of Christ. Don’t talk about church – talk about Christ!
• Begin where you are now. Talk about the goodness of God in your life today. A good testimony is always present tense because the Lord, the “I Am,” is a present tense God! Share the Lord’s blessings and what it means to you to have Him as your Savior.

In the end witnessing should not be a presentation of facts it should be a natural conversation about a Friend. James Stalker in his classic book on The Example of Jesus Christ suggests that this method is the one ministry method of Christ that all of us can most imitate…

Religious conversation must be natural – it must well up out of a heart full of religion – or it is worse than useless. Yet it is of priceless value, and no trouble is too great to be spent in acquiring it. I am not sure but we are more in need of those who can talk about religion than those who can preach about it. A sermon is often applied by the hearers to one another, whilst each puts its message away from himself; but conversation goes straight to its mark. If it is supported by an impressive and consistent character, he who can wield it carries a blessing with him wherever he goes; in homes in which he has been a visitor his memory is cherished as that of one who has made religion real; and, though his name may be little heard of on earth, his track through the world is marked by a line of light to the eye of Heaven.

This is something we all can do today. Ask the Lord to give you someone to speak to. Stay alert to His leading. Have a conversation!