There are generally 3 different kinds of reasons people say they're convinced about following Jesus:
THE EXPLANATION
Sometimes people will say that it's the explanation of Christianity that just makes most sense of everything people experience in
this world. The redemptive story line of the Bible: A loving God who
made us to know him and be like him. A rebellious and broken world cut
off from God. God who came in the person of Jesus to die in our place
and defeat death. And the offer of forgiveness, friendship with God,
life to the full and life forever in a world free from sickness,
suffering and death.
- THE FOUR - Go through the good news of Jesus in 4 steps.
- Falling Plates - Watch a video that explains it.
THE EVIDENCE
Sometimes it's the evidence for Christianity that convinces a person to trust and follow Jesus. Particularly the
evidence for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, but also the
existence of the universe and other kinds of evidence too, including
philosophical arguments. This is how Nicky Gumbel (creator of the Alpha
course) first became a Christian. CS Lewis too, who said he was "the
most reluctant convert in the whole of England".
- Evidence for the reliability of the gospels - What can we really know about Jesus?
- Evidence for the resurrection of Jesus from the dead - Did Jesus prove who he was by rising from the dead?
- Zangmeister's Reasonable Faith videos - Lots of philosophical evidence to consider.
THE EXPERIENCE
And sometimes people will say it's the experience of God through Jesus that makes them want to trust and follow him.
Maybe it's a miraculous healing, answered prayer or transformed life.
Or just an undeniable sense of God's presence and love. Or the
effectiveness of God's counter-cultural wisdom for relationships and
other priorities. Often it's all of these!
- My story - A little bit of it anyway.
- Mez's story - A friend of mine. Used to rob banks. Now starts churches.
- Brian's story - Korn guitarist experiences God's love and transformation through Jesus.
- Sean's story - Back from the dead with medical evidence to prove it.
- Shane's story - Prison for violent crimes. Life transformed by Jesus.
