Will You Speak?

June 29th, 2023

Grace Mally Moffitt, our guest blogger this week, is a testimony of how a single conversation can make a difference and multiply the reach of God's message. Join us today to be inspired by the challenge for young people to share Christ and how Reasons for Hope is extending our reach through our connections with kindred ministries.

Will You Speak?

Three Evangelism Reminders for Young Christians

“It’s on your generation now.”

We were in Carl Kerby’s office, and he was showing me, my sister, and brother (ages 21, 31, and 24 at the time) the new spiritual questionnaire he had developed for evangelism on college campuses. It was a great resource, but as excited as we were, Mr. Kerby seemed sober.

“Many of today’s Christians just aren’t prepared to give answers,” he explained.

Then, he looked us in the eyes.

“They won’t listen to me, but they’ll listen to someone their own age. So that’s the question: What’s your generation going to do?”

His words rang in my ears as we drove home from his office. What IS my generation going to do? Will we be bold with the gospel?

Although this conversation happened over ten years ago, the impact of his words has remained with me to this day. Now that I am married, my husband, Josiah, and I have continued to spread the challenge to those who attend our evangelism training ministry, Testify. (Click on the button below to learn more about this impactful training ministry.)

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Mr. Kerby talked about a lot of things that day, but I think three of them are important reminders:

People will listen to someone their own age.

“I’m too young to share the gospel …”

I know how easy it is to make excuses for not witnessing. Fear often prevents even the most passionate young Christians from taking action for Christ.

Here’s the good news:
The thing that prevents us from sharing Christ is actually an advantage!

Does our generation realize that young people today are completely willing to talk to someone their own age? They often ignore the older generation.

As a young person, you have a natural advantage in a gospel conversation! This is a huge comfort! Young people are far more likely to listen to you, and older people are less likely to get upset!

You may feel too young for this kind of Kingdom work, but your youth is one of the biggest things working in your favor, not against it!

Many Christians aren’t prepared to give answers.

Mr. Kerby reminded us that university students today think science has disproven the Bible. They need someone to share real answers with them.

Unfortunately, many of today’s Christians aren’t prepared to give those answers.

Thankfully, there are so many resources available to help you be “ready to give an answer.”

One resource is Testify Camp which we host every August (and this year, Carl Kerby is one of our speakers!).

Sometimes you just need some quick answers to hard questions. Reasons for Hope’s Debunked videos are a phenomenal resource for evangelism. Not only can we watch them to become equipped ourselves, but we can even pull them up on our phones or tablets and show them to unbelievers while in conversations with them. Click HERE to see all things DeBunked after watching the three videos below, if you haven't already accessed them through our APP.

May 13, 2024 • Bub Kuns

It is crucial to study and be ready. What I have found is that you never know how God is going to use your preparation. After that morning with Mr. Kerby, he sent us home with his creation/evolution questionnaire to prompt conversations about Christ at college campuses. We started studying the topics it raised … one of those topics was race.

A few days later, I saw two girls walking in our neighborhood. I began chatting with them about spiritual things. After a couple of minutes, one of them asked me, “If Adam and Eve were white, how did we get all the different races?”

I couldn’t believe she asked!

“Oh, I’ve just been studying this!” I told her, delighted, and was able to explain that there is actually a very simple answer.

God orchestrates both our preparation and our witnessing encounters—what a comfort! Often, He provides the answers right before we need them!

Don’t wait until you know all the answers. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can start sharing your faith right now! But … be diligent and study the questions you are asked.

Learn as you go. Be ready to give an answer.

The responsibility is on our shoulders.

Teens and college students are terribly confused. They need clear voices of truth.

The reality is that we have responsibility, whether we asked for it or not.

“It’s on your generation now. They’ll listen to someone their own age.”

If you are a young person, please do not underestimate how much the Lord can use you right now.

You have only one chance to reach the youth of this generation as a peer. God has uniquely designed you to fill a role in reaching our world. The question is: What is that role?

And will you speak?

If you’d like practical ideas on starting conversations, dealing with fear, eliminating excuses, and answering the questions our generation is asking, check out the book I wrote: Will Our Generation Speak? (The title was inspired from that visit in Carl Kerby’s office!).

Author Bio:
Grace Moffitt is a stay-at-home mom and serves alongside her husband, Josiah, in equipping believers to share their faith. Together they run the annual Testify camps, Witnessing Weekends, and speak occasionally at various events. Grace is the author of Will Our Generation Speak? A Call to Be Bold with the Gospel and the coauthor (with her siblings) of Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends. Grace and Josiah currently spend their free time playing duplos or making up songs with their two young daughters, Hosanna and Maranatha.

To learn more about Grace and her family's ministries, click HERE.