In Acts 26:1-23, Luke, the author the book, Acts of the Apostles, wrote the story about the Apostle Paul and the time he was able to make his case to King Agrippa. If you read Paul’s account it took about three minutes for Paul to highlight his case. He was either prepared or incredibly on point with the Holy Spirit to be able to so powerfully, concisely deliver his message to a very influential man.
I think everyone should be able to deliver their message, their testimony to anyone that asks. If you are prepared, the likelihood of you having opportunities will increase.
Here’s the outline:
- Honor the authority or listener by just thanking them for their time and willingness to hear your story.
- Give a brief history of how you got to where you are or something unique about your journey. Paul mentions his childhood and says, “Jewish training from my earliest childhood.” That’s a long ways back there, but it was important. He also stated his credentials (you could do that if you’d like), “I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion.”
- Insert a question or comment that generally EVERYBODY thinks about. Paul used a whopper, “does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?” Yours might be, “Everyone faces death and taxes; one you survive, but who knows anything about what’s happens after the other?”
- Talk about your real life struggle(s) and how you dealt with it. You may have been a “tweaker (druggy),” a warlord or a vindictive person out of control. Share your truth of what you’d become. Paul says, “I even chased them down in foreign cities.”
- Tell your encounter with God. Talk about the first time you were aware of who God is and how that had an impact on your life. Many share near death experiences, or horrible situations where a promise to God was made. Others have known God for a very long time, but there was still that moment he became real and you moved towards him. Some have even made decisions to follow God, then ran from those decisions. Talk about how and why you came back to God. The most important: TELL YOUR STORY.
- Explain to the best of your ability, what God has asked of you, your purpose or your promise to him to fulfill. Paul’s was amazing! He announced “God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”
Here’s my story (2:52):
I feel honored that you have given me the opportunity to share my story. I know you have heard plenty of people make their case or pitch before.
People that know me are well aware of my chaotic upbringing. I have had two moms and three dads. I have never met my birth mother. I was adopted at four years old into a new blended family where the father was an alcoholic. My adopted father’s issues consumed him and eclipsed his ability to be a good husband or father. My adoptive parents divorced when I was ten and by the time I was twelve, my adopted father took his own life. My adopted mother later married a man by the name of “psychopath Ben.” She then divorced him, then remarried him and divorced him a second time. Do you know what it was like trying to figure out life with such poor role models to go off of? It took five adults to mess up my life and one Jesus to redeem it.
By the time I was fifteen I was a liar and a thief. I was the “smart one” in my thug group of friends, so I picked locks, hot-wired cars and became the lookout when breaking and entering into houses. In February, 1977 that all changed. My adopted mother sent me to a church winter camp. I did not want to go to a church camp fearing I would encounter weird people and they would brainwash me. On Friday night of the retreat I was confronted by the authenticity of students who were genuinely into God with no parents making them behave religiously. They were friendly, engaging and treated me as one of them, instead of an outsider (which I had normally experienced). On Saturday night I was forced to really look at my life, where I had been, who I was and more importantly, who I would become. I knew I was broken, but I did not know how to fix myself. I found a quiet spot under a table in the room where the other students were singing to God. I talked/confessed to God and told him I needed help. I clearly heard a voice say, “if you will give me your life, I will be your Dad.” I argued back, “But I don’t have anything to give, I am nothing.” The voice repeated, “If you will give me your life, I will be your Dad.” I broke, cried and gave my life to God so that he would be my father.
Since that moment until now, I have given God everything I am, everything I own and everything I will ever be. Against all odds I got married (to the Pastor’s daughter), had three amazing children and have been able to break a long cycle of dysfunction in my family history. I realized that a lot of folks buy and sell houses, stocks, bonds, cars and coin. My currency is hope. I am a hope broker and I make daily transactions of kindness and love in the lives of those around me.