It can happen at a barbeque.
It can happen in a crowded room.
It can happen to anyone, anywhere.
It's that moment when a friend, relative or colleague makes a comment about your Christian faith and you suddenly realize you haven't the faintest idea what to say in response. Your mind is blank. You become frozen to the spot. Worse still, what you say is not very helpful at all.
Christian evangelist and ABC Broadcaster Kel Richards recalls:
“I was a very young radio announcer (probably all of about 19) at a country radio station. Standing in the record library of the local radio station in Armidale, in northern New South Wales, I heard the other young announcer beside me say, ‘Religion is just for people who need a crutch.’ It floored me for a moment. And then I thought of how to reply: ‘No it's not!’ was my intellectually and theologically powerful response. And that was the end of the conversation.”
Defending the Gospel by Kel Richards is the newest title in the Guidebooks for Life series from Matthias Media. It covers an important issue of the Christian life, namely how to give a clear and helpful answer whenever people challenge your faith.
In a straightforward manner the book outlines the importance of doing your homework and beign prepared; being sensitive enough to hear when people are "asking' about the gospel; responding with reasons and answers, and doing so with gentleness and respect.
Defending the Gospel also uses the popular gospel outline Two Ways to Live to help the reader anticipate a number of different questions that non-church friends may have about what Christians believe. It also has a useful discussion guide at the back.
According to Kel: "Our goal is that our friends, our relatives, our colleagues, will hear the gospel of Jesus Christ " for that is the power that can change their lives and change them for good."
"In the context of those friendships we must be faithful to God's command in 1 Peter 3:15 to be ready, to be prepared, so that when we are asked gospel questions we will have something to say that will point towards the grace of God in Jesus Christ."
If like most Christians, you're looking for help and better answers to explain your faith, then Defending the Gospel is a great place to start.
