Peter responds to the crowd’s doubts and questions with the Gospel story; it is so compelling that they were “cut to the heart” and asked how they could respond to the Gospel – Acts 2:14-36
Think back to the first person who shared the gospel with you. What was it that made an impact?
Often, the first time we hear the gospel, we are hearing someone’s personal story of encountering God. Sharing the story of your life is the most powerful way to show the transforming power and salvation offered through Jesus Christ. When we tell our story, we tell the story of God.
So much of Acts 2 is built on the foundation of Peter sharing the story of the gospel—tracing the promise of a Messiah from the pages of Scripture to the recent history of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Throughout the book of Acts, we continue to see story after story of the men and women whose lives were changed by the power of the gospel message, who upon hearing the story of Jesus, were pierced to their hearts and moved to repent.
Responding to the Gospel
The gospel story doesn’t end in Acts. It continues to trace its way through history and includes all who believe. The truth of Jesus is not only a fulfillment of past promises in Scripture, it’s a life-changing reality in our present moment.
What about you? What’s your story? Have you thought about it much lately? Can you, like Peter, point people to the reality of Jesus through both Scripture and your own experiences?
What about the people in your group or church? What’re their stories? Can they see God’s work in and around them? Are they inviting others to experience the life-changing story of the gospel?
Resourcing Storytellers
We’re here to inspire, equip and resource disciple-making ministry. One of the most powerful examples of gospel storytelling is what we call “cardboard testimonies” following Rooted in local churches. These stories don’t just happen overnight. They are the result of God’s work over time and intentional experiences in Rooted groups.
Throughout the 10-week Rooted experience, we create space for each participant to consider their own story. Using the gospel story as our example, we aim to help each participant see how their story fits into the gospel narrative that God has written and how to communicate it to others.
Additionally, we give each participant an opportunity to practice telling their story by sharing with the group and develop curiosity about others’ stories by listening to other group members, tracing each other’s stories, and offering encouragement and affirmation about how God has created individuals and how He has shown up in his/her life.
God is constantly at work in and through His people. This means that there are always new stories to tell—we’d love to hear yours!
We have an entire page with video testimonies, including a compilation video of cardboard testimonies from a church in Texas.
Tag us on social media or contact us to share your story too!
Jessica Ludwig is the Marketing Manager at Rooted Network. She loves people and her favorite activities include cooking for and hosting friends and family, sharing about the redemptive work of Jesus in her life, and encouraging others on their faith journey. She studied the Bible at Calvary Chapel Bible College before stepping into full-time ministry 13 years ago. She is married to Nathan and lives in Southern California.
