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How To Write Your Christian Testimony:  10 Great Tips

by DAVID PEACH on JUNE 4, 2011 ·

One of the greatest witnessing tools we have available to us is the testimony of a changed life. We can look at many examples in the Bible of people who came to Christ, were saved and walked away changed. That same thing is happening today. You have the ability to share your story of a changed life. When sharing your Christian testimony through written word you want to remember that while this is a blessing to those who are saved, it can be used by God to reach the unsaved. Always write with the thought in mind that unsaved people will be reading your testimony.

Even if you will be sharing your testimony verbally in front of a group, it is helpful to write it down so that you can say exactly what you plan to say. It does not need to be memorized, but you should have a plan of what you want to share before you stand up to speak. Writing your testimony beforehand will be a big help in keeping you on track.

Take time to talk with the Lord about writing out or speaking your testimony. Each opportunity is a witnessing tool that God can use to touch a life. Allow Him to guide your words.

Explain the Problem – Sin

Tell your readers or listeners what brought you to the realization of your need of a Savior. You don’t need to give a laundry list of your sins, but you should tell how you were brought to conviction. The Bible tells us that God’s law is what brings us to a knowledge of our need of salvation (Galatians 3:24). Sharing with the audience what God says about sin is an important element of your Christian testimony. You can do this by sharing various parts of the Ten Commandments and how they were convicting to you personally. Your audience needs to know that the reason they should consider Jesus Christ is not because He can make them happy, but because they are sinners and He can forgive them.

Share the Solution – Jesus Christ

When you are done with your testimony everyone should know that Jesus is the answer to their problem of sin. Your salvation is not what you were able to accomplish on your own, but it was purchased by Jesus on the cross (Titus 3:5-7). Focus your testimony on pointing people to Jesus.　

Writing your testimony beforehand will be a big help in keeping you on track.

Avoid Church Words

Be careful about using words that unsaved audience members won’t know. The longer you are saved, and the more time you spend in church, the harder it is to remember that people outside the church don’t understand all of our vocabulary. Also remember that other religious groups use the same words we do in Christian churches, but have a different meaning to their vocabulary. The more you can give your testimony using common words, the clearer your communication will be.

Stay Focused

Try to give the important elements of your testimony clearly and succinctly. If you have time or space you can give more information that will help illustrate your points. But don’t waste precious time telling stories that won’t help people know about how the Lord drew you to Himself.

Be Honest

Share your testimony in an honest way. There is no reason to sensationalize or lie about the events in your life. Just because other people may have been saved out of a horrible background and you haven’t, doesn’t mean you are any less saved. There will be people in the audience who can relate to your real story, even if it sounds boring compared to someone else’s testimony. When you are honest God can use your words to reach others.

Give Specific Examples

Give your readers and listeners specific examples of how God worked in your life. Again, you don’t need to share the details of your sin. However, the more examples of real events you can give, the more the audience will relate. Those who are not saved will see more credibility in your testimony if you tell the real ways God has changed you.

Share your Current Situation

What is God doing in your life today? It is great to hear what He did last year (or 30 years ago) in saving you, but your audience will want to know that God is still at work in your life today.

Watch Your Time

If you are told you have 3 minutes to give your testimony, then you need to stay within that time limit. This shows respect to your hearers and those speaking after you. If the listeners know you only have 3 minutes and you speak for 7 then it can be seen as boastful on your part. Make sure you honor God the one who saved you when you share your testimony with others.

The beauty of writing your testimony is that you can say exactly what you want to say in the space limitation you have. You can edit out the unnecessary information.

Writing your Christian testimony is a wonderful way to share the miracle of a changed life with an unbeliever. I hope these tips are helpful. Get started today in preparing your testimony so that you can share it with others.

Events and testimonies in the Bible are examples for us today. The Bible says in the New Testament that the things written in the Old Testament are there to serve as examples and encouragement for us today (1 Corinthians 10:11). Your testimony can be the exact same thing for others who will read it in the future.Do you have something you think is important that should be mentioned to other readers concerning sharing their testimony? Leave a comment and let us know.

--From "What Christians want to know"

       Questions and Answers

Q: I'm sick of the word "love." It's so overused in our society, or it's prissy. What does Jesus mean by loving others, including enemies, or loving others as myself?

A: One great definition: "Love is serving others to bring about God's will in their lives." Love your enemy? Serve him creatively, with a prayerful blend of firmness and compassion, leading him to a knowledge of God's will for a purposeful life, and then guide him to pursuing it. Same with fellow Christians and, likewise, such a pursuit is good for oneself. In other words, serve others and serve yourself toward finding God's will for purposeful living. See "Books of Interest" (tab on left) and pick up a copy of "The Dream Giver," and ask God to awaken His dream for the rest of your life.

Q: I confused about the use of the term "religion." People ask me if I'm "religious." To me this is a turn-off. How can I respond?

A: I like this quote: "The church (or, for that matter, the Men's Roundtable) is "a community of astonished hearts, proclaiming the end of religion in Jesus." --Robert Farrar Capon. The dictionary defines religion as supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare: to restrain, tie back...institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices...scrupulous conformity. Someone said, "My faith is not a religion; it is a relationship. As we spend more time with Jesus and discover who He is and what He is doing in the lives of others and ourselves, it can blow us away. We can proclaim a relationship with Jesus as an ongoing, living adventure that is full of wonder, awe and, yes, astonishment. See our "Books of Interest" to help you learn how to relate to Jesus in this way. Or see the Q and A highlighted in red below.

Q: I'm a busy guy. And Saturday is the only day I get to sleep in. What can I gain from attending the Men's Roundtable?

A: One brother told about how his marriage got a jump start when he changed his habit - before, when his wife asked him to do something, he'd think, "Yeah, when I'm through reading the paper or doing whatever I wanted to do at the time." But, he was inspired by an elder brother in the Roundtable to respond to his wife's requests immediately. Wow! What a difference that made! Every week, we find iron sharpening iron. Roundtable is not for sissies. We see the Holy Spirit breaking through in ways we least expected. However, if you have a perfect marriage, perfect relationship with Christ, perfect relationships with other brothers, kids, family members and co-workers,  you're right. No need to attend. But if you're still learning like the rest of us, welcome! Have a donut and cup of coffee and enjoy being with other guys who understand you (as a guy) better than anyone else on this earth!

Q: I hear that the Bible is a living book and that people learn something fresh from a verse even if they have read it a hundred times before. I don't get that kind of uplifting spiritual experience from reading the Bible. Sometimes it seems boring. How can I know it as a living book as some men say?

A: God will answer your question in a way you least expect it, but let's pass along two thoughts. One Christian said he uses a variety of translations and devotionals to keep God's Word fresh. See Bible Gateway, Online Parallel Bible and Our Daily Bread. But something that blew me away came from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller:

(Dr. Bill Bright is the late, great leader of Campus Crusade for Christ).

"...as a final question he asked Dr. Bright what Jesus meant to him....Dr. Bright could not answer the question. He said Dr. Bright just started to cry. He sat there on his big chair behind his big desk and wept...he knew Jesus in a personal way, so well that he would cry at the very mention of His name.....I knew then that I would like to know Jesus like that, with my heart, not with my head.... The speaker guy asked us to go outside and find a quiet place and get reacquainted with the Book, hold it in our hands and let our eyes feel down the pages....When I got back from the conference, I felt like my Bible was calling me....So I started reading in Matthew....and Mark, then Luke and John. I read those books in a week or so, and Jesus was very confusing, and  I didn't know if I liked Him very much, and I was certainly tired of Him by the second day. By the time I got to the end of Luke, to the part where they were going to kill Him again, where they were going to stretch Him out on a cross, something shifted within me.... I don't know what it was that I read or what Jesus was doing in the book, but I felt a love for Him rush through me, through my back and into my chest. I started crying, too, just like that guy Bill Bright. I remember thinking that I would follow Jesus anywhere, that it didn't matter what He asked me to do.... I loved Him and I was going to follow Him."

Q: It seems until recently, there was all kinds of talk about the imminent return of Jesus. People speculated that the Rapture must surely occur within a 40-year generation since the reestablishment of Israel in 1947. Lately, I haven't heard much preached about the soon-coming Jesus, with the possible exception of the popular Left Behind books. What's holding Jesus up?

A: A Bible teacher once said, "The more I hear people try to nail down the day of Jesus' return, the more I know they're wrong - we know not the day nor the hour." Here's a thought-provoking essay on one reason the Lord hasn't come back quite yet: click here.