Share your testimony, which is the intersection of God’s story with your story. Read Acts 26:12-18. This week we are focusing on inviting people shamelessly. You may be one of the many who struggle with speaking to people about your faith or even your church. She may be afraid you might make a mistake. You may think your story isn’t dramatic enough. We start with the belief that God is at work in our lives and in the lives of everyone around us. We tell people stories all the time, simply by telling them what we did this morning or yesterday. When we have reflected on our own stories and look for the ways God is woven into our stories, then we can tell them as a testimony of God’s goodness. The Apostle Paul told about his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus twice in the book of Acts and once in his first letter to the Corinthians. We can assume that he told his story many times in the cities across the Roman Empire as he traveled on his mission journeys. Luke, the author of Acts, includes the story as a narrative. Once you have your story and can tell it, what do you do with it? The story becomes an introduction to tell people about God’s love and God’s desire for a relationship. Inviting people shamelessly means we understand the nature of the invitation. The invitation is to be in a relationship with God. We can invite people to church knowing that the ultimate invitation is for God to be the God of the people and for the people to respond by following God through the love of Jesus. You don’t need to have all the answers to the Bible or know the deepest answers to people’s theological questions. All you need is a story, the courage to tell it, and the willingness to invite people to know God or to welcome them to church. So, what is your story?

Holy God, thank you for the story you give us. Our heart's desire is to follow you and to share you with others so that they may also have the opportunity to make a decision to follow you also. Work through our lack of understanding and give us a heart that shows your love. Amen.