Remember this powerful passage: "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect," - 1 Peter 3:15. This is a powerful reminder of how we are called to live our lives in a way that honors God and be ready to explain our faith to others confidently. Some may be hesitant to share their faith with non-believers. So, today, I'm excited to review the book "How to Tell the Truth: The Story of God Saved Me to Win Hearts-Not Just Arguments" by Preston Perry, which provides valuable insights into effectively sharing our message of faith.
It's a captivating read as Perry goes into intricate detail about growing up in Chicago and its different cultural influences, including diverse religious groups, churches, and other worldly activities. This helped shape his worldview into what it is today and transformed how he approached apologetics and sharing the Gospel. It was profound for me as someone who studies apologetics and theology but hasn't had the opportunity to share their faith with another non-believer. Watching videos of knowledgeable Christians witnessing to people of different religions, I always thought, "If only I was as good as them, being able to rattle off answers to objections and have different comebacks or 'gotcha' moments." Not thinking about witnessing to non-believers is about winning hearts, not arguments, and how winning arguments is often not enough to win people's hearts.
The book is a comprehensive guide, delving into the history and beliefs of various religious groups. It provides detailed strategies on how to approach conversations with strangers, identify receptive and non-receptive hearts, and respond accordingly. One critique I would give is when Perry shares the Gospel in regards to how to be saved; he uses many different phrases and terminology that I don't think gives much clarity on how to be saved when the Bible says to "repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15)." Meaning repentance and faith in Christ is the only thing to be stated.
It's a great book to kickstart your evangelism journey. I believe it will not only equip you with the necessary tools but also ignite a passion to witness to other people and study apologetics!
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