I have a trick that I use whenever I want to exercise in the morning. I lay out my exercise clothes, tennis shoes, and socks the night before. In other words, I prepare in advance for a workout to be ready to go when I wake up in the morning. It may sound simple, but this one easy step sets me up to succeed in completing my workout in the morning. Preparation does that, doesn’t it? It prepares us for whatever we have prepared for when the time comes. Of all the things we can be prepared for, the most important thing we can do as followers of Christ is to share our faith, especially in light of the truth that Jesus is returning.
As we think about Jesus’ return, Peter gives a helpful plan for followers of Christ to prepare in advance for Jesus’ return in 1 Peter 3. First, he writes, “You must worship Christ as the Lord of your life” (verse 15). This worship involves loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then, he continues, “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (verse 15). In other words, Peter tells us always to be prepared to share our faith here. After all, when we are prepared, we are not caught off guard when opportunities come to share our faith with others.
What about you? Are you prepared to share your faith so that you are ready when someone asks you about the difference Christ has made in your life? If not, there is no better time than now to prepare. We have created helpful tools for you at sagebrush.church/onelife to help you be prepared. The world around us is in desperate need of Jesus. So let’s be ready to share the hope of Jesus with anyone who will listen!
Spend time exploring our tools to help you share your faith at sagebrush.church/onelife. There is a lot of material here, so spend the next few days exploring this resource. As you explore this page, practice making these tools a part of your life. Build relationships with people who do not know Christ, share your story, and learn the Bridge Diagram. As you do these things, you will be prepared to share your faith at all times."
"Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
18 Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 21 And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority."
