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RACHAEL
LAMPA:
Definitely don’t push them. If you really want to reach a friend
that’s hard to reach, just let them see Christ through you. Let them
see how confident you are in your faith and how unchanging you’ll
be no matter what things come at school, at work, or wherever you are.
Let Him shine through you. Let them see how strongly and incredibly He’s
impacted your life.
Reach Out!: 7
Christian Artists How You Can Reach Your Friends For Christ
by Tracy Darlington
Ever
had trouble sharing the Gospel with your friends? Feel like you’re
just not getting through? Or maybe you think you’ve blown it by
saying the wrong thing. You may have even been made fun of for your faith.
You’re not alone. Here’s some great advice on being a light
to the world around you from some of your favorite Christian artists:
REBECCA
ST. JAMES:
One of my favorite quotes is “Preach the gospel everyday; if necessary,
use words.” by St. Francis of Assisi. I’d encourage people to
be unashamedly holy and set apart for God. Be radical in your Christian life.
Live like the Bible says. People will see that Jesus difference. I also think
you should pray for opportunities to talk to your friends about Jesus. Look
for them, and when they come be faithful to share, not in a judgmental way,
but in a very real way. Share real stories from your heart about what Jesus
has done for you.
JACI
VELASQUEZ:
Be a better friend than they’ve ever had. That’s the best way
to bring someone into the Kingdom of God.
BEN
CISSELL (Audio Adrenaline):
I had a friend who was a Christian; and I wasn’t. I’d known him
since fifth grade. I did everything I could to get that guy in trouble or
to be a bad influence on him, and he just turned the other cheek. He wasn’t
real pushy with me; he was just living by example. That’s what really
got to me. In my senior year of high school he bought me tickets to go to
Audio Adrenaline and the Newsboys in St. Louis. And I said, "No way;
I’m not going to that concert!" And I guess that's God's sense
of humor, because now I am a member of Audio Adrenaline and we have toured
with the Newsboys!
JAMI
SMITH:
Understand that God loves them, but He hates the sin in all our lives. I
used to judge my friends. The Lord taught me that I’ve got to love
people to Him. There’s a fine line between doing what my unsaved friends
were doing and loving them. I couldn’t go party with them, but when
we were at school together, God told me to love them. So I started to reach
out in this way, “I can’t do what you do because that’s
not God’s best for me, but I love you and there’s forgiveness
for what you’ve done.”
STACIE
ORICCO:
People are called to share their faith in different ways; some through what
they do; maybe their music, and some by sharing the Gospel straight out.
I think that a lot of people need to have somebody they trust before they’re
gonna believe what they say. Somebody who’s taken the time to get to
know them and show that they care, and that’s why they want to share
their faith.
MICHAEL
TAIT:
Toby found this quote while we were working on the Jesus Freak record that
said, “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians
who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny Him
by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” What
do they see in us? They’re gonna know us by our love. Not by how well
we sing, or write or do our job. They’re gonna know us by our love.
Tracy
Darlington is
a freelance writer, and her work has appeared in Brio, Breakaway,
YS, CCM Magazine, Insight, Susie Magazine,
and other publications. She has interviewed countless Christian musicians including
Rebecca St. James, Delirious, Newsboys,
Leigh Nash, Barlowgirl, Krystal Meyers, Joy Williams, Pillar, Michelle Tumes,
and many others. In her spare time she can be found riding horses or listening
to
music
and
sipping
a Venti 3-shot sugar-free vanilla latte. Visit her online at her
blog where she talks about Music, God, dogs and coffee. You can also look
her
up
at
Twitter and Facebook.
