BUILD YOUR GOSPEL PRESENTATION

Below are four complete ways to explain the gospel. Choose based on your natural communication style, or mix and match!

Take elements from each that resonate with you and create your own presentation.

• H.O.P.E. - You like simple, memorable frameworks

• The Bridge - You think visually and like illustrations

• Romans Road - You prefer systematic, verse-by-verse approaches

• God's Story - You naturally tell stories and see the big picture

OPTION 1: H.O.P.E.

Best for: Those who want a simple, memorable framework

H - HOLY GOD

God is perfectly holy. His standard is perfection. The Bible says, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). God's standard isn't "pretty good" or "better than most" - it's absolute perfection.

O - OUR SIN PROBLEM

But we've all fallen short. Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every one of us has a sin nature that separates us from God - like a Grand Canyon we can see across but can't bridge on our own.

P - PERFECT SAVIOR

That's why God sent Jesus. He lived the perfect life we couldn't live, died on the cross to take our punishment, and rose from the dead to prove His power over death. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

E - ETERNAL LIFE

When you trust in Jesus alone for your salvation - not your good works, not your religion, but Jesus alone - you can know for certain you're forgiven and have eternal life. Romans 10:13 promises, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

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OPTION 2: THE BRIDGE

Best for: Visual thinkers and those who like illustrations

THE PROBLEM: A GREAT DIVIDE

Imagine a massive canyon separating two cliffs. On one side stands us - humanity. On the other side stands God - perfect, holy, loving. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Our sin created this canyon, this separation between us and God. No matter how good we try to be, we can't jump across. Our good works, our religious efforts, our best attempts - they all fall short.

THE CONSEQUENCE: WE CAN'T SAVE OURSELVES

Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Our sin doesn't just separate us - it earns us death and eternal separation from God. We're stuck on our side of the canyon with no way across.

THE SOLUTION: GOD BUILT A BRIDGE

But here's the incredible news: God loved us so much that He built a bridge across that canyon. That bridge is Jesus Christ. Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn't live - He never sinned once. Then He died on the cross, taking the punishment we deserved for our sins. When He rose from the dead three days later, He proved He had conquered sin and death.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:18, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Jesus is the bridge. The cross spans the canyon.

THE INVITATION: CROSS THE BRIDGE

But here's the key - having a bridge doesn't help if you don't cross it. You have to make a decision. You have to step onto the bridge by putting your faith in Jesus Christ alone. Not Jesus plus your good works. Not Jesus plus religion. Jesus alone.

Romans 10:9 tells us, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

When you trust Jesus, you cross that bridge. You move from death to life, from separation to relationship with God. And once you're on God's side, you're there forever. Nothing can separate you from His love.

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OPTION 3: ROMAN ROAD

Best for: Those who want a clear verse-by-verse path through Scripture

STOP 1: THE PROBLEM - WE'VE ALL SINNED

Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Every single person has sinned. It doesn't matter how good you've tried to be or how you compare to others. We've all fallen short of God's perfect standard.

STOP 2: THE CONSEQUENCE - SIN LEADS TO DEATH

Romans 6:23a - "For the wages of sin is death..."

Sin isn't just a mistake - it has consequences. The Bible says the payment we've earned for our sin is death - both physical death and eternal separation from God.

STOP 3: GOD'S LOVE - HE MADE A WAY

Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Here's the incredible part: God didn't wait for us to clean ourselves up. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. He took the punishment we deserved.

STOP 4: THE GIFT - ETERNAL LIFE

Romans 6:23b - "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God offers us a gift we could never earn - eternal life through Jesus. A gift isn't something you work for or pay for. You just receive it.

STOP 5: HOW TO RECEIVE - CONFESS AND BELIEVE

Romans 10:9-10 - "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

To receive this gift, you must:

• Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord

• Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead

It's not just intellectual knowledge - it's trusting Jesus completely for your salvation.

STOP 6: THE PROMISE - EVERYONE WHO CALLS

Romans 10:13 - "For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"

This is God's promise. Not just some people. Not just the really good people. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. That includes you.

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OPTION 4: GOD'S STORY

Best for: Those who naturally think in stories and narratives

CHAPTER 1: CREATION - HOW IT WAS MEANT TO BE

In the beginning, God created everything - and it was perfect. He created humanity in His own image to live in relationship with Him. There was no sin, no death, no separation. Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them." We were designed for relationship with God.

CHAPTER 2: THE FALL - HOW IT ALL BROKE

But humanity chose to rebel against God. Adam and Eve sinned, and that sin broke everything. Romans 5:12 tells us, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned." Sin didn't just affect Adam and Eve - it infected all of humanity. We're all born with a sin nature, and we all choose to sin. That sin separates us from the holy God who created us.

CHAPTER 3: THE LAW - OUR INABILITY TO FIX IT

Throughout history, people have tried to fix this problem on their own. God gave the Law to show us His standard - but nobody could keep it perfectly. Romans 3:20 says, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." The Law wasn't meant to save us - it was meant to show us we need a Savior.

CHAPTER 4: THE RESCUE - GOD DOES WHAT WE COULDN'T

So God stepped into His own story. Jesus Christ - fully God and fully man - came to earth and lived the perfect life we couldn't live. He never sinned once. Then He went to the cross and died, taking the punishment for our sins. Three days later, He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever.

2 Corinthians 5:21 explains it this way: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Jesus took our sin. We get His righteousness. It's a divine exchange.

CHAPTER 5: THE INVITATION - YOUR PLACE IN THE STORY

Now God invites you into His story. Not as someone who has to earn your way in. Not as someone who has to prove yourself. But as someone who simply receives what Jesus has done.

John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." When you put your trust in Jesus Christ - confessing your sin and believing He died and rose for you - you become a child of God. You're forgiven. You're adopted into God's family. You have eternal life.

CHAPTER 6: THE RESTORATION - HOW THE STORY ENDS

And this story isn't over. One day, Jesus will return and make all things new. There will be a new heaven and a new earth where sin and death are gone forever. Revelation 21:4 promises, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

If you trust in Jesus, you're part of that ending. Your story - your eternal story - is secure in Him.

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WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU USE?

The goal isn't perfection - it's clarity. The goal isn't to sound like someone else - it's to share the truth of the gospel in YOUR voice.

PRACTICE TIPS

1. Say it out loud - Practice alone in your car or with a trusted friend

2. Don't memorize word-for-word - Learn the flow and key points, then say it naturally

3. Time yourself - Aim for 3-5 minutes depending on the conversation

4. Pray before you share - Ask the Holy Spirit to give you clarity and courage

5. Trust God with the results - You're planting seeds; He brings the growth

Need help? Contact us at [contact info] - we'd love to support you as you grow in sharing your faith.

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