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Story Bearer: How to share your faith with your friends
Most people find faith because they know another Christian, see the difference Jesus makes, and hear their story. Yet most of us are reluctant faith sharers. This book inspires every Christian to see themselves as a story bearer. Four distinct stories collide in great God’s story, our story, the story of our friends and the story of our culture. The book expounds them all, encouraging us to learn and tell well the first two and listen and react well to the others.Phil Knox punctuates his book with engaging accounts of success and failure. Story bearing has the potential to change the world of those around you.
- GenresChristianNonfiction
191 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2020
8 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 10, 2020
Evangelism... it seems to be the word that scares many Christians away and makes them run for the hills. People say that it's difficult. People say that they don't feel equipped. People say that they don't have all the answers to every perceivable question that they may be asked. I've voiced many of these myself over the years and I'll be honest, I think that often we end up just making excuses when it comes to evangelism. Let me introduce you to a great book that will help you see that you don't need a degree in theology, or to know everything about apologetics to tell people about Jesus.
Story Bearer was described to me as 'spicy but fun' so naturally I had to read it. This book is all about evangelism and the spread of the gospel, I think that every church member should read it (I do not say that often!).
Maybe you've heard, or even asked a question like this before 'Isn't evangelism all about big meetings, putting on the right course, knowing the right answers and living out a faithful life?'. Well, here's what Knox says about that...
Full review at https://achalmersblog.com/2020/03/10/...
Story Bearer was described to me as 'spicy but fun' so naturally I had to read it. This book is all about evangelism and the spread of the gospel, I think that every church member should read it (I do not say that often!).
Maybe you've heard, or even asked a question like this before 'Isn't evangelism all about big meetings, putting on the right course, knowing the right answers and living out a faithful life?'. Well, here's what Knox says about that...
Full review at https://achalmersblog.com/2020/03/10/...
April 18, 2020
A simple, readable introduction on how normal, everyday Christians might go about sharing their faith. It would be especially suitable for new believers. Phil Knox encourages a form of evangelism which is warm, relational and engaging. The chapter on leading someone to faith is especially helpful, and so is the chapter on friendship.
If I was nit picking, I'd have loved a little more on using questions (a la Randy Newman's 'Questioning Evangelism') and on using the Bible in evangelism. But nonetheless this will be a book I'm hoping to place in the hands of the students I work amongst.
If I was nit picking, I'd have loved a little more on using questions (a la Randy Newman's 'Questioning Evangelism') and on using the Bible in evangelism. But nonetheless this will be a book I'm hoping to place in the hands of the students I work amongst.
February 28, 2020
Here’s the pitch. A long time ago, in an evangelicalism far away, everyone read Becky Manley-Pippert’s Out of the Saltshaker. It’s a modern classic, and you can still buy and read it (probably should, to be fair). But we find ourselves in a postmodern world, a world where lots of things are up for grabs, and talking about faith can be terrifying on a good day.
Full review here: https://www.thomascreedy.co.uk/book-r...
Full review here: https://www.thomascreedy.co.uk/book-r...
July 3, 2020
Over the years, I’ve reviewed a good number of books on this blog and it is not unusual for me to say that lots of people should read a particular book. However, more than any other book that I have read and recommended, Story Bearer: How to Share Your Faith With Your Friends deserves an extremely wide readership. If you are a church leader or a youth worker and you do not read this book and encourage others to do so then, I won’t say that you are not doing your job, but I will say that you are making your role far more difficult than it should be. Buy a copy, read it and then pass it on to a friend – even better, buy two copies…
It is a normal format paperback book of around 150 pages and will set you back a little over £7 at Amazon. The style is conversational and it is an easy read, though there are a few pages of notes and references at the end for anyone who likes that sort of thing.
So why is it so good? There are a few points that I’d like to highlight:
It is a culturally sensitive book on personal evangelism, written for the British context today. This is highlighted by the book’s insistence of building relationships and telling stories, rather than trying to convince people of propositional truths.
It is eminently practical. The narrative breaks off at regular points to suggest that you think about an issue and make some notes. It suggests that you need to think through and practice your story, rather than just expect to be able to produce it on a whim.
The overview of God’s story, the Biblical narrative, is as good a short introduction to the Bible as I have read anywhere. It’s worth the price of the book on its own.
Although all of this messing around with stories might sound a bit woolly to some people, traditional values such as repentance and belief are still in there as essentials.
The book builds on the need to start with God’s story, but to show how our own experiences reflect and intertwine with what God has been doing through history. It’s as good a practical outworking of the missio Dei as I have ever come across.
Although the book is very positive and encouraging in its tone, it is not nauseatingly so. It is reflective, realistic and quite painful at times.
Did I mention that I reckon that everyone who is involved in a church should read this?
A few quotes:
This verse is not telling you to have an answer to any possible question that your mate might have about Christianity. It is not demanding you have a sermon prepared on the book of Romans or the history of religion. Peter is asking you to be ready to tell your story. The reason you need is for the hope that you have.
Our culture is crying out for authenticity. At a time when the phrase ‘fake news’ is common vocabulary, when we see over 3,500 marketing messages on average every day and public trust in institutions, the media and religion is at an all-time low, we are desperate for what is genuine, true and real. Do not underestimate the power of your authentic story to cut through the counterfeit and speak truth to someone who previously thought religion was something you were born into, not a story or a person that changes lives. Your story of what God has done for you is real, credible and trustworthy. It has the power to make someone stop and rethink their life
So much of our training in evangelism stops after we have prepared people to communicate the gospel. However, the best evangelists aren’t necessarily just expert speakers, but expert listeners. Sharing faith is not just about giving great answers, it’s about asking great questions.
Donald Miller identifies the mistake thousands of businesses make in not hearing where others are coming from: ‘Customers don’t generally care about your story; they care about their own.’2 Our friends are not customers of God and we are not salespeople, but the principle is the same: most people want to tell their story before they hear somebody else’s.
What both Jesus and Paul demonstrate is that if we are to engage meaningfully with people we must engage meaningfully with culture. To paraphrase the theologian Karl Barth, preachers must hold the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other. In our modern world we might say that one should have our Bible app under one thumb and Twitter app under the other. Immersing ourselves in culture is not a new concept for evangelists and missionaries. sixteenth-century Italian missionary Matteo Ricci achieved extra- ordinary success in East Asia, building unprecedented relationships with Chinese philosophers, scientists and emperors. Crucial to his success was his cultural awareness and adaptation. He was famously pictured in local dress, learned the language and used Eastern concepts to communicate the good news. Later missionaries, whether to Amazonian tribes, inner-city slums or middle-class suburbs, would spend years learning languages and customs before engaging in missional activity to ensure it was the most effective and relevant it could be.
But to bind ourselves to God’s story requires a deep commitment on our part to be continually nourished, influenced and captivated by the Bible story. Reading the Bible is not about academic study, it is not a religiously bound duty to a holy book, it is how we hear the Author’s voice speaking to us today. It is how we allow the story of God to inspire us, instruct us and infect us with the contagious virus of holiness, truth, hope, love, joy and life itself.
The publishers kindly provided me with a pre-publication electronic edition of this book in return for a review. I have not allowed this generosity to impact my thoughts. It really is very good. That being said, if you want me to be picky, I did get irritated when the author apparently confused perichoresis with choreography – the two words have different roots! /rant over
It is a normal format paperback book of around 150 pages and will set you back a little over £7 at Amazon. The style is conversational and it is an easy read, though there are a few pages of notes and references at the end for anyone who likes that sort of thing.
So why is it so good? There are a few points that I’d like to highlight:
It is a culturally sensitive book on personal evangelism, written for the British context today. This is highlighted by the book’s insistence of building relationships and telling stories, rather than trying to convince people of propositional truths.
It is eminently practical. The narrative breaks off at regular points to suggest that you think about an issue and make some notes. It suggests that you need to think through and practice your story, rather than just expect to be able to produce it on a whim.
The overview of God’s story, the Biblical narrative, is as good a short introduction to the Bible as I have read anywhere. It’s worth the price of the book on its own.
Although all of this messing around with stories might sound a bit woolly to some people, traditional values such as repentance and belief are still in there as essentials.
The book builds on the need to start with God’s story, but to show how our own experiences reflect and intertwine with what God has been doing through history. It’s as good a practical outworking of the missio Dei as I have ever come across.
Although the book is very positive and encouraging in its tone, it is not nauseatingly so. It is reflective, realistic and quite painful at times.
Did I mention that I reckon that everyone who is involved in a church should read this?
A few quotes:
This verse is not telling you to have an answer to any possible question that your mate might have about Christianity. It is not demanding you have a sermon prepared on the book of Romans or the history of religion. Peter is asking you to be ready to tell your story. The reason you need is for the hope that you have.
Our culture is crying out for authenticity. At a time when the phrase ‘fake news’ is common vocabulary, when we see over 3,500 marketing messages on average every day and public trust in institutions, the media and religion is at an all-time low, we are desperate for what is genuine, true and real. Do not underestimate the power of your authentic story to cut through the counterfeit and speak truth to someone who previously thought religion was something you were born into, not a story or a person that changes lives. Your story of what God has done for you is real, credible and trustworthy. It has the power to make someone stop and rethink their life
So much of our training in evangelism stops after we have prepared people to communicate the gospel. However, the best evangelists aren’t necessarily just expert speakers, but expert listeners. Sharing faith is not just about giving great answers, it’s about asking great questions.
Donald Miller identifies the mistake thousands of businesses make in not hearing where others are coming from: ‘Customers don’t generally care about your story; they care about their own.’2 Our friends are not customers of God and we are not salespeople, but the principle is the same: most people want to tell their story before they hear somebody else’s.
What both Jesus and Paul demonstrate is that if we are to engage meaningfully with people we must engage meaningfully with culture. To paraphrase the theologian Karl Barth, preachers must hold the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other. In our modern world we might say that one should have our Bible app under one thumb and Twitter app under the other. Immersing ourselves in culture is not a new concept for evangelists and missionaries. sixteenth-century Italian missionary Matteo Ricci achieved extra- ordinary success in East Asia, building unprecedented relationships with Chinese philosophers, scientists and emperors. Crucial to his success was his cultural awareness and adaptation. He was famously pictured in local dress, learned the language and used Eastern concepts to communicate the good news. Later missionaries, whether to Amazonian tribes, inner-city slums or middle-class suburbs, would spend years learning languages and customs before engaging in missional activity to ensure it was the most effective and relevant it could be.
But to bind ourselves to God’s story requires a deep commitment on our part to be continually nourished, influenced and captivated by the Bible story. Reading the Bible is not about academic study, it is not a religiously bound duty to a holy book, it is how we hear the Author’s voice speaking to us today. It is how we allow the story of God to inspire us, instruct us and infect us with the contagious virus of holiness, truth, hope, love, joy and life itself.
The publishers kindly provided me with a pre-publication electronic edition of this book in return for a review. I have not allowed this generosity to impact my thoughts. It really is very good. That being said, if you want me to be picky, I did get irritated when the author apparently confused perichoresis with choreography – the two words have different roots! /rant over
April 29, 2020
Like all great stories, Phil has written a real page-turner, and yet it’s a book that also makes you want to stop and pause. Not only does he point out the value and significance of your own story, but gives great advice about how we can all be ready to share them. This is a book written for this generation and in God’s great plan, shared with us at just the right moment in His story. Delivered to my door just as the first of us entered into isolation, what a great time to read, laugh, reflect and prepare for sharing the good news story of Jesus. This is a book where even the end-notes don’t disappoint!
April 17, 2020
Story Bearer is written in a lighthearted, and even jokey, friendly manner that will appeal to many, particularly the ‘Millennials’ among us. And to be fair, I would imagine it is this late teen/early twenties age group that is the target audience.
Speaking personally, those of us who are only a little older(!) may have lost some of the inhibitions that may have held us back in earlier days and it may be younger Christians that are more likely to need encouragement to share their faith.
Having said that, encouragement to share something that is vital is welcome at any age and this short book abounds in that encouragement – always biblical, always helpful and with an honesty that is at times surprising and keeps the book grounded and prevents it becoming unrealistic. I can think of no more contemporary and vital book specifically about sharing your faith.
Speaking personally, those of us who are only a little older(!) may have lost some of the inhibitions that may have held us back in earlier days and it may be younger Christians that are more likely to need encouragement to share their faith.
Having said that, encouragement to share something that is vital is welcome at any age and this short book abounds in that encouragement – always biblical, always helpful and with an honesty that is at times surprising and keeps the book grounded and prevents it becoming unrealistic. I can think of no more contemporary and vital book specifically about sharing your faith.
September 18, 2020
I loved reading this book because it oozes Joy, Jesus and Phil’s infectious enthusiasm that everyone might say ‘yes’ I want in, I want to follow Jesus because of his love, forgiveness and purpose for my life. I laughed and cried as I read this book it’s inspiring, helpful, honest, packed with good advice and helpful & humorous illustrations. As I close the cover and finish it, I’m both challenged and thankful to have a renewed passion to pray for my friends and for myself to be a better storybearer
October 11, 2020
Superb book and highly recommend. Manages to be that rarity which is both challenging and an easy read all at once. It’s quite a short read and all the more reason to read it slowly, savour it and try to get involved with the suggestions at the end of some chapters if you’re serious about sharing your faith with others. Great stuff.
March 29, 2020
What a brilliant book. Biblical, honest, inspiring and thought provoking. Filled with clear and specific calls to action that encourage and challenge the reader. Phil brings 4 key stories together to leave us with a biblical blueprint for evangelism for every Christian to engage with. This book has now become my go to book for sharing Jesus faithfully and effectively in today’s culture
April 15, 2020
Very encouraging and helpful approach to personal evangelism.
February 25, 2021
Loved this book. Phil is such a legend and wonderful disciple of Christ. I found very practical and easy to understand. It’s packed full of great stories keeping to the premise of the book. Well done Phil.
February 19, 2021
Really enjoyable and approachable read. Knox is a phenomenal storyteller and teaches you how to do the same. When we talk about evangelism nowadays, we need a refresher away from merely doing apologetics and preaching at people. To evangelize through the method of the story is refreshing and helpful.
November 10, 2022
Inspiring little book on evangelism from the perspective of story. As a storyteller I found this a really useful, fresh approach to thinking about how my story interacts with the great story of the Gospel, and how those stories can be expressed. Phil's own stories make the book very light and readable, too - there's no getting bogged down here!
June 24, 2020
Phil is an engaging story teller who inspires and challenges Christians to know the Bible well enough to share it and practically explains how to connect God's story to our own and that of our friends. A timely reminder that it all starts with prayer!
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February 4, 2021Great, easy to read with lots of charming and encouraging stories. Highlights the important role of story in our experience of life and encourages us to leverage the power of narrative in our evangelism.
August 9, 2022
An easy and inspiring read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews