Sharing Your Faith Using “The Four”

1/12/2024

By: Gabriella Bemis

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations. But it can be intimidating sharing the gospel with others – where do you even begin? This article highlights a simple and practical method for sharing your faith that involves just four steps.

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Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit nudge you to share your faith with someone only to become paralyzed over what to say? As Christ followers, we know we’ve been called to share what God has done in our lives with others, but that initial conversation can feel daunting if you don’t know where to begin.

Thankfully, there is a way to walk someone through the gospel called The Four Evangelism Method. CCA Fort Lauderdale's eighth grade students received training on this method in preparation for their upcoming mission trip to the Bahamas.

First Priority of South Florida’s Broward Director, Luke Still, was invited to lead this training and help prepare them for sharing the gospel with non-believers. Luke has used The Four to share the love of Jesus with students in public school clubs.

Sharing your faith confidently to explain who God is and what He’s done in your life becomes less intimidating when you have the right tools in your pocket. By using these four internationally known icons – the heart, division symbol, cross, and question mark – you can walk someone through the gospel message in a relatable and engaging way.

This evangelism method was created by Campus Crusades ministries (Cru) in Switzerland to make sharing the gospel with young people relevant and simple (Atkinson, 2016).

Sharing your faith confidently to explain who God is and what He’s done in your life becomes less intimidating when you have the right tools in your pocket.

❤️ Heart
The heart represents love. You can begin by asking the person to share something he/she loves and why. This opens the door to build a dialogue that is neither threatening nor judgmental.

It allows you to transition to another question, “Can I tell you something that’s so much better than XYZ? I believe that God loves you unconditionally.” This allows you to share that no matter what he/she has done, God loves him/her without measure.

We know this because 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.”
➗ Division Symbol
The division symbol represents separation. You can explain that the top dot represents God, the bottom dot represents us, and the line represents the sin that separates us from God.

Sin simply means missing the mark, which can be a helpful definition for someone who is unfamiliar with the word. Sin is a little word with big consequences.

You can explain that, we’ve been cut off from God because God is holy, and we’ve all missed His perfect standard for living. Whether it’s a little white lie, cheating on a test, or taking something that isn’t ours – we’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).

The Bible tells us that there’s nothing we can do to outweigh the wrongs we’ve committed. We have a sin problem, but how do we fix it? The truth is, we can’t fix it.
✝️ The Cross
Continue in your conversation by asking, “Do you know how we can find our way back to God?” This will allow you to explain the significance of the cross.

The cross symbolizes a debt that was paid in full – a debt we couldn’t pay. But God, who is rich in mercy, paid our debt through His son Jesus Christ on the cross. The Bible teaches that the price for sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus (Romans 6:23).

Our hope is not in the good things we can do to earn our way back to God, but that anyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness for their sins. God showed His perfect love for us on the cross. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us and paid our debt in full (Romans 5:8).

Our hope is not in the good things we can do to earn our way back to God, but that anyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness for their sins.
❓Question Mark
This final symbol represents a question. This is the ultimate question everyone must ask themselves, so wrap up your conversation by asking, “Will you choose to follow Jesus?”

Romans 10:13 says that, “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Remember, it’s not your job to save anyone; the Holy Spirit is the One who convicts and leads us to repentance. Your role is to simply share the gospel. Regardless of how he/she answers this question, the pressure is off of you!

If they say yes, great! Lead them in a prayer of salvation like this one. If they say they’re not ready or have questions, respond with kindness, and try to cultivate a relationship if possible. Know that you have planted a seed, and pray that it will be watered.

These four symbols can guide your conversations to help you share your faith with others in a simple and tactful way. We live in a lost and broken world, and people need to know they were created by a God who loves them.

We get to be the messengers of this good news, and we get to tell anyone who will listen that the God who created the heavens and the Earth desires to have a personal relationship with them. With an open and willing heart, God can use you to reach souls who are desperate for His love and grace!

Like this Facebook page to follow CCA’s eighth graders’ mission trip journey where they will put this evangelism tool to use.

Gabi Bemis recently joined CCA as a Content Coordinator for the school’s Communications team. She earned a master’s degree in Psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Biblical Studies from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She is married to Scotty Bemis and enjoys serving alongside him in Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale’s worship team. When she’s not writing or singing at church, Gabi enjoys watching movies with her husband, spending time outdoors, and co-leading a small group with her friend Alyssa Mendez.

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