Start with Jesus
By Jenna Arnold
Director of Digital Outreach
A couple of years ago during our For the One series, we asked our church family what keeps them from sharing their faith. By far, the most common answer was this: “I don’t know what to say.” I completely get that. I’ve been there too—moments when someone asked a question about my faith, and I froze, unsure of how to respond. It wasn’t that I didn’t have an answer… I just didn’t know how to say it.
I remember meeting for coffee with a group of friends, and as we were chatting about what was going on in our lives, a woman I barely knew asked me how I seemed to be happy even though my situation at the time was chaotic. I said something flippant and quickly changed the subject. Later, I wished I had answered differently. I kept thinking—even if it hadn’t been polished or graceful, even if I had sounded a little awkward—blurting out “Jesus” would have been a much truer answer.
We tend to overthink it. We worry about having the perfect explanation or being able to answer every possible question. But when it comes down to it, the answer is simple.
The answer is Jesus.
That’s where we start. His name is not a throwaway line—it’s the whole reason for the hope we have. Scripture tells us to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15), and if you’re wondering what to say… start there. Start with Jesus’s name. Then tell a story.
It doesn’t have to be flashy or dramatic. You don’t need to have a miraculous healing story or a come-to-Jesus moment on a mountaintop. Just be real. Tell about the moments when Jesus met you in the ordinary. Because those moments are anything but ordinary.
The beauty of the gospel is that it doesn’t require a theology degree to share. We don’t need a perfectly worded explanation of doctrine. All we need to share is what we know: Jesus changed my life. That’s it. If someone wants to know more, great—keep the conversation going. But the starting point isn’t a system. It’s a person.
When people ask how I stay joyful, or how I keep going in tough times, or how I have peace when life feels like chaos, my answer begins the same way: Jesus.
There have been so many times when I was desperate—needing provision, direction, or even just the right words to say. And Jesus showed up.
There were seasons when the math for my bank account didn’t add up, and somehow we still made ends meet. Jesus.
There were moments I should’ve been overwhelmed or panicked, but I felt calm—and I knew it wasn’t me. It was the Holy Spirit working through me.
There were impossible prayers I prayed with only a shred of hope, and they were answered abundantly in ways I didn’t think possible.
Jesus is my Savior, and he’s also my closest friend.
And here’s the thing: you have a story too. You may not think it’s dramatic or interesting, but it’s powerful—because Jesus is in it. If you’ve experienced his peace, his guidance, his comfort, his grace… then you have something to share. And someone needs to hear it.
So if you’ve ever struggled with how to answer someone’s why—why you’re joyful, why you believe, why you press on—the answer doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with Jesus. Share your story. And don’t be afraid to say, “I’d love for you to meet him.”
Jenna