You Are Ready to Talk About Jesus

Pastor Mike
Woman in pajamas, using a phone, sitting in a small room. The room has a fridge, TV, and window.

Telling a story about your best friend is easy. Recounting Jesus healing the paralytic man is hard (Mark 2:1-12). Talking about what kind of woman your mother was is easy. Talking about what kind of Savior you have in Jesus is hard. The person hearing these stories about your friend or your mother might not know them. They aren’t likely to be personally affected by your stories. You can speak freely without concerning yourself with the impact your stories leave. This is not the case with Jesus. We share Jesus in order to leave an impact. After all, he is not only our Savior, but he is the Savior of our conversation partner as well!


One thing that makes talking about Jesus hard, however, is this: When you talk about Jesus, you’re talking about someone about whom your conversation partner probably knows something about. You may have had a conversation where someone challenged you with questions to dispute the historical evidence about Jesus and the Bible. Maybe you’ve had someone pose a theological or ethical dilemma to you that you couldn’t solve. Maybe you even have experienced the cold laughter of a critic of Christianity, who says they’ve “heard it all before” and have no time for “Bible-thumpers.” In these cases, consider this as an explanation for what just happened: you encountered your conversation partner mid-stream. They’ve heard some things about Jesus or the Bible before, so you’re jumping into a conversation that has already begun.


I believe that this is the cause of one of the biggest roadblocks to sharing our faith. During our Sunday Morning Bible Studies over the last few months, we’ve been discussing the art and science of conducting good conversations with people, perhaps to win an audience for our presenting the gospel. But several times along the way, you (participants in the study) have indicated to me that fear of being asked a question you don’t know the answer to is one of the greatest and most common sources of anxiety surrounding evangelistic conversations. I can see why!



Our culture can be so snobbishly intellectual that we often feel bad (as in, morally guilty!) for not knowing every answer to every question. Our conversation partner may not mean any harm, but when we’re caught off guard by a sincere, deep question, we feel like we’ve failed. We’ve internalized the message that it’s a sin to not know everything. We might even feel like we’re letting Jesus down in these moments.


When Peter wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you…” I don’t think he was talking about philosophical arguments for the existence of God. Instead, that verse ends with “…to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). This means that you are ready to bear witness for Christ as soon as you have an answer to the question, “Why do you have hope?” Because you have found your source of hope in the gospel. Compare these thoughts to Colossians 1:21-23


“21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.”


Both Paul and Peter are referring to our hope which comes from the gospel. The gospel is nothing more or less than the powerful (Romans 1:16-17) message of reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. You have the gospel. You’re ready to talk about Christ, because through the Word, you know him.


Only the gospel can change hearts from stone to flesh (Ezekiel 11:19-20). Only the gospel can pierce through intellectual snobbery and create humble, childlike faith (1 Corinthians 1:20-25). Only the gospel can take an enemy of God and turn him/her into a Spirit-led soul living in Christ’s peace (Romans 8:7-10). When anxiety threatens to get in the way of your witness, remember that this gospel is powerful and effective, and it is exactly what your unbelieving friend or relative needs. Your witness will be effective not when you have all the answers, but when you present the good news of Jesus.


I don’t mean any of this to say that seeking answers to thoughtful questions is pointless, however. God has gifted many Christians with intelligence and tact to speak to those who are intellectually curious about Christianity. If you trust in the power of the gospel, yet still find yourself anxious to prepare to meet some deeper questions, you might want to consider reading one of these works! I certainly have not read every volume in circulation on these topics, but here are some titles I have personally found helpful.


  • Clearing a Path for the Gospel: A Lutheran Approach to Apologetics by Arthur Eggert and Geoffrey Kieta.

 This book is definitely on the intellectual side of things, but it takes a measured and humble approach to defining and tackling argumentative issues you might encounter with a more philosophically advanced conversation partner. 


  • Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

 This timeless classic presents core beliefs of Christianity in a delightful and at times playful way. Lewis is a master of metaphor and down-to-earth language, and it shows in this valuable work. Although some of his personal beliefs don’t match ours, the core humble attitude of the book is worth imitating in our conversations.


  • The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller.

 This book walks the middle road between intellectual density and overt simplicity. Keller has a pastoral and loving tone behind his purposeful and honest confrontation of some of the logical assumptions that can mislead a person from hearing and trusting the gospel.


Dear brother or sister reading this, you are safe and rescued by the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord who died and rose for you now speaks to you through his powerful Word of promise, hope, and comfort. Cherish this message for yourself, and share it with others as often as you have opportunity. I pray that, if you make use of any of the books I mentioned above, they only assist you in our mission to bring the good news to hurting people – and to do so confidently!


Pastor Mike Cherney 

Jesus preaching to followers. Text:

All Saints’ Day – Luke 6:20-26 – Saints Depend on God for Everything

By Pastor Mike • November 4, 2025
20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

TEENS, SCREENS, THE BRAIN, AND THE BIBLE

By Pastor Mike • October 25, 2025
The following blog post was written as part of Pastor Cherney’s master’s studies in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Can you already notice the irony? When you read the title of this post, I’m sure your mind swarmed with every piece of advice you’ve gotten about how to parent teens through their use of screens.

The Art of Giving: Conclusion

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
There! Now that we’ve cleared up all the misunderstandings above giving an offering, we are all ready to worship God in this way with regularity and joy! I’m just kidding. We’ve only touched on a few of the false conceptions that are possible. Because giving is an act of sanctification – a fruit of faith, thankfully offered to God in response to the gospel – it is something to “grow into.” There may still be misgivings, questions, and reluctance. Some readers may have been seriously hurt by church leaders who prevailed too strongly upon their debit cards and bank accounts. To those, one blog post will not be sufficient to restore the act of giving to its Scriptural, rightful place. For others, giving was never properly explained as a fruit of faith, not an act that earns goodness from God. To those, I pray this discussion has been helpful. I write this post as one who is himself growing in the act of giving. May God continue to shape our understanding of how to use our gifts to his glory. Giving to God is not a science. The act of giving looks differently among Christians, just as their acts of service and fruits of faith look differently. There are no hard-and-fast equations. We can’t say that giving an offering ensures that you’ll get rich in return (maybe God will choose to bless you in this way, maybe not). We can’t say that giving will come easy once you have a more stable income (your sinful nature will likely resist no matter how much income you have). We can’t say that you should never feel concerned or self-critical over your giving (is there ever an amount that will properly express your thankfulness to God?). So, I would say that giving is much more of an art. After taking in all of Scripture’s guidance about how to approach the act of giving, we proceed using our best judgment. We start with the gospel, meditating on what wonderful things God has done for us through Jesus Christ. We then look at the gifts God has given to us: our finances, our time, our personality gifts. We envision how to respond to God’s goodness with these gifts. While there are some acts of giving that will look very similar among various Christians (for example, we all give of our time when we attend worship and Bible study together), each one of us goes through our own process of deciding how best to respond to the gospel with our gifts. We submit our hearts to God for audit, recognizing that there are often mixed motives within them (Psalm 139:23-24). We rely on God to work within us and through us even as we thank him (Philippians 2:13). After all, this is about our relationship with God – not about securing it for ourselves with offerings, because it is already secure in Christ. Rather, it is about living out a relationship of worship with God, expressing to him and to the world what he means to us. To that end, let’s close with these verses from Hebrews: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15-16) God bless you as you find joy in God’s pleasure over you for Christ’s sake, and as you respond to this gospel with thanksgiving! Pastor Mike Cherney 

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #5 – We live under the Tithe Law (giving one tenth of one’s gifts).

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
This is a very common conception of the offering, and up to this point it might appear that we also teach the tithe – the practice of giving one tenth of one’s goods as a matter of the law, and not to deviate from that percentage. This is commanded to the Old Testament Israelites in passages such as Leviticus 27:30. But Christ has set us free from the letter of the law (Colossians 2:14, Colossians 2:16-17, Galatians 4:4-5). When the New Testament commands the act of giving, percentages are not mentioned. What is mentioned, however, is that giving be proportionate (1 Corinthians 16:2), generous (2 Corinthians 9:6), done with joy (2 Corinthians 9:7), and a good work sprung from trust in the Lord (2 Corinthians 9:8-11). This is not as specific as the tithe rule. It requires one to spend time reasoning out what a manageable and reasonable gift looks like for them, while still reflecting the thanksgiving and generosity that they wish to communicate in response to the gospel. In many households, ten percent remains a useful benchmark for giving, but must not be treated as a law. Some households will not be able to afford that amount. For others, “proportionate” giving means giving much more than ten percent. It is a lot easier for church leaders to make hard-and-fast rules to “keep people in line,” rather than offer these general encouragements. However, if we remember that giving is an act of worship in response to the gospel, we will avoid strictly laying down ground rules that Scripture no longer enforces. Instead, we will focus on sharing the beautiful gospel with our members, friends, and community, and allow the Holy Spirit to create and nurture the gospel joy that inspires acts of thanksgiving. Likewise, if someone’s giving is “off-kilter,” we don’t want to address their giving with the desire that they “get those numbers up.” That would convey that our worth in God’s family comes from our works. Instead, we express concern over their connection to the gospel, and nurture their relationship with Jesus through Word and Sacrament. Then, and only then, can we discuss what a proper response to the gospel looks like in our giving. Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #4 – We give ONLY to keep the church running.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
This misunderstanding is based partly on truth, but becomes misguided when it is treated as the main issue. Like millions of churches across the world, our church is a not-for-profit organization. We rely solely on the offerings of members to keep the doors open and the air conditioner running. It would stand to reason, then, that we should encourage giving so that the work of the church can continue, don’t you think? After all, the Levites (ministers in the tabernacle and temple worship of the Old Testament) were to rely on the offerings of the rest of the tribes of Israel for their livelihood (Numbers 18:21). The Apostle Paul encouraged offerings so that Christians in dire financial need could be provided for (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). There is a practical side to giving an offering. However, this should not be divorced from the attitude of thankful worship described above. Above all, giving an offering is a fruit of faith inspired by thankfulness in response to the infinite grace of God. It is an act of worship. The opportunity to praise God in this way does not cease when the church’s bills are paid off any more than your need to come to worship services ceases when church attendance is up. Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving Misunderstanding #3 – Giving an offering if optional.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
In Romans 12:4-8, Paul lists generous giving as but one example of service that God equips people to render within the church. This could lead to the thought that giving is optional for Christians. That would be misguided. Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” Wealth takes many forms. For the Old Testament believer, their material blessings primarily took the forms of crops, flocks, and herds. For most modern Americans, God bestows wealth in the form of finances and material blessings. The directives in both Old and New Testaments to praise God by bringing an offering from our wealth are so thorough that one can hardly ignore or side-step the issue at hand. It is true that our whole lives are to be offered to God as thank offerings for what he’s done (Romans 12:1). It is also true that God is more concerned with the attitude of the heart than with the dollar amount given (see passages above as well as Mark 12:41-44). But it is also true that God’s design for showering us with material gifts is that we honor him in front of others by giving a portion back through this act of worship we have been calling “an offering.” As Psalm 50:23 says, “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me.” Not all Christians are capable of giving the same amount, or even the same proportion of what they have (we’ll talk about this more in a second), but God’s Word is so full of directives about giving that it is hard for any one of us to exempt ourselves. To put it another way, God seems to be completely comfortable telling us what to do with our money. After all, we only have it in the first place because he gave it to us (see the response to Misunderstanding #1). Go to next post in this series
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