Gospel Sharing Tool – Learn How To Share The Good News Bridge

1 Peter 3:15 – But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

Romans 10:14 – How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

God calls us to share the gospel. He has chosen to use people to share the good news of salvation with other people. We know this already. But how do we share? The Bible is a thick book. Sometimes when we share the gospel verbally we may not express ourselves clearly or we may go down rabbit trails. The listener may not fully understand the gospel.

God is the one who changes hearts. So our job is simple. We are to share the full, clear gospel and pray for God to water the seed planted in the heart.

Almost twenty years ago on a short term mission trip our host asked me to memorize this tool. After memorizing the verses and practicing it, I was ready. I have never regretted the time invested in learning to share the gospel and have used this tool hundreds of time since.

In this post I will take you through how to share the gospel using this tool.

Why this tool?

There are many tools which we could use. My favorite is the Good News Bridge. Here are some of it’s advantages.

• It is comprehensive – The Bridge covers all of the most important points of the gospel message.
• It is visual – The listener will not only hear, but will also see the Biblical truth. This makes it much easier to remember. Many have asked me to keep the copy of the bridge I wrote for them after it is done.
• It is step-by-step – This helps the presenter know exactly where he is going and not get lost.
• It is Biblical – Each point has a specific Bible verse as it’s foundation. This trains people from the beginning to recognize that the Bible is the authority. Every person can come straight to the Bible for the answers.
• It is interactive – The bridge makes use of discovery questions to lead the listener to the truth in the Bible. It provides many opportunities for a back and forth exchange. Thus, it is not a lecture where the listener passively or absent mindedly nods his head. This allows the presenter to engage in a conversation and understand where the listener is coming from and what needs are expressed.
• It is flexible – More time can be spent on any point as necessary. For example, if a person doesn’t believe in God, spend more time on that. If a person doesn’t think he is a sinner, you can cover that more in depth.

So let’s dig in.

Video Demo of The Good News Bridge

Please note that the below video is intended to show the structure of the bridge step by step. It varies from a face to face sharing the gospel with a real person in a few ways. If you share face to face, you should use a Bible and ask the listener to read the verses. You will also ask questions of the listener. Then using a pen and paper, you can draw out the bridge for the listener one step at a time.

Practice Makes Perfect

There is no substitute for practice. If a piano player says, “I am not very good at this,” you would answer, “you need to practice more.” The same is true of learning a tool for sharing the gospel. I hope and pray that you will commit to spending 2-3 weeks practicing sharing the gospel. Memorize the verses. Ask a family member to listen to you and dive in. Practice with a real person 3 times. Once you learn and use this tool, you will have it for life.

Downloadable PDF documents:

1. The Good News Bridge Presenter’s Guide – This is shown below. Step by step guide for sharing the Good News Bridge.
2. The Good News Bridge Verses Cheat Sheet – This has all the verses used in the bridge. When first practicing, you can refer to it. Later, try to memorize all of these verses.
3. The Good News Bridge Diagram – Shows a picture of the finished good news bridge presentation.
4. The Good News Bridge Blank Practice Sheet – You can use this to practice. Eventually you will want to use a blank piece of paper.

The Good News Bridge Presenter’s Guide

Below is the step by step guide for you to present the bridge. If you follow these steps, you will go through the whole gospel. I suggest that you first practice it as written 2-3 times. As you become more familiar with it, you can adjust it or add to it with additional thoughts or verses. Hint: Watch the video above first to see the demo.

Step 1
Text: Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Question: In the beginning, who was there? Answer: God.
Question: What did he do?  Answer: He made heaven and earth.

NOW write ‘God’

Step 2
Text: Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Question: What did God make on the last day of creation? What were they like?
Answer: God made people in His own image.   Question:  What do you think this means?  Does it mean we look like God? Answer:  No, we can’t see God so it doesn’t mean we look like him.  We can see what he does.  Clue:  How are people different than animals?  Conclusion:  People are special in God’s eyes.

NOW draw an arrow down from God and write ‘People’.

Step 3
Text: Genesis 6:5 “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.”
Question: What did God see when He looked at the earth? Answer: People’s wickedness.
Question: What did people think about in their hearts? Answer: Evil.
Question: How often did they think like this? Answer: Continually.

NOW draw an arrow down and turning to the left from ‘People’ and write ‘Sin’.

Step 4
Text: Isaiah 53:6 “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Question: What does this compare people to? Answer: Sheep.
Question: Where did sheep go? Answer: They went astray.

Question:  What happens when sheep go astray? Answer: It is dangerous.  They may be stolen, killed, hurt.
Question: If people are like sheep and sheep went astray, what do we know about people?  Answer: People strayed away from God. 

Draw an arrow from the word ‘Sin’ going away from God. Write ‘People’ opposite God.

Step 5
Say, We can understand the separation between people and God by drawing these two mountains.

NOW draw in the 2 cliffs.

Because of sin, people were separated from God who is holy.  Now we will look at what the New Testament says about these things.

NOW draw a stick figure person on the left cliff turned away from God.

Step 6  
Text: Roman 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Question: What did people do? Answer: They sinned.
Question: Which people sinned? Answer: All people.
Question: Does this include me? Answer: Yes.
Question: Does this include you? Answer: Yes.

NOW write the word ‘Sin’ on the left side.  Question:  What is the meaning of sin?  Sin in Chinese means criminal but in God’s eyes, sin is when we disobey him.  Sin can be something we do, say, or think.

NOW write the word ‘Sin’ on the left side.

Step 7
Text: Roman 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death……”
Question: What other effect did sin have on people? Answer: Sin causes people to die.

NOW draw arrow down and write the word ‘Death’.

Step 8
Text: Hebrew 9:27 “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment”
Question: What will people face after they die? Answer: Judgment.

NOW draw down arrow and write ‘Judgment’.

Step 9
Text: 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power”
Question: According to verse 9, what will people receive from God in the Judgment?
Answer: Punishment.

NOW draw slightly longer down arrow and write ‘Punishment’.

Question: How does it describe the punishment? Answer: Eternal destruction & exclusion from God.

NOW list the 2 punishment descriptions.

Step 10
Say, people wanted to avoid such a terrible punishment, so they tried to find a way to bring themselves to God.

Text: Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Question: According to verse 8, people are saved by what? Answer: Through faith.
Question: Is it from themselves?  Answer: No. Question: Where does it come from? Answer: It is a gift from God.
Question: Is it from works? Answer: No. Question: Why not? Answer: So people will not boast.

NOW draw the first partial bridge (that falls short) and label it: ‘Good works’.

Many other things people do to try to make themselves acceptable to God. While they all seem to be good, unfortunately, none of them are successful because they do not solve the problem of sin.

NOW add 2 or 3 other partial bridges: ‘Education’, ‘Religion’, ‘Morality’

Here we have seen that everyone has sinned against God, that they will receive a terrible punishment and that there is no action they can take to rescue themselves. This is bad news!  What can be done?

The Good News is that when people could not find their own solution, God provided a solution.

Say, ‘Jesus Christ is God the Father’s only Son’.

Step 11
Text: Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Question: How did God show His love toward us? Answer: While we were sinners, Christ died for us.

When people could not build a bridge to God, God built a Bridge to people: the Cross of Jesus Christ.

NOW draw the Cross between the two cliffs.

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4  “For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…”
Question: What did Christ (Jesus) do? Answer:  He died for our sins, was buried and was raised on the third day. Question:  What is amazing about what Jesus did?  Answer:  He rose from the dead after three days.

NOW write “He Lives” above the cross.

NOW draw an arrow over top of the Cross from people’s side to God’s side.

Step 12a
Ask, ‘How can a person cross over this bridge to have eternal life with God?’

Text: John 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

Question: This verse gives two conditions for eternal life—what are they? Answer: Hear and believe.

NOW add ‘Hear’ and ‘Believe’ above the Cross.

Step 12b
Question: What three results can people enjoy if they meet these conditions?
Answer: Eternal life, not be condemned in the judgment, and cross over from death to life.

NOW add these 3 results on the right side.

Step 13a
Say, ‘One other condition for crossing the bridge is given in this passage.’

Text: John 1:12 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”
Question: What is the other condition? Answer: A person must receive Jesus Christ.
NOW add “Receive” above the bridge.

Step 13b
Text: “John 1:12 “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God”
Question: What result does God promise in this verse?
Answer: People who receive Jesus Christ become children of God.

NOW add this promise to the list on the right side.

NOW draw the person on his knees having crossed the Bridge to be on God’s side.

Ask,

What is your opinion of what I shared with you?

Where are you now in this picture?

Do you want to receive Jesus now?

When a person says they want to receive Jesus:

Why do you want to receive Jesus?

If they are sincere then:

John 14:6 “I am the way. . .” Question:  What is the only way to come back to God?  Answer:  By Jesus.

Luke 14:25-27 Regarding counting the cost.  What does it mean to hate your family and your own life?

Exodus 20: 12  Honor your father and mother.  Matthew 22:37-39  Love the Lord your God…

Question:  What do these verses say about how we should treat our Father and Mother and our life?  

Answer:  When there is a conflict between following Jesus and our family, Jesus must come first.

Question:  What does it mean to take up your cross?  What did the cross represent to Jesus?  (Suffering and death).   What might it cost you to follow Jesus?  Answer:  We may have to suffer or die.  Question:  Do you still want to receive him?  If yes, continue.

Then have the person read:

I John 1:9, Romans 10:9-10,13, Acts 3:19  What do these verses say you need to do to be forgiven and receive salvation?

Encourage the person to pray confessing, repenting and testifying to his/her belief in what Jesus has done. Romans 10:13 says if they call on Jesus they will be saved.  Praying is talking to God.

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