Telling Your Own Story
Month 10: Telling the Good News · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 9:24-25
24 So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!”
Memory Verse
“But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,”— 1 Peter 3:15 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Isaiah 9-12
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Near Day 290 of 365 — "Unto us a Child is born" — Isaiah's great promise of the Savior.)The Heart of It
Jesus had just healed a man born blind. Now the religious leaders were grilling him. They were trying to trap him with hard questions about who Jesus really was. The man didn't have a fancy answer for everything. He couldn't win a theology debate with these experts. But he said one thing they could not argue with: "One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." That's it. He simply told them what had happened to him. He didn't pretend to know more than he did. And he didn't back down from what he did know. His own true story was unstoppable, because it was his.
This is the most loving and natural way most of us will ever share the good news. You don't need a seminary degree. You don't need every answer memorized. You only need to know one thing: what Jesus has done in your life. Maybe you used to be scared, and now you have peace. Maybe you were angry, and Jesus is giving you a softer heart. Maybe you simply know you're forgiven and loved. That's your "I was blind, now I see." Telling your own story is an act of love, not showing off. The people around you are stuck in things only Jesus can fix, and you're handing them hope. And here's the best part. Nobody can tell you your story is wrong. It happened to you.
Around the Table
The healed man just said, "I was blind, but now I see!" You can tell your own true Jesus story too — and that's a way to love people.
Let's do it: Everyone says one true thing Jesus has done: "Jesus helped me ___ ." Cheer after each one!
The man couldn't answer every hard question. But he knew what had happened to him. Your own story is something no one can argue away.
Let's talk: Why is telling your story a way of loving someone, not bragging?
Notice how the healed man stayed humble. He said, "Whether He is a sinner I do not know." But he was also bold. He said, "one thing I know." You can admit what you don't know and stand firm on what you do.
Let's go deeper: What's your "one thing I know" about Jesus that you could share with a friend this week?
💬 Conversation Starter
If a new kid at school felt lonely and scared, and you knew Jesus could give them peace, would telling your story be more like showing off or sharing food with someone who's hungry?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When you can't answer a hard question, you can still say what the blind man said. You can say, "One thing I know. Here's what Jesus has done for me." Your testimony is real evidence. And saying "I don't know everything" actually makes you more believable, not less. That's in action. It's a reason for your hope, shared gently.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The healed man shows a posture most apologetics training forgets. He pairs confident testimony with honest humility. He refuses to overclaim ("whether He is a sinner I do not know"), yet he refuses to deny the undeniable ("now I see"). Our kids are growing up in a world that will press them toward one of two things: know-it-all bluster or embarrassed silence. And both are forms of pride. Teach them the third way. Teach them to gladly say, "I don't know that one, let me find out," while never wavering on, "but I know Jesus is real, because here's what He did in me." This means you have to make not knowing normal in your home. When your child stumps you about faith, resist the urge to bluff. Say, "Great question. Let's dig in together." That single habit raises kids who are both honest and unshakeable, which is exactly the witness loving others requires.
Draws on: Sean McDowell, A New Kind of Apologist.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for the things You have done in each of us. Give us courage to tell our own stories in love. Then others can find the hope we've found. In Jesus' name, amen."
I don't need every answer. I just need to tell the truth of what Jesus did for me.