rebelling against low expectations

Eight Reasons Why I Don’t Share My Faith

By Alex and Brett Harris
July 20, 2006
62 comments
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Agent 507, a faithful reader of The Rebelution, sent us this short video on evangelism. It humorously examines eight of the popular “reasons” people give as an excuse for not sharing the Gospel. We liked it so much, we decided to share it with all of you.


Watch the video, then head to the comments section and discuss. What “reasons” do you use to get out of sharing the Gospel?

UPDATE: For those interested in acquiring a higher-quality version of this video for presenting at church or at your youth group, a DVD can be purchased here and here.

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About the author

Alex and Brett Harris

are the co-founders of TheRebelution.com and co-authors of Do Hard Things and Start Here. They have a passion for God and for their generation. Their personal interests include politics, filmmaking, music, and basketball. They are both graduates of Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia.

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62 comments

  • That was great! Thanks. It just shows what extremes we will go to just to make excuses for our sin.

  • I can’t download the video…but I’ll comment anyway. 🙂

    I realize that we should have no “reasons” not to share the gospel…yet I admit that there are times when I raise “reasons” why I can’t share the gospel…and they do sound pretty silly.

  • Ha! Guys, I had tears streaming down my cheeks, I was laughing so hard. My family and I all loved watching this hilarious video. My brother wants to share it with our youth group. Good message!

  • It may be my webfiltering software, but there is only a large blank square where the video should be. If all else fails, try hosting the video.

  • For a few years, my family and I have been handing out tracts to cashiers, vendors, hotel maids, etc. (pretty much anyone we come across, even people who come to our door trying to sell stuff.)What I think most Christians don’t realize is how rewarding this is. I still get nervous, but we get so many positive responses, it’s really encouraging! People really are open, and God brings the right people into your path at the right time; we have been so blessed!
    ( May I suggest a terrific site to get tracts from? http://www.answersingenesis.org)

  • Thanks Alex 🙂

    …Taking the liberty of revising my earlier paragraph, given my proclivity for typos.. :/

    Ahem: The fact is that SINCE we as young people can pretty much get away with ANYTHING in this regard, this is precisely an area where we should be exploiting the freedom of our youth! – Since our culture is so willing to tolerate youthful creativity, earnestness, and “exploration,” why not let these allowances manifest in our bold explanation of the Gospel to people at grocery stores, to people sitting next to us on the bus, to older people, to peers, etc., etc., etc.? We as young people just don’t need to worry about being “offensive” as much as we tend to worry.

  • MM: I loved your first paragraph. That is exactly the kind of approach young people need to take in sharing the Gospel.

    Here’s the list:

    #8 – Might Get Beat Up
    #7 – Won’t Make Sense
    #6 – Might Be Made Fun Of
    #5 – Won’t Know How to Start
    #4 – I’ll Be A Bad Witness
    #3 – I’ll Say the Wrong Thing
    #2 – I’ll Be a Religious Nut
    #1 – I Don’t Know Enough

  • Sometimes when we see our excuses dramatized, we see how inexusable our exuses really are.

  • Nice, guys. The fact is that we as young people can pretty much get away with ANYTHING in this regard, this is precisely an area where we should be exploiting the freedom of our youth! – Since our culture is so willing to tolerate youthful creativity, earnestness, and “exploration,” why not let these allowance manifest in our bold explanation of the Gospel to people at grocery stores, people sitting next to us on the bus, older people, peers, etc., etc., etc.? We just dont need to worry about being offensive as much as we tend to worry.

    I want to include this on my blog, but I dont want to use the video, and my computer is having a very goofy time with the downloads- anyone willing to provide a written list of these hilarious “reasons” for me to copy and paste? I would be much obliged.

  • Reasons 7,5,3, and 1 and big fears for me. I know the only real solution is to make an effort to learn as much as possible. I know of a man who knew the entire Bible. He said the geneologies gave him problems.:) Anyway, it takes time to learn how to share your faith more effectively and practice. I admit I haven’t had much.

  • So, how does transubstanstiation correspond with the ecclesiastical movement to eschatological events?

    That’s what he asked. I don’t know the answer to that question either. LOL

  • It made me chuckle, but also made me think. Pretty soon after turning it on, Mom and Dad were both listening! Normally my excuse is I’m afraid my witness will forever turn someone off to Christ. I have to remember that if I’m obeying Christ’s plan for me, then He’ll work it out.

  • How about this reason: If you approach people, you turn them off. Back when I was a Christian and attended a private Christian school, my teachers told us to let people approach us, not the other way around. You’re lucky to get one chance with someone, and if you take that one time you get and try to work on them when they’re not receptive, you’ve turned them off. If they approach you, they’re receptive. Part of why I left the church was annoyance at people always handing me fliers and trying to convert me when I’d get off the train after work. It annoyed me, and I started to believe that any god would want his followers to come willingly, not follow just to get people to back off. Frankly, it started to feel like a cult.

  • wow! that was great! I needed to be reminded that my “reasons” are really excuses…thanks guys! God bless!!

  • Here’s a new Reason #1: Just because they don’t believe in God, doesn’t mean their beliefs aren’t profound, personal, and highly valued. They might be completely offended when you come up to them and say “Everything you believe is wrong, everything I believe is right.” I mean, how would you feel if someone came up to you and said that? Crazy thought, I know, but there are some non-Christians out there in the world who are self-possessed, intelligent, and clear-thinking who have come to the conclusion that there is no god. You’d have more luck convincing them that their mother is a extra-terrestrial.

    Look, I appreciate that you think you’re doing me a favor, but there is nothing more disrespectful than being told that everything you believe is wrong by someone who doesn’t know the first thing about you.

  • Uh, we do know that everyone is a sinner and is in need of Christ Allie. So, how’s that for knowing a first thing about someone. The other thing is we don’t just come up to people and tell them they are wrong. That’s not what the video is about. As Christians, we should witness, whether it makes somebody uncomfortable or not.

  • This video made me smile 🙂 it’s also challenging, and insightful as to what goes on in a Christan’s head when it comes to witnessing.

    I can see where ‘allie’ [sorry for picking on you] is coming from, I would be saying the same thing if I wasn’t a Christian, and I agree that maybe it is disrespectful to be told what you believe is wrong…but that is what the media, the schools I went to, and the government (I’m english by the way) have been telling ME my whole life!

    The “average” person in Britain growing up doesn’t even get to hear about the gospel, they don’t even get a choice, they are fed agnostic or atheistic views along with post-modern propaganda that encourage them to think that truth is what each individual says it is, but how many fail to realise that what they BELIEVE is just a faith system too? Maybe they do, maybe they don’t…?

    Forget about what people believe – it’s the TRUTH that matters, no matter what you believe the universe won’t change the objective truth of the existance of God (or not) will never change. No, I can’t prove that God exists (neither can an atheist prove what they BELIEVE – that God doesn’t exist). But “faith is the evidence of things unseen” – I know that the change that happened within me when I became a Christian tells me that God exists and that the Bible is the TRUTH.

    So anyway, back to the point, witnessing will at least make people think about what they believe themselves, instead of just going along with the secular flow, who can have anything to say against that?

  • The main problems in all this is that: we care too much what others will think of us, we don´t trust ourselves to say the right things, and most important of all, we don´t have enough faith in God to give us the right words to say to others. Those are, in my opinion, the main problems. I have alot to work on when it comes to sharing my faith too, but I´m praying for God to help me change and become more like Jesus, and I know He will in His good timing if I do my part.

  • I take it back, after my first post and the page refreshed, the video worked. I believe the first time I saw this video was at a World Changers missions trip in Savannah, GA. It really does a great job at covering the most common “excuses” Christians come up with for not sharing our faith.

  • Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
    And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

    2Corinthians 5:14 “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;”

    Good video Alex and Brett!

    These verses help me to witness. I try to begin every encounter with a prayer for boldness as the Apostle stated. I enjoyed also an article by Bill Faye “How to SHare Your Faith Without Argument” http://www.rbc.org/uploadedFiles/Bible_Study/Discovery_Series/PDFs/how_can_I_share_my_faith_without_an_argument.pdf

    and also Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron teach real effective ways to present Christ to the lost and provides a lot of resources. http://www.wayofthemaster.com

    Blessings,
    Gary

  • After watching the great video , the screen gave us the options to watch other videos. We didn’t realize that we were leaving the rebelution site and going to the myspace site. Unfortunately, my family got a quick eyefull of evil before I got it off the screen. We just wanted to throw out a word of caution so that we can all guard our hearts and minds.

  • Thanks! I am still laughing. I have to play this to our church this week! When I find I’m having a hard time sharing Jesus it’s because i have nothing – you can’t share what you don’t have…a relationship. It’s not about approaching strangers – what do your friends know about Jesus becuase of how you live? Great work guys.

  • “The “average” person in Britain growing up doesn’t even get to hear about the gospel, they don’t even get a choice, they are fed agnostic or atheistic views along with post-modern propaganda that encourage them to think that truth is what each individual says it is, but how many fail to realise that what they BELIEVE is just a faith system too? Maybe they do, maybe they don’t…?”

    I do. I challenged my agnostic position, but so far it has held up to all the challenges.

    The thing is, I’m not a postmodernist. I don’t see anything that anyone says as equally true. And that’s where my inability to have faith comes in. Christianity, in the nature of faith, asks for a suspension of reason and logic. And if you only believe in Christianity because of it’s logicality or you’re taking Pascal’s wager, then you’re not a believing Christian. Well, if you’re going to subscribe to a system that asks you to exchange reason and logic for emotion and faith, what dictates that it should be Christianity? Why not Islam? Why not Buddhism? The argument slides into a chaos of relativism. The question is not, “do you operate within the framework of a belief system?”, but, “how is your commitment to your belief system non-arbitrary relative to the set of all possible belief systems?”

  • I don’t mind if you share your belief system with me. I’m pro-free speech.

    My only concerns are that it would probably be best not to interrupt me while I am at some other activity to do it, or spend so long talking that you are on the verge of harrassment. (This is from experience, although it was also unnerving because the person was an intimidating-looking/dirty man on a bicycle who came right up to me when I was alone writing. I actually did feel threatened by this character.)

    Even though I disagree with the substance of your views, I recognize your feelings about them and your right to express them. However, when going up and talking to anyone in public or handing out flyers, there is a line between innocent offering of information and harrassment. Don’t cross it.

    And, I’ll be honest, if you do it among friends you might alienate some people. As Galileo found out the hard way, you don’t have a right not to have people disagree.

  • Would very much like a copy I can use in an “Outreach” class, but both places you recommend purchasing it from are out of stock. Anyone know where I can get a copy asap please.
    Thanks.
    -P

  • That was AWESOME and Hilarious! It drives right into the heart and makes a person really think about sharing and why we don’t. It made me realise I need to work harder at it. And yes I am scared but these reasons put my fear into perspective. Thanks!!

  • Dudes,
    Trying to get the high res version for evangelism series at church – links don’t work. How do I get it? Thanks and please respond soon.
    Oh yeah, great work – keep it up guys!!

  • I wanted to order a high res. copy of the “eight reasons” video but the link did not work. How can I get one?

  • Wow ! It really was well presented. Where can I get high res. copy to present for workshop witnessing classes? I need the site to download from my iMac. I thought it was one of the best video on why I don’t share my faith I’ve ever seen.

  • Alex, Brett, with all these requests (including mine) for a hirez version of the video, it might be helpful to get some more DVDs made. Or better yet, post it here to download. I too am working to begin an outreach training course at our church and would like to use this as an icebreaker at the very first class.

    Thanks for considering it…

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  • It appears to me that this web site doesnt load in a Motorola Droid. Are other folks having the exact same issue? I enjoy this blog and dont want to have to skip it whenever Im gone from my computer.

  • Is it still possible to get a better quality version of this video? (the provided links don’t work). Where did this video originally come from? Please let me know, and I appreciate the help! Thanks.

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By Alex and Brett Harris July 20, 2006
62 comments
rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →