Turning the page, trusting the power.
We sat down with Catherine, a Bible sharer in Wiltshire, to hear about how she’s journeying with others towards faith in Jesus by opening His Word with them.
Thanks for joining us, Catherine! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with The Word One to One?
I’m a psychologist and biblical counsellor, so I use my psychology experience in ministry to help those who are suffering and struggling, whilst pointing them to Jesus and the hope He brings. I’m also a woman’s worker at our church in North Bradley, so that’s really how my involvement with The Word One to One started.
A few years ago, the church allocated everyone into pairs so that we could all try it out, and from there it carried on! I read it regularly with the lady I’d been partnered with and saw that we were able to connect Jesus to the deeper, personal things in life as we talked. It was great to practise using the resource with another believer before inviting a non-believer to look at it with me.
Q. Who else have you been reading The Word One to One with recently?
A while ago, a local lady came to me for counselling. It’s really interesting that she did – why would you come to someone who you know will counsel from a Biblical perspective? So, she seemed to have an interest in the Bible already and, through counselling, she began to come to church. I invited her to meet to look through The Word One to One together, which led to lots of discussion and questions from her. She was so keen that she downloaded the notes from the website and read ahead herself! She’s now a regular attendee at our church and professes faith in Christ! The Word One to One has been a big part in her journey.
“I invited her to meet to look through The Word One to One together, which led to lots of discussion and questions from her. She was so keen that she downloaded the notes from the website and read ahead herself!”
More recently, we have been doing Christianity Explored over Zoom. At the end of it, a lady said she’d come as an atheist, but was now an agnostic who wanted to know more! We asked her if she’d like to meet to look at another gospel and she was really keen. We’ve started meeting weekly over Zoom using The Word One to One. After looking at the gospel of Mark in Christianity Explored, it’s great to be able to show her more of Jesus through a different gospel.
The Word One to One makes opening up God’s Word so accessible – its style helps conversation about Jesus flow in an easy and natural way, and she says that Jesus is nothing like she’d imagined!
Q. How have you seen God working as you’ve read His Word with others?
I became a Christian in my early 30s after reading the Nicodemus passage in John’s Gospel, so I’ve experienced the power of God’s Word first-hand in my own life! Opening John’s Gospel with anybody is precious to me because of that and I want to share it with others! The imagery used in John’s Gospel is so powerful – like Jesus being the vine and we are the branches, for example.
Before I was saved, I remember sitting in church hearing a sermon on John 15 and realising that the people around me were part of the Vine, but I wasn’t. It bothered me, I wanted to be! I’ve seen this response in others as we read His Word together. They know others that have something they don’t, and they want it for themselves – and the good news is, they can! As we read through the pages together, the hope and mercy and grace of Jesus gushes out. Reading with others blesses me too, as I’m reminded again of who Jesus is and what He has done for me.
“As we read through the pages together, the hope and mercy and grace of Jesus gushes out.”
Using The Word One to One is also such a joy because it easily allows me to share my own testimony with others; our hope isn’t found in things, it’s found in a Person. His name is Jesus!
Q. Do you have any advice for someone looking at starting to share God’s Word with others?
What I will say is that it can be quite daunting to open up the Bible with someone if you’ve never done it before – you might not feel confident that you know the Bible well enough, or feel fearful you won’t know what to say. The beauty about The Word One to One is that it’s all there! It doesn’t matter if you don’t have loads of theological training – anyone can use it at any point on their Christian journey!
Trust that God will help you, and trust that His Word has power. If you do something that honours God and reflects His desires, He promises to equip you with all you need to do it – and He will never let us down. The Word One to One is a fantastic resource, and all it requires is a heart for the lost and a posture of dependent humility towards God.
“Trust that God will help you, and trust that His Word has power.”
He is faithful and will always help us! The power of His Living and Active Word will do the rest. We simply need to be willing to be His instruments and share it with others. Just turn the pages, and He will do the rest through His Spirit!
Find out how you can share God’s Word with others online.
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