This is the stuff that gets our hearts pounding: how do we respond when someone has a question about our faith or even criticizes our decision to follow Jesus? As you grow in your faith, you’ll find the answers forming in your mind and you’ll discover your own way to talk about it, even with cynics.

But until that time, know this: Your story is the greatest testimony* you have.

Use your own account of discovering Jesus and how this has changed you. You may not get the reaction you would like, but it’s a powerful way to respond to critics. You may even be planting a seed that eventually grows their curiosity about God.

If someone asks a question that you can’t answer, it’s perfectly fine to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll look into that and get back to you.” There is no question that hasn’t been asked before, and God provides answers for all we need to know. (If it’s something we can’t understand as humans, you can say you just trust God for it.)

So how can we get a head start on this? We highly recommend a book called TouchPoints for New Believers. This book covers many questions about Christianity, plus it will help you to understand what we believe and why we may or may not do certain things.

Here’s an abridged sample from TouchPoints for New Believers: Does God view all people equally?

Proverbs 22:2 | The rich and poor have this in common: The LORD made them both.

All people are created by God, in the image of God, and have equal value in the eyes of God.

Romans 5:18 | Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

God’s salvation is available to everyone. It doesn’t matter what sins you’ve committed and it doesn’t matter who you are. God loves all people equally and wants to see everyone saved from eternal death and living in relationship with him. When you decide to follow Jesus Christ and ask him to forgive your sins and make you a new person inside, he promises to look at you as though you’ve never sinned.

*A testimony is a personal account of experiencing God and being changed by him.