Discover how you can share the gospel with anyone using the 3 circles method.
Circle 1: God’s Perfect Plan
The first circle represents God’s perfect plan for humanity—complete unity and peace with Him and with each other forever. But humanity has rejected that perfect plan by choosing our own way. This is called sin, and it brought death and distance between us and God.
Circle 2: Our Sin and a Broken World
This leads us to the second circle. Our sin created a broken world. We feel it constantly, both around us and within us. There are plenty of ways we’ve tried to escape the brokenness on our own. This can look like numbing with substances, chasing success to feel fulfilled, just trying to be a “good person”, or many other ways. But ultimately, none of these ways fully help us escape the brokenness we feel, and we return empty.
God didn’t leave us in our brokenness. Because of His great love for us, He created a doorway out. That doorway is Jesus, and we can get through it by turning from the ways we try to escape brokenness on our own and by believing and trusting in Him.
Circle 3: Our Redemption
In the third circle, we see that Jesus came down from Heaven into our brokenness, died on the cross for the cost of our sin, and rose again in three days. He conquered death, sin, and brokenness. Out of that circle, we begin growing to look more like Jesus, and we return back to God’s original plan of unity with Himself for eternity. God gives us a new purpose. The purpose is to go back into the brokenness and show others the way out, which is the love and sacrifice of Jesus.
Tips for Using the 3 Circles
- Keep things simple: Avoid using “Christianese” words that people who haven’t been to church wouldn’t understand.
- Practice with your family and friends: Practice so that when the time comes to share, you’re prepared.
- Ask someone where they see themselves: After you share, invite conversation by asking them which circle they are in. Are they trapped in the brokenness? Have they accepted Jesus but aren’t yet growing? Are they sharing the gospel and making disciples?
- Make it personal: How are ways that you tried to escape the brokenness and failed? You can share bits of your own testimony as you share the gospel with others.
