Five Gospel Onramps
It can be difficult to know how to bring a conversation to the gospel without feeling gimmicky or like a bad salesman.
When Christians cram Jesus into the conversation people feel manipulated or like a project you’re trying to fix. But when you love someone enough to listen to them and want to understand why they’re saying what they’ve said, then you might be able to identify a gospel onramp. These are onramps run along a few different intersections of the gospel because they echo a few key areas in our lives where the gospel gives life and hope.
Here are five gospel onramps that I have used for my own personal ministry and in discipleship with volunteers and students. Not only do these onramps prepare you for personal evangelism, they also help you gain a clearer and multifaceted perspective on the gospel.
Grace & Guilt/Shame
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:10-11
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8
This gospel onramp is equally valuable for students who feel worthless and for those who are high-achieving perfectionists, since both groups need to hear (and receive) the gift of salvation by grace alone. Although none of us should wallow in guilt or shame, we cannot repent of sin and cast our faith on Christ without feeling our need and his provision. When someone is weighed down by the mistakes they’ve made in life and feel like they’re good for nothing, then we proclaim the grace of God through Jesus Christ. God’s grace forgives us of our guilt and removes our shame. The gospel is not earned, and no one is “worthy.” That’s why it’s grace.
Peace & Fear/Anxiety
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:31-33
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
The anxiety epidemic is very real. Every youth worker is navigating anxiety with the teenagers in their ministry. Anxiety is a genuine mental health diagnosis that can have hormonal and physical causes, so it’s not wise or helpful to always tell students, “Stop worrying and just trust God more.” At the same time, some youth workers are so attuned to the complexities of mental health they’ve stopped calling anxious students to practice faith. The gospel is good news that sets us free from fear and anxiety into the security of knowing that we are taken care of by our Father in Heaven. That doesn’t mean anxiety just “goes away,” but Christians can experience genuine peace because of the gospel. The gospel gives us enduring peace - not a worldly peace the ebbs and flows with our emotions - but a peace with God that passes all understanding.
Hope & Fear/Depression
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” 1 Peter 1:3-4
The gospel is a message of hope. Two of the defining characteristics of GenZ are cynicism and sarcasm (they probably get these from their GenX parents). This is fairly obvious if you listen to their music, watch their youtube channels and shows. Very little is taken seriously and nearly everything is liable to be turned into a meme. Underlying much of this is a low-grade depression that’s simply assumed. I love GenZers (I’m raising two of them!), so this isn’t meant as a harsh criticism. Honestly, I can’t blame them, since so many of their mentors have fallen into moral disgrace and our culture delights in tearing down heroes and their families are divided. It can be easy for them to lose sight of hope, or to hope for hope in false promises. Youth workers have the opportunity to proclaim Christ crucified and risen from the grave. The gospel announces a risen savior who has conquered the worst that sin and death could throw at him, and he will return to finish the work he began.
Joy & Sadness
“Jesus wept.” John 11:35
“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:10-11
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:2-4
Life is hard. And sometimes the wisest thing we can do in response to our circumstances is to cry. When students are experiencing sadness, then we come alongside them with sympathetic tears and remind them that Jesus also wept. He understands our sadness from the inside-out. Jesus offers his disciples joy. That’s not to say that everything will always be happy or easy; but it’s a deep and abiding joy that comes from being united with Christ. When we repent of our sin and trust in Jesus then we’re united with Christ and we receive the same love that God the Father gives to God the Son - and that produces great joy within us. The gospel also reminds us that everything sad will become untrue when Jesus returns and establishes the New Heavens and New Earth. Sin and sadness will be replaced with worship and joy.
God’s Presence & Loneliness
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever…. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16 & 18
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39
Many students feel deeply alone and isolated. They have this sense of being unknown and unloved. Maybe that’s just their perception and you’ll be tempted to try explaining to them how much their parents, friends, and you love them - but it won’t be enough. If that’s how they feel, then sometimes that’s just how they feel. In those moments, pray for godly wisdom and compassion to tell them about the loving presence of God. An increasing number of youth workers might shrink back from this message because it could feel like a thin or cheap answer to a deep and abiding ache within a student’s soul. There’s a way to navigate this that is insensitive, and there’s a way to gently reach for a lonely student’s hand and walk them (figuratively) down this onramp towards God’s presence. We proclaim Christ Jesus, the Word who became flesh and who gave himself over for sinners. Finally, he does not simply give Christians a promise - he gives them his very self through the Holy Spirit.
These gospel onramps can help you, your volunteers, and your students grow in gospel fluency as you prayerfully hold out the gospel to nonbelievers. No one wants to feel like they just got “evangelized on.” But unfortunately, that’s the reality for many nonChristians with their Christian friends. Let’s love our friends, listen to them with patience and compassion, and pray for opportunities to graciously walk with them along one of these gospel onramps on the way to saving faith.
