November 14: Insight Post by Rachel Cleveland

  -   November 14, 2025

Encounters with Jesus Lead to Action: Once the disciples recognized Jesus, they immediately returned to Jerusalem to share the good news. Our encounters with Christ should motivate us to spread His message of hope and salvation to others.

Friday Verse

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)

Friday Questions

How can I take action to share the love of Christ with others after encountering Him in my life? What steps can I take to ensure that my experience with Jesus inspires me to actively spread His message of hope and salvation to those around me?

Wednesday Insight Post
by Rachel Cleveland

I used to think I didn’t have a “good” testimony to share with others. I grew up in the church, came to know Jesus as my Savior at a young age, and never really experienced hardship. I thought my testimony was “less than” because I didn’t have a big enough story to tell, no revolutionary transformation. Because of this mindset, I often didn’t share Jesus with others when I was younger. And while I wish I could go back, I have to believe, despite my lack of words, Jesus still found a way to use me to showcase His love to others anyway. Thankfully, as I got older, I also saw how small-minded I was regarding my testimony. How, many people in the world have hoped for a “boring” testimony like mine. And now, I get to share what I used to think as a boring, not good enough story with joy, understanding, and acceptance.

While I may not stand on the street corner with a megaphone or run down the streets in the middle of the night to tell friends about Jesus like the disciples Jesus appeared to on the road to Emmaus did, I do work to include Jesus in my actions, responses to others, and general way of doing life on a regular basis.  I include His name in conversations, how I respond to those I disagree with, how I think about my future, and even how I think about myself, so that my love for Christ is a steady stream washing over me. If it wasn’t constantly on my mind, in my heart, or part of my speech, I’m not sure I would ever take the steps to share Jesus. Not because I don’t want others to know Him, but more of an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality, and if it is out of mind, I would have to get out of my comfort zone to keep Him on my mind. Having this constant overflow of Jesus keeps Him front and center, allowing me even more organic opportunities to share what He has done because I am already thinking about it.

Sharing Jesus can be deeply personal because it is your story of your relationship with the One who has rescued you. Only YOU have this story. No one else has encountered Jesus the exact same way that you have. How amazing is that! So, if you don’t share that story, who will? If you have never shared your testimony before, the thing that was most helpful to me was to write my testimony down. Seeing on paper exactly how God has shown up in my life was deeply encouraging and allowed me to see how not boring my story was. Then take your written story and share it with a trusted group of people who know and love you, maybe family members or a community group. Allow their support to help you feel more comfortable sharing. And with it now top of mind, start looking for opportunities to share it with others. It likely won’t be someone coming up asking you directly, “Can you tell me about Jesus and why you follow Him?” though it definitely could be! If you ask, God will make those openings available to you, and you get to share the best thing that has ever happened to you with someone who may just begin their own redemption story right in front of your eyes!

Rachel Cleveland
Worship Team Volunteer and Silo Center Preschool Teacher

New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org