How do I recover from heartbreak?

Be patient with yourself! Just as a broken bone requires time to recover, our hearts also require time to heal. Allow yourself time and space to grieve. God created us and all our emotions; He understands our hearts and that to each of us, grief looks different. Surround yourself with a community of people who will empathize with you, but who will also encourage and uplift you. It’s usually in these moments that the lies of Satan resonate louder than truth of God. So, know God’s truth! Know that God calls you loved, worthy, fearfully and wonderfully made, strong, confident, bold and free! When we feel defeated and broken, God is closer than we realize; lean deeper into Him, to His promises and to the community of love around you.

– Captain Loreita Hinzman, Canton, MA

How do I talk about the Gospel with my friends?

First and foremost, share the Gospel you know and do not try to share what you do not know. You can only talk with your friends about the Gospel if you understand it and accept it yourself. Once you are ready, here are some ways I think will help:

• Spend time in prayer specifically for your friends.
• Put the Gospel in your own words, and don’t push them into acceptance of Christ. Share that it’s about accepting an invitation­—Jesus’s invitation to follow Him.
• Be yourself and be confident and passionate as you share. 
• Tell them your story and how it intersects with His story. Tell them how your life has changed because of accepting Jesus’s invitation.
• Share the truth and how hard it is at times to follow Jesus and how wonderful and rewarding it is.
• Explain that the Bible is all about God’s story of redemption and God’s plan to save us from eternal death through His Son, Jesus Christ.
• Use the Word itself. Showing them the Word of God will only solidify what you have been saying, God’s Spirit will speak in ways you never could.

Enough said; now go out and win your friends for Christ!

– Major Rick Raymer, Atlanta, GA