Introduction:

• You will not find one ‘official’ script on the 3 circles anywhere because by design it is intended to be tailored to the personality of the proclaimer and the needs of the hearer.
• Essential to the presentation of the gospel is a personal indictment of sin, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and an invitation to repent and believe. Other elements can be emphasized or minimized according to the need of the moment.
• Draw and Label each circle at the beginning of its section.
• Words written in ALL CAPS indicate words that are written on the board. Some instructions are also in {brackets}.
• Scripture cross-references are intended as a guide and are by no means exhaustive. A good study Bible can help you find more.
• Numerous examples of the 3 Circles can be found on YouTube. However, make sure your presentation is biblical and contains the essential elements mentioned here.

Sample 3 Circles Script:

First Circle GOD’S DESIGN

God has a design for every area of our lives—our families, marriages, (Genesis 2:24-25; Ephesians 5:22-6:4) money, sex life, work (Genesis 1:28) and just everyday life (Exodus 20:3-17). God designed us to be in relationship with Him, (Genesis 3:8-9) but we have all departed from that design (Genesis 3:1-19).

Second Circle:  BROKENNESS

The Bible calls this departure SIN. We’re born with a sinful nature so sin comes naturally to us. There is no one who gets it right all of the time. We all sin and fall short of God’s perfect design (Rom. 3:9-19, 23; Galatians 3:22; 1 John 1:8-10;). This sin leaves us in brokenness (Romans 5:12-19).  We see this brokenness in broken relationships, addiction, depression, discouragement, guilt and shame. The biggest signs of our brokenness are sickness and death because this was not part of God’s original design for us (Genesis 2:17).  And personally we see the brokenness in ourselves, as we fall short of what we know to be right (Romans 2:14-15).  We all want out of brokenness, so we try to fix it {Draw SQUIGGLY LINES out of brokenness}. We medicate it with drugs or numb it with alcohol, yoga, self-help books, religions, entertainment or even good works (Ephesians 2:3; Isaiah 64:6). We strive to be better people, hoping that somehow, someway, our good will outweigh our bad. We look for ways to alleviate our pain. When we do that, we just get more and more broken. (Matthew 16:26)

This feels like a bad thing, but in many ways brokenness is a good thing because it’s the way God gets our attention. (Romans 1:18-20; 2 Corinthians 7:8-10; Luke 15:7;)

We crave change – God offers it in Jesus Christ –

Third Circle:  THE GOSPEL

We need change.  Brokenness gets us ready to try God’s solution, which is to REPENT and BELIEVE the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15; Acts 2:38, 17:30; Psalm 51:17.)  The change we really need comes from Jesus.

God sent Jesus to live a perfect life, die the death we deserve, and be raised to life again, (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 2:24-33;) proving He is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do. Jesus came to forgive our sins and does it by taking our place in punishment. (Romans 3:21-28; Romans 5:6-11)  When we repent and believe in Him, He gives us His Spirit, who helps us RECOVER and PURSUE God’s design. (John 17:17-19) He also puts us in fellowship with his people where we serve and grow.  (Ephesians 4:11-12) Then we help others in brokenness to recover and pursue. (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

Conclusion and application:

Where do you see yourself in this diagram? If you’re in brokenness is there anything that would keep you from repenting and believing the gospel right now?

Eric Newcomer, Pastor.  Whites Run Baptist Church.  www.whitesrun.org  http://lifeonmissionbook.com/conversation-guide