Awkward Is Better Than Silent

In one paragraph

On the first Sunday of 2026, Pastor Brad preached from 1 Peter 3:13-17, focusing on verse 15 and what it looks like to be prepared to share the Christian faith with the people around us. He argued that faith is intensely personal but not private, and that the reluctance most of us feel about talking to others about Jesus is one of the enemy's most effective lies. The message moved through three...

Read together

1. 1 Peter 3:13-17 the primary text for the sermon, read aloud in full
2. Philippians 1:29 cited as a parallel verse on suffering for Christ
3. Romans 5 referenced to support the claim that we were enemies of God
4. 1 Corinthians 2 Paul proclaimed to know nothing but Christ and him crucified
5. 1 Corinthians 15 Jesus appeared to over 500 people at once after the resurrection
6. 2 Corinthians 13:5 Paul encourages believers to test and evaluate their own faith
7. Matthew 7 Jesus said the road to eternal life is narrow and the gate is small
8. John 9 the blind man healed by Jesus used as an example of personal testimony
9. John 3:16 quoted as the one story told across all 66 books of the Bible
10. Luke 12 the Holy Spirit will give you the words to say when sharing your faith

Talk about it

1. Pastor Brad said we have all 'bought the lie that faith is both personal and private.' Where do you think that idea comes from, and where do you see it showing up in your own life?
2. He described a tension between taking biblical imperatives seriously and over-indexing your identity on how well you perform them. How have you experienced one side of that tension or the other?
3. Pastor Brad walked through the three basic historical facts about Jesus that most historians agree on, and then presented the Lord, Liar, or Lunatic framework. Which part of that reasoning do you find most useful when talking with someone who is skeptical, and which part feels hardest to explain?
4. He offered a three-part testimony outline: who you were before Christ, what brought you to Christ, and what your life has been like since. Try sketching out your own testimony using that structure. What feels easy to put into words and what feels harder?
5. Pastor Brad's tenth point was 'awkward is better than silent.' What is the most common reason you personally stay silent about your faith, and what is one situation this week where you could choose awkward over silent?