The Three Circles

A missionary church teaches its members to share the gospel. Not just to believe it. To share it.

The Three Circles is a simple tool for doing that. It walks someone through the storyline of the Bible in about three minutes, using three images you can draw on a napkin, the back of a receipt, or a phone screen.

You will see the diagram in the Companion booklet (Step 9). Here is the substance.

Circle 1. God's Design.

God created the world with beauty, order, and purpose. Everything, our relationships, our work, our identity, was meant to flourish under His good and wise design. Human beings were made to know Him, reflect Him, and live in harmony with what He called "very good." This circle represents the world as it was meant to be.

Key Scriptures: Genesis 1:26-27, 31; Psalm 19:1.

Circle 2. Brokenness.

Instead of trusting God's design, humanity chose its own path. The Bible calls this departure sin, and it opened the door to the brokenness we see and feel every day. Broken relationships. Injustice. Fear. Shame. Loneliness. We all experience the jagged edges of a world that is not as it should be. No matter how we try to fix ourselves or escape the pain, our efforts ultimately fall short. This circle acknowledges the reality that something has gone deeply wrong.

Key Scriptures: Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Psalm 51:3-4.

Circle 3. The Gospel.

God did not leave us in our brokenness. Out of love, He sent His Son, Jesus, who lived perfectly according to God's design, died sacrificially for our sin, and rose again to bring new life. Through Jesus we can be forgiven, restored, and given a new start. When we turn from our brokenness and trust in Him, God begins to rebuild our lives and lead us back into His design.

Key Scriptures: John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17.

The Response: Repent and Believe.

Turn from the path of brokenness and trust in Christ. Recover and pursue God's design for your life through the power of the Spirit and the community of the church.

Practice the Three Circles. Out loud. On a friend, a spouse, a coworker, a child. Anyone. The more the gospel is on your lips, the more naturally it will come when God opens a door.

The Companion booklet has the diagram, the verses laid out, and space to write your own short version of each circle in your own words. Print it. Carry it. Use it.