Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

From the book's description...
"How to Talk about Jesus without Looking like an Idiot explores why you don’t need to be afraid or uncomfortable, the four questions that help people open up, the five steps to respond to tough questions, and
how to effortlessly bring faith into a conversation.
It doesn’t need to be awkward. Everyday conversations that open the door to evangelism can be painless and natural. Let Andy help you find easy ways to talk about the true meaning of life and learn how to share the gospel with your neighbors, friends, and family."

Even though the author is exploring these questions, I still would disagree with the source of us having these questions. It's us that makes things awkward. It's our prideful thinking that we have to defend Jesus or convince people that God is worth it. In reality, we just share the gospel and God does the rest. The truth of this freedom is what we need so that we are never burdened with these self-centered questions.

Such a readable book! The author uses his sense of humour to deliver a very helpful message to those who are afraid to share their faith. He makes some excellent suggestions on how to get past the fear that often holds us back.

There are a number of reasons why christians might struggle in talking about their faith; and more the most part, I think the author does a good job identifying most of them in the first three (3) chapters. Perhaps the most significant one that I have encountered, and is missing from this book, is that many christians really don’t have a lot of depth to their faith and they are comfortably fine in their own little bubble with no real desire to learn more about it (or themselves). Regardless, christians are expected to evangelize and this book does have some good general ideas on how to do that; however, it falls down in the specifics that rely too heavily on gotcha moments and logical fallacies (I am looking at you scarecrow). For example … that author makes a huge deal about relative moralism and how it just doesn’t work, ignoring any nuance introduced by social needs … in other words, either it is every man for themselves or there are objective truths that must by nature be determined through divine revelation. Next up … the belief that good and evil are solely christian concepts because you can’t define evil in a relative moralistic society … et al. If any of these arguments actually work, you need to find a better class of atheist ‘cause even I can swat those soft pitches over the back wall.

But that is not why this book actually fails to prevent you from looking like an idiot. The whole premise of this book is how to drive openings into personal interactions so that you can engage in apologetics. This type of ambush theology is exactly what makes “crunchy christians” (define by the author as christians people go out of their way to avoid). It may work for the author, who is obviously quick-witted and disarmingly humorous, but for the rest of us, it’s a mixed bag (and there is a growing body of research that indicates that apologetics is not very effective in driving conversion). In other words, you may not feel like an idiot, but that opinion is not shared by your target audience. That is not to say that you would not gain any useful tips, tricks or ideas … only that some tweaking (and practice) is needed before achieving the results you may be looking for.

Chapter 1 Undercover Christian
Chapter 2 The Sum of All Fears
Chapter 3 The First Steps to Total Fear-Less Evangelism
Chapter 4 Evangelism in Everyday Places
Chapter 5 The Power of a Good Question
Chapter 6 Learning Questions From the Master
Chapter 7 A Toolbox for Evangelism
Chapter 8 The What Question
Chapter 9 The Why Question
Chapter 10 The Wondering Question
Chapter 11 The Whether Question
Chapter 12 Five Simple Steps for Answering Tough Questions
Chapter 13 Bringing It Back to Jesus
Chapter 14 How Not To Be a Crunchy Christian
Chapter 15 Foolish Evangelism

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#HowtoTalkaboutJesuswithoutLookinglikeanIdiot #NetGalley

I am sure this book will be helpful to a certain group of people and I hope it helps spread the love of Jesus. I struggled with some fundamental differences with the author and therefore had a challenging time with the rest of the book. But, I appreciate that at its core this book is attempting to give people the confidence to tell how Jesus has changed their lives in a way that is approachable. That is good. I just do not align with the author in other regards that felt significant.
Thanks to the publisher for an eARC.

In this book Chan emphasizes the importance of being authentic and listening to the other person as a way to share Jesus. He encourages readers to ask questions and to be open to dialogue rather than just preaching at people. He also addresses common objections to Christianity and provides helpful responses to them. I will purchase a physical copy of the book for my personal use with our youth group. I appreciate the opportunity for the ARC

How to Talk about Jesus without Looking like an Idiot by Sam Chan is an excellent book for young people who want to learn how to communicate their faith in a more effective way. This book is perfect for those who want to share their faith with their friends and family but don't know how to start the conversation without feeling like an idiot.

Sam Chan is a gifted communicator who has worked with young people for many years. His book is filled with practical advice and real-life examples that are relatable and engaging. One of the strengths of this book is its use of humor and personal stories that help to illustrate the concepts being discussed.

The book is divided into three sections, each one focusing on a different aspect of communication: content, context, and style. The first section, "Content," teaches readers what to say about Jesus and why it's important to talk about him. The second section, "Context," shows readers how to create opportunities to share their faith and how to tailor their message to their audience. The third section, "Style," focuses on the delivery of the message, including tone of voice, body language, and the use of technology.

Throughout the book, Chan emphasizes the importance of being authentic and listening to the other person. He encourages readers to ask questions and to be open to dialogue rather than just preaching at people. He also addresses common objections to Christianity and provides helpful responses to them.

Overall, How to Talk about Jesus without Looking like an Idiot is a highly recommended book for young people who want to learn how to share their faith with others in a meaningful and effective way. It is easy to read, engaging, and practical, making it a great resource for anyone who wants to become a better communicator of the gospel.

What a great resource. I will be using these tools for sure.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.