Becoming a Contagious Christian Bill Hybels & Mark Mittelberg “Starting Spiritual Conversations” Putting it into Words

I. Introduction

a. “It’s not enough to merely have high potency and close proximity; we’ve got to get to the next set in the formula if we want to maximize our spiritual impact on others. That step is CC, which stands for clear communication. We’ve got to talk about our faith, putting spiritual concepts into plain everyday words.”

b. Paul in Romans 10 – People won’t figure out the message on their own

c. Somebody has to articulate the gospel and spell out who God is

d. We must take the initiative to steer discussion toward spiritual topics

e. Only some of these examples will fit you – what works with you and your personality, what you tend to talk to people about and your particular style of evangelism.

f. Heart-felt assurance that your life is better because of God and others will be too

g. You need a desire strong enough to motivate you to pray regularly for opportunities and then to watch for them throughout each day.

II. The Direct Method

a. Doesn’t wait for opportunities but creates them

b. This is a modern-day equivalent of what Jesus did in John 4. He piqued the interest of the woman at the well.

c. Examples:

i. If you’d ever like to know the difference between religion and Christianity, let me know. I’d be happy to talk to you about it.”

ii. I’m curious, do you ever think about spiritual matters?

iii. Who, in your opinion, was Jesus Christ?

iv. What’s your spiritual background? Were you taught a particular religion perspective as you grew up?

v. Do you ever wonder what happens to us when we die?

vi. What do you think a real Christian is?

vii. Where are you heading in your spiritual journey?

d. “Don’t let the simplicity of these questions cause you to discount their usefulness. They can literally open doorways into eternity.”

III. The Indirect Method – takes some element of the discussion topic and utilizes it to turn the conversation toward matters of God, the church, or faith.

a. Business

i. Try to push the “how are you”/ “I’m fine” question to a deeper level

ii. Example: “Well, financially, okay; family-wise, pretty well; and spiritually, things are great. Which one do you want to talk about?”

b. Relocations

i. Ask new neighbors if they have found a good church

c. Hobbies and Spare Time

i. Include ministry related activities that you enjoy

ii. With a little creativity, an y ministry role can be described in interesting terms that will create curiosity

d. Nature

i. What about using the wonders of creation to point to the Creator?

ii. Example: “What an imagination God must have to make so many different shapes and colors of flowers.”

iii. Response: “I guess that would make sense if you believed in God, but I don’t.”

iv. A response like this does not spell failure. Remember that the goal is to raise the topic, not evoke and affirming response.

e. Music

i. Discuss contemporary Christian artists or secular artist who are open about their faith

ii. Talk about the message in the lyrics of a popular song that raises spiritual issues

f. Sports

i. Many well-known athletes are becoming Christians

ii. Refer to a recent game or event and tell friends about a particular athlete on the team who’s a believer

g. Shared Struggles

i. When you find you have areas of difficulty in common with someone, it’s the most natural thing in the world to tell that person how you’ve been helped by wisdom from the Bible, caring Christian friends, or divine intervention.

ii. You don’t have to have the problem whipped. You just need to have found practical help and made some progress.

h. Holidays

i. Holidays provide excellent opportunities to turn conversations toward the spiritual side: “So what about he baby in the manger – do you buy into the idea that He was God’s Son?”

ii. At Easter you might ask, “Do you think the Easter celebration is based on fact or fiction?”

iii. “Is there really anything good about Good Friday?”

IV. Overriding Principles

a. Pray Hard

b. Talk to people individually

c. Pique Curiosity

i. Drop hints and create curiosity the way Jesus did when He mentioned living water to the woman at the well.

d. Rely on Reciprocal Reflexes

i. If you want to tell someone about your own interest or beliefs, start by asking them about theirs

e. Seize Split-Second Opportunities

i. Each day we have conversation with people that provide us with the chance to raise topics of faith, but most of aren’t prepared for them. When others ask us how we’re doing, most of us give a standard, safe response.

ii. We’ve got to be willing to go out on a limb and say the unexpected

iii. It’s one thing to see the split-second opportunity but quite another to seize it. I don’t know of any way around it – it’s going to take some courage to get the ball rolling and actually initiate spiritual conversations.

f. Don’t Underestimate Their Degree of Interest

i. “Most of us make the mistake of assuming people aren’t really that interested in spiritual truth.”

ii. And here we are, holding the keys to meaning in this life and hope for the next. We’ve got to rub should

iii. When you begin the process, I predict you’re going to be surprised by how many people are not only open, but genuinely interested.