Changing Conversations. Goodness… how badly this is needed today!
Are you like me and have become frustrated with the conversations you see on Social Media? Have you seen the fact that we no longer even know HOW to have conversations? We have a long way to go regarding Changing Conversations that are taking place around us! I’ve had several people tell me they have become extremely frustrated with how difficult it has now become in knowing what you should or shouldn’t say or post. We definitely need some help in changing our conversations!
One of the phrases we have latched onto at FBC Newton regarding Changing Conversations was added into our statement of roles and tasks:
“I Am a Disciple.
I Am a Disciple-Maker.
And I Am a Missionary.
So as I am going,
I will change my conversations, and
I will excel still more.”
We are called to be Disciple-Makers. In fact, according to 2 Timothy 2:2 , we are to Make Disciples who will Make Disciples. This verse gives us four generations of disciplemaking:
Paul disciples Timothy who disciples Faithful Men who disciple More Faithful Men!
Therefore, we talk about the commitment that as a Disciple-Maker, I will change my conversations attempting to bring God and Christ into every conversation, teaching others how to know and obey everything that Jesus commanded. To do that we need to commit to these items:
I will change my conversations. If you are thinking that some of these roles and tasks bleed into each other, you would be right. Being a disciple, bleeds into disciplemaking, which also overlaps with being a missionary. And so changing our conversations deals with all three. The truth is that as we are going about our day we converse with people all day long. We talk about the weather, we talk about sports, we talk about recreation, we talk about vacations, we talk about family, we talk about the pastor. But since we are to “Walk Like Jesus Did,” then we should always be working to change the conversation (to steer it) toward God.
For example, if the weather has provided a summer drought and finally there is a break in it through a strong rain, then when someone says, “It sure was great to get some rain yesterday,” we typically say something like “Yes, it sure was.” But how about working to intentionally change the conversation and move it toward God: “Yes, it sure was. God really blessed us in sending us that rain.”
See that wasn’t hard at all. You barely changed it, but you brought God into it, opening the door for more conversation about God in the future. And as you do it more and more, it gets easier and easier to bring God into your conversations. And in time you will be able to move the conversation more clearly toward Jesus.
Changing Conversations. We need you to start doing it today.
So as you are going wherever you go today, go out and Change Your Conversations for Jesus!
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