Becoming a Contagious Christian

Bill Hybels & Mark Mittelberg

Starting Spiritual Conversations

Putting it into Words
I. Introduction
a. Its not enough to merely have high potency and close proximity;
weve 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. Weve got to talk about our
faith, putting spiritual concepts into plain everyday words.
b. Paul in Romans 10 People wont 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. Doesnt 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 youd ever like to know the difference between religion
and Christianity, let me know. Id be happy to talk to you
about it.
ii. Im curious, do you ever think about spiritual matters?
iii. Who, in your opinion, was Jesus Christ?
iv. Whats 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. Dont 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/ Im 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 dont.
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 whos a believer
g. Shared Struggles
i. When you find you have areas of difficulty in common with
someone, its the most natural thing in the world to tell
that person how youve been helped by wisdom from the
Bible, caring Christian friends, or divine intervention.
ii. You dont 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
Gods 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 arent
prepared for them. When others ask us how were doing,
most of us give a standard, safe response.
ii. Weve got to be willing to go out on a limb and say the
unexpected
iii. Its one thing to see the split-second opportunity but quite
another to seize it. I dont know of any way around it its
going to take some courage to get the ball rolling and
actually initiate spiritual conversations.
f. Dont Underestimate Their Degree of Interest
i. Most of us make the mistake of assuming people arent
really that interested in spiritual truth.
ii. And here we are, holding the keys to meaning in this life
and hope for the next. Weve got to rub should
iii. When you begin the process, I predict youre going to be
surprised by how many people are not only open, but
genuinely interested.