Made Me Think

“Your talk today made me think of my neighbor, and how I can find ways to share the gospel with her,” Mary J. shares with me at the hallway right after church. “She says she is a Christian but she also believes in some Eastern religions and does different pseudo spiritual practices.”

Last week, I was in an Illinois church sharing about God’s work in Asia and preaching a sermon on “becoming a source of God’s comfort to the people around us.” From time to time, people like Mary J. would come and give some feedback. I appreciate these few times when I would hear God’s people expressing their Christian faith and engaging with the missional principles I am sharing during my sermon. That Sunday, I paused and made sure of thanking Mary J. for sharing her thoughts about my sermon. God’s word is alive. I always look forward to the day when every community of faith brings God’s words out to the streets and into the world, making God’s love alive in every word we say and every step we take.

At the conclusion of my chat with Mary J., I suggested to her to focus on sharing with her neighbor on the life and teachings of Jesus. I told her that these usually bring people in and engage them in honest and relevant dialogue. She agreed with me. I left that church with a greater sense of fulfillment, not only as a missionary, but also as a teacher of the Word of God.