Last summer, I walked up to a guy at the Kansas City Market sitting on a bench and holding a sign. The handwritten sign read, “Would you like to talk about Jesus?” in bold letters. While I was walking up, a man in front of me, obviously a Christian, asked, “How’s it going? Have you talked to many people?” The frustrated sign holder said despondently, “I’m getting a million ‘No’s.'”  

While I think the sign holder had the best intentions, I also believe he was misguided. Sharing our faith, or evangelism, is rarely talking to random strangers about Jesus. While I will admit a few exceptions to this rule, I would adamantly argue that they are exceptions.

I believe this man could have used his time much more wisely for the sake of the Gospel. What if he took the time to visit all the neighbors around him and get to know them? What if he invited all his coworkers for a cookout and got to know them and their families? What if he had made an intentional effort to connect to a non-Christian he encountered every day, like a barista, the person working at the grocery store, a wait staff at a local restaurant, or a gas station cashier?

This approach to sharing your faith is called lifestyle evangelism or, as I call it, permission evangelism. A believer connects to a nonbeliever personally and earns permission to share their faith. It is about pouring your life into people so they know you care, which will open doors for spiritual conversations.

I get why the guy chose the sign on a Saturday afternoon. It is quick, easy, and requires little personal investment. Gaining permission is time-consuming, may cost you financially, and will pull at your soul’s depths.

The plea of scripture is that Christians are wise in the way they act toward outsiders, and today, that looks more like relationships than signs.

He was on a business trip to the city. It was a thriving community of 30,000-40,000 people that served as a place of commerce for most of its region. He was headed up to handle some government business and then be on his way.

Along his journey, something happened. Something totally unexpected.

Saul was on his way to Damascus to imprison people who belonged to the Way. He was an enemy of all who followed Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Suddenly, a light flashed around him, and he heard a voice from heaven. From that moment on, his life was entirely different. He moved from an antagonist of the faith to a believer and then from a believer to a Christian leader.

I am not expecting God to show up with bright lights and speak to all the people I know who are not believers. But I understand that God can break through into someone’s heart at any moment.

After years of inviting someone to Church, at an unexpected time, they might accept. After years of witnessing to my lost neighbor, they might finally ask me about my faith. A lifetime of prayer for my children might one day be greeted with questions about Jesus.

You never know when something unexpected might happen, and the Gospel of Jesus transforms a life. Keep working, serving, inviting, praying, and believing for God to move in ways others might not expect.   

As a pastor, my goal is to lead people to spiritual maturity. I want them to emulate Christ in their thoughts, actions, and words. Through the years, I have noticed various indicators of when a person has reached maturity in the faith. Some are things you would expect, while others are more subtle. Here is my current list of things I am looking for in a person.

1. Biblical Knowledge. Has the person read their Bible? Do they know what it says and have deep convictions about it?

2. Morality. Is the person living out what they claim to believe? Does their behavior represent their faith?

3. Continued Growth. Does the person have an open heart and mind to learn more? Do they have a quiet time where they read, meditate, and pray?

4. Service. Are they serving others in the name of Jesus? Is loving their neighbor a natural part of their daily life?

5. Church Connection. The Church is the body of Christ, so are they connected to it in a meaningful way? Does this person seek to live out the “one another” passages found in the Bible?

6. Holy Spirit Led. Is the person praying and seeking the Lord’s will in their lives? Their primary question is, “What does God want me to do in this situation?” and they attempt to follow the Lord’s will.

7. Living Grace. Would this person be described as loving, forgiving, kind, compassionate, and grace-filled? Is their life overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit?

8. Responsible. Can this person feed themselves the truth of the Gospel? Do they push themselves to learn, grow, serve, give, connect, and love without someone else pushing them?

9. Sharing Their Faith. Is this person actively sharing the message of Jesus with someone who is not a believer? Are they inviting their non-believing friends to Church? When was the last time they led someone to faith?

10. Discipleship. Are they reproducing the life of faith in others? Do they have a “feed me” mentality, or are they trying to “feed others?” When was the last time they helped develop someone into a spiritually mature follower of Jesus?

These are the majority of things I am looking for in a mature believer. We tend to focus on a few of these and neglect or ignore the others. There is a big difference between a Christian and someone who has “attained to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

In a preaching class in college, my professor shared a list of “Twenty questions to ask when the well is dry.” He walked us through each one with a bit of explanation about how we might use them to develop a sermon when it wasn’t coming quickly.

One of the older students had a computer, which was rare at that time, and he typed up the list of twenty questions. Then, he submitted them to the teacher, who made copies for each student. I took mine to the library and paid for a reduced copy. Finally, I trimmed it nicely and glued it into the last page of my leather Bible. That way, I would have those questions whenever I struggled to write a sermon.

These questions proved incredibly helpful for the first few years of my ministry. “Who do I identify with in this passage and why?” and “How will people feel if I expose the entire text?” helped me insert a point of view and feelings into every sermon.

Long about year five, I stopped looking at the list of questions. This was not because they were not helpful anymore; the well was not running dry. With every passing year that I read the Bible, dove into theology books, and listened to others preach and teach, I slowly filled my reservoir of information. Then, I spent time with people in my congregation. Christians struggling in their work, family, and spiritual life while walking through dark valleys of hurt and loss. These filled my tank with emotional connections about humanity.

Slowly, the well was full of rich Biblical knowledge coupled with an emotional sensitivity that allowed sermons to flow from the depth of my being rather than from a written page.

One metaphor for the Christian life is the empty vessel. We come to Jesus and empty ourselves of the sin, shame, and worldview we once held. Then, we begin the process of filling ourselves with the things of God. Our love of the Lord and the love of our neighbor take over our souls, and the well fills with living water.

As a believer, whenever you feel like the well is dry, keep trying to pour in the things of God. Don’t give up. Even a little bit flowing in every single day or week is helpful. Then, one day, the well will have enough resources that you will never feel dry again.

This past Sunday evening, our Church had our annual congregational meeting. I had the opportunity to share what has happened in our Church over the past year. Our attendance numbers have increased, people have been baptized, several have become members, new leaders have stepped up, the youth group has exploded with teens and volunteers, and our building has seen numerous improvements. I am proud to lead this great group of people in this Church.

The temptation is to start thinking that I am a great leader. I have figured out things that no one else around our area knows. If they do know it, they are not as skilled as myself to make it happen. Suddenly, I am convinced that I am exceptional, skilled, and maybe even a better Christian than others, including most pastors. 

Today, I sat down to read my Bible passages for the day. I read while leading a small group through a “Read the Bible in a Year Plan.”  There, I read Psalm 33.

“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.” Psalm 33:16-19 (NIV – 2011)

The Psalmist reminds the reader that a successful person quickly thinks it is because of their power and leadership. A king credits his army. A warrior praises his strength. Both give thanks for the horse. And yet, in truth, it was God who saved and delivered.

All I could think was that preachers could believe their education and skill made for a great Church when the Lord gave them success. 

Christian humility is not just about thinking less of ourselves but also about thinking more of God. He is the one who guides and provides. He deserves all the credit.

The Bible states that Christ is the head of the Church. The believers together form his body.

Like any physical body, it is a living organism. It is not a static organization.

That means the Church you experienced last Sunday will not remain that way for years. It will become stronger or weaker. It might be infected with a disease or finally get healthy. It might grow and expand, requiring changes to be made. A thousand positive or negative things can change the dynamics into the future.

It is easy to see this when you look back far enough. I am sure the Church program you attended last Sunday looks nothing like the one of your childhood. New songs, screens, and instruments fill the stage. The seats are different in most buildings. The children’s curriculum is presented in digital formats. The people on the stage dress casually, the attendees are much more relaxed, and the preacher doesn’t use the King James version. 

Some look at these changes with frustration and anger, while others embrace them. But everyone needs to understand that what you are experiencing today is temporary.

I hope you have found a Church community that leads you in worship and connects you to other believers. I hope that your Church is a source of joy to your soul.

But please recognize that it will change just like any body does.

Total honesty is a good character trait. Speak the truth to show integrity and build solid relationships.

Brutal honesty is a poor character trait. The speaker doesn’t care if the information hurts the hearer emotionally.   

The Biblical standard is to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

It doesn’t simply matter what was said; it also matters how it was received.   

There are two ways to bring people into discipleship.

The first way is what I call “forced discipleship.”  That is when a person attends worship, and the Church actively works to grow them whether they have specifically asked for it or not. If you show up on Sunday, a person or group contacts you to take your next steps of faith and tries to push you toward growth.

I have labeled the other type as “invited discipleship.”  That is when someone attends worship, and the people of the Church wait for them to take the first steps toward growth, and then they help them on this journey. So, someone might attend for several months, and when they take the membership class, attend a small group, or get involved in ministry, the Church attempts to begin discipleship. 

This is an important distinction to make for those who attend a Church. Everyone needs to know whether they are to be passive or active in getting this process started. Someone might become thoroughly disappointed if they start attending and no one comes knocking on their door. At the same time, others are happy that no one is knocking until they are ready. At the Church I lead, I do not begin the discipleship process until that person shows signs of wanting to become spiritually mature. It makes for a more effective use of my time along with theirs.

While both areas can work effectively, everyone needs to be clear on how this process works so everyone is on the same page.  

You will never know the amount of good you do for others on this side of heaven.

This is true not only of the big things you do but also of every act of kindness. 

We can all imagine the lives affected by a million dollars given to charity. The person who offers dozens of hours to serve the community is bound to impact more people than we comprehend.

It is also true of the small gestures of kindness that we make.

Recently, a two-line text message brought enormous joy to my life. It had been a rough day, and I was sliding down the rabbit hole into self-loathing. Then, an unexpected message came to me, changing my day.

A simple and seemingly small act of kindness might not seem like much, but you may be surprised to know that it changed a person’s day, week, month, year, and occasionally life.  

My encouragement is always to send a text, write an email, make the call, stop for the visit, and say those positive things you are feeling. Sure, it might be lost in the landslide of the day and have little impact. But more times than you can imagine, it will bless the recipient deep in their soul, whether they tell you that or not.

Recently, I was preaching on Hebrews 12:1-3 and saw something I had not seen. The writer tells the people to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” There is not one place that Christians need to be vigilant, but two.

The primary battlefront for a believer is the war against sin. It is the thing outside of God’s will that so easily entangles us. Something about it feels good to our physical bodies or emotions, and we unexpectedly return. Soon, that thing we never thought we would do has a grip on our souls. Christians fight against giving in to their flesh and being consumed by their sins.

The other place we need to focus our attention is “everything that hinders.” These things are not against God’s will but are also not a significant part of his grand design. These things vie for our time and pull us away from doing the Lord’s work. Sometimes, the greatest enemies of God’s master plan in a Christian’s life are not sinful things; they are simply not things that promote his work and will. 

Believers tend to feel they are doing well if they are not letting their lives be overtaken by sin. Then, unfortunately, they throw themselves into projects that hinder their faith from growing. They fill their schedules with numerous activities that keep them busy and keep them from the life God intended.

There are three choices for our lives: serving the Lord, living in sin, and being so preoccupied with the things of this world that we have no time for God.