Christmas is next week. Many of you will see family members this weekend and next week that you regularly don't talk with. Christmas provides an opportunity for extended conversations with un-churched and non-believing cousins, uncles and in-laws.
Here are 3 tips to move a conversation from shopping, Kindles and football to Christ:
First, attend a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service at your church. Make it a "tradition" to attend the candlelight service with everyone, and then go home to eat a Christmas Eve dinner. The best traditions include Christ. This might be the only church service your aunt attends all year. Even the grandmother who cooks all day, needs to stop and attend the church service - don't allow half the family to skip church.
Second, read the birth of Christ in Matthew 1:18-25 or Luke 2:1-7 out loud to everyone before you open presents. Make it a "tradition" every year to read Jesus' birth. God speaks through His Word - it never returns void (Isaiah 55:11) - even when you think people aren't listening.
Also, give study Bibles as gifts. Here's a previous post of about my favorite study Bibles. Certain Bibles help non-regular Bible readers understand God's Word. This also creates a follow-up conversation next year about how they liked it.
Third, when talking with people, always brag about the great things God did in your life during 2012. Instead of saying, "I started a new job," you can proclaim, "The Lord was gracious to me this year, He provided a new job."
Don't say, "2012 was awful, I was diagnosed with cancer." Boldly state, "God allowed me to have cancer, but I know He's going to heal me." Place God in every accomplishment or failure of your life - non-believers are intrigued by the genuineness of a believer's faith.
Remember...
Here are 3 tips to move a conversation from shopping, Kindles and football to Christ:
First, attend a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service at your church. Make it a "tradition" to attend the candlelight service with everyone, and then go home to eat a Christmas Eve dinner. The best traditions include Christ. This might be the only church service your aunt attends all year. Even the grandmother who cooks all day, needs to stop and attend the church service - don't allow half the family to skip church.
Second, read the birth of Christ in Matthew 1:18-25 or Luke 2:1-7 out loud to everyone before you open presents. Make it a "tradition" every year to read Jesus' birth. God speaks through His Word - it never returns void (Isaiah 55:11) - even when you think people aren't listening.
Also, give study Bibles as gifts. Here's a previous post of about my favorite study Bibles. Certain Bibles help non-regular Bible readers understand God's Word. This also creates a follow-up conversation next year about how they liked it.
Third, when talking with people, always brag about the great things God did in your life during 2012. Instead of saying, "I started a new job," you can proclaim, "The Lord was gracious to me this year, He provided a new job."
Don't say, "2012 was awful, I was diagnosed with cancer." Boldly state, "God allowed me to have cancer, but I know He's going to heal me." Place God in every accomplishment or failure of your life - non-believers are intrigued by the genuineness of a believer's faith.
Remember...
- You cannot argue someone into following Christ.
- Avoid useless conversations - such as the beliefs of other denominations or political Christianity.
- Do not sell your church (listing 101 events your church did in 2012) - sell Christ - they need a Savior first, a church second.
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