Thursday's in the same place he was last week [take that Eunice Ann! ;)]
6 comments:
Wednesday
said...
Mm, I know what you mean. I feel like, people who are "eh" about Christianity just don't know how much God really is. I want to share with them my seeing of Him! But... sometimes I end up feeling like I'll exclude them and not do any good. Maybe, even if we can't always talk with the same understanding, we can love them without words? Show them a difference in who we are.
I really liked what you had to say about my video. :D
When you run into someone who claims to be a Christina but you just don't see it remember two things: 1) they might be a Christian and have fallen into a static state in their relationship with God or 2)they may think they are but truly are not. It is not really your place to judge. Either way you can handle it the same way. Talk about your favorite verses, a great sermon you recently heard, ask if they heard a new Christian song out. Hopefully this will open their eyes to the lack of God in their lives and awaken a desire to be a more active Christian. They may even start to ask you questions. You don't need to save everyone, sometimes it is enough to plant a seed that another may sow.
Krystan, I would say that even these things of favorites verses, listening to sermons, and listening to Christian music are all the sort of "externals" that do not a Christian make. Someone could have no particularly liking for specific verses, not listen to sermons often, nor like Christian music and be in the most earnest relationship with God. None of these things make people "active Christians" at all. Certainly it is not my place to judge, even less my place than I think I said in my video. The man of intense Faith may appear identical to anyone else, Christian or not. What troubled me about Sarah was that . . . her beliefs about what really MATTERED in life did not seem to reflect a true God-relationship. But, again, what do I know?
I tend to disagree somewhat. If I wanted to be a marathon runner I must first study what I must do and then I must practice. No matter how earnest I am if I do not do these things I will not run a marathon. Likewise to be a good Christian I must study the word of God. THough I do agree that these things alone do not make a good Christian. The hope is that discussing these smaller things lead to a deeper conversation or at least raises the question in their minds about where their relationship with God is at. Some of the hardest philosophical discussions I have ever had have been with well informed non-believers. I suggest this tactic because it is a non challenging way to start. Hopefully it softens their heart and lays the groundwork for further conversations. You can use this type of conversation to suggest a favorite verse or song that might move them more in the right direction.
Yes, that I completely understand and can agree with. What I am really turned off by . . . is a kind of external life of Christianity, (the flip side of people who don't "appear" to be Christians but are) when . . . someone does read the word of God, listens to Christian music and all of that . . . but lacks a real inwardness to them. Lacks a relationship with God. That's all.
Yes. It is truly frusterating to try to reach those who think they are Christians but have no real depth to them. Often, because they believe they have a Christian life they have no ear for you. I hope you get a chance to talk to Sarah again. Remember, you may not see the results of the things you say to her now, but God can always use that to work on her heart in the months and years to come.
A Year Of Questions is a project begun on March 22, 2010, by seven teens who want to be better at asking questions and articulating answers. This blog exists to make it easier to discuss these questions (because a 500 character limit on YouTube comments is rather limiting). Enjoy!
6 comments:
Mm, I know what you mean. I feel like, people who are "eh" about Christianity just don't know how much God really is. I want to share with them my seeing of Him! But... sometimes I end up feeling like I'll exclude them and not do any good. Maybe, even if we can't always talk with the same understanding, we can love them without words? Show them a difference in who we are.
I really liked what you had to say about my video. :D
Hmmm.
When you run into someone who claims to be a Christina but you just don't see it remember two things: 1) they might be a Christian and have fallen into a static state in their relationship with God or 2)they may think they are but truly are not. It is not really your place to judge. Either way you can handle it the same way. Talk about your favorite verses, a great sermon you recently heard, ask if they heard a new Christian song out. Hopefully this will open their eyes to the lack of God in their lives and awaken a desire to be a more active Christian. They may even start to ask you questions. You don't need to save everyone, sometimes it is enough to plant a seed that another may sow.
Krystan, I would say that even these things of favorites verses, listening to sermons, and listening to Christian music are all the sort of "externals" that do not a Christian make. Someone could have no particularly liking for specific verses, not listen to sermons often, nor like Christian music and be in the most earnest relationship with God. None of these things make people "active Christians" at all. Certainly it is not my place to judge, even less my place than I think I said in my video. The man of intense Faith may appear identical to anyone else, Christian or not. What troubled me about Sarah was that . . . her beliefs about what really MATTERED in life did not seem to reflect a true God-relationship. But, again, what do I know?
I tend to disagree somewhat. If I wanted to be a marathon runner I must first study what I must do and then I must practice. No matter how earnest I am if I do not do these things I will not run a marathon. Likewise to be a good Christian I must study the word of God. THough I do agree that these things alone do not make a good Christian. The hope is that discussing these smaller things lead to a deeper conversation or at least raises the question in their minds about where their relationship with God is at. Some of the hardest philosophical discussions I have ever had have been with well informed non-believers. I suggest this tactic because it is a non challenging way to start. Hopefully it softens their heart and lays the groundwork for further conversations. You can use this type of conversation to suggest a favorite verse or song that might move them more in the right direction.
Yes, that I completely understand and can agree with. What I am really turned off by . . . is a kind of external life of Christianity, (the flip side of people who don't "appear" to be Christians but are) when . . . someone does read the word of God, listens to Christian music and all of that . . . but lacks a real inwardness to them. Lacks a relationship with God. That's all.
Yes. It is truly frusterating to try to reach those who think they are Christians but have no real depth to them. Often, because they believe they have a Christian life they have no ear for you. I hope you get a chance to talk to Sarah again. Remember, you may not see the results of the things you say to her now, but God can always use that to work on her heart in the months and years to come.
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