I know plenty of Christians who would like to become better “evangelists” but feel ill-equipped or incapable of sharing their faith with others. Some of these Christians have isolated themselves from the outside world; they live in a Christian “bubble,” so to speak, and have very few (if any) non-Christian contacts. Others have plenty of  non-Christians in their lives but don’t know how to start conversations that allow them to preach the gospel. However, while the isolated Christian may be in a more extreme situation than the one who just doesn’t know how to bring up Jesus in conversation, I think both cases stem from a problem which is relational in nature.

What I mean by this is simple: both Christians who are sheltered from nonbelievers and Christians who simply don’t know what to say to the nonbelievers in their life lack sufficient relationships to effectively lead people to Christ. In the first case, this is obvious. In the second, it is less obvious but, in my mind, accurate; if you don’t know how to turn normal conversation into an opportunity to share your faith with a particular person, you probably don’t know that person very well. I’m not saying you should wait until you could write a biography of that person before you begin evangelizing. However, it is most helpful to build relational capital (which translates into credibility) with your non-Christian friends and get to know them in a way which allows you to effectively critique their personal idols and contextualize the gospel message in a way that they’re more likely to understand and marvel at.

I have found that gospel conversations happen rather naturally with people as I get to know them as close friends. On the other hand, I know plenty of non-Christians with whom I’m a little uncomfortable when it comes to talking about my faith; I’m not sure how to approach the situation or go about evangelizing those acquaintances of whom I know little. This doesn’t mean I avoid tough conversations, but it does mean that I would do well to get to know these people and form deeper, more meaningful relationships with them.  But how? What are some practical ways I can get to know the nonbelievers in my life?

First, building meaningful relationships with nonbelievers requires quite a bit of time. A cup of coffee (or, if you’re like me, beer) every month or so usually won’t cut it. If I am truly trying to get to know someone and build relational capital with them, I want to come as close to living everyday life with them as possible. This may mean sacrificing my time, energy, and even money at times, but unless I’m willing to give a person a ride to work (even if I’d rather be at home watching movies) or feed them a meal (even if it means making an extra run to the grocery)—unless I’m willing to inconvenience myself for the sake of others—it is quite difficult to expect to have any significant impact in their lives.

With that being said, starting the process of building relationships with non-Christians isn’t as tricky as one might think. It requires a great deal of intentionality, but it doesn’t mean quitting your job and leaving the church just so you can spend time with nonbelievers. Instead, we should try to live missionally in everyday life; as we go about our normal, often mundane routines, we should always be thinking about the spread of the gospel. There are many practical things Christians can do to structure their lives in order to become more missional; with most of us, a few minor tweaks could make a world of difference. Therefore, without further ado, I’ve come up with a list of simple ways Christians can “tweak” their everyday lives to be more missional and build meaningful relationships with the non-Christians around them. If each of us did just one or two of these things, I think we’d be in much better shape when it comes to evangelism and mission.

Seven Ways to Live Missionally in Everyday Life

1. Find a coffee shop close to your home (preferably within walking distance, if possible) and frequent it on a regular basis (at least weekly, if not daily or almost every day). Get to know the staff and other regular customers; sit down with your coffee and read the paper there rather than getting it “to go” if at all possible.
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2. Join a club of some sort. It could be a gym, a parenting group, or an art class. Find something you love and you’ll meet plenty of non-Christians who share some of the same passions. Shared affinities go a long way in developing relationships.
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3. When you have to run errands, invite people along. You’d be surprised what people are willing to do when they’re bored! Try shopping with a non-Christian friend as you get to know him/her; it may even turn into a regular event. Or, if you’re having a cleaning day at your home, ask a friend if they’d like to come over to help. You can have quality time with other people even if you don’t see room for it in your schedule!
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4. Eat regularly at a certain restaurant or restaurants in your area; be consistent and do your best to go on the same night at about the same time if you can, trying to get the same server each time (and tip well, for God’s sake!).
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5. Get outside; go to parks, go on walks, or spend time in the yard. If you live in the city, try to walk to nearby places as much as possible. You’ll be amazed at how quickly faces become familiar. People who are outdoors are often very sociable and friendly.
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6. Attend neighborhood events and block parties whenever possible, even if you don’t know anyone else who’s going. If there aren’t any in your area, consider starting one.
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7. Have your neighbors over for dinner. Sure, it will be awkward at first if you don’t know them very well, but it can be a great way to open the door to otherwise hard-to-reach people. There are plenty of folks you may not see out and about but could become good friends once you break the ice and get them to come out of their shell. Inviting people into your home and showing them hospitality is a great demonstration of the gospel, as well.

For introverts like me, getting to know strangers isn’t always easy, and I know that many of us have complicated lives with families and rigid schedules that only add to our difficulty. However, if we live with intention, to the extent which our lives allow, I think much hardship can be averted. I fear that sometimes we’re so obsessed with figuring out how we can turn a conversation into an opportunity to preach that we often forget the importance of meaningful relationships and neglect to invest in building them. However, if we were only better at making friends, perhaps we wouldn’t have to worry so much about coming up with sneaky transitions into evangelism. We need to lay off the bait and switch, knock it off with the marketing, and stop making excuses for our laziness when it comes to programming mission into our daily lives. I, foremost of all, have fallen far short in this respect and can do nothing but pray for the Lord to change my heart and resolve to commit myself more fully to the mission of God, only by his wondrous grace.

When nonbelievers look and scoff at Christians as foolish, silly and dumb, we know that the joke’s on them. But perhaps their criticism of Christianity as anti-reason is somewhat valid, at least in the way the Christian faith manifests itself in the contemporary church?

Amid the present-day milieu of  decaying modernity (and the subsequent increase of religious pluralism), I believe that there is a rapidly growing need for intelligent Christianity in America, a nation which appears to be earnestly pursuing the status of a “liberated” post-Christian society. It seems now that we are casting off the shackles of foolish superstition, we are free to experience true life—or so we think. The fist of dogmatism finds any fragment of legitimacy it once grasped now slipping right through its tired, arthritic fingers. 

Thus, in order to appeal and witness to this ever-changing culture, it is, in my mind, imperative that Christians are educated and equipped to effectively relate to and participate in even the most sophisticated societal discourse. This doesn’t mean just watching secular movies to “keep up” with what’s going on in the world. It requires significant learning in areas of philosophy, logic, and rhetoric which will enable us to truly engage those around us in an intelligent and level-headed manner, for the sake of the Gospel. I suspect that this is a bit controversial, and I am willing to dialogue, but let me at first list a few short reasons why I hold this opinion.

1. We have a responsibility to preach the Gospel to people, not just into a vacuum. 
I understand that “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV). I recognize that God can (and in many situations does) use the proclamation of Scripture alone to convict and convert people. However, we cannot misapply the fact that God’s word is powerful to excuse a lack of responsibility on our part. We are instructed to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), and doing so requires some tact. Being able to understand a person’s worldview in order to carefully and shrewdly critique and subvert it allows us to communicate the Gospel more effectively. Furthermore, knowing what we’re talking about adds legitimacy  to our faith claims, especially in a society which no longer privileges Christianity nor takes it for granted.

2. Anti-intellectualism is not helpful to the Body of Christ.
If you know me, you know that I don’t completely buy into our society’s extreme glorification of a college education, and that I very strongly believe that salvation is by grace alone—not knowledge. However, the developing worldwide religious landscape consists of rapidly developing Pentecostalism, which is particularly flourishing in Third-World countries (albeit not absent in the U.S). While I rejoice that people are coming to know the name of Jesus, I am concerned over the potential for a dangerous misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit and a general disdain for rational decision-making. In 1 Corinthians 14:14-23, Paul encourages believers to use their minds in (rather than detach them from) corporate worship. God gave us a rational mind so that we might bring glory to him and edify other believers by using it appropriately.

3. Most people—even in the church—don’t have a Christian worldview.
Perhaps this is more indicative of a theological problem or a flaw in our discipleship methods, but Christians should be able to comprehend how the Gospel of Jesus should determine the way they view the world. Of course, we’re not going to agree on everything, but the foundational understanding that Jesus’ death and resurrection is so significant that it actually defines who we are and how we think about things needs to somehow be built into our discipleship processes. I realize that not everyone has the same I.Q., but most people should be able to learn how to view things through the lens of the Cross, at least on some level. By having a better education—particularly one which emphasises the Gospel as their metanarrative, Christians are better-equipped to think critically about and interact with the world around them, enabling them to recognize, avoid, and work more effectively in tearing down the idols of 21st century society. 

Of course, the problem is that there are very few systems in place (at least that I am aware of) which achieve this type of Christ-centered, intellectual preparation. Based upon my personal experience (and that of many like me), Bible colleges across the nation generally leave graduates ill-equipped to make a difference in (or even think critically about) society. And while some programs at secular universities may offer a more rigorous academic environment, they most certainly fail to promote a Christian worldview, thus leaving the average Christian very few opportunities to receive an education which will significantly aid them in their life of faith and fulfillment of the Great Commission. 

I’m not sure what needs to happen, but it appears to be an issue which must be dealt with by the local church. I know I feel a need to read more and do what I can to sharpen my mind, yet I still long for some type of training or preparation in the church which would help guide me in this. Throughout the centuries, a solid education has proven quite helpful to so many believers—from Paul to Luther and Augustine to Schaeffer. And sure, the present day perhaps has its share of theologians and scholars. But wouldn’t it be haphazard to ignore the need for educated Christians in each and every local congregation?

Since Nadya Suleman recently gave birth to octuplets, much debate has arisen over the ethics of having children in today’s world. While I am not endorsing Suleman’s actions (having such a large number of children simply to receive monetary aid from the government and well-meaning citizens, which Suleman has been accused of, very much trivializes the meaning of childbearing), it is nonetheless clear that our society has an ungodly hatred of children. Having fourteen children by in vitro fertilization—at least without a male provider—is perhaps irresponsible. However, many debaters claim that the rest of us should avoid childbearing due to overpopulation and the destruction of the environment. This is downright foolishness, and Christians need to take a stand.

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I have produced a short, four-part introductory study on spiritual disciplines for the Christian life. The first part of the study deals strictly with the need for spiritual discipline in the life of a Christian, while the remaining guides tackle three of the most neglected (yet beneficial) spiritual disciplines, particularly in Reformed churches.

This is not intended to be a comprehensive study on the disciplines, nor does it offer an enormous amount of detailed, practical advice for participating in them. Instead, I have sought to provide a basic argument for practicing spiritual disciplines (or, as I have called it, “Training for Godliness”) and offer a big-picture look at their purpose and benefits in the life of a Christian. I believe that the disciplined life should be a natural outworking of the gospel, but it does take some hard work and intentionality of living. My goal is to stir up interest in the spiritual disciplines in the hope that believers will seek the counsel of more exhaustive resources, and, out of a genuine desire for godliness, pursue the preparation and training leading to promise for the present life, and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8 ESV).

Here are links to the four parts of the study, in order:

Training for Godliness

• Part 1 – An Introduction to Spiritual Discipline
  
• Part 2 – The Discipline of Prayer
  
• Part 3 – The Discipline of Meditation
  
• Part 4 – The Discipline of Fasting
  

The study is somewhat geared toward groups, with ideas for reflection and discussion at the end of each part; if you find the study useful, I encourage you to use and modify the material to fit your group’s particular needs. Editable Microsoft Word (.doc) format copies are available upon request. For further questions, e-mail ryan.benhase@gmail.com.

In this series of blog posts, I am attempting to convict and admonish my fellow brothers in respect to our blindness toward the idols of our culture and their unfortunate presence in the household of God. These false idols are destructive aspects of  culture which must be purged from within God’s people. My goal in writing is to stir up a bit of introspection, self-evaluation, and repentance. I struggle with these idols as much as anyone, and I want my brothers to hold me accountable. Here is my second post.

 …God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
-1 Peter 5:5 ESV

Pride is perhaps the most pervasive and starkly unbiblical element of our modern American culture. I cannot think of any other biblical teaching so clear, yet twisted to produce a the exact opposite moral value in our society. Somehow, pride has become a good thing; in America, we find it acceptable and proper to worship ourselves. Perhaps “self-esteem” is a more gentle term for our foolishness, but it produces the same results: narcissism, selfishness, and insolence. Sure, telling our children that they’re special and puffing them up with endless compliments seems harmless, but it’s created a culture so “me”-centered that anyone who doesn’t think the world of himself is thought to have some sort of disorder. Oh no, the low self-esteem plague may be creeping into our home. I sure hope someone brings candy. 

Naturally, we’d say there’s a difference between self-respect and arrogance; after all, you don’t need to be a jerk to feel good about yourself. This is very true. And this is also why the idolatry of pride goes unnoticed in our culture; people think high self-regard is okay as long as you’re not too much of a bragger, a showboat, or a whiner. But the gospel tells us something else; we are helpless sinners, evil people in need of mercy. Yes, the gospel should shatter our pride; if you have low self-esteem, it’s still too much.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people misconstrue Jesus’ words, “love your neighbor as yourself,” to say that such a command implies that one must love himself before he can love his neighbor. This is a blatant example of allowing our culture—along with its idolatry—to determine our biblical interpretations. Biblical love is clearly sacrificial in nature (cf. 1 John 3:16). In essence, love always seeks the interest and well-being of its direct object. By loving other people, we put their well-being above our own, even to the point of death. Love of self, then, is the antithesis of loving others; it is completely incompatible with the commandment of Christ. Self-esteem and pride are as about as unbiblical as you can get.

Of course, televangelists and so-called “health and wealth” preachers promote self-esteem because it brings in the crowds (thus boosting their own self-esteem, as well as their pocketbooks). However, the doctrine preached by such men as Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland and the like is downright heresy. These men are sugarcoated fools, effeminate cowards and shameless liars, seeking their own glory and well-being, thereby rejecting the true gospel of Jesus Christ. We cannot allow the pride of our culture to run rampant in our churches, because it necessarily constitutes a refusal of biblical salvation. We are not good. We are wicked and broken. We cannot earn salvation. We  desperately need someone to save us from our destructive ways. Jesus Christ did just that. In this gospel, there is no room for self-esteem (cf. Ephesians 2:1-10). Only humility and repentance will do. 

It’s important to note, however, that just because we are sincerely grieving over our sin does not mean we should be led to utter despair. God’s salvation should bring us great joy. Those who remain despondent often lack a trust in God’s ability to save. In this way, their despair is actually prideful, as they still think it’s up to them to save themselves (as if they have the ability). True humility stemming from the gospel should put man in his place as unworthy and incapable of true good, apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. In this grace we rejoice, for despite our depravity, Christ died for us, and God’s love abounds. Our confidence lies not in ourselves, but in Jesus. If this is not the case, we, quite frankly, are not Christians. 

Paul warns that throughout the church age,  ”there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV).

There is no denying that this description fits our self-esteem society quite well. And what’s more is that many of these people “have the appearance of godliness”—they seem to have their crap together and don’t offend others—yet deny the power of the gospel. It will difficult for us to rid ourselves of this idolatry; the church is full of it. Yet the doctrine of high self-esteem must be taken as a lie if we are to believe Scripture. Pride is not a virtue; it is a sin which God hates. It is hard-heartedness toward the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must examine ourselves, repent, and seek God diligently, that He might change our hearts. 

 Love the LORD, all you his saints!
   The LORD preserves the faithful
   but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
-Psalm 31:23 ESV