Session 2
Stop avoiding "the talk"
From 2 Timothy: A 4-Day Devotional
The apostle Paul, a church planter and pastor, suffered harshly because he refused to stop talking about how Jesus changed his life. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he talks about the troubles he faced as well as the joy he experienced serving others and helping them follow Jesus. Because of Paul’s faith, he knew that regardless of what he experienced, God had prepared him to push forward in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
Like Paul, each of us has been given us a special gift to be used to bring others into a relationship with Jesus. Often these conversations are uncomfortable, but God has prepared us with a gift and connected us with the perfect person to share it with. 2 Timothy 2:21 says, “Those who cleanse themselves … will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”
Not everyone we talk to will be ready to ask Jesus into their life. That’s OK! Maybe our role was simply to help that person get one step closer to a relationship with Jesus. We may never know how significant we were in someone’s salvation, and it really doesn’t matter. We have been called by Jesus Christ to spread the gospel, and we must be obedient (Matthew 28:19-20).
As we grow in faith, we will become better prepared to handle tough salvation conversations. We will be willing to take more risks and put ourselves out there. Similar to Paul, we must press forward enduring any discomfort for the sake of Jesus Christ. Paul assures us in 2 Timothy 2:12, “if we endure, we will also reign with him.”
Reflect
- How can you use your story to spread the Gospel? Not sure where to start? Practice sharing your story here.
- What gifts, talents or skills has God given you with that could open doors for you to share your story with others?
- Is there someone you’ve been avoiding talking to about salvation? What’s holding you back? How can you reach out to that person today?