Small Talk to the Glory of God
April 6, 2023 | by: John Lee | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
Throughout the year, there are countless opportunities to share the hope of the gospel with the people around us who may not know Christ (Matt. 9:37). The seasons of Advent and Easter are often natural opportunities before us. As we approach Easter weekend, let us seek out opportunities to share the hope that is within us with others (1 Pet. 3:15).
We have various opportunities during our Good Friday service, Easter egg hunt, Easter reception, and Easter Sunday service to connect with visitors who may not know Christ or who may not have a church home. My prayer is that God would enlarge our hearts and give us eyes to see any new faces this coming Easter Weekend at Oak Hills. I’ll be honest, it can be daunting to intentionally initiate a welcome to new visitors. I want to encourage and challenge us to intentionally seek out the opportunities to connect with visitors to the glory of God this weekend.
SMALL TALK TO THE GLORY OF GOD
Let’s be honest, no one really likes small talk. We often view small talk as conversation to pass the time by. But, small talk is a glorious opportunity that the Lord gives and helps us to see the unique image bearer directly in front of us. General conversations about life, work, family, sports, books, music, all things Kansas, and even weather can help us to hear and to see the person in front of us as the unique image bearer of God they are and to begin a relationship to His glory. God often uses small talk conversations to begin opening doors to deeper conversations, especially about faith and life. Two questions that naturally open up conversation with a new visitor can be simply asking how long they’ve lived in the area and how they came to hear about our church.
So, if you see and notice someone new this weekend, what keeps you from introducing yourself and welcoming them, even if it is brief? Let us ask for God to do far more abundantly with our small talk conversations than we could ever dream of. You never know how the Lord might use your simple “Hi, I’m _________” to begin opening the doors of someone’s heart and ears to the gospel.
FOLLOW UP TO THE GLORY OF GOD
Let’s say you started some small talk with a visitor this weekend at church, what next? See if there is an opportunity to follow up with them. This doesn’t need to be a super formal matter. This doesn’t need to be an individual endeavor either. Here are some practical questions you might want to consider: Does this person have an interest, job, hobby, etc. you know someone from church also has? Introduce them to one another! Does your life group have an upcoming meeting? Invite them! Do they have a family with young children? Invite them to Joyplosion, our church’s summer VBS (June 6-8, registration on our website will be up soon)! Do you have any time in the near future that you might be able to grab coffee, a meal, set up a kid’s playdate, etc.? Ask them to plan and meet up! Many times, these follow up invitation questions naturally lead to the exchanging of contact information, especially to give more detail to upcoming meetings or events. More than anything, let us not be passive in our conversations, let us intentionally make the first move, for the Lord sends the laborers out into the harvest. In small talk and follow up, let us pray that the Lord would continue to grow our hearts for visitors.
You never know how the Lord might use your simple yet intentional follow up invitation to continue opening the doors of someone’s heart and ears to the gospel.
TRUSTING TO THE GLORY OF GOD
In all of this, we seek to be faithful to what God has called us to and the people that God has placed in our lives. We need the Spirit’s help to direct our hearts to love our neighbor as ourselves. We do well to remember what should motivate us to love our neighbors, why we should want to know them, why we want to see them come to know Christ, and why we want them to join the family of God’s people; it is because God himself has loved us first (1 John 4:19). God himself has welcomed us first, therefore let us go and welcome. God sought after us first while we were still wandering, therefore let us intentionally seek out opportunities to connect with visitors and neighbors.
Our efforts and skills may often feel inadequate for this task, but let’s prayerfully do this work in faith knowing that God is “…able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21)
You never know how the Lord might use faith, the size of a mustard seed, to move seemingly impossible mountains. Let us pray for the Lord to give us eyes to see our neighbors, hearts to connect with them, and courage to step into the gospel opportunities He has given us to the glory of His name.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor John
