Start easy conversations about God

How can you talk to someone about God-- where you BOTH feel comfortable about it? And, where the conversation typically ends with them thanking you? Read on.

1. I was standing in a hotel lobby. The woman standing next to me asked:

Woman:  "Are you with our convention?"

Me:  "No, I'm connected to a website that takes on the hard questions about life and God, like why is life so hard and how do you even know that God exists?"

Woman:  "I'm an atheist, but I'm searching."

Me:  "You will love this website. It will give you reasons to believe in God and show you how you can start a relationship with God today. May I give you a card to it?"

Woman:  (teared up) "Thank you so much."

2. On a flight, the girl next to me opened an enormous, hardbound book of Horoscopes. She took the book, nearly put it in my lap, and started this conversation:

Astrology Girl:  "Which sign are you?"

Me:  "Well, I'm a cancer." (She immediately flipped to that page and we started reading together.)

Me:  "Ok, yes this is true of me, and this, and this. Oh gee, not this one at all. You know, here's the thing about this. Some of this fits and some doesn't. But when it comes to my life, I want something I can fully count on, all the time. God knows me completely, because he created me. He knows everything that's true about me. And even better, he offers to guide me in life. He offers to guide anyone who will begin a relationship with him. He gives insights and his wisdom for some major areas of our lives. AND he's fully reliable. Here's a Website that explains how you can have a relationship with God like that." I write down, EveryStudent.com.

Astrology Girl:  "Thanks very much. I really appreciate that. I'll take a look at it."

3. I was standing outside Walmart when a guy pulled up in a car. His bumper sticker read: "Born Again Pagan." We had a brief conversation.

Me:  "Excuse me. I just have to ask you about your bumper sticker."

Bumper Sticker Guy:  "Oh yeah. Greatest thing that's ever happened to me."

Me:  "You mean worshipping the god of wind, fire, rain, etc. Right?"

Bumper Sticker Guy:  "Yeah. My brother turned me on to it. It's changed my life!"

Me:  "Well, I don't know a lot about paganism, but I used to be an atheist. And I studied existential philosophers like Nietzsche, Sartre, etc. And then a friend told me how I could know the God who created the universe. And when I asked Jesus into my life, my search ended."

Bumper Sticker Guy:  "That's me. I'm searching."

Me:  “Maybe no one has ever shared with you how you could know God in a personal way. May I give you a card to a site that will show you how you can start a relationship with him today?”

Bumper Sticker Guy:  "Yes. Thanks very much!"

Here's what you do...

1. You notice something about their need.
2. Ask God to give you a genuine love for them.
3. Briefly tell them something you've found to be true about God. Maybe ask them some questions.
4. Encourage them to visit EveryStudent.com. Write the URL down for them, or ask for their email address so you could send it to them.

A good idea...

In your time with God, ask God to show you three things that you have come to know to be true about God. It might have been through an event in your life or Scripture where God really showed up and you learned something very significant about God.

See if you can list three things that you know to be true about God.

1. This is true of God....
   
   
2. This is also true of God...
   
   
3. And this...

Now you might have an idea of what you could say to someone, in a simple, short conversation. And EveryStudent.com can be a useful resource for you.

See what's on EveryStudent.com...