On Sunday, July 28, Ron Frost was with us and spoke about “Jesus in the Old Testament.” As he took us through the Bible on Sunday morning and Sunday night it provided a rich learning experience to see how the Old Testament and New Testament are both connected because of Jesus.
But the learning went farther for me. Ron stayed with us for four nights and our time together included numerous spiritual conversations about a wide array of topics. We talked about history that included René Descartes (French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist) to a spiritual analysis of the Boomer and Builder generations surrounding discipleship. Some of the conversation was light and some was anything but light.
One conversation was a bit unique in that the topic was about “conversation.” Ron led a devotional with some people visiting in our home and he threw out a couple of verses and asked that we have a conversation about the text. There were five of us there and we poked at, dissected and pondered a short text with the goal of having a significant “spiritual conversation” among ourselves. It was a great reminder of the importance of “conversations.”
Here is the key issue on this topic: Satan is looking to hinder us from having conversations that can be transforming. We live in a world where “noise” is getting in the way and drowning out important conversations. We don’t have to look too long to realize that electronics and busy lives pull us away and leave us with little energy to have life-changing conversations.
Think of just a few of the important life-giving conversations that, when they happen regularly, can impact our spiritual lives. Let me list a few of those valuable conversations that need to be regular, deep, and that can never take place through a phone:
- Sitting in the presence of our heavenly father in conversation and listening to His heart’s desire for us.
- Conversations between married couples that can lead to intimacy and being used to experience the very love of God through our spouse.
- Conversations between parents and kids that are so gentle and have the goal for both child and parent to move a little bit closer to Jesus.
- Conversations with mentors that walk with us and pull us toward Christ by the spiritual words given back and forth that lead to courage and spiritual movement.
- Conversations with people who are hurting where that conversation can lead to hope being given and hope realized.
- Conversations that gently knock on the door of someone’s heart who doesn’t yet know Jesus, preparing the way for a conversation about the gospel.
- A very personal conversation with that important book called the Bible.
Here are two important questions: 1) Do we make room for these types of spiritual conversations? Or, 2) Has TV, media, internet, sports and pleasure crowed out the conversations that give spiritual life?
Take a moment and think back over the last week and add up the number of spiritual life-giving conversations that you had – how did you do?
Personally challenged by a “Conversation!”
~Pastor Ken
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