“Christian college,” was sandwiched in the middle of the sentence I said to the hair dresser as she sprayed and combed. We were about two minutes into my haircut and she was asking why I’d moved to the area and what my husband’s new job was.
Her flinch was made more noticeable by twitch of the comb in my hair.
I’d recently learned what an elevator speech was. A church we visited was encouraging everyone to memorize a 40 second speech about Jesus. When people asked us why we were Christians, the speech was supposed to sum it up.
Trouble was, no one ever asked why I was a Christian. Most people I met who weren’t believers reacted like my new hairdresser to the very word.
Sharing Romans Road or another Gospel technique out of the blue? In my experience, that’s often a sure way to shut down conversations and sometimes even relationships.
In his new book, 42 Seconds, Carl Medearis admits this point and offers a compelling solution: be like Jesus.
After learning that the average length of Jesus’ recorded conversations was 42 seconds, Medearis began to look into Jesus’ own evangelization method. What he found and shares in the book is heartening!
Medearis offers really simple advice for practical action, like:
- Be kind
- Do something small
- Accept that you are not God
- Stand alone (when necessary)
The conversational tone of the book makes it easy and enjoyable to read. Each chapter is short and to the point. Medearis is encouraging, too.
Quotes include:
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“Small things that may seem insignificant have always been the keys to Jesus’ kingdom.”
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“Strategy doesn’t lead to real conversations…” many are “simply monologues pretending to be conversations.”
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“Jesus always works, but sometimes I don’t.”
In one my favorite passages, Medearis clarifies 3 methods for understanding God’s Word so we can share it more effectively:
“1. We interpret what might be confusing in light of what’s clear.
2. We interpret the minority of verses through the lens of the majority.
3. We recognize context.”
I recommend this book if you’d like to be less intimidated by evangelization. It makes for a great devotional and could be used as a group, too.
<This review is written in exchange for a free copy of the book provided by Tyndale House Publishers.>
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