When things don't go your way.

Have you ever had something go differently than you expected? Maybe it was a conversation that turned south. Maybe it was your favorite sports team that was upset in the championship. Maybe it was an unexpected cancer diagnosis, or the unexpected loss of a loved one. There are things that happen in this life that go differently than we anticipated. There are things that catch us off guard and surprise us. And many times we don’t know how to respond to those things.

In Acts 1:6 the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, is it at this time you will restore the Kingdom to Jerusalem?” (Acts 1:6). The disciples had an expectation that the Messiah would come in, build his armies, wipe out the Romans, and bring Jerusalem back to a powerful Kingdom. But to their surprise, Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Jesus was nothing like what they expected, and even after his death and resurrection they were still asking if it was time to restore the Kingdom to Jerusalem (Acts 1:6).

The way Jesus responded to them in Acts 1:7-8 must have been a shock to them. “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Jesus’ answer to their question about restoring the Kingdom was answered by a quick, “You need to focus on what God has planned for you, and quit worrying about things only God can control.”

When things don’t go our way it can be very easy to ask God, “Why is this happening?” or “Why haven’t you fixed this?” or “Why are you letting this happen to me?” And many times Jesus is going to answer us the same way He did his disciples: “Don’t worry about God’s things. Worry about your things.” When we’re faced with unexpected situations, and we don’t know how to respond, remember Jesus’ answer to these disciples. Don’t worry about the things that only God can control. Don’t focus on the things you can’t get answers to. And focus on the things within your control. Focus on the things God has laid on you to do.

- Kolton Ballance

Effective Evangelism

Evangelism is one of the most daunting tasks there is when it comes to our faith. There is always the fear of failure, of being rejected, of not knowing the right thing to say, and not having the answers to hard questions. One of the biggest hurdles, however, is that of getting out of our comfort zone and starting a spiritual conversation with someone. Here are a few short tips for having an effective spiritual conversation with someone.

Ask Questions.

One of the easiest ways to spark spiritual conversations is to ask questions of people. When a spiritual comment is thrown out there, or even a harsh comment towards Christianity is thrown out, simply asking a question about that comment can open so many doors. Asking questions lets them explain to you why they beleive what they believe spiritually. You don't have to teach anything, but simply ask them why they beleive what they believe.

Put a Rock in their Shoe.

If you've ever had a small rock in your shoe, you know what I mean by this. It's something that bothers you, and no matter how much you adjust, it wont seem to go away until take your shoe off and get the rock out. When you have conversations with people, try to put a spiritual rock in their shoe. Many times this can be done by simply asking them questions that leave them thinking more about spiritual things. The goal is to plant some kind of spiritual question or teaching in their minds that will pester them until they try to find an answer to it.

We ought to be looking for opportunities to have these spiritual conversations. Paul said, "Conduct yourself with wisdom towards outsiders making the most of every opportunity." Find an opportunity this week to ask questions and plant rocks in someones shoe!

- Kolton Ballance