Intentional Conversations: Sharing the Transformative Gospel

Devotional

Day 1: The Impact of Intentional Faith Conversations

Engaging in intentional conversations about faith can profoundly impact both the speaker and the listener. These conversations are not merely about increasing numbers but about fostering genuine relationships that invite others to explore a transformative relationship with Jesus. By focusing on the quality of these interactions, believers can create a welcoming environment where others feel safe to ask questions and express doubts. This approach encourages a deeper understanding of faith and its implications for daily life. [05:41]

"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Colossians 4:6, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life could benefit from a meaningful conversation about faith this week, and how can you initiate it with grace and openness?

Day 2: Revisiting the Foundations of Our Salvation

Paul's letter to the Romans serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of revisiting the foundational truths of the gospel. Even for those who have been believers for a long time, it is crucial not to become complacent in faith. The cross and the salvation it brings should remain central to a believer's life, continually inspiring gratitude and devotion. By regularly reflecting on these truths, believers can maintain a vibrant and active faith that influences every aspect of their lives. [08:01]

"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it." (Hebrews 2:1, ESV)

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to revisit and deepen your understanding of the foundational truths of the gospel?

Day 3: The Universality of Sin and the Gift of Grace

The message of Romans highlights the universal problem of sin and the solution provided through Jesus Christ. While all humanity is guilty of sin, God's grace offers a path to righteousness through faith in Jesus. This grace is available to everyone, regardless of their past, and it brings peace, hope, and a new life. Embracing this grace means accepting the gift of salvation and allowing it to transform one's life, leading to a deeper relationship with God and others. [22:31]

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: How can you more fully embrace the grace offered to you through Jesus, and what changes might this bring to your daily life?

Day 4: Embracing a New Life in Christ

Living a new life in Christ involves embracing freedom from the bondage of sin and experiencing the peace that comes from being in right standing with God. This transformation is a process of sanctification, where believers grow to become more like Christ. By actively pursuing this new life, believers can experience the joy and fulfillment that comes from living in alignment with God's will and purpose. [33:29]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to embrace the new life in Christ more fully, and what steps can you take to do so?

Day 5: The Urgency of Sharing the Gospel

Understanding the significance of salvation compels believers to share the message of hope with others. Paul emphasizes the importance of being messengers of the gospel, carrying the beautiful news of salvation to those who have not yet heard it. This call to action is rooted in love and compassion, as believers recognize the transformative power of the gospel and desire to see others experience the same hope and peace. [42:58]

"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear the message of the gospel, and how can you share it with them in a way that is both gentle and respectful?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound impact of intentional conversations about faith and the transformative power of the gospel. We began by reflecting on the story of the alabaster box, illustrating how even small acts of faith can make a significant difference. This story set the stage for our discussion on the future of our church, Southlake, as we look forward to the next 100 years with purpose and intention. Our goal is to inspire and empower our community to engage in 20,280 gospel conversations, fostering relationships that invite others to explore a life-transforming relationship with Jesus.

We delved into the book of Romans, where Paul writes a compelling letter to the church in Rome, reminding them of the essence of their salvation. Despite being a letter to believers, Paul emphasizes the need to continually revisit the foundational truths of the gospel. He challenges us to not become complacent in our faith but to remember the significance of the cross and the salvation it brings. Paul’s message is clear: the gospel is the good news, the ultimate truth that brings life and peace.

Paul's letter also addresses the universal problem of sin and the solution provided through Jesus Christ. He explains that while all humanity is guilty of sin, God's grace offers a path to righteousness through faith in Jesus. This grace is available to everyone, regardless of their past, and it brings peace, hope, and a new life. Paul encourages us to live out this new life, free from the bondage of sin, and to embrace the peace that comes from being in right standing with God.

Finally, we are reminded of the importance of sharing this good news with others. Paul asks why we wouldn't want to share the message of salvation if we truly understand its significance. He calls us to be messengers of hope, carrying the beautiful news of the gospel to those who have not yet heard it. As we conclude, we are encouraged to go forth and share the hope within us, knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Key Takeaways

1. The Power of Intentional Conversations: Engaging in intentional, relational conversations about faith is crucial for spreading the gospel. These conversations are not just about numbers but about building genuine relationships that invite others to explore a life-transforming relationship with Jesus. [05:41]
2. Understanding Our Salvation: Paul's letter to the Romans reminds us of the importance of revisiting the foundational truths of the gospel. We must not become complacent in our faith but continually remember the significance of the cross and the salvation it brings. [08:01]
3. The Universality of Sin and Grace: All humanity is guilty of sin, but God's grace offers a path to righteousness through faith in Jesus. This grace is available to everyone, bringing peace, hope, and a new life. [22:31]
4. Living a New Life in Christ: Embracing our new life in Christ means living free from the bondage of sin and experiencing the peace that comes from being in right standing with God. This transformation is a process of sanctification, where we grow to become more like Christ. [33:29]
5. The Call to Share the Gospel: Understanding the significance of our salvation compels us to share the message of hope with others. We are called to be messengers of the gospel, carrying the beautiful news of salvation to those who have not yet heard it. [42:58]
** [42:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Setting the Tone for Worship
[01:45] - The Alabaster Box Story
[03:30] - Vision for the Next 100 Years
[05:41] - The Importance of Gospel Conversations
[08:01] - Exploring the Book of Romans
[10:45] - Paul's Message to the Church
[13:16] - The Good News of the Gospel
[18:17] - Understanding General Revelation
[22:31] - The Universality of Sin and Grace
[28:05] - Embracing Peace and Hope
[30:45] - Baptism and New Life
[33:29] - Living Free from Sin
[35:59] - No Condemnation in Christ
[39:18] - Assurance of God's Love
[42:58] - The Call to Share the Gospel
[45:15] - Closing Worship: I Speak Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What is the significance of the alabaster box story shared in the sermon, and how does it relate to the theme of intentional conversations about faith? [05:41]
According to Romans 1:1-6, how does Paul introduce himself and his mission to the church in Rome?
In Romans 3:9-26, what does Paul say about the universality of sin and the solution provided through Jesus Christ?
How does the sermon describe the process of moving from a "connect conversation" to an "invite conversation"? [08:01]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize the need for the church in Rome to revisit the foundational truths of the gospel, even though they are already believers? [08:01]
How does the concept of "general revelation" discussed in the sermon help us understand God's presence in the world? [18:17]
What does it mean to live a new life in Christ, as described in Romans 6 and the sermon? [33:29]
How does the sermon explain the importance of sharing the gospel, and what role does understanding our salvation play in this? [42:58]

Application Questions

Reflect on your own life: How often do you engage in intentional conversations about faith? What steps can you take to increase these interactions? [05:41]
Consider the story of the alabaster box. What small acts of faith can you incorporate into your daily life to make a significant difference in your community? [05:41]
How can you ensure that you are not becoming complacent in your faith, as Paul warns against in his letter to the Romans? [08:01]
Identify a person in your life who may not have heard the gospel. What specific actions can you take to share the message of salvation with them this week? [42:58]
The sermon discusses the universality of sin and grace. How does this understanding affect your view of yourself and others? [22:31]
What are some practical ways you can live out your new life in Christ, free from the bondage of sin, as described in Romans 6? [33:29]
Reflect on the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God. How does this promise impact your daily life and interactions with others? [39:18]

Sermon Clips

We have a co-op that meets here on Wednesdays. And so on Wednesdays, we have somewhere in the neighborhood, I think about 65 students that are receiving a Christian education here. And every Wednesday morning, either Pastor Nick or myself, we go to the lobby and we greet the students, these kids, as they're coming in. And over the time, they've gotten to get to know us a little bit and say, good morning, Pastor Michael, and whatnot. And because we have that alabaster box sitting out in the lobby with other little boxes there, one particular little boy came in and he said, Pastor Michael, what's that? He goes, what's alabaster? And so I explained it to him how we collect money and it goes towards hospitals and churches and buildings and all sorts of different projects around the globe to continue the spread of the gospel throughout the world. And as soon as I said that, he looked and says, Mommy, Mom, can I do that? [00:00:57] (70 seconds)

get started this morning we're talking about the next 100 years and we had the privilege the blessing of celebrating 100 years as a church this past year and now we're looking forward with great intention and purpose and so we're setting the tone of where we want to go as a church and ensure that the church is not only here in 100 years I want to make that very clear it's not that it's just Southlake is here but Southlake is thriving and it represents God and his mission for Lake and Porter County and in order to do that we took small bites and we said this year here's what we're going to do we are going to sorry we will inspire and empower the church to have a total of 20,280 gospel conversations using intentional and relational steps that invite others to explore a life transforming relationship with Jesus that's our goal it's really simple [00:02:25] (75 seconds)

Invite conversations are intentional conversations that encourage others to explore a relationship with Jesus. And so this is the ultimately the conversation we want to get to. But I want to stress this, in our definition of all these conversations, it's that they're intentional relational. This isn't just about having conversations so we can put pegs in a giant light right out there, or we can say that we had 20,000. I mean we have that number so we can measure it. We need some sort of metrics. But that's not why we're doing this. Number one, we're doing it because Jesus asked us to do it. Actually he commanded us, go. [00:04:59] (47 seconds)

If I'm going to be honest, we get comfortable with our faith. We relax. And sometimes we, dare I say, minimize the significance of the cross. And so Paul's letter is just reminding the church, this is what your salvation is. And who delivers that salvation? And it's an incredibly powerful letter. And so I'm going to be reading right out of the book of Romans this morning. And you can open up your Bibles to Romans 1. We're going to begin right in verse 1. But I just want you to hear, we're going to kind of go on this little journey that Paul writes. And it is beautiful. [00:08:01] (51 seconds)

Paul is saying all we have to do is believe in the good news, and God saves us. Isn't that simple? Sometimes I think we just overcomplicate Christianity. Believe that Jesus is the son of God confess repent and then live like Jesus but there's a problem in that the reason we don't do that is continuing on in the next verse paul begins by saying here's the problem but god shows his anger from heaven against all sinful wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness they know the truth about god because it is it is made obvious to them for ever since the world was created people have seen the earth and sky through everything god made they can clearly see his invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature so they have no excuse for not knowing god [00:14:02] (64 seconds)

we were born as sinful creatures we have to start at this place and i and please i'm not beating anybody up by this but you have to recognize this because if you don't recognize our own sinful nature then we don't need a savior right pastor michael's a good guy and everything i do is good and right what do i need a savior for well i need a savior because i'm human and i'm about as wicked as they come i need jesus so paul's reminding the church we need jesus christ but paul doesn't end there he doesn't end with a problem he said here's the solution church i have it he says but now god has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law as was promised in the writings of moses and the prophets long ago we are made right with god by placing our faith in jesus christ [00:22:31] (73 seconds)

When we believe in Jesus, we receive peace. Remember, Paul said back a couple chapters that those people, they can never find peace because they don't have God. Peace is one of the things we receive. Paul writes in Romans 5, beginning verse 1. Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done with us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials for we know that they help us develop endurance. [00:28:05] (53 seconds)

And endurance develops strength of character and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment for we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. In this passage, Paul is reminding the church that we now have peace with God. And even when we face difficult trials, we can experience peace because we know that the Holy Spirit is with us and God's love will never abandon us. [00:29:12] (48 seconds)

And Paul is writing about baptism and then he continues on and he says in verse 5, Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power over our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ, we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead and he will never die again. [00:33:29] (40 seconds)

Paul writes further down in chapter 8, what shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own son, but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one. For God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one. For Christ Jesus died for us. And was raised to life for us. And he is sitting at the place of honor at God's right hand pleading for us. [00:39:18] (48 seconds)

If you understand your salvation, why wouldn't we want to share it with others? So let me read Romans 10 beginning in verse 9. Paul writes to the church, if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God and is openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the scriptures tell us, anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced. Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord who gives generously to all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. [00:42:58] (48 seconds)

This is why the scriptures say how beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news. Ladies and gentlemen, you carry the most beautiful news in the history of the world. You. You are a walking, talking, breathing testimony. God has saved you uniquely. He has called you out of your evil ways and he's called you into a life and eternity with him. When we start to understand our salvation, we understand what Paul means about our feet being beautiful. Our feet. The feet of messengers. In other words, the feet of those words that carry the gospel conversations, those people are beautiful because they carry the hope of salvation. The truth of a new life filled with peace. The power to defeat sin. [00:44:15] (72 seconds)

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