1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 2: You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 3 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: helping you pray God's word for your family in the 4 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 2: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: In the month of April, we are hosting the Everyday 9 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: Prayers for Gentleness book Club on the podcast to celebrate 10 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 2: our newest release, We're So Glad you're here today. The 11 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 2: author of our new book and mom of three, Christy Thomas, 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: will lead our devotion in prayer to challenge us and 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: encourage us on our journey to grow in gentleness. To 14 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 2: learn more about Christy, our new book, and the Million 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: Praying Mom's ministry, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. You can find 16 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: a link in our show notes. After a brief word 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: from our sponsors, will pray together for our children. 18 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 3: First Peter three fourteen to sixteen says, but even if 19 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 3: you should suffer for righteousness's sake, you will be blessed. 20 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 3: Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in 21 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 3: your hearts honor Christ, the Lord is holy, always being 22 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 3: prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you 23 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 3: for a reason for the hope that is in you. 24 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 3: Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, 25 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 3: so that when you are slandered, those who revile your 26 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 3: good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. My mentor, 27 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 3: Mindy and I scanned the university cafeteria looking for someone 28 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 3: to share the Gospel with. This was my first time 29 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 3: doing such blatant evangelism, and I was thoroughly queasy. We 30 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 3: sat down with a female student and engaged her in conversation, 31 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 3: but once we got started talking about matters of. 32 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: Faith, it did not go well. 33 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 3: The two of us argued over the veracity of Christianity 34 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 3: like it was the final championships of the debate club, 35 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 3: and Mindy and I left the table soon afterward. I 36 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 3: was really embarrassed and angry, and I'm sure we left 37 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 3: that student feeling even more sour about people's faith. Quietly, 38 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 3: Mindy spoke something that has stuck with me to this day. 39 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,959 Speaker 3: You can't argue someone into faith. I had missed a 40 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 3: key part of Peter's instructions on sharing our faith with others. 41 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 3: One Peter three point fifteen says, do it with gentleness 42 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 3: and respect. By allowing the conversation to devolve into emotional arguments, 43 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 3: I lost all connection to gentleness and respect or reverence, 44 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 3: as some translations call this winning combination. From that moment on, 45 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 3: I backed completely off from any evangelism efforts, worried that 46 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 3: my attempt to make a defense would lead to similar 47 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 3: souring encounters. We want others to know the freedom that 48 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 3: comes from knowing and following Jesus, but the way we 49 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 3: communicate it matters deeply as politices. In First Corinthians thirteen, 50 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 3: verse two, if I have the gift of prophecy and 51 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 3: understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have 52 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 3: all faith so that I can move mountains. 53 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: But do not have love, I am nothing. 54 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 3: So to rephrase today's passage, if I give a defense 55 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 3: of my faith to anyone who asked me about the 56 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 3: hope that is in me, but don't do it with 57 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 3: gentleness and respect, I am nothing. If we want our 58 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 3: words about Christ to mean something to others, we have 59 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 3: to act like Him, or at least be growing in 60 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 3: our ability to act like him. We need to be 61 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 3: able to share the Gospel with our broken world in 62 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 3: the same spirit of gentleness that Jesus lived. The Gospel 63 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 3: First Peter makes clear the connection between gentleness and respect. 64 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 3: It's tough to be gentle with someone we don't respect, 65 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 3: isn't it. If I had respected the anonymous woman I 66 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 3: was trying to evangelize, I likely would have spent some 67 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 3: time actually getting to know her before trying to convert her. 68 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 3: Darren Enjoy Stevens from the ministry called Start to Stir 69 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 3: have discovered a better way to have gospel conversations. Through 70 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 3: many discussions, they've found that people around them aren't against 71 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 3: God as much as they just have no idea what 72 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 3: relevance God has for their lives. So rather than having 73 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 3: an apologetic or theological defense, Darren and Joy have begun 74 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 3: to listen to their friends and neighbors to find out 75 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 3: what they actually believe. They ask questions and respect both 76 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 3: their friends' views as well as their ability to think 77 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 3: and seek. In an Instagram post, Joy writes, my listening 78 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 3: created space for them to ask me what I thought, 79 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 3: and I actually had better conversations about Jesus because they 80 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 3: were interested in what I thought as well. Maybe the 81 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 3: bravest thing you can do to share the gospel right 82 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 3: now is to listen to where your friends are starting from. 83 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 3: Let's be women who choose respect and gentleness in our 84 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 3: relationships with friends and coworkers. Let's pray, Jesus, you are 85 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 3: the hope inside me. Please forgive me for the times 86 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 3: I haven't been ready to give a defense with gentleness 87 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 3: and respect. Help me to learn to speak clearly about 88 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 3: the hope you've given me, and please also help me 89 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 3: share it with others through gentleness. Give me the bold, 90 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 3: compassionate love needed to point others to you. In Jesus' name, Amen. 91 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 2: As part of of our book called This Month, we 92 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 2: are making all of the wonderful perks of our paid 93 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 2: Patreon numbers available at the free tier. That's right. The 94 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 2: daily devotionals in written form, bonus materials, special previews, and 95 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 2: more free to you this month only. See the link 96 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 2: in our show notes are on our website to get connected. 97 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 98 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,359 Speaker 2: Make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. 99 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 2: May the Lord look with favor upon you and give 100 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 2: you peace.