Living in America especially, but all around the globe sports fans (and commercial fans) tune in to watch the Super Bowl. Even people, who don’t watch sports that often, watch this one event. How cool that we can be fairly confident that for the next few weeks we have something in common with the bank teller, the person checking you out at a store, and the neighbor you never really had a chance to talk to. Here are a few ways you can transition a conversation about the Super Bowl into the Gospel.
 
1. Strike Up A Conversation
Just like I said earlier! You can start a conversation fairly easily by asking questions like:

Were you happy with the Broncos winning?
What did you think of the commercials this year?
 
2. The Weirdness Of The Puppy Monkey Baby
This is like the blue/gold dress that appeared awhile ago on all of our news feeds—the puppy monkey baby divided people quickly. Some people thought the puppy monkey baby was hilarious and some thought it was very disturbing. But, good news! No one felt indifferent about it—everyone I’ve talked to so far has an opinion. What do people like to do with their opinions? Share them.
 
This one felt a little awkward when I tried it, but I have to trust that God is at work inside me! While in a conversation about the puppy monkey baby I simply said, “Aren’t you glad that God didn’t make things like that?” And, after listening to their response, I talked about how God doesn’t do anything by accident and that He is the creator of everything.

3. Cam Newton
I would hate to have one of the instances where I mess up in a big way be on a global stage. Yikes. For those of you that don’t know, after the game, Cam Newton (who’s team lost) was very short with the media. After answering a few questions, he got up and left. The media and the public freaked out. And, in a lot of ways, the public reacted in a very hateful way. He was later reported to say, “show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a looser.”
 
That is circular logic, but it could be cool to transition the conversation into what it means to loose as a Christian. The idea that “everyone falls short of the glory of God” comes to mind. Even though we loose (in a lot of ways if you’re like me), it’s okay because we are still holy, righteous, and redeemed in God’s eyes.
 
4. Money. Money. Money. 
For this Super Bowl, a 30 second ad cost around 5 million dollars. A simple way to get an idea of what someone values is to bring up this fact. Say something like:
 
Did you know that a commercial for the Super Bowl cost 5 million dollars?  What would you do with 5 million dollars?

Then use their answers to talk about what ever it seems like their struggling with/valuing. For example, if they say something like, “I would give most of it away.” Then you can ask the question, do you think that will make you more qualified for Heaven? I love that question because faith in Jesus is the only qualification we need.
 
My prayer is that these ideas will give you more ideas (and I would love to hear them). I'm praying for boldness for both of us to step out in faith and use this event to grow God's kingdom. Have a great week. And GO BRONCOS!! 

​Jacque is the Missional Women Intern and a college student in Denver, CO who balances her time between trying to go to class and learning about His saving grace and perfect love as much as she can.  She is a twenty something, DIY attempting, Jesus loving, Denver living, small town rooted, Colorado sports fan.  She loves black coffee, long conversations and watching people do what God created them for. You can find her Christian Twenty Somethings blog at Desperately Dependent. 

If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.

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What is the Christian Bubble? The idea that someone is enclosed in a Christian community, with very little interaction with the outside non-believing world. It is easy to find yourself in one. You say "yes" a few times to many (with very good intentions) and the next thing you know, every day of your week is filled with some sort of ministry event. In December I realized I was caught in the Christian bubble--every day of the week was surrounded by people who pulled their truth from the Bible. How can we live missionally if we don't have anyone to share with? 

1. Take The Initiative 
My boss is a funny guy, with a great job, but he has never been married. As many times as I tell him he's bound to meet a great girl at my church--he refuses to go. The other day he said something that made me laugh, "I've come to the conclusion that a really pretty girl who likes watching movies isn't going to show up at my door with a pizza." That idea sounds ridiculous. But the notion of someone walking up to us at a grocery store and asking about God because we have a cross necklace on seems so normal? Just like my boss needs to talk to a girl before he can have a girlfriend, we need to meet someone to share the Gospel with them. Take the initiative to start a conversation. 

2. Add Availability To The Check List 
One of the ways that God gifted me in is the ability to connect the dots. I do college ministry in Denver, CO and that gift tends to be a blessing everyday. A few months ago, I walked into the room where we have our weekly meeting: I saw the lights needed to be turned on, the projector needed to be focused, and chairs needed to be put away. So I went to work. After a few minutes, my sweet friend came up to me and asked what I had done since I got into the room.  I explained the check list I had finished. Then she asked,  how is anyone doing in this room? Yikes. I had no clue. Over the course of the year, many new non-christian students come to our weekly meeting. Yet, how could I meet any of them if I'm too busy to be available? Try to keep an eye out for ways to live missionally in your already occurring ministry events. 

3. Remember The Sabbath 
My friend said something that shifted my perspective the other day, "the truth is, your life is your ministry. And, if you don't have a good home and work balance... burn out sets in." The shift came from stating the obvious that the Christian life we are called to is a full time job. But, the Christian life and ministry events are not synonymous. Look at the last few weeks of your planner--do you have time off? Time off meaning time away from Christians to meet non-Christians. If not, can you talk to God and see where you could step back? Taking a break is not only healthy, but Biblical. 
​
4. Ask God For Help
I babysit for a family and sometimes have dinner with them. One of the kids always volunteers to pray. And the majority of the time it is the same thing: "God, thank you for my brother, my other brother, my sister, my other sister and my mom and dad. Amen." I love how the mom will sometimes ask them to use different words--getting the kids to realize its less about words and more about heart condition. And the same holds true for us. Pray in different words. Ask God to overwhelm you with opportunities to partner in growing His kingdom. 

5. Kiss The Comfort Zone Goodbye
I think bubbles form when we get comfortable. Spending time with people who think the same way we do can be comforting and feel safe. But, God can do amazing things when we trust him outside of where we feel comfortable. Can you take a painting class? Or meet someone new on social media? Or trust God with something even crazier? 

Jacque is the Missional Women Intern and a  college student in Denver, CO who balances her time between trying to go to class and learning about His saving grace and perfect love as much as she can.  She is a twenty something, DIY attempting, Jesus loving, Denver living, small town rooted, Colorado sports fan.  She loves black coffee, long conversations and watching people do what God created them for. You can find her blogging for Christian Twenty Somethings at Desperately Dependent. 

I didn’t have the textbook childhood, nor what I thought was the typical family. Christmases were spent playing drinking games and sneaking off to bars, instead of family dinners and time spent in prayer.
 
Do real families do that? I just imagine lots of prayer around a big rectangular wood table… but I could be making that up. Maybe that’s not how it is at all. Maybe the centerpieces, apron-wearing-mothers, and soft classic Christmas music playing from the corner is the product of all the years I spent imagining the perfect family.
 
When I was little, we still did the whole extended family Christmas thing. Cousins running around everywhere, uncles arguing politics in-between drunken slurs, aunts and family friends claiming to need to “run errands” after whispering about meeting up at the local dive bar.

Even though I had no idea about Jesus back then, I remember thinking that there has to be more to life than this. THIS! Is really all we were living for?
 
Then, as I got older, and family feuds got larger, we stopped going back to Nebraska for a big family Christmas. Instead, it was just my dad and I. Often, surrounded by other people who had nowhere to go on Christmas. Those were fun Christmases—lots of traditions came out of those. But they were never focused on God or what I would call God glorifying. Still lots of drinking and focusing on what presents were under the tree.
 
But, even then I would have a faint tickle of imaging what it would be like to have brothers and sisters, and parents that weren’t divorced—a loud bustling Christmas instead of the quiet one with just us.
 
It was then that I started to negotiate in my own head.
 
Instead of prayer around a table, maybe people just had thankful hearts towards God. Maybe, the apron-wearing-mother would be overwhelmed and burn something. Maybe, the kids would be running around and screaming over the Christmas music. Maybe, tree ornaments would break and babies would be crying and messes would be made.
 
I could deal with all of that. I would love all of that.
 
Then, this year, my dad’s work schedule came out. He flew out Christmas day. My already quiet Christmas just got a whole lot quieter. It was going to be Hallmark movies, my Saint Bernard Yogi, and me.
 
It was then, that one of the couples that I babysit for invited me over to their house for Christmas. And, I’m not talking about a passing pity offer (believe me, I’ve gotten those enough in my lifetime).  A genuine in person invite, followed up by a phone call and a Facebook message.

It was then that I realized that I was wanted—that I could maybe dip my toe into the “real” family Christmas. Knowing this family, there would be crying, and kicking and screaming, and messes and at times just a loud roar of Children, but they wanted me to experience that with them.
 
I had a place to go. A place that would be to celebrate the birth of Jesus, which is really all that truly matters.
 
So, I urge you to look around in your own life. Look for those back-alley-dog type people, who have nowhere to go. Offer them a sincere invite into your crazy, messy, slightly dysfunctional family, and it will mean more to them than you ever know.
 
Can't do it for Christmas? That's fine. Family dinners work to. Or coffee. Or lunch. Really a sincere invite is all that counts. 

People yield their lives to Jesus for so many reasons. Forgiveness, His Constant-ness, His plan and so on. But, sometimes, it’s because for the first time in their lives they’re unconditionally wanted.
 
You can reflect that. You can make someone feel wanted. Invite them into your mess.

​
Jacque is a college student in Denver, CO who balances her time between trying to go to class and learning about His saving grace and perfect love as much as she can.  She is a twenty something, DIY attempting, Jesus loving, Denver living, small town rooted, Colorado sports fan.  She loves black coffee, long conversations and watching people do what God created them for. You can find her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

You know those weeks? The weeks where your world is shaken? The weeks where you have to cling to what God says is true about you or you will just shrivel up? I just had one of those weeks. 
 
I don’t get the “call me NOW,” texts from my dad very often. So, I immediately walked down the steps of the auditorium class, and called my dad from the hallway.
 
“Are you in a place where it would be bad if you freak out?”
 
“No,” I questioned.
 
“Zack killed himself in our cabin. I just called the police. He was such a good guy.”
 
I didn’t have words and my eyes were instantly blurry.
 
“I talked to him today,” Dad said, “I just can’t believe he actually did it. I can’t believe I didn’t know.”
 
In that moment I became numb. I realized how small I am, how big God is, and how thankful I am that Jesus died to forgive me.  You see, death is sad— and suicide is horrible and I had made a mistake. I couldn’t help but to feel incredibly guilty. I had made the Gospel’s credibility about me.
 
Zack was terminally ill. He came to us looking for help. We employed him, gave him a place to stay and genuinely tried to fill his life with light. Long conversations and big smiles every time we saw him.
 
Two years ago I thought, “what a great opportunity to reflect God’s character… then once he knows that I’m a good person, I’ll tell him about Jesus.”
 
As if the Gospel needed ME to add to its credibility.  The very raw truth is, that Zack did not need good people in his life… Zack (just like me and you) desperately needed Jesus.
 
The fact of the matter is, I didn’t use my words to live on Mission, I tried to use only my actions. That somehow, Zack would see my actions and understand that God sent His son to die on a cross to pay our debt because we were dead in sin.
 
Have you ever done that? Thought that you needed to improve yourself? Clean up your mess? Or prove your worth before sharing the Gospel? I did.
 
What would it have looked like if Jesus did that? What if Jesus was just a seemingly very good guy? But never taught, never told us who He was or what He was on earth to do out loud? What if He never explained God’s character, or that we would be forgiven? Would we look at Him the same way we do today?… I don’t think so.
 
As time has passed, and I have clung to God’s truth, I am reminded that His grace is sufficient. That people don’t save people, God saves people.
 
The Gospel’s credibility and worthiness was around long before you and I were, and will be after we are gone. Actions do speak loudly, but not as loudly as our words.
 
If we do our best to live the Spirit Filled Life and let our actions point back to the Gospel, but don’t stop at just that... If we speak the Gospel, breathe the Gospel, live out the Gospel! How much easier would it be for God to use us in His mission? How many more people would realize their need to be desperately dependent on Him?

Pssst.... this post is apart of the 5th Annual Not About Me November Series. Check the rest of the posts out here.

Jacque is a college student in Denver, CO who balances her time between trying to go to class and learning about His saving grace and perfect love as much as she can.  She is a twenty something, DIY attempting, Jesus loving, Denver living, small town rooted, Colorado sports fan.  She loves black coffee, long conversations and watching people do what God created them for. You can find her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. ​

Halloween, perhaps the most controversial holiday among Christians. But if we step back and think about it in terms of advancing God's kingdom, it very well could be one of the most strategic ones (right up there with Christmas). Lets look at it objectively for a second. What other holiday do you get to go to your neighbors house and meet (if you haven't yet) and talk to them, and neighbors come to your house and you get to give them stuff. Two incredible opportunities that don't exist in as a norm in our culture. What a great opportunity that we can make the most of for the expansion of God's kingdom.

Here's some ideas of how:

NIGHT OF
For the trick-or-treaters:
Spend time prepping kids to see the holiday as an opportunity to serve and love the neighbors. Spend some time praying for the neighbors and who they will meet. Help kids think through what they could give the person giving them candy. Perhaps a tract or a colored thank you note with a verse on it (photo copied a bunch of times) or an invitation to church. Together pray God would use their steps of faith to glorify Himself and draw the people to Himself.

This could also be used as an opportunity to meet the neighbors you don't know. Remember their names (write them down if you need to) and then make a map with neighbors names on it to start praying for them. Introduce yourself and have a little small talk. If the opportunity arises, you could ask them what you could pray for them for.

For the candy givers:
Before the kids start coming pray for the kids who will come to your door. Ask God to give you ideas of how to encourage and affirm them and bring to mind other things He would want you to say to them. When the kids come give them the best candy AND a Gospel tract. Living Water has great optical illusions kids love. Or here are a ton more to choose from.) Make a list of the kids and you can then keep the list and your family can pray for them.

THE WEEK OF
Use activities you're involved in as a way to give the Gospel. For instance my son is in soccer and my daughter gymnastics. We are going to pack lunch bags full of yummy candy and a Gospel tract with a little note to give to each kid on their team. You can do this same goodie bag gifting at many other activities whether it be little league sports as well as adult group events.

What other ideas do you have?

Do you struggle with starting Gospel conversations? Here are 10 questions that can be used to start a great conversation. Try them this Halloween? 

Laura, the founder of Missional Women is married and has five kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 13 years serving with Master Plan Ministries where she is the Women's Development Coordinator. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, and A Devotional Journey through Judges, a devotional to accompany the free online Bible study at TheBookofJudges.com. You can find her on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram, periscope, blab and her author site.

When I moved to Thailand about five months ago, I knew embarrassingly little about Buddhism, even though it continues to grow in both Asia and the west, especially in an increasingly pluralistic world.  I decided to spend some time learning about Buddhism and sharing the Gospel with Buddhists.  Please note, there are large variations in the types of Buddhism that are practiced throughout the world.  Most of the tips that follow can apply to any variety of Buddhism, however, they are based largely on my experience with Therevada Buddhists in Thailand.  Below are some practical tips to for sharing the gospel with Buddhists.  Many of these can also be used with adherents with other faiths, obviously making adaptations for their specific worldview. 

1.      One of the most useful tactics when sharing the Gospel with anyone is to first ask them to tell you about their worldview.  Most people like to be heard more than they like to be talked to.  Also, you should be interested in their answers, genuinely interested.  If you aren't interested in hearing what this person has to say, perhaps you need to do a throne check and examine your heart before continuing. Ask them to tell you what they believe about God, sin, salvation, the afterlife, etc.  Ask them what Buddhism means to them.  Ask questions about anything surprising or unclear.  Understanding where a person is coming from is very important to understanding what truths they will need to accept before they can accept Christ as Savior. 

2.      When sharing the Gospel with a Buddhist, it is important that you and they both understand what terms each other are using so that you can both understand each other.  Do not assume that they have any basic biblical understanding.  Use as few “Christanese” words as possible.  Instead of asking “What do you believe the consequence is for sinning?” Instead say something like “What do you think happens to us when we do something wrong?” 

3.      Live a consistent lifestyle.  Many Buddhists speak of being turned off by Christianity because they see inconsistent behavior in the lives of Christians.  We must strive to see that our actions are consistent with our words and beliefs. 

4.      Show appreciation for those things which are good about the religion of the person you are sharing with.  In Buddhism, this may be the empasis they put on being morally good, their desire for peace, their belief in life after death and their concerns about evil, suffering and conflict in the world.     

5.      Explain Christian ideas carefully and with love.  Logical arguments are not as effective with Buddhists as one might expect, but stories can be quite effective.  Talking about your own experience of God and using stories to illustrate biblical ideas can be very effective. 

6.      Opening the scriptures with them and inviting them to be a part of Christian events and community.  Romans 10:17 speaks of how God works in peoples' hearts through reading the Scriptures.  Engage in Bible studies to clear up misunderstandings about the teachings of the Bible and the person of Jesus (most Buddhists think he was a great moral teacher but not a savior). 

Most of all, we must trust God that he is working in our Buddhist friends hearts and draw them to him.  We should pray and be faithful to share the Gospel with him, ever trusting that we are joining in the work that God is already doing.   

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I will admit it. I am not naturally drawn to reach out to people around me.

I am partly introverted. So while I can be quite animated with those I am close to, I am very shy in crowds of new people.

This can lend itself to loneliness as I sit back hoping that someone will reach out to me and befriend me. 

But I have discovered something recently: reaching out isn’t about me. It isn’t about meeting that need that nags at my soul for kinship and relationship, or satisfying that thirst to feel like I belong somewhere.

In recent weeks, I have opened up to those around me and shared about my deep and painful struggle with loneliness. Do you know what I’ve discovered? I am not alone. Every person I have shared with told me that they have had the exact same struggle. I find it peculiar that so many people sense an unmet need in their life for interpersonal relationship and yet are surrounded by people wherever they go.

Perhaps some of them are like me – waiting for someone else to reach out first.

Reaching out isn’t about us – it’s about others.

We need to approach relationship building from an unselfish perspective. Building relationships, mentorship, and discipleship isn’t about meeting our needs or building our ministry; it’s about meeting others’ needs and building the kingdom of God!

So often we grow myopic to the point that we can no longer see beyond our own selves to the deeper needs and more gaping wounds of those around us. It is in times like these that we must go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to adjust our vision so our focus outward becomes clearer and our focus inward comes into proper perspective.

When our own needs occupy their proper place in priority, we are free to recognize the needs of those around us and reach out to them selflessly, with no strings attached. Our actions are no longer needy and our message is no longer manipulative. They become a simple act of becoming Jesus’ hands reaching out to those He longs to touch through us.

Jesus’ ministry wasn’t about gathering buddies around Him or building a ministry. His ministry was about meeting needs.

I challenge you today to look around you with a fresh pair of eyes. See the needy and hurting in your own sphere of influence. Ask the Lord for arms to reach out with selfless love that heals and restores.

This is what the church is all about! Reaching out is not about me, it’s about Jesus; it’s about extending His touch the world, it’s about building the kingdom one person at a time!