Wonderful Words of Life

I am sitting in my hotel room in Louisville after a long day in board meetings with the Kentucky Baptist Convention.  It was an exciting day of planning and coordinating as we look at what God has been doing and is doing across our state in the life of Kentucky Baptists.  There is a growing desire to see a move of God in Eastern Kentucky with upcoming events such as "Hope for the Mountains."  That desire grows from leaders within our Kentucky Baptist Convention who have partnered with those who have a heart for proclaiming the Gospel in that region.  In fact, the buzz words that I hear frequently in Baptist life today is "Gospel Conversations."  As we have discussion about training our church congregations in sharing the Gospel, it occurred to me the challenge we have before us in our churches.  Because of our sinful nature, none of us need to attend a seminar on how to have "Gossip Conversations."  Because it is our sinful nature, this is where people will naturally drift.  In contrast, we must be intentional and offer training on how to have "Gospel Conversations."  Unfortunately, many pastors are overwhelmed with putting out fires from "Gossip Conversations" that they will have less time to devote to training, equipping, and actually having "Gospel Conversations."  The thought occurred to me... if we spent half of the effort into sharing the Gospel as we put into sharing gossip, we could win a community to Christ!

One of our KBC leaders shared an illustration that we naturally drift away from evangelism.  He explained that if a pastor doesn't make a hospital visit that people will complain.  He gave several examples of things that church members would complain about if the pastor does not do them (I could have offered a few more examples).  However, no one complains if we don't knock on doors to share the Gospel.  While there are a few in our church that would rather have Gossip Conversations over Gospel Conversations, I believe there are many more who are eager to covenant together for the sake of the Gospel and make Jesus the central focus of our conversations.  Let's speak words of life, not words of destruction.

What were your conversations like today?  Let's have Gospel Conversations NOT Gossip Conversations. 

Below is a resource for your personal worship...
Sing or listen to the hymn "Wonderful Words of Life."  I am praying wonderful words of life over my church family.

[VERSE 1]
Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life;
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life.
Words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty:

[CHORUS]
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

[VERSE 2]
Christ, the blessed One, gives to all, wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life.
All so freely given, wooing us to heaven:

[VERSE 3]
Sweetly echo the Gospel call, wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life.
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify forever:

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SONG.

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