Sharing the Gospel...

​What if we truly believed Jesus’ words about sharing the gospel with others?

​What if we believed that Jesus authorizes us to act on his behalf to fulfill our calling as his witnesses at work that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18)? What if his promise is true that “the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (John 14:26)? What if we were confident in Christ’s presence—that he is with us always and everywhere, in every situation (Matthew 28:20)? What if even in brief interactions and casual mentions of our faith, we knew the Holy Spirit was at work in the hearts and minds of people to “prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8)? What if we knew we didn’t have to be perfect and say just the right things—that it was God’s work to draw people to himself that “no one can come to me unless drawn by the Father” (John 6:44)? What if we understood that simply doing a good job at work can turn on the light for coworkers “so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16)? This is what early Christians believed and how they saw their role in fulfilling the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations—and it changed the world. It’s the greatest communication success story in human history—how the gospel spread across the Mediterranean world and ultimately to every corner of the earth. Just before his ascension, Jesus outlined his strategic plan for reaching the entire world with the good news of God’s kingdom. He told his followers, And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) First-century disciples embraced this mission, and followers of Jesus grew from a few hundred before the day of Pentecost to over six million by the end of the third century[1]—considerable growth by anyone’s calculus.

The Mission of Sharing the Gospel
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We might be tempted to believe that the exponential growth of the early church was the result of effective preaching by Peter, Paul, and a few other gifted communicators whose occupation was spreading the gospel. Or we might credit Paul’s strategy of targeting key cultural centers and planting churches that could share the gospel throughout the surrounding countryside. These efforts were no doubt noteworthy—after all they’re in the Bible[2] —but even more so is the fact that early Christians of every ethnicity, gender, and level of society were passionate about extending Christ’s kingdom. They were determined to “act as Christ’s embassy to a rebel world, whatever the consequences.”[3] History and the New Testament tell us that the gospel spread like wildfire along trade routes, in public places, and from house to house—or in Greek, from oikos to oikos. An oikos was the basic social and economic unit of the Greco-Roman world—not just a home where a family lived, but the small business of ancient times that included extended family members, workers, and customers who frequented the place. It was through informal conversations within and between oikoi that men and women shared the gospel with friends, relatives, coworkers, colleagues, customers, students, teachers, and fellow soldiers—through their network of workplace relationships. They were not professional clergy but informal evangelists. As early as Acts 8 we find that it is not the apostles but the “amateur” missionaries, the men evicted from Jerusalem as a result of the persecution which followed Stephen’s martyrdom, who took the gospel with them wherever they went. … This must not have been formal preaching, but the informal chattering to friends and chance acquaintances, in homes and wine shops, on walks, and around market stalls. They went everywhere gossiping the gospel; they did it naturally, enthusiastically and with the conviction of those who are not paid to say that sort of thing.[4] As a result, the workplace became the most strategic venue for evangelism for the early church. Churchgoers Believe in Sharing Faith, Most Never Do A study conducted by LifeWay Research found 80 percent of those who attend church one or more times a month, believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, but most never do. Today, the church of Jesus Christ is experiencing similar exponential growth in the Global South—which raises a question: With over 340,000 churches [5] and more than 600,000 clergy[6], and 75 percent of Americans “looking for ways to live a more meaningful life,”[7] why is the Christian population in the West shrinking while the non-religious population is growing?[8] As Western culture moves further away from Christ, we might assume that reaching people with the gospel has become more difficult. In a way this is true. It is certainly harder to get people to visit a church, to listen to a gospel presentation from a stranger, or to attend a crusade. But a door for the gospel remains wide open through personal relationships. In fact, studies show that up to 90 percent of people in a given congregation who come to Christ as adults, do so because of a relationship with one or more Christians outside the four walls of the church.[9]This is what makes the workplace so strategic. It’s where the actual work we do every day can not only contribute to human flourishing, but also give living proof that the gospel really is good news.


We Are Called to Serve as Christ’s Ambassadors

Christians of every era are called to be Christ’s ambassadors. An ambassador is a personal envoy sent from the head of a state. Just as a head of state sends an ambassador on a diplomatic mission, Christ sends us on a mission to represent him in both words and actions. We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20) The job has two aspects—conveying messages from the sovereign and representing the sovereign personally. Conveying messages requires words, but representing the sovereign personally requires more than words. It also takes action, for example by demonstrating the sovereign’s character and acting to accomplish the sovereign’s purposes. As Christ’s ambassadors, we convey Christ’s message of good news and we live in ways that show God’s love for the people we encounter at work and everywhere we go. Jesus' words in Acts 1:8 flesh out this picture of being an ambassador. “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus does not send his followers to go witnessing, but to be his witnesses. To go witnessing might only mean speaking words about God somewhere away from home, but to be a witness means living a life that shows God’s love wherever we are. In fact, we are never commanded in the Bible to go witnessing. To focus on telling before showing disconnects who we are from what we say—and that’s a problem. Church historian Michael Greene notes that the early church’s impact on the world was dependent on this linkage of the messengers’ lives and their words. It was axiomatic that every Christian was called to be a witness to Christ, not only by life but lip.[10] The connection between belief and behavior runs right through Christian literature. The two cannot be separated without disastrous results. Among them, the end of effective evangelism.[11] Notice the order in Paul’s instructions to the Colossians, how actions precede spiritual conversation. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6, NIV) When we serve other people through our actions, we bring the love of Jesus to them. Evangelism is not as much about bringing people to Jesus but bringing Jesus to people—to show and then tell. Bringing Jesus to people—serving them—was key to Paul’s strategy of bringing people to Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 9:19 he says, “For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them.” Paul was willing to reach out to people wherever they felt at home in terms of space, language, or history, not make them accommodate themselves to him.


Four Ways to Serve as Christ’s Ambassador at Work
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What does it look like to be Christ’s ambassador at work—to serve Christ at work and represent him there? While none of us will do these things perfectly, there are four components that make our witness credible to others—competence, character, concern, and wise conversation. We encourage you to consider how God can use these elements to attract others to himself. They are not a formula, a technique, or steps to success, but ways we show that our faith is real to coworkers and colleagues. As we review these concepts ourselves, we consistently see areas where we need to improve. But no one has messed up to the point of hopelessness. In fact, where we’ve made mistakes and can humbly confess our shortcomings, our witness becomes more believable. Even if it were possible to be perfect, people can’t identify with perfect Christians. To be able to identify with us as witnesses, they need to know that we ourselves need grace.


Sharing the Gospel Through Competence
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The first task of ambassadors of Christ in the workplace is to do our work with excellence—because our competence weighs in heavily on our credibility. Competence means doing our best work, putting our heart into it, providing excellent products and services that meet legitimate human needs. Scripture speaks about the importance of doing good work in a number of places. For example: Do you see those who are skillful in their work? They will serve kings. (Proverbs 22:29) Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord. (Colossians 3:23) We should not be surprised that our work as inextricably connected to our witness. Consider the following: God is a worker and made mankind in his own image as such. In Genesis chapters 1 and 2, God introduces himself as a worker—a creator, designer, builder, ruler, and real estate developer—and from the beginning, work has been part of God’s intention for the human race. It is integral to being human. God told our first human parents to diligently cultivate and keep the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15) to be productive in their work to bring creation to full flower (Genesis 1:28).    Adam’s very being, future, and identity are bound up with the earth and his work upon it.[13] We reflect the image of God through our work. As Christ’s ambassadors, we have the responsibility to embody Christ in our own dynamic vocational contexts. Michael Williams writes, “We exist for the purpose of imaging God, reflecting him into the world, copying something of him into the lives of the people and societies around us.”[14] The quality of our work and our attitude toward our work tells people a lot about us—and the God we serve.  Can you imagine Jesus using substandard materials, performing shoddy carpentry, or overcharging his customers?  Had he done so, customers who heard him teach would have every reason to conclude that his theology was as wobbly as his tables. Paul tells us that the products and services we provide to supply the needs of others and shape the development of human life are key ways in which we love our neighbor: "Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, … we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one." (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12) When we do good work, God is glorified. Abraham Kuyper explains, "Wherever man may stand, whatever he may do, to whatever he may apply his hand, in agriculture, in commerce, and in industry, or his mind, in the world of art, and science, he is, in whatsoever it may be, constantly standing before the face of his God, he is employed in the service of his God, he has strictly to obey his God, and above all, he has to aim at the glory of his God."[15] Doing good work with a servant’s heart and “as done for the Lord” brings glory to God and goes a long way toward earning us the right to be heard. Conversely, we undermine our witness if we shirk our work, do our work poorly, or work only for our own self-interest. The bottom line: In the workplace, people judge us first by our work, not our theology. If we want people to pay attention to our faith, we must pay attention to our work.


Sharing the Gospel Through Character
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Character is a second prerequisite for spiritual influence. Every human being is created in God’s image, and instinctively respects the character traits of the God who designed us—true even for those who do not know God. Humankind universally values the Fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). In Jesus’ day, many people repulsed by the religious leaders were attracted to Jesus because he embodied these characteristics. Today, Christ-like character still engages attention and invites respect. Non-Christians take note of our joy when we work, our peace in the midst of disappointment, and our graciousness and humility toward people who try our patience. Unfortunately, these are too often in short supply for those of us charged with showing Jesus’ character to the world. In 2013, the Barna Group studied hypocrisy among Christians. Among those who self-identified themselves as Christians, research based on a list of self-selected attitudes and actions found that 51 percent described themselves more like Pharisees (hypocritical, self-righteous, judgmental) as opposed to only 14 percent that modeled the actions and attitudes of Jesus (selfless, empathy, love).[16] C.S. Lewis described the problem, When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world. … Our careless lives set the outer world talking; and we give them grounds for talking in a way that throws doubt on the truth of Christianity.[17] If our words are to mean anything to others, they should flow out of a life of integrity, otherwise our deeds paint our words the color of a lie. Integrity can be especially challenging at work. The pressure to abandon biblical values and follow a different rule of life on Monday can overwhelm thin commitments made in church on Sunday. Christ calls us to live out our Christian values at work as fully as everywhere else, even when we must disadvantage ourselves. When people see that we are not just striking a pose, but humbly seeking to live a life of integrity, they take notice. People also take notice, not so much when we fail—which we will—but when we fail to admit that we don’t have it all together. Perhaps more important than getting things right is admitting that we often get things wrong, seeking forgiveness, and making amends to those we injure. One of the most attractive elements of character is the humility to accept that we’re not perfect. Jerram Barrs reminds us of the impact humility can have on others, So often as Christians we behave as if we have everything to give to the non-Christian and nothing to receive. We imagine that it would be demeaning for us to acknowledge any weakness or need. Christians are supposed to “have it all together,” and we fear that letting unbelievers see that we don’t, might bring discredit on us and on the gospel. This is folly, for the truth is that we are always weak and needy and the gospel is not served by pretending otherwise. To acknowledge, as Jesus does, our need of the kindness, gifts, wisdom, or advice an unbeliever can give us is encouraging and ennobling to those who might have been led to expect only scorn or condescension from us.[18] Here’s the bottom line. It’s not enough to do good work, there has to be something attractive about our character. And especially, the ability to admit our failures and brokenness stands out in stark relief to the culture around us. People need to smell the sweet aroma of Jesus’ presence in our character, which comes most strongly through the humble character he creates in us.

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Sharing the Gospel by Showing Concern
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When competence and character combine they create trust that lends credibility to our words. When joined by godly concern for others, they give our witness power. It is true; people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. Showing concern for others is not an option for followers of Christ. It is what Christians do—the natural outworking of our relationship with a gracious God[19]. Kind words and gracious actions that impact others come from within, not from mere obligation or religious duty. When people see our genuine concern, they see Jesus alive in us. We show concern by our words. What we say and how we say it speaks volumes about who we are, what motivates us, and how much we care about others. The apostle Paul allows little wiggle room when it comes to thoughtless words. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29) Consider the wisdom about words from the book of Proverbs: A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1) With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue can break bones. (Prov. 25:15) The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse. (Prov. 10:32) One who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips. (Prov. 24:26) A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. (Prov. 25:11) And even when we must deliver rebuke, we are to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). We show concern by listening to others’ words.Our willingness to listen and receive input from others sends a powerful message. It says, “I care what you think; you have something valuable to contribute.” When we ask questions and listen with focused attention and a humble spirit, we invite trust and cooperation in our workplace as well as personal relationships. Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. (James 1:19) We listen not just because it’s good leadership or reflects well on us, but because the person speaking is an individual made in the image of God and deserves our respect even when that image has been distorted. We show concern by our actions. Gracious speaking and listening should be accompanied by corresponding behavior. The way we respond toward others in the midst of daily stress and success reveals whether we care more about others or ourselves. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus taught his disciples that spiritual leadership is not about doing big things. It is about being a servant. Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45) Small acts of kindness can light up a dark room or a dark workplace. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4.) Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. (Phil. 2:14-15) Given the negative perception many people have of Christians, Christianity does not look like a faith most people can relate to, much less benefit from—unless we show them differently by our competence, character, and concern. Developing relationships with the people we work around should never be a strategy to manipulate them into a conversation about faith, but a way to genuinely grow to love them more deeply and learn how we can serve them. Here’s the bottom line. Competence, character, and concern together create a powerful apologetic for the gospel and with the Spirit’s nudging can open a door for gospel conversations.

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Sharing the Gospel Through Wise Conversation
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Generally speaking, people need to trust the messenger before they will trust the message. But make no mistake—we do have a message to be delivered. Yet we need to deliver it wisely. No one comes to Christ by simply observing Christians—in all but rare cases someone has to tell them about Jesus. This certainly does not mean we should be talking about Jesus all the time. But it does mean not hiding our faith and speaking up whenever we recognize that someone is open to learning more. It Is Appropriate to Talk About Your Faith. . . when an opportunity arises out of growing friendships built around your work. As you discuss work and life with your coworkers, informal mentions of spiritual truth will happen naturally, just as other topics of personal importance pop into your conversations. when it naturally fits in the conversation. Do not deliberately try to divert a discussion to a spiritual topic unrelated to the conversation. However, in the midst of a conversation about a business problem, for example, it could be appropriate to briefly mention how your faith guides your decisions. when coworkers are comfortable with the discussion. Keep your antennae up and change the subject if you sense discomfort. when you are asked. Questions open doors to address spiritual topics. You do not have to be a Bible expert to respond to such questions. Show your own personal interest in learning about that topic and simply and humbly explain what you have discovered at this point in your life. Encourage curiosity in order to create a safe environment for additional questions in the future. when it does not take time away from what you or your coworker are paid to do. Find time over a break, lunch, or after work for longer discussions. (From Bill Peel and Walt Larimore, Workplace Grace, p. 68) It’s impossible to read the Bible seriously and miss our obligation to make Christ known. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus calls his disciples the light of the world—not something to be concealed. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16) Some Christians take the reported words of St. Francis: “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words” as a reason not to talk about their faith with those who need to hear the gospel. They believe that they fulfill Christ’s call to be his witness simply by the way they live—no need to explain why they live the way they do. The person who says naively, “I don’t preach; I just let my life speak,” may not realize what an egotistical claim that is. Who of us lives such a good life that our actions are the only thing needed to witness to the goodness of Jesus?[20] Behavior that honors and reflects Christ is a vital part of what it means to be a witness. But being a witness also requires words. In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16, NIV) What’s often overlooked in Peter’s instruction is that doing good to others creates a relationship where people want to ask “Why?” Why do you live the way you do? We give an explanation to those who have seen our godly behavior, recognized our hope, and asked about our faith. While Peter encourages reluctant witnesses to speak up, he puts a constraint on over-zealous Christians who angle for an opportunity to share the gospel—listener ready or not. While some people have come to Christ absent a relationship—and in rare cases absent a witness—forcing spiritual conversation on someone else usually creates more heat than light. Wise faith conversations are not about getting someone to pray a prayer of salvation, but about reflecting the reality of God’s grace to us in Christ and explaining that reality to curious people. What does wise conversation look like? Here are some elements to consider. What Is the Gospel? The gospel is the good news of God reaching out to us with the fullness of his love through Jesus. Usually, people are most interested in hearing how you have experienced the goodness of God's love. Simply share what a difference following Jesus is making in your life, and you'll be sharing the gospel. Sometimes, though, people ask what the gospel is in a more theological sense, not only subjectively in your life, but also as on objective definition. Many explanations of the gospel can be found in books, sermons and online, and may be helpful to you in thinking it through. The most direct definition comes from the Bible itself: God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8). Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. (Titus 2:11-14). For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) (New Living Translation). Wise conversation considers the listener’s heart condition. In Matthew 13, Jesus describes the human heart as rough terrain for gospel farming. Weeds, rocks, and hard-packed soil thwart implanting of the seed of Truth. It’s important for those of us who sow the seed of the gospel to take time to consider the receptivity of our listeners. Most nonbelieving adults have significant barriers to receiving the gospel, issues that have hardened their hearts and trained them to keep spiritual truth at arm’s length. Beside the intellectual issues many have toward Christianity, even more basic and often overlooked are emotional barriers—indifference, mistrust, antagonism, or fear toward Christians or Christianity—negative attitudes that stop spiritual conversation in its tracks. Sometimes, emotional barriers are caused by negative experiences with religious groups or Christians who are narrow-minded, judgmental, or fanatical. Even well-intentioned Christians who come on too strong can foster mistrust or anger, and inadvertently create more barriers. But ordinary hypocrisy may have turned more hearts away from Jesus than anything else. Hypocritical family members, neighbors, teachers, harden the heart’s soil. Wise Christians stop to consider these barriers before their attempts to explain the gospel are repelled offhand. When people take note of our competence, character, and concern, the Holy Spirit may indeed open a door for us to give the reason for our hope to individuals otherwise reluctant to talk about spiritual truth. Wise conversation joins where the Holy Spirit is already at work. It’s important to find out what the Holy Spirit is doing and join in, rather than try to make something happen ourselves in our own timing. No matter how convincing or powerful our arguments are, we can’t raise the spiritually dead. It’s God’s job to open the heart. And he does that on his time schedule not ours—sometimes surprising us. Just because someone isn’t interested in spiritual conversation today doesn’t mean that the Spirit can’t soften the hardest heart over time. Look to the “Interests” of Others As the plane took off, Bill engaged in polite conversation with a woman sitting in the window seat and learned that she was an artist. She grew quiet and went back to her book when she learned that he was a theologian. He closed his eyes and tried to rest. When the plane broke through the cloud cover and reached cruising altitude, the prompting of the Holy Spirit interrupted his nap. He opened his eyes and noticed that his seatmate was staring at the breathtaking sunset. “Beautiful isn’t it?” Bill commented casually. “It’s amazing how God paints us a new work of art every evening, and no two are alike.” Her response surprised Bill. For the next hour, she told him more about her life. They talked about what the Bible says about God’s ability to meet her needs in the difficult circumstances she was facing. (From Bill Peel and Walt Larrimore, Workplace Grace, p.84-85) Antagonism toward God is not a modern problem. Throughout history God’s people have taken his truth into hostile cities, nations, and workplaces. But the gospel is never overcome by hostility. God prevails over any strategy the evil one uses to halt the gospel. No manner of worldview, cultural trend, or work environment is too hostile—and no person too hopeless—for the all-sufficient power of the Holy Spirit to reach. And no matter how passionately we might want a person to come to Christ, remember Christ’s own words. “No one can come to me unless drawn by my Father who sent me …” (John 6:44). Our job is to help people take one step closer to Christ, leaving the results and timing to God. We are one link in the chain that the Holy Spirit can use at any given time—and it may be a long chain. It’s great to be the last link in the chain of a person’s faith journey. But if we watch for what the Spirit is doing and join in, we won’t be the missing link. Wise conversation creates curiosity. When we go to work tomorrow as ambassadors for Christ, we need to know the people we work among. What are their interests, their needs, their hopes, their dreams? What will invite them to listen long enough to learn how much God loves them and longs to give them abundant life on earth and eternity in his presence? If we do not take the time to understand our coworkers, doors may close, not open. Wise conversation should be brief—at first at least. Curiosity about our faith is not automatic. While assessing a person’s spiritual interest, long conversations about faith are likely not appropriate or curiosity-building. While a colleague may listen politely, inside they may be plotting their escape and planning to stay clear of this religious fanatic. Instead try to leave people wanting more. Even questions about such mundane things as our plans for the weekend may offer opportunities for us to invite curiosity. “I’m teaching a Sunday School class on healing and divorce.” “I’m headed to a men’s retreat with my church.” Letting friends at work know what we’re doing may create openings for the curious to explore. Our choices and activities tell people more than how we spend our time. They reveal what we love. It may puzzle people and cause them to wonder why with so many choices we would choose Christian activities—which they may consider boring or a waste of time. When their curiosity gets the best of them, they will ask, creating an opportunity to give them a short word of explanation.