sharing the gospel

Asking the Questions

October 16, 2018 Kimmy

Call me crazy, but I generally love car time with my girls. It’s a chance to chat and connect and hear about their day especially when I pick them up after their morning of preschool. Often times though, I’m met with silence and tired brains that have been learning and playing hard and as my oldest sometimes says “I just don’t wanna talk about it right now.”

I strive to keep the conversation going though, admittedly so they won’t fall asleep in our five minute drive home, but also so I can learn and encourage and know what’s brewing in their little hearts. I also love to use questions to help them to start thinking about their day and how we are all “on Mission”. I generally ask a question and then we all take turns answering, even the two year old – which is often comical! We usually don’t get more than a couple questions in at a time and that’s okay. My goal isn’t to work through a whole list of questions, it’s to provide a safe place where my girls feel like they can chat and share and open up their hearts. I believe it’s also crucial and more beneficial to ask questions that can’t be easily answered with a yes or a no, but ones they have to give details with. This usually Spurs on deeper conversation.

Here are some great conversation starters centered around leading our little ones to see their lives as “being on Mission”:

What did you love about today?
What did you not love?
What would you do different about today if you could?
How were you able to serve others today?
How did you serve your teacher and bring her honor?
Were you kind and loving in all you did today? With all your friends?
Was there anyone who was “left out” or maybe alone today?
Were you left out today or maybe felt alone? How did that make you feel?
Did you see a special “need” in your class today that maybe you could help with?
Were you able to share with a friend today?
If you could help or serve anyone today, who would you want to help? Why?
What’s the name of a new friend that you played with today?
Who did you have an opportunity to share Your bible story or scripture verse with today?
Is there anyone or anything you would like to pray for today? (And then we pray for that!)

Let’s be mamas that reclaim the car time and the dinner table time and make sure that it’s a space where our children are chatting and connecting as a family, which starts especially as little ones!

And on those few days when they “just don’t wanna talk about it,” we crank up the silly songs and sing our way home!

What conversation questions do you use with your kiddos to get them talking? Do you listen and share too?

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Sharing Our Story

July 16, 2018 Kimmy

We all meet new mamas – at the park, at the pool, and of course, at our favorite Chick-fil-A play area. For me, It usually starts with basic introductions and claiming the wild child climbing backwards up the slide. But it usually doesn’t move past that basic “get to know ya” conversation. And besides, It’s usually five minutes into a conversation when my oldest has to run to the potty. Or is it three minutes?

Lately that has kind of bothered me though. I’m not okay with surface conversation. I’m not okay with just the nice “how are ya’s”, especially if I don’t know the lady I’m chatting with and I’m not even sure if she knows or loves Jesus. And maybe, Jesus sent her my way for a specific opportunity to hear about Him… (Or maybe, He sent her into my life to encourage me and teach me something new? but neither of us know because we can’t get past the weather!)

I’ve been reading from Romans lately about having beautiful feet. I’ve heard that passage a lot, but I usually think about it in the context of “going overseas”. But I’m pretty sure those gospel feet apply to each of us, right where are – at the park, pool, and the playground. It also applies to our homes too.

So why don’t we? Why don’t I open my mouth and share my story and the gospel of Christ at work in my life? It’s usually because I begin to think crazy thoughts like, “how can I share my story about Jesus, I just yelled at my child on the way here for hitting her sister.” And mostly, if I’m truly honest, it’s just my own fear and pride that keeps me silent. We speak nice things about the weather, the cute dress her daughter is wearing, or how well behaved her children are because they are actually going down the right way on the slide. But I never get to the gospel or what Christ is doing in my life.

Sharing our story is simple. It’s really just three simple questions.

Who was I before Christ?

How did I come to know Christ?

And How is Christ working in my life today?

And the cool thing – it doesn’t have to be super long. I mean, like three minutes because if your kiddos are like mine, that’s really all the time you have anyway, right?

So can you answer those questions and share your story? I recently met with two sweet gals who were heading to share Christ overseas and as I introduced myself to them, I shared my story in about four minutes then I challenged them to share their story with me. I encouraged them to practice and be ready. We even laughed and talked about how we can even practice in the shower or driving down the road – the more you say it, the more comfortable you will be and the more you will share.

As I’m meeting new friends, I want to see and seize every opportunity to share about Christ and what He is doing in my life. Let’s move past the weather or how hard or fun or challenging these days are as mamas, and let’s offer them Christ. Let’s share what He is doing in our lives! Christ is all they need anyway, right?

Who can you share your story with today? Are you ready?

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A New Season, A New Opportunity

March 20, 2018 Kimmy

I LOVE Spring! The start of a new season, new beginnings, birds starting to sing again and build their nests, the daffodils have bloomed, the peach trees and Bradford pear trees are blooming and of course the pollen… oh the pollen…

But I also love Spring because for us it signals new life. It’s a reset and a starting over – fresh… New…

As we begin a new season and the earth begins to wake up around us, it also can be a time of awakening in the spiritual realm. It can be a chance for us to be outside with our kids more, to go to the park, to meet our neighbors and share conversations and laughs together as the kids play and if they don’t know Christ, a new and great opportunity to share the gospel with them. It can be a NEW start for our friends who don’t know Christ.

As you meet new friends, do you know how to start that conversation? Honestly, that’s often hard for me – I can talk about the weather, I can chat about my girls, I can laugh about the fact that I’m a “terrible dance mom” and ask them for advice on how to put her hair in the perfect bun – all day long…

But at the end of the conversation, have I shared Christ with them?

Like have I physically opened my mouth and presented the gospel…

I believe that the first place to start is in my own heart. Have I spent time in God’s word and in prayer – asking for divine conversations and interruptions to my day? When I do that first, I usually always see the opportunities around me open up, because my heart is focused and seeking those opportunities.

Secondly, I just have to open my mouth! I have to “get to the gospel” as I heard my friend Greg Wilton share one time. I have to ask questions like “Can I pray for you today?” or “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? “Can I share with you what Christ has done in my own life?” I must confess though – this is where I often get “stuck”. Its sometimes awkward and hard and weird… but one thing I’ve been pondering in my heart is “am I okay with the awkward and hard and weird if it means that I have a new sister or brother in Christ at the end of the conversation?” Of course my heart screams YES to that, but my head and my mouth… now that’s a different story sometimes!

Finally, I have to present the gospel. I have to share that Jesus loves them but because of their sin (because of my sin), we are separated from Christ! Only through confession, repentance and acknowledging Jesus as Lord, can we be brought into a right relationship with Him.

As we start this new season, a season of new life and new beginnings, my prayer is that I’ll seize every new opportunity to boldly share the gospel with my neighbors, friends, and sweet mamas that I meet along the way. What about you? Do you find it easy to share the gospel? Do you get “stuck” somewhere? Who can you share Christ with on this beautiful first day of Spring?

Now… go, get outside, introduce yourself to a new neighbor, share…