STEP FORWARD – 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” Mark 3:3 NKJV
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 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
How do you talk to the people around you? What tone do you take with the people you work with, with your neighbors, with your family, and with your kids?
“The tongue has the power of life and death” (Prov. 18:21 NIV). We’ve all experienced it. We’ve all said things we regret and we’ve all said things we know made a positive difference. Words can cut us to the core and they can make us feel over the moon.
The message we have to tell others is one of hope and life. Our God is alive! He brings peace, breaks chains, heals, and redeems. The truth we have to share is life-changing!
When we decide to step forward in what we say and tell people about Jesus, it’s critical that we go about it in the right way. Today’s passage tells us that our conversations should be full of grace and seasoned with salt. We should bring a good “taste” when we speak. When Paul tells Timothy to “preach the Word” he tells him to do so “with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV 1984). When Peter gives instruction for giving “the reason for the hope that [we] have,” he says to do so with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV).
No matter what people say to us, no matter how strongly we may disagree, we are instructed to be gracious.
No matter what people say to us, no matter how strongly we may disagree, we are instructed to be gracious. Our message is more important than our pride! May we be ever mindful that our delivery is just as important as what we have to say.
APPLICATION
– Confess to the Lord any recent situations in which your conversation was not full of grace. Ask Him to help you remember that your message is more important than your pride.
– Pray for the Liberty family. Ask the Lord to use us as a body to “season” conversations all around Hampton Roads. Pray that we would gracefully bring truth and reconciliation in all that we say.
– Ask the Lord to prepare the hearts of the people who will hear the Gospel through Liberty Loves Hampton Roads, through our Connect Groups, through Liberty Anywhere, through our future campuses, and through the current ministry at each campus. Pray that they would be quick to listen and ready to respond.
– Remember that Discover Liberty is at every campus tomorrow. This is a great opportunity to step forward at Liberty.