Own What You Believe

Christians … People are tired of hearing that what’s important to them doesn’t matter.

One of the most popular evangelical books ever starts with the line …

“It’s not about you.”

Right. Jesus died for the chipmunks.

Rubbish.

Here are some basic truths ( from my faith-based perspective ).

1. People are always going to put their energy into what’s important to them.

2. As a person becomes more and more like Christ, what’s important to him or her CHANGES.

I’ve seen this happen over and over again …

For decades, I’ve led small groups where people have been wrestling with deep emotional wounds. As they experience genuine healing ( which is important to them ), their attention shifts from themselves to the injuries of others—and then they become wounded healers.

Sometimes we get it right …

My church has a Saturday night service because there are some people in my sub-culture who want to have an entire day ( the next day, Sunday ) completely free of obligations so that they can truly rest.

The existence of this Saturday night service isn’t a concession to a shallow consumer-mindset; it’s simply a way to address what’s important to these folks.

That same church has started a program called “Tell Me Your Story” to find out what’s important to people …

Here’s a link to a whiteboard animation that gives a snapshot of what that’s all about:

https://crossroadsabc.com/ng/

Christians, let’s move away from saying “this should be important to you” to helping people articulate what is actually important to them … and then trust the Holy Spirit to move them closer to Jesus.

Especially when,

Schmidt Happens.