WEBVTT
00:00:00.632 --> 00:00:01.322
Hi, my friends.
00:00:01.322 --> 00:00:02.552
Welcome to the podcast.
00:00:02.552 --> 00:00:06.282
This is your host, Ashley Bernardy, and today I think it's deeper than that.
00:00:06.881 --> 00:00:21.091
So I start to laugh because yesterday I was at Red Robin, I'm taking my kids, and my son turns around to the five-year-old behind him, interrupts their lunch, and goes,"Hi, my name's Henry.
00:00:21.181 --> 00:00:27.152
Do you want to go to church with me tomorrow?" And I stopped in my tracks and was like,"Hi, I'm Ashley.
00:00:27.172 --> 00:00:35.112
Sorry." And, I caught myself kind of apologizing and, you know,"Sorry he interrupted." and I realized, here I am interrupting.
00:00:35.561 --> 00:00:37.652
My son is evangelizing.
00:00:37.762 --> 00:00:43.212
My four-year-old son is inviting friends his age to church.
00:00:43.362 --> 00:00:55.561
And today's episode I've liked to title,"When Sharing Jesus Feels Awkward." I feel like this is something that goes much deeper than we realize, and it's actually so prevalent in today's culture.
00:00:56.121 --> 00:01:02.752
and it really deserves its own podcast because honestly, when is the last time you invited someone to church?
00:01:04.189 --> 00:01:09.250
I think the last time I invited someone to church was over a year ago, and it totally worked.
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:10.439
I made a friend out of it.
00:01:10.689 --> 00:01:11.969
It's fantastic.
00:01:12.060 --> 00:01:13.609
I should be doing it more often.
00:01:13.939 --> 00:01:25.319
And seeing my son do it made me pause and go,"Oh my gosh, when's the last time I invited someone to church?" And I don't think we don't do it because we don't love Jesus, I just, I think it's deeper than that.
00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:29.980
So personally, I don't think we're actually afraid of inviting people.
00:01:31.189 --> 00:01:38.609
We say we're afraid they'll say no, but I don't think rejection is really the problem, because most of us have survived people saying no before.
00:01:39.170 --> 00:01:42.439
I think we're afraid of what their no says about us.
00:01:42.489 --> 00:01:49.299
Like, we're afraid of looking weird or overly religious or pushy or looking like, that Christian.
00:01:49.769 --> 00:01:53.689
But our pride is usually louder than our compassion.
00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:58.739
Let's not forget what Jesus has done for us, right?
00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:05.079
If I actually believed someone had the cure for cancer, I would tell everybody.
00:02:05.739 --> 00:02:07.620
I wouldn't worry if they rolled their eyes.
00:02:07.650 --> 00:02:12.689
I'd rather risk an awkward conversation than watch someone miss that cure.
00:02:12.689 --> 00:02:15.919
If we had the cure for cancer, why would you keep that to yourself?
00:02:17.169 --> 00:02:23.919
Yet somehow we have this hope of eternity with Jesus, and we keep it to ourself.
00:02:24.150 --> 00:02:24.860
We whisper.
00:02:24.860 --> 00:02:26.840
We don't shout loudly about it.
00:02:27.860 --> 00:02:31.330
And also, I think sometimes we imagine we have to have all the answers.
00:02:31.659 --> 00:02:35.919
Like, you invite someone to church, and what if that opens a conversation of being Christian?
00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:39.169
And what if they ask about suffering and evolution and other religions?
00:02:39.650 --> 00:02:43.069
But the Bible doesn't tell us to convince everyone.
00:02:44.330 --> 00:02:47.810
Jesus doesn't say you need to get in an argument or have all the answers.
00:02:47.810 --> 00:02:49.569
He simply just tells us to go.
00:02:50.430 --> 00:02:52.389
You don't have to save anyone.
00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:53.680
In fact, you can't.
00:02:54.099 --> 00:02:55.949
The Holy Spirit changes hearts.
00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:01.810
Our job is to stay faithful and simply open the door.
00:03:01.870 --> 00:03:04.419
Invite, invite your friends, invite your coworkers.
00:03:05.180 --> 00:03:08.439
I also think we make church invitations a little too complicated.
00:03:09.509 --> 00:03:13.939
But what if evangelism looks less like a debate and more like dinner, more like coffee?
00:03:13.949 --> 00:03:16.810
More like,"Hey, my family is going to church on Sunday.
00:03:16.810 --> 00:03:17.650
We'd love for you to come.
00:03:17.650 --> 00:03:19.819
Maybe we can grab lunch after." That's it.
00:03:20.030 --> 00:03:22.219
There's no pressure, no rehearsed speech.
00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:23.719
It's just an invitation.
00:03:23.969 --> 00:03:26.120
Just like my son at Red Robin.
00:03:26.370 --> 00:03:27.240
"Hi, I'm Henry.
00:03:27.689 --> 00:03:53.756
Do you wanna go to church with me tomorrow?" And I eventually told them what church we go to, and we'd love for them to come if they would like See, I want to tell people where I have found hope, where I was suffering and when I was hurting and when I was lonely, and all of my struggles, I have found hope in Jesus, and I want so many others to have that same hope, that same peace, that same joy that we all get to have as Christians.
00:03:54.795 --> 00:03:58.195
And so I really don't think the issue is courage.
00:03:58.216 --> 00:04:01.575
it's compassion, because compassion always finds a way.
00:04:01.575 --> 00:04:17.517
When you get that heart of compassion for other people to experience the same peace of the Holy Spirit, I think it'll give us a bigger drive to reach those around us I'd specifically like to talk about Romans chapter ten, fourteen through fifteen.
00:04:17.968 --> 00:04:21.218
"How then can they call on the one they have not believed in?
00:04:21.538 --> 00:04:24.327
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
00:04:24.668 --> 00:04:34.312
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" How can people possibly know about Jesus unless someone tells them?
00:04:35.572 --> 00:04:39.021
They just need an opportunity, and you don't know what people's lives look like.
00:04:39.021 --> 00:04:47.612
They could be walking in the deepest valleys and not have any Christians around them, and you might be the only Christian in their lives.
00:04:48.781 --> 00:04:54.072
You really don't know, especially when it comes to people that are outside our circle, people like coworkers.
00:04:54.122 --> 00:05:05.482
I would say, actually, I would think it's probably easier to invite coworkers and strangers to church than it is to invite our friends and family.
00:05:06.932 --> 00:05:17.822
Because it's easier to not care about what your coworkers and what the strangers at Red Robin think of you than inviting your friends, because we care about their opinions of us.
00:05:19.112 --> 00:05:26.221
And I feel like in this day and age, in this culture, our faith, it's become kind of quiet.
00:05:26.271 --> 00:05:29.201
We talk about our families, our kids.
00:05:29.461 --> 00:05:38.451
We talk about, the day-to-day, We post on social media of our trips, our weekends, but oftentimes we don't talk about our faith.
00:05:38.531 --> 00:05:39.562
Why is that?
00:05:39.601 --> 00:05:44.531
Why are we so quiet about something we should be so loud about?
00:05:47.077 --> 00:05:56.627
I remember a time last year that I was really nervous to invite a friend, a brand new friend we had just met, and she just moved and I invited her to church.
00:05:56.648 --> 00:06:00.858
And I remember feeling really nervous, but I also felt the Holy Spirit kind of like tug.
00:06:01.408 --> 00:06:10.827
And I don't know if you've ever felt that tug before, but the Holy Spirit really just, I felt tug my heart towards her and was like,"Invite her to church." And I did, and guess what?
00:06:10.827 --> 00:06:12.218
We are best friends now.
00:06:14.208 --> 00:06:15.708
All it took was an invitation.
00:06:16.177 --> 00:06:18.278
It just took me feeling uncomfortable.
00:06:18.817 --> 00:06:24.468
That was all the sacrifice I had to do, was feeling slightly uncomfortable because I was outside of my comfort zone.
00:06:25.538 --> 00:06:28.007
And so I wanna leave you with a challenge this week.
00:06:28.927 --> 00:06:36.127
Why don't you pray and ask the Lord to place one person, just one, on your heart, and pray for them and love them.
00:06:36.487 --> 00:06:47.447
And when the opportunity comes, simply say something like,"Hey, would you like to come to church with us this Sunday?" And they might say no, but they also might say yes.
00:06:48.747 --> 00:06:53.168
And if they do, you may never fully know what God does with that simple invitation.
00:06:53.538 --> 00:07:08.122
You may never know inviting them to church might change their entire life And so my friends, following Jesus has never been about having all of the right words, but it's about being faithful with the opportunities He's placed in front of us.
00:07:09.382 --> 00:07:14.161
Something as simple as planting seeds is all the Lord needs.
00:07:14.161 --> 00:07:16.151
He will grow that seed.
00:07:16.742 --> 00:07:24.822
He will flourish it, and you might not be around to see what the Lord does with it, but the Lord can work with what you give Him.
00:07:26.031 --> 00:07:36.819
Someone invited me to church, someone invited you to church, and maybe now it's our turn to invite someone to church That's it on today's podcast, guys.
00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:39.300
I will see you again next week on It's Deeper Than That
00:00:00.632 --> 00:00:01.322
Hi, my friends.
00:00:01.322 --> 00:00:02.552
Welcome to the podcast.
00:00:02.552 --> 00:00:06.282
This is your host, Ashley Bernardy, and today I think it's deeper than that.
00:00:06.881 --> 00:00:21.091
So I start to laugh because yesterday I was at Red Robin, I'm taking my kids, and my son turns around to the five-year-old behind him, interrupts their lunch, and goes,"Hi, my name's Henry.
00:00:21.181 --> 00:00:27.152
Do you want to go to church with me tomorrow?" And I stopped in my tracks and was like,"Hi, I'm Ashley.
00:00:27.172 --> 00:00:35.112
Sorry." And, I caught myself kind of apologizing and, you know,"Sorry he interrupted." and I realized, here I am interrupting.
00:00:35.561 --> 00:00:37.652
My son is evangelizing.
00:00:37.762 --> 00:00:43.212
My four-year-old son is inviting friends his age to church.
00:00:43.362 --> 00:00:55.561
And today's episode I've liked to title,"When Sharing Jesus Feels Awkward." I feel like this is something that goes much deeper than we realize, and it's actually so prevalent in today's culture.
00:00:56.121 --> 00:01:02.752
and it really deserves its own podcast because honestly, when is the last time you invited someone to church?
00:01:04.189 --> 00:01:09.250
I think the last time I invited someone to church was over a year ago, and it totally worked.
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:10.439
I made a friend out of it.
00:01:10.689 --> 00:01:11.969
It's fantastic.
00:01:12.060 --> 00:01:13.609
I should be doing it more often.
00:01:13.939 --> 00:01:25.319
And seeing my son do it made me pause and go,"Oh my gosh, when's the last time I invited someone to church?" And I don't think we don't do it because we don't love Jesus, I just, I think it's deeper than that.
00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:29.980
So personally, I don't think we're actually afraid of inviting people.
00:01:31.189 --> 00:01:38.609
We say we're afraid they'll say no, but I don't think rejection is really the problem, because most of us have survived people saying no before.
00:01:39.170 --> 00:01:42.439
I think we're afraid of what their no says about us.
00:01:42.489 --> 00:01:49.299
Like, we're afraid of looking weird or overly religious or pushy or looking like, that Christian.
00:01:49.769 --> 00:01:53.689
But our pride is usually louder than our compassion.
00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:58.739
Let's not forget what Jesus has done for us, right?
00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:05.079
If I actually believed someone had the cure for cancer, I would tell everybody.
00:02:05.739 --> 00:02:07.620
I wouldn't worry if they rolled their eyes.
00:02:07.650 --> 00:02:12.689
I'd rather risk an awkward conversation than watch someone miss that cure.
00:02:12.689 --> 00:02:15.919
If we had the cure for cancer, why would you keep that to yourself?
00:02:17.169 --> 00:02:23.919
Yet somehow we have this hope of eternity with Jesus, and we keep it to ourself.
00:02:24.150 --> 00:02:24.860
We whisper.
00:02:24.860 --> 00:02:26.840
We don't shout loudly about it.
00:02:27.860 --> 00:02:31.330
And also, I think sometimes we imagine we have to have all the answers.
00:02:31.659 --> 00:02:35.919
Like, you invite someone to church, and what if that opens a conversation of being Christian?
00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:39.169
And what if they ask about suffering and evolution and other religions?
00:02:39.650 --> 00:02:43.069
But the Bible doesn't tell us to convince everyone.
00:02:44.330 --> 00:02:47.810
Jesus doesn't say you need to get in an argument or have all the answers.
00:02:47.810 --> 00:02:49.569
He simply just tells us to go.
00:02:50.430 --> 00:02:52.389
You don't have to save anyone.
00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:53.680
In fact, you can't.
00:02:54.099 --> 00:02:55.949
The Holy Spirit changes hearts.
00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:01.810
Our job is to stay faithful and simply open the door.
00:03:01.870 --> 00:03:04.419
Invite, invite your friends, invite your coworkers.
00:03:05.180 --> 00:03:08.439
I also think we make church invitations a little too complicated.
00:03:09.509 --> 00:03:13.939
But what if evangelism looks less like a debate and more like dinner, more like coffee?
00:03:13.949 --> 00:03:16.810
More like,"Hey, my family is going to church on Sunday.
00:03:16.810 --> 00:03:17.650
We'd love for you to come.
00:03:17.650 --> 00:03:19.819
Maybe we can grab lunch after." That's it.
00:03:20.030 --> 00:03:22.219
There's no pressure, no rehearsed speech.
00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:23.719
It's just an invitation.
00:03:23.969 --> 00:03:26.120
Just like my son at Red Robin.
00:03:26.370 --> 00:03:27.240
"Hi, I'm Henry.
00:03:27.689 --> 00:03:53.756
Do you wanna go to church with me tomorrow?" And I eventually told them what church we go to, and we'd love for them to come if they would like See, I want to tell people where I have found hope, where I was suffering and when I was hurting and when I was lonely, and all of my struggles, I have found hope in Jesus, and I want so many others to have that same hope, that same peace, that same joy that we all get to have as Christians.
00:03:54.795 --> 00:03:58.195
And so I really don't think the issue is courage.
00:03:58.216 --> 00:04:01.575
it's compassion, because compassion always finds a way.
00:04:01.575 --> 00:04:17.517
When you get that heart of compassion for other people to experience the same peace of the Holy Spirit, I think it'll give us a bigger drive to reach those around us I'd specifically like to talk about Romans chapter ten, fourteen through fifteen.
00:04:17.968 --> 00:04:21.218
"How then can they call on the one they have not believed in?
00:04:21.538 --> 00:04:24.327
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
00:04:24.668 --> 00:04:34.312
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" How can people possibly know about Jesus unless someone tells them?
00:04:35.572 --> 00:04:39.021
They just need an opportunity, and you don't know what people's lives look like.
00:04:39.021 --> 00:04:47.612
They could be walking in the deepest valleys and not have any Christians around them, and you might be the only Christian in their lives.
00:04:48.781 --> 00:04:54.072
You really don't know, especially when it comes to people that are outside our circle, people like coworkers.
00:04:54.122 --> 00:05:05.482
I would say, actually, I would think it's probably easier to invite coworkers and strangers to church than it is to invite our friends and family.
00:05:06.932 --> 00:05:17.822
Because it's easier to not care about what your coworkers and what the strangers at Red Robin think of you than inviting your friends, because we care about their opinions of us.
00:05:19.112 --> 00:05:26.221
And I feel like in this day and age, in this culture, our faith, it's become kind of quiet.
00:05:26.271 --> 00:05:29.201
We talk about our families, our kids.
00:05:29.461 --> 00:05:38.451
We talk about, the day-to-day, We post on social media of our trips, our weekends, but oftentimes we don't talk about our faith.
00:05:38.531 --> 00:05:39.562
Why is that?
00:05:39.601 --> 00:05:44.531
Why are we so quiet about something we should be so loud about?
00:05:47.077 --> 00:05:56.627
I remember a time last year that I was really nervous to invite a friend, a brand new friend we had just met, and she just moved and I invited her to church.
00:05:56.648 --> 00:06:00.858
And I remember feeling really nervous, but I also felt the Holy Spirit kind of like tug.
00:06:01.408 --> 00:06:10.827
And I don't know if you've ever felt that tug before, but the Holy Spirit really just, I felt tug my heart towards her and was like,"Invite her to church." And I did, and guess what?
00:06:10.827 --> 00:06:12.218
We are best friends now.
00:06:14.208 --> 00:06:15.708
All it took was an invitation.
00:06:16.177 --> 00:06:18.278
It just took me feeling uncomfortable.
00:06:18.817 --> 00:06:24.468
That was all the sacrifice I had to do, was feeling slightly uncomfortable because I was outside of my comfort zone.
00:06:25.538 --> 00:06:28.007
And so I wanna leave you with a challenge this week.
00:06:28.927 --> 00:06:36.127
Why don't you pray and ask the Lord to place one person, just one, on your heart, and pray for them and love them.
00:06:36.487 --> 00:06:47.447
And when the opportunity comes, simply say something like,"Hey, would you like to come to church with us this Sunday?" And they might say no, but they also might say yes.
00:06:48.747 --> 00:06:53.168
And if they do, you may never fully know what God does with that simple invitation.
00:06:53.538 --> 00:07:08.122
You may never know inviting them to church might change their entire life And so my friends, following Jesus has never been about having all of the right words, but it's about being faithful with the opportunities He's placed in front of us.
00:07:09.382 --> 00:07:14.161
Something as simple as planting seeds is all the Lord needs.
00:07:14.161 --> 00:07:16.151
He will grow that seed.
00:07:16.742 --> 00:07:24.822
He will flourish it, and you might not be around to see what the Lord does with it, but the Lord can work with what you give Him.
00:07:26.031 --> 00:07:36.819
Someone invited me to church, someone invited you to church, and maybe now it's our turn to invite someone to church That's it on today's podcast, guys.
00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:39.300
I will see you again next week on It's Deeper Than That
