Josh Crawford

Scripture shows us time and time again how God uses the unlikely to bring Him glory, and we see the same is true in the story of William Seymour—the conduit for The Azusa Street Revival that lasted almost a decade.

“If someone had cancer and they didn’t know they had it but you did, wouldn’t you tell them?” A friend asked me this question rhetorically, referring to the urgent call on the Christian’s life to share the Gospel message with everyone. People are dying physically and spiritually, but they do not know it. We should tell them about the Healer.  I resonated with the analogy, but something about it seemed too simple, so I tinkered with it.  “What if people don’t want to hear about their cancer?” “What if they have already heard about their cancer and they don’t believe it exists?” “What if your conversation ends before you can even mention it to them?”  These questions identified a frustrating reality: it’s complicated to talk to people about Jesus.  This is the dilemma for most followers of Jesus. Deep down, you want to share your faith, pass the message along, and see people come to know the love of God, but when it comes time to interact with people who do not know Jesus, you find yourself compromising for casual conversations. If this sounds familiar, I want to help you. I think we need to start by equipping people to ask the right questions, have the right conversations, and share the right news. In my years of desiring to point people to Jesus, it was not the delivery of the Gospel message that prevented me from sharing it. Instead, my lack of ability to get to the Gospel in conversation prevented me from doing what I wanted to do and saying what I ultimately wanted to say.  So, I started investigating. I enrolled in a PhD program to figure out what to do with this evangelistic dilemma. While I am far from finished with my research, I am as passionate as ever about turning typical conversations into Jesus conversations. I have learned a few things about what tends to work and what tends to shut people down. Evangelism does not have to be clunky, taboo, or uncomfortable. I believe this because I have seen it. Evangelism in the 21st-century West is about asking effective questions.  Without neglecting our responsibility to have an answer for anyone questioning the reason for our faith (1 Peter 3:15), today’s evangelistic conversations will prove most fruitful when guided by questions. Start with questions, continue with questions, tell people about Jesus, then conclude with questions. With that said, here are a few questions you can ask that will help you start Gospel conversations. Consider these as segues that can potentially guide the conversation toward deeper matters casually.1. “What did you do over the weekend?”Crazy question, right?! So taboo and controversial. The hope in asking this simple question is that your neighbor, co-worker, family member, or gym buddy will ask you in return about your weekend. To which you can say (sincerely, obviously), “Sunday, I went to church, and it was amazing…” Hear what they say, and then ask them if they would ever be interested in joining you. Follow up with questions, regardless of their answer. Here is a theme you will find from these recommendations: use questions to receive questions. 2. “Are you a reader?”/ ”What are you reading these days?” This question might be for a particular person, one with whom you are still in the getting-to-know-you stage, but it is effective at guiding conversation toward deeper matters. Follow up with questions like “What made you pick up that book?” If people ask what you’re reading, follow up with what God is teaching you through His Word, His Church, and His chosen instruments. People don’t dedicate hours to books with topics that do not matter to them, so in learning what people are reading, you are learning about what people are treasuring. 3. “Can I pray for you?” I was getting my hair cut for the tenth time with Susan, the sweet, weathered lady who gives me my quick, cheap trims. I had been looking for openings to share my faith in prior encounters, but the conversation was constantly derailed. I could sense she felt uncomfortable, but finally, a door opened. After asking about her mom, she told me the heartbreaking news that her mother was in hospice and that it would not be long before she would pass away. I listened, told her I was so sorry, and told her I would pray for their family. Susan thanked me and finished my cut. When I stood up, I asked, “Susan, would it be ok if I prayed for you right now?” She said yes. As tears flooded her eyes, I prayed a heartfelt prayer, speaking out the truth about God amid suffering. She wept like she had never heard it. I thanked God for the hope of resurrection and the compassion of Jesus. Always mention Jesus. After praying, she hugged me and listened. The other barbers resumed their work. Asking if you can pray for someone might catch people off-guard if it’s not preceded with outstanding kindness. For example, my wife and I sometimes ask this question at restaurants after being abnormally kind to the waiter or waitress. We smile, ask for their name, call them by their name, order politely, ask about their day, and then, before the food comes, we might slip out a quick, “Hey, we are about to pray over our meal and we’d love for you to think of one thing for us to pray for, for you. So while you’re away, think of one thing, then come back to us and let us know.” This gives them space to process. Don’t be surprised when they return and share something with you with tears in their eyes. You’ll be a step away from telling them about Jesus. 4. “Do you have a faith?”Dr. Sam Chan wrote a book titled How to Talk About Jesus (Without Being That Guy). In this work, he writes about the power of this go-to question. While it may be on the more aggressive end of the conversational spectrum, people are quick to answer it with a lot of information! This is a great follow-up question to add to a conversation whenever you mention church, Scripture, or your community. Before asking this question, it may be helpful to begin with descriptive (not opinion-extracting) questions, like, “Did your parents raise you in a particular faith?” or “Did you go to church when you were a kid?” then follow up with more questions or statements like one of Dr. Chan’s favorites: “Wow. Tell me more!” 5. “What do you do in your free time?” People typically talk about habits when you ask this question. The hope in asking it, however, is twofold. First, it shows the person you are talking to that you care about their life by taking an interest in what they like, and people appreciate people who take an interest. Secondly, it will likely lead them to ask you the same question. If so, this allows you to share how you serve in your church, surround yourself with godly community, or study the Bible alongside others. They may respond uncomfortably to these things but take it as an opportunity to ask if they “have a faith!” — Guiding the conversation toward deeper matters is more so a matter of intention than a matter of creativity.  It is more about making opportunities to guide conversation deeper than waiting for them to arrive. If you want to share your faith and have trouble getting to a place where you can talk about Jesus, faith, Scripture, or spiritual matters, try these questions. Be wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove, and I think you will engage with more people on a deeper level (Matthew 10:16).Once, I was talking to a guy at church who had a rough and troubled past, running from the Lord. He was only standing in a church because of a guy named Leighton. Leighton had taken a call from this guy the night before, talked to him about his struggle with depression, and then Leighton proceeded to hop in his car, take him to Waffle House, and sit with him in his valley–at 3AM! The next day, as I spoke to this guy, he looked at me and said, “The only reason I am here is because of Leighton.” I couldn’t tell if he meant “here” as in ‘at church’ or “here” as in ‘alive,’ but it didn’t matter; the answer was probably ‘both.’ He said, “He met me at 3AM last night to talk to me, pray with me, and encourage me.” And then he said something I’ll never forget. “Who does that?” he said. And it hit me. That is the question we want people to ask about us. We want to live such radically compassionate lives that it leads the people around us to ask: “Who does that?”  At the end of the day, at the end of the questions, and at the end of the Gospel presentation, the most effective way to earn the right to be heard is to point people to Jesus by living like Jesus. If you can lead someone to ask the question about you, “Who does that?” then you are one step closer to providing them with the answer. “Jesus. Jesus does that.” Sources Koukl, Gregory. Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2023). Koukl, Gregory. Tactics: A Game Plan For Discussing Your Christian Convictions. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan). 2019. Scroggins, Jimmy, and Wright, Steve. Turning Everyday Conversations Into Gospel Conversations. (Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing Group). 2016. Chan, Dr. Sam. How to Talk about Jesus (Without Being That Guy): Personal Evangelism in a Skeptical World. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.) 2020.

In Matthew 11:11, just days before the execution of John, Jesus paid him the compliment and title of the greatest person ever to live. This was his eulogy. What a remarkable statement! You may not know much about this man, yet Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, said this about him. Since he was important to Jesus, he is important to us.  As you will see, the identity and responsibility of John the Baptist reveal why Jesus, the Way, Truth, Life, and Intermediary between God the Father and humankind, would attribute this title to him. — A Royal Messenger or “Herald” is a representative of a monarch who often comes before a king to announce the king’s arrival. Sometimes, a Herald will bring a message to the people on behalf of the king and in preparation for the king. You do not have to watch many movies before you meet this character in a film. They are typically small enough to make the king look big, dressy to set a tone of grandeur and dignity, and confident, knowing they hold authority simply by association with the king.  In many ways, John the Baptist was a herald for Christ. He came before the greatest kings to prepare the people for His message. The Scriptures read, A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.  Isaiah 40:3 When Jesus arrived on the scene and spoke about John the Baptist, He made two powerful statements. First, he identified John the Baptist as the long-awaited voice crying out in the wilderness. In doing so, He also identified Himself to his disciples as the long-awaited Lord. Many prophets of God spoke of a coming Lord and Savior because that was the expectation since God’s promise to Adam and Eve: that the offspring of the woman would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). But none of the prophets of the Old Testament lived to see the day or the child.  Just think about this: for hundreds and hundreds of years, the servants, priests, and prophets of God dreamed of a day when God would send someone to do away with the separation between God and humankind, once and for all. When a hero rose, each was seen as a potential serpent-crushing savior in the eyes of the onlookers. And yet, every hero failed and thereby disappointed all the hopeful people of God.  Moses murdered, ran, lacked faith, and died. Saul became the first king over the people of Israel, allowed pride to destroy him, and died with his egocentrism. King David stepped in as a “man after God’s own heart,” fell short in adultery and homicide, and went on to die (1 Samuel 13:14). The priests and prophets lived, doubted, and died, leaving the people of God to watch another generation come and go with no sign of a savior. No one born of a woman lived to see the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” that is, until John the Baptist (John 1:29). John the Baptist was the greatest because he was the first and final prophet to meet and recognize Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Until the time of Jesus, in regards to fulfilling their role in the story of God, the greatest person was John the Baptist. He faithfully announced the arrival of Jesus and called the people to repentance. Ultimately, John’s faithfulness got him killed, and, as a result, he went down in history as the first martyr of the faith. Something fascinating about John the Baptist tends to get overlooked. The fact comes just before this statement that he was “the greatest.” While John was in prison—most likely days before his death—he asked some of his disciples to return to Jesus and ask Him one final question, “Are you the one who is to come or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:2).  How fascinating is this?! The same man who baptized Jesus and saw the Spirit of God descend on Him like a dove asked Jesus for confirmation (John 1:32). John doubted. Yet Jesus’ response to John was gracious, and it speaks volumes as to God’s reaction to skepticism: ”Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor” (Matthew 11:4-5). Jesus told John’s disciples to bring the evidence back to John. He paired it with one final piece of wisdom to John the Baptist: “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Matthew 11:6).  Jesus affirmed John with evidence and urged him with a promise. John heeded these words and may have held on to them in his final moment before he would be executed, enter heaven, and confirm this promise of Jesus. Jesus would likely have the same reaction to skepticism today. Do you ever doubt Him in a moment of fear? Do you question whether He is who He says He is?  Dig into the evidence, listen to the testimonies, and observe the life transformation. He is not afraid of your investigation. If and when you come to follow Him, know that He will urge you toward discomfort as you announce His second coming. But remember that you have a reason for confidence simply by associating with the King.

With obvious exceptions like unaddressed moral failure, heretical teaching, or God’s call to another city, he explained that biblically and historically speaking, followers of Jesus should be rooted in their local church. Why Church Scripture is clear about many things, one being that involvement in a church is an expectation and an integral part of one’s identity as a Jesus-follower. Jesus Himself made it clear that being a disciple of His is, by definition, a relational identity (1 Corinthians 11:24, Luke 10:1, Matthew 16:18, John 17:22-23). Following Jesus is both social and familial. Fellowship is a mark of Jesus’ followers and that Christians are called to do life together (Acts 2:42-47, 1 John 1:7). The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the Church is a “body,” “joined and held together.” Though diverse, the Church exists and operates as a family (Ephesians 4:16). Church is not something you attend or an organization you join, but a family to which you belong. Why You The Church is the gathered people of God. It is one “body” made up of individuals. You, as a uniquely designed and equipped ambassador of God, have a role to play and a gift to contribute. God personally calls you to the Church to exemplify love. Good works and encouragement are the duties of “one another,” yourself included (Hebrews 10:24-25, James 5:16). When you transition from treating church as something you attend to something you personally belong to and contribute toward, you step into the community and ultimately, your purpose. Why Rooted When you become a follower of Jesus, it’s important to pursue getting baptized. This step of faith is one of the primary ways you can demonstrate that you belong to a new family—the Church. Once you make this public declaration in front of your gathered church family, you are committing to the Church, and the  Church is committing to you. Being a part of a local church comes with the priceless blessing of being known, celebrated, cared for, and instructed. You are grafted into the family tree that is your local church. To be semi-committed, semi-involved, and semi-present to your church is to be a distant and unengaged family member. To be emotionally, financially, and relationally invested in your church is to be a life-giving and life-receiving member of the family of God. Followers of Jesus are rooted in a local church because it is both personally and corporately beneficial to be involved and invested. Why Local A church in proximity is an available, accountable, and accessible church. Most people, when considering involvement in a church, ask themselves the question, “How far is the commute on Sundays?” What invested followers of Jesus should be asking when considering involvement in a church is, “Can I love and be loved well from where I live?” “Can I contribute, and can people contribute to me?” Church is not something you attend on Sundays; it is a family to which you belong on all days. Carrying this kind of others-oriented mentality to your church family will enhance your experience and enable your church to function as God designed it. Being available to serve and be served by your church eradicates consumerism and replaces it with generosity and receptivity. When you live in proximity to your church, it becomes your community.  — Because of my work in ministry, I often hear people ask, “Where can I find the best church community?” My answer to this question is always, “At your church.” What I mean by this is that your most life-giving church experience will always be where you are functioning both as a generous giver and a humble recipient. If you search for a church, looking only for what the church can give to you, you are looking at consumerism. However, if you search for a church knowing that you will be fully committed, fully invested, and fully receptive to the people present there, you will find yourself deep in the fertile soil of community. Community is not about the local church’s contribution to you but your contribution to your church.  Being rooted in a local church is a blessing. While being a part of a local church is a personal responsibility and a weighty calling for Christians (Hebrews 10:24-25), it is simultaneously the richest form of fellowship that can be embraced. And it will be for you.

Did you know that “Joy to the World” is not necessarily a Christmas song?  About 300 years ago, a musical genius named Isaac Watts wrote the world-renowned poem, inspired by Psalm 96 and Psalm 98, about the day the Messiah will come. Over 100 years later, the poem received a melody, and a song was born. The irony of the piece being a famous Christmas carol is that it was initially about the second coming of Christ, not the first. This year, we will sing the same timeless, festive songs for hundreds of years. While songs like “Joy to the World” will never expire, the lyrics may lose their vigor as people lose touch with the meaning. To set ourselves up for a genuinely worshipful Christmas season, let’s look at some lyrics, their meaning, and their application today. JOY TO THE WORLD // Watts had an interesting but not unique take on the return of Jesus. Even though it meant judgment of the world, he saw that Christ’s second coming was good, joyous news to the world. Whether Watts was talking about the ‘world’ and referring to the people or the creation is unknown, but what is undoubtedly the case is that His people and creation long for His return (Romans 8:19-23; Revelation 22:20). So, His coming is joyous because it means the plan – to fix all that is broken in the world – is initiated (Psalm 96:11; Psalm 100). LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM // Jesus spoke the famous words penned in Revelation, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Jesus also warned people that there is only room for one in each of our hearts. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other,” He said to His disciples. Watt’s wish was that of Jesus that every person would make room in their life for Jesus. In other words, when He comes, may people understand both the opportunity and the danger and clear space for their King. HEAVEN AND NATURE SING // God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit set the universe in motion at the beginning of time. Since then, creation has presented to God a perpetual and all-encompassing song of praise (Psalm 96:1-3; 12-13). When you sing these words this Christmas, you join the never-ending song of creation. LET MEN THEIR SONGS EMPLOY // Think of ‘employ’ as ‘use.’ Since we are called to live worshipful lives – in both word and deed – Watts prayed that people would leverage their song to glorify God. A great application of this line would be to use this song to increase your joy. This may be a challenge this Christmas season: to sing the songs and acknowledge every word.  Today, so many people grow numb to these realities or doubt them just days after believing them. Then, they allow doubt and numbness to limit the meaningfulness of their song (Romans 12:1). Instead, let us be a Church this Christmas season that sings songs with intention from a place of authenticity. REPEAT THE SOUNDING JOY // Creation exists in a cycle. Yes, many rhythms are found in nature, but there is another repetition at work: the cycle of worship. The Psalmist writes that “Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” What is this speech? It is answered in the preceding verse: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1-2). In the Apostle Paul’s words, “God’s invisible attributes…have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (Romans 1:20).  As you sing these words this Christmas, reflect on the fact that you are fulfilling your ordained function in displaying for the world a presentation of the character of God. In singing, you are fulfilling your God-intended purpose! AND HE MAKES THE NATIONS PROVE // The world affirms the worldview of the Bible – most of the time unintentionally. Some of the best evidence for God comes through the activity and thinking of people. Nation’s prove God, says Watts. In this particular case, Watts suggests that nations prove the beauty and magnificence of God’s perfect character. How do people all over the world reveal God’s perfect character? They live with a standard, a common moral law, suggesting God’s right living is a way of life to be achieved (Psalm 96:7, Psalm 96:10). Our morals—what we sense is right and wrong – strongly suggest that God has wired humanity to evaluate good and evil through His lens. HE WILL RULE WITH TRUTH AND GRACE // The world is full of joy and hope because Jesus will reign with compassion and understanding without compromising truth and justice. His track record as a ruler will be perfect, finally revealing to every kingdom of the earth what kind of ‘Kingdom’ people had been hoping for in casting every ballot and waging every war (Revelation 20:6). So, do we discount this Christmas carol because it isn’t directly related to the birth of Jesus? I say we keep it. While the song may have originally served the purpose of directing attention to the good news of Jesus’ second coming, a similar, if not the same, celebratory spirit belongs at the birth of Christ. What does the second coming have to do with the first? Jesus is the world’s light, come to cast out the darkness. He completed part of His mission some two thousand years ago, and He will return to finalize His work and put evil in its place once and for all. Celebration of His first coming always has His second in mind, and the reverse is also true. Without the birth of Jesus, there would be no second coming, no perfected Kingdom, no all-satisfying, reconciling judgment, or joy in the world.