By Nikole Hahn
“Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 3:14-15 NIV
Three years ago, *Steve joined a Sunday morning Life Group led by 1Bo. Steve was going through the aftermath of a vicious divorce and shared his story with the group. Bo got Steve’s cell number and email address and began sending him weekly Bible studies. It reminded me of Paul in the Bible.
Paul didn’t have a smartphone, email, or a computer, but he did have a papyrus or parchment and a stylus. Letters took a long time to be delivered and were expensive. He wrote 213 letters. “The letters were written to be heard,” says The Bible Project in their podcast, Pen, Parchment, and People. Like Paul’s letters, God used Bo’s emails, transforming Steve’s heart.
One year later, Steve moved to Idaho. Within a few months, Steve reconciled with his brother, *Peter, in New York, and Peter joined his brother and Bo in their weekly Bible studies.
“A month ago,” Bo wrote, “Peter’s daughter, *Joy, moved to Northern Italy to live with her boyfriend, who is in the US Army. I received permission from Joy to send her weekly Bible studies. We had a conversation [recently], and Joy affirmed that she is developing a personal relationship with Christ. Her boyfriend is a professing atheist. From the beginning of these relationships until now, prayer has animated our discussions, and the Spirit of God has been actively involved.”
Like Paul, we can use the modern tools available to communicate the Gospel and deepen the relationships around us, moving from the typical Sunday morning greeting, “How are you?” to really learning and walking with the people God has placed in our care.
What Can You Do?
- Pray for the Lord to direct your actions. Then, pray for the people God has placed in your path. You are in that person’s life for a season. Learning about the incredible effort it was for Paul to write letters reminds us that there’s a cost to serving Jesus. Be willing to embrace the cost.
- Make your in-person ministries hybrid. Add a digital element to your in-person ministries.
- What tools can you use? The correct answer is “all of them.” Start a life group or small group. Even if you travel, Zoom and Teams allow people to meet online when they can’t meet in person. Use email to send weekly Bible Studies like Bo and have conversations with them about what they are learning. Use social media to talk to people, utilizing private messages, public comments, or even your status updates to stir conversation.
Discussion:
On your social media, answer one of these questions. Or comment on how this article resonated with you on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, or Linkedin).
- Share what you are learning in your small group or Bible Study on your social media and invite people to comment by ending your post with a question.
- Paul’s letters were meant to be heard. What are the similarities to Paul’s modern tools to the modern tools we have today to inspire people to follow Jesus?
- Read one of Paul’s letters and sum it up on your social media or in an email to your friends. Ask for input.
- When you were praying for someone else, how did God answer that prayer?
Go deeper:
- Listen to the Bible Project Podcast and learn more about Paul’s letter writing here.
- Read about Paul’s letters at Bible.org here.
Other Articles:
- WorldVenture::In Review – Hungary
- 3 Qualities of a Trustworthy Leader
- 5 Ways to Reach Refugees in Your Community
- The Importance of Mentoring
* Names changed to give privacy
1 Bo Horlen is a WorldVenture Alumni.
2 Bible.org, Paul and His Letters