Conversations That Point To Jesus

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 11th Sermon, Day 5

Every conversation is an opportunity. Not just to be heard or to win a point, but to reflect the character of Jesus to someone who needs to see him. This transforms everything about how we engage with others, especially when the topics are difficult or the stakes feel high.

When Jesus stays central to our conversations, humility can reign instead of pride. When we remember that our ultimate goal isn't to prove ourselves but to point others toward him, our entire approach changes. We can be kind and courageous at the same time. We can hold convictions without hostility. We can speak truth without fear because we know who we are in Christ.

Here's a powerful question to ask yourself before and during every difficult conversation: "Would my tone make someone curious about Jesus, or would it make them push him away?" This isn't about being fake or hiding your true feelings. It's about letting your security in Christ shape how you engage with others. You don't have to fight for your worth in every conversation. You don't have to prove yourself or dominate others to feel valuable. Your worth was settled at the cross. This freedom allows you to listen more, judge less, and love better.

Remember, before you're opponents, you're people. Before you're debaters, you're neighbors. Before you are right or wrong, you're both created in God's image. When you approach conversations with this perspective, even the most challenging discussions can become opportunities to reflect Jesus' love and draw others toward him rather than pushing them away. Let every conversation be a chance to show the world what Jesus looks like in action.

Bible Verse

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. - Ephesians 2:19, 2:21-22

Reflection Question

In your next difficult conversation, how can you intentionally reflect Jesus' character in a way that might make the other person curious about him?

Quote Would my tone make someone curious about Jesus? Or would it make them push him away?

Prayer

Jesus, help me to see every conversation as an opportunity to reflect Your love and character. Give me the wisdom to speak truth with kindness and to hold my convictions with humility. May my words and tone draw others toward You, not push them away. Amen.

Remember Your Own Story

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 11th Sermon, Day 4

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be patient with yourself but impatient with others? You give yourself the benefit of the doubt, understanding your own struggles and circumstances, but somehow expect others to have it all figured out.

This double standard is one of the biggest obstacles to healthy conversations. One of the most powerful tools for difficult conversations is remembering your own story of grace. Think about all the times God has been patient with you. Remember the mistakes you've made, the blind spots you've had, the seasons when you were completely wrong about something important. Recall how gently God corrected you, how patiently he worked with you, how much grace he extended when you didn't deserve it.

When you truly remember your own story, something beautiful happens. It becomes really hard to be arrogant in your dealings with others. It becomes nearly impossible to talk down to someone when you remember how patient God has been with you. Your tone softens. Your heart opens. Your words become seasoned with the same grace you've received.

This doesn't mean you become a pushover or abandon your convictions. It means you speak from a place of humility rather than superiority. You engage from security rather than anxiety. You remember that you're talking to a person, not just a position - someone who, like you, is on a journey and still learning. The next time you feel your blood pressure rising in a conversation, take a moment to remember your own story. Let the grace you've received overflow into grace you extend to others.

Bible Verse

…And in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. - Ephesians 2:16

Reflection Question

What's one area where God has shown you tremendous patience, and how can remembering that change how you treat others who struggle in that same area?

Quote It should be really hard to be arrogant in our dealings with someone else when we remember the grace that we've received from God, every single one of us.

Prayer

Father, thank You for Your incredible patience with me. Help me to remember my own story of grace when I'm tempted to be harsh with others. Let the mercy You've shown me overflow into mercy I show to those around me. Amen.

Disagreement vs. Division

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 11th Sermon, Day 3

Not all conflict is created equal. There's a world of difference between a disagreement and a division, though we often treat them as the same thing. Understanding this distinction can transform how you navigate every difficult conversation in your life.

Disagreement says, "We see this differently." It acknowledges that two people can look at the same situation and come to different conclusions. It leaves room for respect, relationship, and even learning from each other. Division, on the other hand, says, "You're the enemy." It turns the other person into an opponent to be defeated rather than a fellow human being to be understood.

Jesus doesn't erase all our differences when we follow him. You'll still prefer different music, vote for different candidates, and have different opinions about countless topics. But he does redeem our relationships. He gives us a way to disagree without being disagreeable, to hold strong convictions without treating others as enemies.

This is liberating news! Being faithful to Jesus doesn't mean you have to avoid all disagreement or pretend you don't have strong opinions. It means refusing to let those differences destroy your relationships. It means remembering that the person across from you - whether in your living room or on your screen - is created in God's image, just like you.

The next time you find yourself in a heated discussion, pause and ask: Am I treating this as a disagreement or am I sliding into division? Am I trying to understand this person, or am I trying to defeat them? The answer to that question will determine whether the conversation builds bridges or burns them down.

Bible Verse

His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace - Ephesians 2:15

Reflection Question

Think of a recent disagreement you've had - were you treating the other person as someone to understand or someone to defeat?

Quote There's a difference between disagreement and division. Disagreement says that we see this differently. Division says you're the enemy.

Prayer

God, help me to see the difference between disagreement and division in my relationships. Give me the wisdom to hold my convictions firmly while treating others with love and respect. Help me to be a bridge-builder, not a wall-builder. Amen.

Jesus: Our Bridge Builder

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 11th Sermon, Day 2

Have you ever stood at the edge of a deep canyon, wondering how you'd ever get to the other side? That's what division feels like in relationships. The gap seems too wide, the hurt too deep, the differences too fundamental. But what if someone had already built a bridge?

Paul tells the Ephesians something remarkable: Jesus himself is our peace. Not just a peacemaker or a peace-bringer, but peace itself. Through his sacrifice, he didn't just offer suggestions for getting along better - he actually destroyed the dividing wall of hostility that separated people.

Think about that for a moment. The cross wasn't just about your personal salvation. It was about tearing down every barrier that keeps people apart. Every wall of prejudice, every fortress of pride, every fence of fear - Jesus demolished them all through his sacrifice. This changes everything about how we approach difficult conversations. We're not trying to build bridges on our own strength or through clever arguments. The bridge already exists. Jesus has already done the heavy lifting. Our job isn't to create unity from scratch but to live in the unity he's already established.

When you're facing that next challenging conversation - whether it's with a family member, friend, or stranger on social media - remember that you're not starting from a place of division. You're starting from a place where Jesus has already made peace possible. The question isn't whether unity can happen, but whether you'll step onto the bridge he's already built. This doesn't mean all conversations will be easy or that everyone will agree. But it does mean that hostility doesn't have to have the final word.

Bible Verse

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility - Ephesians 2:13-14

Reflection Question

How does knowing that Jesus has already destroyed the walls of hostility change your approach to someone you're in conflict with?

Quote You never build unity by winning arguments. You build it with sacrificial love.

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for being our peace and for tearing down the walls that divide us. Help me to live in the unity You've already created rather than building new barriers. Give me courage to step onto the bridge You've built. Amen.

When Differences Divide

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 11th Sermon, Day 1

We live in a world where differences seem to divide us more than ever. Whether it's politics, parenting styles, or personal preferences, conversations can quickly turn into battlegrounds.

The early church in Ephesus knew this struggle intimately. Jewish and Gentile believers found themselves on opposite sides of deep cultural and religious divides that seemed impossible to bridge. These weren't small disagreements about worship music or meeting times. These were fundamental differences about identity, tradition, and what it meant to follow God. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Sound familiar? Yet Paul didn't throw up his hands in defeat or suggest they simply avoid each other. Instead, he pointed them to something revolutionary - a different way of seeing their situation entirely. He reminded them that their differences, while real, didn't have to define their relationships. Today, you might be facing your own version of this challenge. Maybe it's a family member who sees the world completely differently than you do. Perhaps it's a coworker whose values seem to clash with yours at every turn. Or maybe it's someone in your own church community who approaches faith in ways that make you uncomfortable. The good news is that God has something better in mind than endless conflict or uncomfortable avoidance. He has a path forward that honors both truth and love, conviction and compassion. Over the next few days, we'll discover how Jesus himself becomes the bridge over our deepest divides.

Bible Verse

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called 'uncircumcised' by those who call themselves 'the circumcision' (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. - Ephesians 2:11-12

Reflection Question

What relationship in your life feels most divided by differences, and how might God want to work in that situation?

Quote Difficult conversations are everywhere.

Prayer

Lord, help me to see beyond the differences that seem to separate me from others. Give me wisdom to navigate difficult relationships with both truth and love. Show me how You want to work in the midst of division. Amen.