Turn small talk into God talk

We’re studying through the book of Acts in church and one thing that struck us recently was the availability of places for those first preachers to engage listeners with the claims of the Gospel of Christ. Most cities had multiple synagogues that were happy to let traveling ministers address them. There were crowded, open-air markets where people bustled around: you were free to set up your soap box there and just start preaching. You could expect crowds gathered at riverbanks.

In our little town, there’s no such place. What foot traffic there may be is on private property. There is no street corner you could preach on and be assured of having even a single person hear you.

We’ve done some things in the past to try to drum up conversations, including going door-to-door, and our efforts have been (at least in our own eyes) utterly fruitless.

Social media isn’t a great answer. Every flavor of it only lets you broadcast your message to people who are already your friends, or in your network. You can’t just post something that multitudes will see. And, if the powers that be don’t like what you say, their algorithms will suppress your message. In extreme cases, your access will be suspended.

There is no such thing as an open marketplace of ideas. All those spaces have gatekeepers. You can pay to broadcast your stuff as an advertisement, but now you’re an insignificant voice in a sea of professional ad creators.

Right now, in this culture, our best opportunities are everyday conversations we have. My encouragement is for you to turn “small talk” into “God talk.” When someone asks you how it’s going, tell them, “God is blessing me. And you?”

I had a shipmate in the Navy who would always answer that question with, “I’m blessed.” People came to understand that was always going to be his answer, and they’d anticipate it: Let me guess, Joe, you’re blessed?

Have these responses ready to go, so you don’t have to think about them.

People always make small talk about the weather. It’s legitimate to say something that acknowledges who creates all that.

“How about this great day, huh?”

“Yes! The Lord is smiling on us today, isn’t he?”

How’s the world treating you? Terrible, but God is good.

What do you know? I know who’s in charge: It’s all details after that.

You doing any good? Not really, but God does.

You staying out of trouble? No, but God’s been patient with me.

In my experience, these sorts of answers often lead to responses in the same vein. Now, suddenly, you’re talking with someone about the Lord. It may not turn into a deep discussion. It may remain just “small talk,” but you’ve succeeded in bringing God into this person’s thoughts. Hey, it’s a start.

I need to stress again that you should anticipate this sort of very common “small talk” and have answers to the common varieties beforehand, ready to go. Keep praying for the wisdom and finesse to steer our larger conversations in a direction that will let us share Christ. Pray for Gospel opportunities within your own network.

Gordan Runyan is the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Tucumcari. Contact him at:

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