Roger Chanoine signed with the Cleveland Browns in 1999. During the tough days of training camp, a few teammates caught his attention. They handled intensity and pressure so differently than other players.

When they invited Roger to the team Bible study, he jumped for it. After attending a few studies, Roger understood Who had made his teammates so different. It eventually sent him to his knees and He asked Christ into his life.

Roger was the outsider Paul wrote about. There are athletes like Roger in every locker room, outsiders looking in. They watch how you interact, prepare and compete.

During the Cold War years in the Soviet Union, Soviet believers were asked how they were able to share their faith when witnessing was illegal. “Simple. We live so radically different that people are compelled to ask the reason for it."

We gain a hearing with outsiders to the extent that our lives reflect our faith and our words. The smaller the gap between our words and our lives, the greater the receptivity to the gospel.

The apostle Paul said it takes a measure of wisdom to conduct ourselves in a way that draws others to Christ. God gave us a course to pursue in the book of Proverbs.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. — Proverbs 2:6

Proverbs was written to make us wise. It is packed with issues including relationships, discipline, speech, sex, integrity, money and responsibility.

When Roger gave his life to Christ, he entered God’s course on practical wisdom. God transformed Roger's life over time. People watched him in his marriage, his work and his church. They also watched how Roger died, giving glory to God. At age 39, after a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer, God took Roger home.

Be encouraged. When you walk in the wisdom of God, people will want what you have.

Tomorrow – our response to others may determine another hearing.