42 Seconds: The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions

by Carl Medearis

The average length of Jesus’ conversations as recorded in the Gospels was 42 seconds long. This is good news for all of us. It frees us up to talk about the most important part of our lives in a way that’s natural, meaningful, and helpful instead of clumsy, awkward, and irrelevant. Anyone who has spent countless uncomfortable hours walking from house to house with a clipboard or flash cards that talk about four spiritual laws understands. Jesus’ conversations were remarkably simple. Contemporary Christian lingo has set up a dichotomy between what we call “discipleship” and “evangelism,” but the Bible doesn’t do that. Jesus had conversations all the time with those who thought they were close to God, as well as with those who deemed themselves lost and without hope. He invited all of them to come and learn from Him.42 Seconds is a simple book that uses the ordinary moments of our lives the way Jesus used the same moments in his own. The premise is If we can learn from Jesus how to have great conversations, it will change our lives and the lives of those around us. Its four-part structure, including five short chapters per section, is for churches and small groups to engage with the practical ideas together. 42 Seconds includes discussion questions to help groups and individuals implement Jesus’ natural rhythm of interaction in their own lives.

Genres: Evangelism, Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Theology

1 pages, Audio CD

Published March 1, 2021

About the author

Carl Medearis is an international expert in the field of Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations.

He acts as a catalyst for a number of current movements in the Middle East to promote peace-making, as well as cultural, political and religious dialog leading toward reconciliation. He is the author of the acclaimed book on these issues, Muslims, Christians and Jesus.

Carl, his wife Chris, and three kids lived in Beirut, Lebanon for 12 years. Through their unique and strategic approach around the Arab world, they encouraged university students, business professionals and political leaders to live their lives by the principles and teachings of Jesus in order to change their societies and nations.

Today Carl spends much of his time working with leaders both in the West and in the Arab world with the hope of seeing the Arab Middle East and the West experience full and fruitful relationships through the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

Reviews

[Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like if Bob Goff wrote about witnessing. And if he'd been a cross-cultural worker in Lebanon and risked his life in the middle east. And if he didn't try so hard to be so funny.

Ok maybe this analogy is breaking down, but it's a good book. Easy to read and applicable, he captures the spirit of Christ that I found in my own study of Jesus' gospel conversations after a period of disillusionment with approaches to evangelism.

I would really like to go through the book again with a group and practice it together, chapter by chapter.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I  read a book by Carl Medearis half a dozen years ago on the art of Not-Evangelism (Speaking of Jesus, David Cook, 2011).  It was a breath of fresh air. Medearis didn't advocate manipulative techniques to talk about your faith. He said to not get stuck trying to defend the faith but he pointed at talking about our experience of Jesus in ways that were winsome, inviting and authentic. That was the only one of Medearis's books I've read, though I'd hear him as a podcast guest occasionally, talking about his work as a peacemaker and his advocacy for Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations. He is very much evangelical, but he has sought to respond to terror and Islam in ways that reflect the manner and character of Jesus.

His newest book, 42 seconds , was birthed after a casual conversation he had with his neighbor as they both were working in their yards. Afterward, he emailed his assistant Jesse and asked him to look up every conversation Jesus ever had in the gospels. Hesse compiled a list, and the two of them read through each conversation, out loud, discovering the average conversation Jesus got in was 42 seconds long (ix, at least the portion of the conversation recorded in the Gospels). Medearis notes, "Because Jesus being Jesus, his conversations were typically anything but normal. and when I realized this—when I realized Jesus managed to turn otherwise everyday conversations into something profound—I knew I had to figure out how he did it" (ix).

So Medearis compiled a month's worth of meditations on Jesus' conversations, to be read for the course of four weeks. Each week has five readings on a theme, plus 'a final word' which tie it together with some reflections and suggestions for practice. These reflections are organized under the headings: "Be Kind," "Be Present," "Be Brave,
and, putting it all together, "Be Jesus." Sorry, Melania, No "Be Best."

Each daily entry has some practical reflections for engaging people in conversation about things that matter. The "Be Kind" section begins by exhorting us to say hi to people and acknowledge the people we fail to see (e.g. like the waiter or busboy filling your water). Medearis encourages us to ask questions, find some small act of service to do,  to pay attention to children (the way Jesus did). The "Be Present" section describes cultivating attention to the person we are talking to, and what may really be going on with them (instead of rushing to some strategic end, letting conversations go where they go).

The "Be Brave" section presses into the challenging things that Jesus said. Jesus says hard things, but not to everybody, and not always (religious insiders bore the brunt of his criticisms). The final section, "Be Jesus" prompts us to make sure our words and life are consistent with the life and witness of Jesus.

Medearis weaves stories of his own interactions with strangers and friends—evangelistic conversations or otherwise—with  Jesus' conversations with people in the Bible. Medearis is winsome and this book is pretty accessible. If you read it over the course of a month, there are small challenges to be more like Jesus in our conversations and make every 42 seconds count. This isn't a book on evangelism but on entering into more signficant conversations (which includes evangelism or something like it). I give this four stars. -★★★★
Notice of material connection: I received a copy of this book from NavPress through the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.
 

[Abby Emilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend! The chapters were readable and practical but packed a lot of punch, and have already inspired me to be brave and reach out to those around me more. This is one I know I'll read again!

[Brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should be read bit by bit. Premise of 'it doesn't take much time & can be natural' is awesome. My favorite quote in the book was by Mother Teresa 'I just live him like a new bride loves her husband'.

[Clint Adams · Rating 1 out of 5]

***DISCLAIMER***I received a complimentary copy of this book for free from Tyndale House for review purposes.

Carl Medearis’ 42 Seconds: The Jesus Model For Everyday Interactions mostly “has to do with helping people who are far away from Jesus follow him more closely” (p. xi). Medearis, an “author, speaker, and an international expert in Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations”, claims that “the average length of Jesus’ conversations as recorded in the Gospels was 42 seconds long” (p. ix). Ironically, this book places little to no emphasis on this “42 seconds” concept (thus making a title a bit odd). Instead, it focuses on being “Jesus”, kind, present and courageous in the process of engaging “the everyday moments in simple ways” (pp. xii-xiii). The book is essentially a lot of Law with little to no Gospel. Nevertheless, for the born-again believer, some of the points Medearis emphasizes serve as a good reminder of how the believer should conduct his or her self in everyday interactions.

As for my opinion of the book (the fourth I have reviewed for Tyndale Publishing House), the book’s literary qualities stand out very well. It is concise, clear, direct and well-organized. Theologically, it leaves much to be desired. While I appreciate Medearis’ mass usage and discussion of Scripture, he errors on many occasions. This includes but is not limited to his inaccurate concept of the greatest commandment (p. 10), his usage of prophetic buzz words (p. 15), his ambiguity regarding the Good News of Jesus (p. 31), citation of mystics/false teachers (Evelyn Underhill and Brennan Manning, respectively; pp. 33, 111), bizarre and inaccurate concept of faith (p. 72), allegorization of a biblical text (pp. 75-79), a stance on Muslims that is basically a denial of original sin (p. 78), his bizarre claim that Jesus had Braveheart moments (p. 84), and his promotion of the false “still, small voice” doctrine (p. 138). Despite both the book’s literary qualities and Medearis’ mass citation of Scripture, I would not recommend this book to anyone given its deep theological flaws. While he makes a few good points, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[Carrie Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In exchange for my objective review of 42 Seconds: The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions, NavPress provided me with a complimentary copy.

While 42 Seconds: The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions is not a formal apologetics book, the premise intrigued me. I could see this concept as being relevant to apologetics.

After all, apologetics is simply a tool to give intelligent, reasoned answers for our hope. That means we have to have real conversations with people. And who better to learn a model for interactions from than Jesus?

Carl Medearis presents a unique concept - the average length of Jesus' conversations (the conversations recorded in the Gospels, anyway) is 42 seconds. What are the implications of that for our faith conversations? How can we apply this to our everyday lives?

This got me thinking: what does this mean for us, as Jesus' ambassadors? Most of our interactions with the everyday people in our lives are brief snippets. Are we taking advantage of our daily interactions to the fullest?
And what exactly is the Jesus model for everyday interactions?

Read my full review here: https://www.everydaychristianapologet...

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A special thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for sending me a complimentary copy of Carl Medearis’ book, 42 Seconds.

Having conversations with people is a difficult task which is becoming even more challenging as the world moves to communicating through a screen opposed to the normal face-to-face interactions. Sometimes it is awkward and other times it can be tense, especially with the growing animosity in the world today towards Christianity. This general avoidance of “hard-topics” has caused many of us to fear speaking up when we know we should.

Nevertheless, the Great Commission is still our mission. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, are still commanded to make disciples wherever we are at in the world. This means that eventually we must “speak” the Gospel to people so that they will know the truth. However, one of the things that I love about this book is that Medearis looks at conversations in somewhat of a different light than we might normally expect.

You see, instead of him pushing us to somehow insert the Gospel message into every single conversation, Medearis challenges the reader to simply relax. That’s it. Relax. Do not try and force anything upon someone but use discernment. If the conversation opens itself up to you sharing the Gospel then, by all means, take advantage of the opportunity. However, do not feel guilty when your work conversations at the water cooler do not always result in you walking them through the Roman’s Road.

Sometimes people just need to talk about the “insignificant” things like the weather or sports or even the last customer they had to deal with. Medearis’ challenge to each one of us is to see, even those conversations, as significant. Why? The reason is because each one of those little conversations are leading up and adding to both a deeper and more influential relationship between you and the other person. Therefore, whether you talk with someone for forty-two seconds or forty-two minutes, endeavor to have a normal conversation with the other person because you never know where it might lead.

https://cameronneace.blogspot.com/201...

[Karl Dumas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a way to teach people to share their love for Jesus with family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and yes even those strangers you might meet at the grocery store or on an airplane. So when the title of this book came across my computer, I was curious. I’m not sure if 42 Seconds: the Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions by Carl Medearis (NavPress, 2018) is destined to become the classic textbook for the topic, but it was definitely a fun read, and has a lot of good information.
The basic premise is that according to a non-scientific study (Medearis and a friends identified all of Jesus’ conversations in the Gospels, read them aloud, and took an average of how long each lasted) that when Jesus interacted with people, the conversation lasted about 42 seconds. Seconds, not hours or even minutes, but seconds. If Jesus could teach someone about God the Father in that short of a time, why can’t we? For most of us the answer is that we’re too afraid to even try to talk about Jesus, and for the rest, we get tongue tied and go off on rabbit trails. Medearis offers some helpful tips to help us through those difficulties.
This model goes along with another evangelism model: the elevator testimony: sharing the gospel in only the amount of time you get to share on an elevator with someone. It’s not a long time, unless your fear of public speaking in general, or talking religion at all is greater than your fear of being bitten by a vampire bat. But the truth is, unless you have a solid relationship with someone, and that person has specifically invited you to speak Jesus into his or her life, we generally don’t get the opportunity to spend hours on the subject.
This is a guide for the initial encounters, those divine encounters. What Medearis seems to be offering is a way to develop a relationship, a relationship that may grow to the point where the in depth conversations can take place.
4/5 B+

[Bethany McIlrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his new book, 42 Seconds, Carl Medearis admits this point and offers a compelling solution: be like Jesus.

After learning that the average length of Jesus’ recorded conversations was 42 seconds, Medearis began to look into Jesus’ own evangelization method. What he found and shares in the book is heartening!

Medearis offers really simple advice for practical action, like:

Be kind
Do something small
Accept that you are not God
Stand alone (when necessary)

The conversational tone of the book makes it easy and enjoyable to read. Each chapter is short and to the point. Medearis is encouraging, too.

Quotes include:

“Small things that may seem insignificant have always been the keys to Jesus’ kingdom.”

“Strategy doesn’t lead to real conversations…” many are “simply monologues pretending to be conversations.”

“Jesus always works, but sometimes I don’t.”

In one my favorite passages, Medearis clarifies 3 methods for understanding God’s Word so we can share it more effectively:

“1. We interpret what might be confusing in light of what’s clear.

2. We interpret the minority of verses through the lens of the majority.

3. We recognize context.”

I recommend this book if you’d like to be less intimidated by evangelization. It makes for a great devotional and could be used as a group, too.

[Richard Klueg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I read this book because of the encouragement the author gives to relate to others with kindness and genuine concern. Like the author, I have never appreciated the forceful, "canned" approaches to sharing Christ with others. Mr. Medearis encouraged me to continue in some of the ways I am already trying to relate to people, and challenged me to strike out in some fresh directions.

So why only 3 stars? The author's casual style seems a bit over the top for my taste, but I suppose that is just a personal preference. I also feel that his constant self-deprecation is not helpful, but again, that may be a matter of personal taste. More serious, however, is the definite impression of a false dichotomy between loving others and a concern for sound doctrine. Another specific problem I have is the challenge to take upon ourselves the ministry of "healing" others. Although he goes on to add enough qualifications to disappoint many continualists, he does argue that "any attempts to make miracles sound like they were just for Jesus and his original twelve apostles don't hold water." I do not agree that the apostolic ministry of miracles has been bestowed upon us.

So again, I am glad I spent some time with this book, I found it personally helpful, but I would suggest that it be read with proper caution.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

42 Seconds is a book attempting to look at the interactions of Jesus' life in order that the readers will learn how to interact with others like He did. The book is broken down into four sections, with 5 quick and easy to read chapters per section.

The heart of this book is what appealed to me. I was eager to learn how one could better represent Jesus and be like Him in everyday life. There certainly are some good points made throughout this book, but I don't think it will connect with most believers.

After reading this book, I don't agree with this book's mantra as "The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions." Rather, I have to view this book as Carl's personal testimony and his action plan for conversations and living that was was inspired by his interpretation of Jesus. I feel like he is putting words into Jesus' mouth with this book and has not taken the whole scriptures into account.

I still enjoyed reading parts of this book, but readers involved in social justice work would benefit from it the most.

*Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. The review was my honest opinion. No compensation was received.*

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy.


Review Q&A-

- What did you like about the book and why? The author really showed through his writing, the feeling he has and fully holds nothing back in the topics he choose to deliver.

- What did you not like about the book and why? It seemed to be a bit pushy, in the direction of the author and not the way of a faith based book. I get that there has to be his writing style and flare, but I think it is a bit much. More heavy on unbalanced thoughts.

- What did you learn? I feel like the book is styled for certain readers but others would just not enjoy it or may feel pushed rather than the challenge aspect.

- To whom would you recommend this book and why? Like minded people that accept the authors word without judgement and will follow along with the commands, or at the very least attempt to relax while reading.

[Steph Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thought that Jesus’ interactions were so short and intentional is fascinating. The average length of his talking with someone in scripture is 42 seconds. He didn’t give a bunch of long theological speeches to convince people to come to his kingdom. He simply saw into what was going on with people and spoke to their needs.

Carl did a great job writing a simple guide on how to have simple conversations that draw people to Christ. He encourages us to be normal. That something a lot of us over eager evangelists have trouble doing. We are so focused on our agenda that we miss the people we are talking to. This book is an invitation to take notice.

{As a side note that has nothing to do with the book, I immediately thought of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when I saw this. The super smart computer told them the answer to everything was 42. Maybe they were on to something.} :)

[Ben Figueiredo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a quick and shallow look at how Jesus interacted with people in his conversations recorded in the Bible. I was hoping for a little more in depth reasoning on why the length of 42 seconds, but alas I think it's just what it happened to be. Another title might have been more fitting.

Nevertheless, the challenges Medearis presents in this book for how we communicate and interact with our fellow human are all too sorely needed in this world. Being an introvert, it is something that I struggle with mightily.

I appreciate the book as good reminder to be kind, engage, and truly listen to each other without agenda, without rushing, and most of all with love.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this book could be helpful for someone who wants to share their faith but really isn't even sure how or where to start. The tone is light and conversational, and the author uses many personal stories that help provide practical tips.

At times, I felt the personal stories did detract from the book's premise, though, and became more about simply recounting the author's own experiences. There are also some aspects of the book that are theologically odd, if not questionable, that might give me pause.

I'd probably recommend this to a committed Christ-follower that has always been hesitant and unsure of how best to engage others in dialogue about faith.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book on evangelism and has some helpful points. Unfortunately, if suffers from the same malady that most evangelism books do. That malady is, “My way is best and all other methods are insufficient.” For example, the author rightly talks about God using our feeble efforts to share Jesus with others but we need to steer clear of things like Evangelism Explosion and The 4 Spiritual Laws because they don’t work. Either God uses our feeble efforts or He doesn’t. Methods don’t matter. Only the gospel matters.

[Steve N · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this new book by one of my favorite authors ... I didn't know he had more books out ... If you've never read "speaking of Jesus," Carls 1st book - read it... BUT READ this one 1st ...

Fantastic ... I'm going to go through this again next week - as I want this to sink into EVERY part of who I am & deep into my heart and soul...

We train for muscle memory in a lot of different areas of our life...
I want THIS to be a part of my "mental Muscle Memory"

Hey, CARL, MORE LIKE THIS please...

sLr

[Mark Archibald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book a four. The writing style isn’t all that polished or profound. The topics are simple. But that is why the book is so necessary. Sure these are simple things, but how often do we actually do them? These are simple things, but they are quite risky when applied. Very good book on demystifying sharing faith with others. Written by someone who has truly encountered Jesus and wishes that everyone could experience this Jesus, too.

[Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medaris writes that all of Jesus' conversations recorded in the Bible average out to take about 42 seconds. His contention is that we as Christians can be intentional about interacting with others and spread love and the good news to those people that God brings into our lives.

The four categories of his chapters are as follows:
1. Be Kind
2. Be Present
3. Be Brave
4. Be Jesus

I liked this readable, practical book.

[Tonya Makrinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and thought provoking thoughts and ideas on how to have meaningful conversations with people from a Christian perspective. Jesus had quick conversations with people throughout the Gospels and these conversations packed a punch on several different levels and ways. Be ready; be present; be brave; and be Jesus.

If you are seeking some tools on how to be a better communicator, you will have many more for your tool belt after reading this quick book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

I enjoyed this book - it is simple and easy to follow. The author admits it isn't deep, and for me there wasn't a ton I didn't already know or practice. BUT as someone who is leading others in how to follow Jesus, it is a quick introduction to talking to others about faith, sort of the "beginning steps" of evangelism.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple steps

I appreciate Carl's approach to life. This book provides some simple ideas to improve our interactions with others while challenging us to live out lives more fully like Jesus.

[Steven Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but not nearly as good as his others ("Speaking of Jesus", and "Muslims, Christians and Jesus"). This book is basically a longer way of saying: each and every interaction matters and is an opportunity to show someone Christ.

[Grant Klinefelter · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you time all of the interactions Jesus has in the four gospels, the average time of each conversation is 42 seconds. 42 seconds with God incarnate. What simple takeaways from Jesus can we learn to transform the 42-second interactions we have daily to shine the light of Jesus on people?

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good points! would have liked more scripture references!

[Amy P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Carl Medearis... while this book doesn’t really present anything new or different from his other books, the format is easily digestible and great for book discussion groups.

[J. R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent help for those who want their interactions with others to be more intentional, thoughtful, and caring.

[Gary Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book on how to be like Jesus in your everyday encounters.

[cindy townley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great points on how to be the hands and feet of Jesus in your amazing every day life. 4 1/2 stars.

[Scott Conwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storyteller and very funny. I spent several hours watching Carl Medearis YouTube videos after I finished this book. He’s really genuine and easy to relate to.