1. WHEN THINGS DON’T WORK TOGETHER
2. Romans 8:28 conference theme
3. What if we only knew part of the story of Job, we didn’t know the end
   1. Or rather, let’s look at the end of Jonah, does it feel like all things work together for good?
   2. Septuagesima Introit “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell came about me” and in my tribulation I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice out of his holy temple. Ps. 17.2-3.
4. Jeremiah on 8:28 What changed for Jeremiah in the muddy pit (chapter 38)
   1. Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works”
   2. Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
5. Definition of “act”
6. ACT Agree, Connect, Transfigure
   1. ACTing like a Christian. I have not invented or discovered anything. This is a methodology that I am codifying, which means it was there with the prophets, saints, and even Jesus Christ himself when talking about taboo topics. The formula is simple. First, there must be some form of agreement. Second, the caregiver attempts to connect. Third, the moment is transfigured. 
   2. Agree: What can we agree on?
   3. Connect: The connection happens at the cost of the caregiver/listener and usually involves the other person feeling understood.
   4. Transfigure: We hold the moment and create space until God reveals himself.
   5. When Job lost all his wealth, when he lost his sons, everything seemed to militate against him, but since he loved the Lord, the evils that befell him worked together for his good. The vermin of his body were preparing for him the crown of heaven. Before the time he is tempted, God has never spoken to him; after he is tempted, however, God comes to him and speaks familiarly with him, as a friend with his friend. Let calamity strike, let every kind of disaster fall, as long as after the catastrophe Christ comes. (Catena)
7. Paul planted the seed, Apollos watered, God caused the growth (1Cor), we don’t need results in that conversation, just to plant seeds and water,
8. How did Nathan share difficult information with David?
   1. Plant seeds of agreement
   2. Seek to understand with the goal to find something we can agree on, anything
   3. Aereapogus
   4. St Innocent 
   5. Am I part of the problem?
   6. what if we talked about black lives matter and the riots, or maybe the Charlottesville riots of 2017
      1. Injustice is bad?
      2. Pedophilia is wrong?
9. I garden the situation
   1. What is gardening?
   2. Who was the first gardener?
   3. gardening with my relative?
10. Let God cause the growth by transfiguring the conversation, pray, invite the Holy Spirit, lower myself,
    1. 50% of the time, holding the space helps the person find their answer
    2. In summary, everything I am talking about involves community, the removal of loneliness. When we are present, and this is how we are present, all the sudden things work together for good
    3. The devil may spend eternity with demons in hell, but they will be individuals, they gave up their personhood when they left the community of God
    4. We are helping restore personhood through the removal of loneliness, break up the isolation
    5. In the big picture, Romans 8:28 is absolutely true, but I don’t have to participate and neither does my friend, but I can help my friend and every person I encounter by ACTING like a Christian
11. CONCLUSION: What’s broken? The mind or heart?
    1. When Jesus approached Martha
    2. When jesus approached Mary
    3. AROBERTS@STACOLLEGE.ORG