OpenTheo

When Is It Time to Walk Away from a Conversation?

#STRask — Stand to Reason

When Is It Time to Walk Away from a Conversation?

September 1, 2025
#STRask
#STRaskStand to Reason

Questions about how to discern when it’s time to walk away from a conversation, and how to cope with people charging you with being prideful and legalistic when you’re doing your best to be humble, fair, and gentle while sharing the gospel and defending the faith.  

* How do you discern when it’s time to walk away from a conversation? If the person is hard-hearted, is it worth it to keep trying to sow seeds? When does it become “throwing pearls before swine”?

* I do my best to be humble, fair, and gentle when I share the gospel and defend the faith, but I’m still frequently accused of being prideful and legalistic, which is painful because I actually care very much about people’s souls. How do you cope with this when you have similar experiences?

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More From #STRask

Should I Pray for Protection for Persecuted Christians When God Might Want Them to Be Martyrs?
Should I Pray for Protection for Persecuted Christians When God Might Want Them to Be Martyrs?
#STRask
September 4, 2025
Questions about how to pray for persecuted Christians in light of the fact that God wills that some will be martyrs, and how persecuted Christians who
How Can I Showcase God’s Goodness When I’m Struggling in My Suffering?
How Can I Showcase God’s Goodness When I’m Struggling in My Suffering?
#STRask
September 8, 2025
Questions about how to showcase God’s goodness when we’re really struggling in our suffering, an explanation of God’s response at the end of the book
If We Don’t Need to Learn to Hear God’s Voice, How Do You Explain These Verses?
If We Don’t Need to Learn to Hear God’s Voice, How Do You Explain These Verses?
#STRask
September 11, 2025
Questions about why, if we don’t need to learn to hear God’s voice, there’s a command to earnestly desire the gift of prophecy, why we would need to l
“Jesus Had Two Dads, and He Turned Out Just Fine”
“Jesus Had Two Dads, and He Turned Out Just Fine”
#STRask
August 28, 2025
Questions about how to engage someone wearing a button that reads, “Jesus had two dads, and he turned out just fine,” and how to be kind and loving wi
Do Christian Business Owners Have a Moral Responsibility to Provide a Livable Wage?
Do Christian Business Owners Have a Moral Responsibility to Provide a Livable Wage?
#STRask
August 25, 2025
Questions about whether Christian business owners should provide a livable wage, whether doing a corporate sponsorship that promotes one’s business co
Should I Leave a Church That Refuses to Preach on Divisive Topics?
Should I Leave a Church That Refuses to Preach on Divisive Topics?
#STRask
August 21, 2025
Questions about leaving a church with biblical theology because they refuse to preach on divisive topics, whether it’s okay to write an apologetics bo
More From "#STRask"

More on OpenTheo

Can You Recommend Good Books with More In-Depth Information and Ideas?
Can You Recommend Good Books with More In-Depth Information and Ideas?
#STRask
January 22, 2026
Questions about good books on Christian apologetics, philosophy, and theology with more in-depth information and ideas, and resources to help an intel
How Should I Respond to an LGBTQ Person Who Says He Feels Good About Who He Is?
How Should I Respond to an LGBTQ Person Who Says He Feels Good About Who He Is?
#STRask
March 2, 2026
Questions about responding to an LGBTQ person who says he feels good about who he is, and whether—since we all have sin in our life we don’t consider
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
#STRask
January 12, 2026
Questions about how to answer the challenge that God doesn’t need a “pound of flesh” to forgive sins but can simply forgive, and whether the claim in
Sense, Sensibility, and Adam Smith with Jan Van Vliet
Sense, Sensibility, and Adam Smith with Jan Van Vliet
Life and Books and Everything
February 16, 2026
This year is a special anniversary for the United States as Americans celebrate 250 years of independence. But 1776 was an important year in more ways
Does Open-Mindedness Require Studying Other Religions Before Becoming a Christian?
Does Open-Mindedness Require Studying Other Religions Before Becoming a Christian?
#STRask
February 9, 2026
Questions about the claim that if Christians really want to be open-minded, they need to read and study other religions before committing to Christian
What Is Wrong with Wokeness? With Neil Shenvi
What Is Wrong with Wokeness? With Neil Shenvi
Life and Books and Everything
January 19, 2026
In this timely interview, Kevin talks to Neil Shenvi about his new book (co-authored with Pat Sawyer), entitled “Post Woke: Asserting a Biblical Visio
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
#STRask
November 20, 2025
Questions about how to advocate for Christian policy without making the government interfere in every area of life, and the differences between the mo
The Best of Times and the Worst of Times with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
The Best of Times and the Worst of Times with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Life and Books and Everything
March 10, 2026
If you don’t like freewheeling conversation, laughter, and banter among friends, then this may not be the episode for you. But if you are interested i
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
#STRask
January 5, 2026
Questions about how to determine which topics at work are worth commenting on, and a good way to respond when you’re in a group Bible study and hear e
Can Two Logical People Come to Conflicting Conclusions Without Committing a Fallacy?
Can Two Logical People Come to Conflicting Conclusions Without Committing a Fallacy?
#STRask
January 8, 2026
Questions about whether two logical people can come to conflicting conclusions on a topic without committing a fallacy, how Greg, as a public figure,
Lora Ries: Border Security and Immigration Policy
Lora Ries: Border Security and Immigration Policy
Knight & Rose Show
December 7, 2025
Wintery Knight and Desert Rose welcome Lora Ries to discuss border security and immigration policy. They explore Biden's policy changes, like ending R
Life and Ministry in Charlotte and in the SBC with Clint Pressley
Life and Ministry in Charlotte and in the SBC with Clint Pressley
Life and Books and Everything
December 15, 2025
In a rare cultural anomaly that may never be repeated in our lifetimes, the current SBC President and current PCA Moderator live in the same neighborh
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
#STRask
January 26, 2026
Questions about why we should think Jesus is not a created being, and what it means to say God became fully human if part of being human means not bei
Are Demon Possessions and Exorcisms in the New Testament Literal?
Are Demon Possessions and Exorcisms in the New Testament Literal?
#STRask
December 11, 2025
Questions about whether references to demon possessions and exorcisms in the New Testament are literal, how to talk to young children about ghosts, an
Why Should We Pray If God Already Knows What’s Going to Happen?
Why Should We Pray If God Already Knows What’s Going to Happen?
#STRask
January 29, 2026
Questions about why we should pray if God already knows what’s going to happen, how the effectiveness of prayer is measured, and whether or not things