Have you ever discovered bare spots in your yard? They may appear under a tree or, as in my case, next to the house. Bermuda grass is extremely hardy, except in the shade. When bare spots develop, one has to sow new seed or re-sprig the area. Once the seed is planted, it is necessary to water and fertilize so the grass will grow.
For a long time, there have been significant bare spots in Oklahoma where the Gospel has not been sown. We wait in our churches for a harvest, even though the seed has not been placed in the ground. It will not happen. But things, they are a changin’!
It looks as if Oklahoma Baptist churches will make contact with nearly 40 percent of the homes in our state on March 31 as a part of ACROSS Oklahoma. We will carry information about connecting the church and the Gospel to each of those homes. This massive sow down of our state with the Gospel will be an historic event-one that has never been done to this magnitude.
Our goal was to contact 100,000 homes. Oklahoma directors of missions and pastors have caught the vision, and they have already made commitments to visit more than 500,000 homes. That number will continue to climb as we approach March 31. Now that is some serious seed scattering!
While our churches are going door to door, television commercials will be running in every market in the state. These commercials are a soft-sell approach that will augment and enhance the materials left at the door of the homes. Everything points to Easter Sunday. What a great opportunity to invite people to our churches. This is the one day every pulpit will ring with the clarion call of the Good News of Jesus.
I am very proud of our evangelism leaders, directors of missions and pastors. But beyond the leaders are the ground troops. That’s you! All of us will have the opportunity to be a part of planting Gospel seeds on March 31. Just tell your pastor you want to participate. The commercials and all the materials you will carry are possible because you gave to the State Missions Offering and the Cooperative Program.
Our seed sowing on March 31 is put into perspective by the psalmist, who said, “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves with him.”
This is impacting lostness! Because we go, many people will come to know the Savior in the days and weeks ahead. Now we are on the same mission as our Lord, which was to seek and save the lost. Hallelujah!
