One of the truly great blessings of my ministry is the privilege of meeting new people. Every one of them has a story. You have a story and so do I. For those of us who know Christ, our stories are never complete until we share with someone about the most important thing in our lives. Others cannot know me without knowing of my love for Christ and the difference He has made in my life.
I guess that is why I am so baffled by the fact that most Christians are willing to tell people about their favorite football team and their job, spouse, children, grandchildren and hobbies, but they fail to tell the most significant detail of all—the story of the transformation Christ has made in their lives. I have spent a lifetime trying to analyze this phenomenon. Frankly, the issue can be quickly spiritualized. It is caused by living “on empty.” Spirit-filled followers of Christ joyfully witness to the daily works of God in their lives. So step one in finding a solution is a fresh filling of God’s Spirit.
Perhaps the basis for our silence toward lost people is the general lack of sharing with one another about God’s work in our lives. Our churches have lost the art of testimony. When I was a child, we would have testimony time on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Sometimes the testimonies were recollections of the moment Christ became their Savior and Lord. Other times people would tell about God’s mercy and grace that carried them through difficult circumstances. These sessions were designed to brag and boast about God, and one always left with a sense that He had been and is at work.
I think our willingness to tell lost people about Jesus would be heightened if we would begin by simply telling one another about Jesus. In recent months, I have made it a mission to challenge people to tell their stories of salvation to their families. I have also challenged us to tell our stories to other Christians. We need to speak often of God’s grace in our lives, and in so doing the telling of our stories will become natural and easy.
BGCO evangelism leaders have developed a simple yet compelling way to witness. The emphasis is called MY316. Over the last few months, hundreds of church leaders have been trained to use this method to tell their stories of God’s work in them and then bridge to the most well known verse in the Bible, John 3:16.
This summer at Fall Creek, thousands of teens and sponsors learned to tell their stories and then open the way to His story in John 3:16. At CrossTimbers, hundreds of children were taught how to share their stories and bridge to His story. Thousands of pieces of training material, an iPhone app, a Facebook page and other unique and supportive approaches are being utilized to help you and your church tell your story and His.
The creation of MY316, its implementation, and all the related materials are provided without cost to you and your church. Why? Because of generous gifts to the Oklahoma State Missions Offering. This month your church will take a special offering to impact Oklahoma with the Gospel. MY316 as well as a multitude of other special projects and ministry opportunities specific to impacting lostness in Oklahoma would not be possible without your gifts.
So I ask you to do two things. First, tell somebody your story. In fact, tell your story to family, friends and strangers. Just become accustomed to telling your story of God’s goodness in your life. Second, give to the Oklahoma State Missions Offering through your church. Oklahoma is waiting to hear your story and His. Go ahead. Knock yourself out by generously testifying of the mighty works of God in your life and then giving abundantly so everyone in Oklahoma can hear the Good News.
