Building Bridges

Bible Reading: John 17:14-19

As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:18

When Duncan learned to love Jesus, he knew he had unwrapped a priceless spiritual treasure. Now he wants his friends to love Jesus too.

So Duncan is praying for a list of people who need to know Christ. He plans to pass out tracts at the mall, dangle fish symbols from his book bag, and wear his new “Turn or Burn” witnessing T-shirt to school. Best yet, he’s made it his life goal to get on TV holding one of those John 3:16 banners at the Super Bowl.

Those ways of telling people about Jesus may work for some people. But if you really want to get good at sharing the gospel with friends and family, you’ll want to practice up on your communication skills. And your hottest opportunities to talk about Jesus are with the people you know well—your friends.

Me? you might be thinking. How can I know God really wants to use me to tell others about him? Look at this evidence:

God fills you with gifts so you can serve people. He gives you the supernatural fruit of his Spirit—like joy, love, peace, kindness, and patience (Galatians 5:22-23). But he doesn’t fill you full of these gifts just to stuff you. He puts those qualities in you so you’re equipped to get along with other people and minister to them.

God plopped you down among unbelievers. If God’s only goal for your life was to save you, he would have yanked you out of your world and taken you to live with him in heaven the moment you trusted Christ. But after you trusted Christ, God left you right where you were—in the middle of a world full of non-Christians. He wants you where you are so you can introduce others to him.

Your unbelieving friends want to know about God. They might not act like it most of the time, but your non-Christian friends have a gigantic inner desire to know their Maker. God wired that desire into their hearts when he created them. And as you get to know your friends better, you’ll spot how God wants to help them.

God put you exactly where you are so you could spread the news about him. And it’s so important to him for you to serve others that he puts inside you all the qualities you need for the task. Don’t you want to share the good news the way someone shared it with you?

TALK: How does God help you with the task of telling people about him?

PRAY: God, help us to become friends with people around us who need to know you.

ACT: Talk to God about any doubts you still may have about sharing Jesus.