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Over the years, we’ve highlighted many of the ways God has used the churches of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention to share His good news.
A couple in one church organized an outreach event and invited hundreds of high school football players to hear a Christian sports television personality share his testimony. A group from another church visited local businesses open around Christmas when many others were closed, serving workers donuts and singing carols. In another part of the state, a few brave souls banded together, going door to door to bring the message of Jesus to their neighbors’ doorsteps.
Some were elaborate, some were simple. But in each instance, the gospel was shared and God’s people were faithful to do whatever it took to tell people about Jesus.
In this first issue of 2025, we once again highlight some of the ways God is using His people to grow His kingdom. In the face of challenging circumstances, one church recommitted to making evangelism one of its top priorities and now hears something on Sunday mornings that members hadn’t heard in previous years—the voices of children in the sanctuary. Another church took what many would consider an inconvenience—not having a consistent place to worship one Sunday a month—and used their circumstances for God’s glory, hosting their services in locations throughout their city.
I love that the Texan gets to tell these stories, and based on reader feedback, you do, too. As we publish them, however, I’m always sensitive to the reality that sharing Jesus can happen any number of ways. Sharing the gospel doesn’t require a lot of money, elaborately planned outreaches, or next-level creativity. Those things are great, but we must always remember that sharing Jesus can start with a simple conversation. It can be as easy as asking someone, “Who do you think Jesus is?”
Be intentional about giving God glory when you’re telling others how something went right in your life.
Because we live in a results-driven culture, we can run the risk of letting a scoreboard mentality slip into our faith life. In other words, we can begin to believe that if we’re not leading large numbers of people to Christ, we’re “less-than” Christians. The way I read God’s Word, this isn’t true. We have no control over whether people put their faith in Jesus. That’s between them and the Holy Spirit who draws them in and enlightens them to the truth.
What we can control is being faithful to find ways—simple ways—to tell others about Jesus. Give an account for the hope that is in you. That’s what 1 Peter 3:15 says. Tell someone what Jesus has done for you. Be intentional about giving God glory when you’re telling others how something went right in your life. Point out where God is in your story when things are going wrong. I challenge myself to find ways to slip Jesus’ name into my everyday conversations, believing there is truly power in His name.
This summer, you and your church will have a great opportunity to mobilize and engage people in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex with simple-yet-powerful conversations about Jesus during the Crossover evangelism event that will be held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Dallas. You can find more information about to get involved with Crossover, including several important trainings happening this spring, within this issue’s pages.
May we make much of Jesus in 2025 …
