A lot of times as Christians we believe that our first priority is our own personal holiness. That’s our first mistake, our mission is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love what the Oklahoma Sooner head softball coach said in an interview “The Lord woke me up and was like, You’re doing this all wrong. You are not here to win games. You’re here to open the door, here to win souls.”

I remember when someone approached me and told me that my job was to bring all of the young people to this church. I laughed and thought, no, that is our job! You see, the early church was not perfect, but one thing they did well was that they were all contributors rather than consumers. Every single person was committed to serving the church, developing new relationships on the outside, maintaining a good reputation, and then sharing the gospel, converting more and more people. Their life was only worth saving souls for Christ, everything else came second.

The key point to spreading the gospel is to build new relationships, go out and make new friends who are non-believers, avoid staying in a church bubble, and be comfortable being uncomfortable. Church, you see, is more than just sitting in a pew; it is bringing God’s love, grace, and righteousness into your workplace, family, and relationships. Being a hard worker, maintaining high morals, and having a good reputation. Church and worship begin when we leave the pews and become a worthy example to others. Believe me, people notice this about you.

In my own life, I’ve seen countless lives changed simply by being a great friend and loving them where they are while sharing Jesus with them in life’s toughest moments. You see, we often believe that we don’t know enough about God’s Bible to share our thoughts about him with others, which is why we rely on his Spirit and power to give us the words. You rarely argue with people who have had a change of heart, but showing them love and grace changes everything and makes them more willing to embrace the gospel.