We are living in uncertain times. A lot has happened over a few short weeks, and everyone seems to be living in a state of fear and confusion. What can we as Christians do to remain faithful ambassadors of King Jesus? If Jesus were in our living room, He might point to the very screen you are looking at now and say, “Look! The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers in His harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
Jesus would see the many, many people behind the screens of their phones and computers and see a field ripe for harvest. Perhaps we should as well. Many people in our country (and your community) are working and schooling from home even as you read this post. We have an audience for gospel conversations!
What are some ways we can maximize these opportunities and share the gospel in this unique opportunity in human history? Here are a few practical ideas:
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Pray for workers in the harvest field. If we are going to be biblical, we must actually obey what Jesus said. He specifically told His disciples to pray for God to send workers. You can join TBM for our 24/7 online prayer gatherings at tbmtx.online.church and invite your friends to join us in prayer. You can even stop reading right now and pray for workers. Just know this: You are probably praying for yourself to be sent by God!
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Post positive content to social media. Don’t be the person who blasts our government or curses at all the crazy people in the world, then posts a Christian message as if they are some saint. Be smart! There is a reason Dave Ramsey doesn’t sell credit cards to college students. It would contradict his message of financial freedom from debt. In the same way, let’s be sure we don’t unintentionally contradict the Gospel message by what we post.
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Consider starting a Facebook live post. Facebook Live posts are always given priority on Facebook. They go to the top of the feeds. Use this to your advantage and start a consistent Facebook live post every day at the same time, offering prayer or a devotional to all who may watch. Don’t know what to say? Just read from your favorite devotional, or better yet, read the Bible!
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Private message people who might need encouragement. As you scroll through the many social media posts, you might come across a post that screams “Help me!” If this happens, send that person a quick private message of encouragement. If they ask for prayer, consider recording the prayer out loud and sending them the audio. There is something about a real audio prayer that changes hearts!
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Invite people to join you for an online church service. This past Sunday, social media was filled with “watch parties” hosted by people all around the world featuring these live videos of worship services. It was beautiful to see the body of Christ mobilize online. Sometimes it is easier to invite a friend to a watch party than to a live service. Gather as many friends as possible for this coming Sunday!
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Start or join an online Bible study using an online platform. There are many tools to use to host an online gathering, including Bible studies. TBM has a great resource to help you with this. Click here to learn more.
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Be prepared to answer questions biblically. What if someone asks you a difficult question? Don’t be afraid! First, Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit would give us the answers we need when we need them. But sometimes the best answer to give is “I don’t know, but I will find out.” This is a much more respectable answer to give than to answer incorrectly. Use www.truelife.org as a resource to help with difficult questions.
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Go old school. Remember the days before the internet and text messaging when we had to actually call people? Well, why not try that again with those in our circle? Now, more than ever, people need to hear real voices! Isolation hurts. Let’s make it personal as we look for ways to share the gospel during this crucial time in history!
By Preston Cave, missions and discipleship coordinator for TBM. Contact Preston at Preston.Cave@TBMTX.org to learn about making disciples throughout Texas and to the ends of the earth through TBM ministries.