On the last day of our trip to Kenya and Uganda, we played a soccer match at the Koro Farms field in Kampala. After the game, our team split up into groups with the Sports Outreach Staff, our opponent, and fans to share testimonies. My group finished a little earlier than others so I walked over to another group to listen in. I entered a conversation where two of the members of the crowd were very frustrated, asking questions how and why anyone would believe the God who created everything would need a Son to help him accomplish anything. Valid questions. One of the men walked away, tired of these group conversations, where he may not have felt heard. I caught up to him and told him I thought he was asking important questions and he asked me a few more of them. He was thinking really deeply about faith and what it means to him, and just could not understand why there would be a need for Jesus. I prayed God would give me the words to say and he did. I asked the man if I could tell him what I believe and got the ok.
Just as he was saying, God is the Creator of everything. He is perfect, holy, unchanging. We are not. Romans 3 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That means there is nothing we can do to make ourselves right with him. I know that from experience. If there were a ladder we could climb to get ourselves to God, I might climb up a few steps one morning when I help my family without anyone asking, but just a few minutes later I need to climb back down when I tell a lie. We just can’t be perfect, I’ve tried. It doesn’t work. But God loves us so much and He is just so He sent His Son, Jesus, down to take down the ladder and sacrifice himself on the cross to make a way for us to reach the Father. We couldn’t stand in God’s presence without Jesus’ sacrifice.
From there, I prayed for him, gave him the gospel of John so he could read more about this Jesus he had so many questions about, and we parted ways. Now I know a seed has been planted by the grace of God and will continue to pray for it to be watered and nurtured.
I’m thankful that God made a way for me to share about His love! That was the only time the whole trip I shared the gospel in such a way. I didn’t prepare to share it that way, God just used me and I trust it was what the man needed to hear in that moment. Praise the Lord!
Just as he was saying, God is the Creator of everything. He is perfect, holy, unchanging. We are not. Romans 3 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That means there is nothing we can do to make ourselves right with him. I know that from experience. If there were a ladder we could climb to get ourselves to God, I might climb up a few steps one morning when I help my family without anyone asking, but just a few minutes later I need to climb back down when I tell a lie. We just can’t be perfect, I’ve tried. It doesn’t work. But God loves us so much and He is just so He sent His Son, Jesus, down to take down the ladder and sacrifice himself on the cross to make a way for us to reach the Father. We couldn’t stand in God’s presence without Jesus’ sacrifice.
From there, I prayed for him, gave him the gospel of John so he could read more about this Jesus he had so many questions about, and we parted ways. Now I know a seed has been planted by the grace of God and will continue to pray for it to be watered and nurtured.
I’m thankful that God made a way for me to share about His love! That was the only time the whole trip I shared the gospel in such a way. I didn’t prepare to share it that way, God just used me and I trust it was what the man needed to hear in that moment. Praise the Lord!