“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans, 10:13 NIV)” “But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them?” (Romans 10:14-17, The Message)

We just passed the 43rd anniversary of my baptism. It was Sunday, April 18, 1976…you know, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and phones had cords, rotary dial & were used for talking. I was eight years old and terrified as I stepped into that water and stood before what felt like a million people. But I was determined. This one thing I knew…Jesus had sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for my sin. I believed He was the Savior of the world, I had accepted Him as my Lord, and I wanted everyone to know He was MY Savior, too.

Who shared the Gospel with you? A friend, relative or co-worker? Did you read a Gideon Bible in a hotel room, listen to Christian music, or a radio preacher? Maybe, like me, you were raised in the church and had a faithful string of Sunday school teachers. Very few people respond to the Good News the first time they hear it. Some studies say that an American has to encounter the Gospel 15x before responding. How many more times would that be for people coming from another faith background? The Bible is so right, “one person plants the seeds and another person waters them, but it is God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6).

But, the bottom line is, someone shared with you and it’s not supposed to stop there. It is our privilege and responsibility to become part of the “Gospel chain”…one small link in an ongoing rescue plan, initiated, directed & animated by the God of the universe… and planned since the foundation of the world.

What an awesome privilege to be part of this movement! So, scatter or water some “Gospel seeds” this week. The soil is all around you.

“Tag, you’re it!”