Read Acts 20:21-24

“But nothing, not even my life, is more important than my completing my mission. This is nothing other than the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus: to testify about the good news of God’s grace.” -Acts 20:24

It’s difficult to imagine the growth of the early Christian church apart from the ministry of the apostle Paul. He is the one who was captivated by a mission of taking the message of Christ out into the world. Certainly, he could not have imagined the impact he would continue to have on the church 2000 years later. His willingness to risk everything for the sake of fulfilling his mission was crucial to his success.

In some ways, the world today is more like the world Paul encountered than any time in recent history, particularly when it comes to faith. Millions of people claim no affiliation to religion and millions more have only a casual connection to faith. There is a huge opportunity in the year 2023 and beyond for the church to “testify about the good news of God’s grace” to a world filled with people who don’t know it.

What the church and the world need are risk-takers. Persons who are convinced that this good news is so important that they would be willing to risk whatever it takes to share it. There are more than many who call St. Paul’s UMC home. If every one of us becomes a risk-taker, the impact it will continue to have on this community for generations to come is beyond any of our imaginations.

Is there someone right now to whom you might share about the good news of God’s grace?

What are you willing to risk for the sake of sharing the good news?