GPBC Blog

I turned to Jesus when I was 17 years old. I grew up calling myself Christian, been to youth groups a couple of times and had heard vague messages that never clicked. As God began calling me to Himself, I started reading the Gospel of Luke. I was finally face to face with the words of Jesus and they were nothing like I thought. A call to deny myself and pick my cross daily and follow Him. A radical call of leaving everything else behind, for “No one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is fit for My kingdom.”

If Jesus is who He says He is, it's worth leaving everything for. C.S. Lewis wrote, "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance; the only thing it cannot be is moderately important." This realization changed my life forever. Yet, most people I knew were in the same position, Christian by name and nothing more or not even claiming it at all.
 
Since that moment, the realization of the need to spread the Gospel to the whole world has become a priority in my life. As I approach graduation and continue discerning God's calling, I feel led to serve overseas, specifically with unreached Muslim groups. In May, I’ll be taking a vision trip to the Middle East to further discern where God desires me to serve long-term.
 
I am deeply grateful for the way God has called me to serve in this mission, and I want to remind each of us that we are all called to participate in His great work. The beauty of God's Kingdom is that He invites all of us, no matter where we are or what our circumstances may be, to be part of this mission. Some are called to go overseas, to venture out into the world and share the gospel in places where His name has not been heard. Others are called to stay and labor in the harvest at home, to be a light in their own communities, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
 
But even for those who may not be able to go physically, prayer remains an essential part of this mission. In fact, prayer is perhaps one of the most powerful and effective tools we have in furthering God’s Kingdom. In discussing our growth in prayer, as well as the outward work he accomplishes, Saint Augustine wrote, “Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not.”
 
Church, how are you participating in this mission? "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few" (Luke 10:2).

**John Luke is a pseudonym in order to protect future ministry opportunities.