WHO’S YOUR ONE? | Week 2 | “Reach Your One”
Before Jesus returned to heaven, He gave His followers a clear mission:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” —Matthew 28:19
Jesus did not tell His disciples to sit still and wait for people to find them. He told them to go. We are called to move toward people, build relationships, and help them discover the hope that can only be found in Jesus.
That mission was not given only to pastors, missionaries, or people with outgoing personalities. Every follower of Jesus has been commissioned to help others take steps toward Him.
God has placed people around each of us who need His grace. It may be a family member, friend, coworker, neighbor, classmate, or someone we regularly see in our community.
The question is simple: Who is your one?
Who is the person God has placed on your heart? Who needs to experience the love of Christ through your life?
There are three practices every follower of Jesus can begin:
Pray. Invite. Share.
PRAY FOR YOUR ONE
Before you talk to your one about Jesus, talk to Jesus about your one.
We cannot change someone’s heart. We cannot pressure, persuade, or argue someone into the kingdom of God. Salvation is God’s work. Only He can convict, awaken, draw, and save.
That is why prayer is essential.
Pray that God will soften your one’s heart, reveal their need for Him, remove spiritual blindness, and draw them toward Jesus.
Pray for God to open a door for a meaningful conversation.
But do not only pray, “Lord, change them.”
Pray, “Lord, change me. Give me courage. Help me live consistently. Give me compassion. Show me when to speak, and help me know what to say.”
Prayer reminds us that people are not projects. Your one is a person created in the image of God, loved by God, and in need of God’s grace.
Pray for that person by name. Pray consistently. Pray expectantly. Do not give up simply because you cannot yet see what God is doing.
INVITE YOUR ONE
An invitation can open a door that changes someone’s life.
Your invitation might sound like:
“Would you come to church with me?”
“Would you sit with me?”
“Would you like to get coffee?”
“Would you come over for dinner?”
“Would you like to talk?”
When Philip told Nathanael about Jesus, Nathanael was skeptical. Philip did not begin an argument. He simply said, “Come and see.”
That is the heart of an invitation.
Invite your one to church, but do not stop there. Invite them into your life.
Share a meal. Help with a project. Attend something important to their family. Sit with them during a difficult season. Listen when they are struggling. Be present consistently.
People should never feel that our friendship is merely a strategy. We do not pretend to care about people so that we can preach at them. We care about people because Jesus cares about them.
Make your invitation personal. Instead of saying, “You should visit church sometime,” say, “Would you come with me this Sunday? I will meet you at the door, you can sit with me, and we can have lunch afterward.”
Invitation opens the door.
SHARE WITH YOUR ONE
Prayer builds the door. Invitation opens the door. Sharing walks through it.
Paul wrote that he was pleased to share “not only the gospel of God but also our own lives” with the people he loved.
We must share both the gospel and our lives.
Your one needs to see what following Jesus looks like in an ordinary life. That does not mean pretending to be perfect. It means allowing them to see how Jesus helps you face difficulty, forgive others, admit when you are wrong, endure disappointment, make decisions, and depend upon God.
People are not looking for proof that Christians are perfect. They are looking for evidence that Jesus is real.
Share your story. You do not need a seminary degree or answers to every difficult question. You know what Jesus has done for you.
Tell them what your life was like before you came to Christ, how you came to understand the gospel, and what difference Jesus is making in your life today.
But do not stop with your personal story. Share the gospel.
The gospel is not advice about becoming more religious, trying harder, or cleaning up your life. It is the good news of what God has done for sinners through Jesus Christ.
We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. We cannot rescue ourselves through good works or religious effort. But God reached toward us.
Jesus lived the sinless life we could not live. He died on the cross in our place, carried the judgment our sins deserved, was buried, and rose from the dead. Salvation is offered by grace and received through faith in Christ alone.
Someone prayed for you.
Someone invited you.
Someone shared with you.
God used someone to help you encounter Jesus. Now He desires to reach someone else through you.
THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE
Pray for your one by name every day.
Contact them in a natural and caring way.
Look for an opportunity to invite them to church or into your life.
Ask God to prepare you to share your story and clearly explain the gospel.
Your one may be one prayer, one invitation, or one conversation away from taking a step toward Jesus.
PRAYER
Father, You know my one completely. You know their questions, hurts, doubts, fears, and spiritual condition. Please draw them toward Jesus and open their heart to the truth of the gospel.
Open a door for me to invite them into my life and speak to them about Christ. Give me courage, wisdom, patience, compassion, and consistency. Let them see Jesus through the way I live. Please use me to help them know the Savior who reached me.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Jesus reached you. Now ask Him to reach your one through you.
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