Recently we introduced the #jesuschangedmylife challenge to our junior high and high school students. I wanted to take a minute and explain our heart behind this challenge and how students and parents (or anyone really!) can participate in it!
Initiated by a church in Los Angeles, this movement was designed to give believers an opportunity to share their faith with others during this quarantine. Church members were asked to record a video of themselves sharing a brief (1-2 minutes only!) snippet of their faith testimony and invite anyone who watched it to inquire further about this person Jesus who had changed their life.
One of the things our students have heard over and over again in our “Make The Most Of It” series on Tuesday nights is that the Great Commission has not been put on hold just because the Coronavirus has caused us to shelter at home.
Our call as believers in Jesus Christ is the same now as it is always – Go and make disciples. The only thing that has changed is our circumstances, but the Gospel in which we have believed is not a seasonal item or a limited-time-only type of deal. God’s free gift of eternal life far transcends our circumstances and long outlasts any virus.
In a time when the bad news surrounding this pandemic is darkening every corner of the globe, there seem to be such rich opportunities for the good news of Jesus to shine even brighter through us, His church.
This is where you come in!
We want to use your #jesuschangedmylife videos to do just that – to bring light into the darkness.
Here is a simple step-by-step process you could follow:
1) Pray for God to show you what aspect of your story to include in your video.
2) If you need some practice first, try writing out a couple of paragraphs describing how Jesus has changed your life. Maybe focus on questions like: How did you come to believe in Christ and how have you seen Him transform your life since then?
3) Record the 1-2 minute video – Introduce yourself, share about your faith and relationship with Jesus, and invite anyone who is watching to reach out to you if they want to know more
4) Post the video to your social media accounts along with the hashtag #jesuschangedmylife and tag Church of the Open Door.
5) Pray that God would use your words to reach people for Him.
We know this might sound like an intimidating task, but we think this is one of the best ways to continue walking in obedience to God as we navigate these uncertain times.
The soil is ready. People are eager to know that there is a God in control of these circumstances – a God who loves them so much that He sent His only Son to die on a cross for their sins. That is the single greatest piece of news the world needs to hear right now.
Students, if you are reading this email, be bold, and share with your peers how Jesus has changed your life. Extending the offer of salvation to others is not something you’ll ever regret.
Parent, if you are reading this email, lead by example and take on this challenge yourself! Model to your children what it looks like to be unashamed of your faith in Christ.
Christian, if you are reading this email, know that your mission in life has not changed. Go and make disciples of all the nations. Take on this challenge and be surprised at the impact your short story of God’s grace might have on someone’s life.
The world is ready to hear how Jesus changed our lives. Let’s tell them about it!
In Him,
Ryan Berkman
High School Pastor
P.S. Below are a couple of helpful links that contain further description of this challenge, a few tips for sharing and recording your testimony, as well as a couple of examples of what the finished video might look like.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/share-your-jesuschangedmylife-story/
https://realityla.com/jesuschangedmylife/
https://realityla.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sharing-the-Good-Story-v2-200325.pdf
https://realityla.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/RLA_Selfie_Guide-3.25.20.pdf
