Daniel Naulty was a former major league baseball player who was a powerful pitcher. But Daniel also used performance-enhancing drugs during his career. A few years ago, he admitted his crime and left baseball for good. But, that’s only part of his story.

The other part of the story happened seven years ago when Naulty’s team won the World Series. What should have been the highlight of his life was instead one of his lowest points. “I thought the World Series was going to be God,” Naulty said. “But I realized after we won that it wasn’t salvation.” He began spiraling into a deep depression. Then Daniel began thinking back to what his Christian teammates had shared with him over the years.

They had told Naulty about God’s story of redemption and love through the cross and resurrection of Christ. Daniel finally realized the truth about what was missing from his life. So he asked forgiveness for his sins, and received Jesus into his life.

Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 5, “You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world.” Like Daniel’s faithful teammates, you and I can also be salt and light to those around us. Even when we don’t see immediate results, God is at work! Just like he was with Daniel Naulty.

The book of Acts, chapter 8, tells us one of the most miraculous evangelistic accounts in the Bible! It starts in verse 26: “An angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south on the road – the desert road – that goes south from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So [Philip] started out…” When Philip arrived on the desert road, he found an Ethiopian eunuch reading the book of Isaiah.

But this man was confused – he needed someone to explain the Scriptures to him. So Philip described that Isaiah was actually prophesying about Jesus Christ. Immediately, the Ethiopian believed in the Lord, and asked to be baptized!

That’s a powerful story isn’t it? Yet the Ethiopian’s conversion wouldn’t have happened if Philip didn’t listen – and obey – the voice of the Lord. No excuses. No hesitation. When the angel told Philip to go, he went!

God has amazing victories in store for us if we simply listen to His voice, and obey. So let’s you and I spend time in God’s Word! Let’s talk with Him in prayer! Then, when He prompts us to witness to our world, we’ll be ready to do it!

This Postmodern generation wants stories. They love stories. They learn from stories. And that’s not bad. It’s great to weave stories together as we present the Good News to this generation.

But, as we tell stories, we must always make sure that there is truth in the stories — Biblical truth! In the midst of being relevant to the culture, we need to be making the point of truth. And the truth of the Good News Gospel is centered on the doctrine of the cross. Jesus Christ shed His blood for the sins of the world.

That must be an essential part of the stories we share. Why? Because the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity. Without the belief that Christ actually died for our sins, rose again, and is alive today at the right hand of God, our religion is just that – religion. With no power to change lives. Remember, without the shedding of blood there’s no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22).

So when we share our faith, you and I must focus on the true story of Jesus Christ’s death the resurrection. It’s amazing, powerful, Good News for a weary and broken world!

As believers we know that God expects us to share the Good News of His love and eternal salvation with others. Some people step out on faith and take God’s word to the world as missionaries. Most Christians never take that step, either in the belief that God is sovereign and doesn’t need our help, or – more likely – because we feel we lack the gifts of evangelism.

The truth is that God doesn’t care about how gifted or talented or good looking we might be – He only cares that we are obedient. In the early 1900’s a young, uneducated parlor maid named Gladys Aylward felt called to preach the Gospel in China. Too poor for the ship fare, she traveled overland by train, then bus, then mule, ending up in the city of Yangchen where no one had ever seen a European.

Over the next two decades and through World War II she shared the love of Christ through tireless service to the Chinese people. Her remarkable story is remembered through books and the movie “The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.”

Whatever our gifts or status in life, God wants us in the missions field, bringing Good News, just as we are. If you have a story about reaching your world as a missionary we would love to hear it. Please drop me a note at radio@palau.org.