When The Reached Start Reaching

Who will be in heaven because God used you? Who is God using today in His Kingdom service because God used you?

Early on in my ministry at Mansfield Baptist Church, God used the power of His word during a week of VBS to save a boy in our church. I had the privilege of baptizing that boy. That was the culmination of God’s drawing him who had the blessing of a strong Christian home and the nurture of a loving church family. The boy grew to become a teenager who was greatly impacted by a youth pastor named Josh. That teenager grew to be a young man who went off to college but kept his roots planted in the area.

After school he returned and sought some gainful employment. He ended up marrying a local gal and they started their life together, still active at Mansfield Baptist Church. All along, this young man sensed God had something special for him, some kind of kingdom service.

Soon, God worked it out so that the young man could join the staff of Mansfield Baptist Church as our youth pastor. We know him as Cory. Presently, God is using Cory to reach Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers with the gospel of Christ.

I had the privilege of playing such a small role in Cory’s life, but it brings me great joy to watch how he continues to be multiplied as teenagers are ministered to and launched forth from a youth ministry striving to develop young men and women who love and serve Jesus.

That is one of the joys of racking up the years in ministry. I have performed the weddings of adults who I watched grow up as children. I have seen some I played a small part in discipling launched into different areas of ministry and service. I have felt the sweet joy of watching God call and use people for His glory. And something that is even sweeter is when God uses them to reach another one for His kingdom.

Dream with me for a moment. Dream about the day when you will gather in heaven with one you impacted who came to know Jesus. Imagine gathering with that loved one, that friend, that coworker, that classmate, that neighbor as a brother or sister in Christ. Imagine.

Then, to dream even more…think about gathering with your “one” as they gather with one of their “ones.” Through your “one,” a family member or friend of his or hers will come to Jesus.

Let’s step into the throne room of heaven and watch as your “one” and his or her “one” and each of their “ones” are gathered around the throne of Jesus and bowing at His feet and worshipping. As the years roll by, that crowd could grow to be quite large. Many, many followers of Jesus bowing to worship Christ for all of eternity. All because God used you to reach your “one.”