February 2, 2025
witness encounters
KingsWay’s upcoming Great Commission Sunday on February 16 will celebrate the ways we are participating in the Lord’s call to make disciples. On February 2, KingsWay member Michael Sullivan shared about several recent opportunities he has taken to proclaim the gospel.
Our pastors challenged us at the beginning of 2025 to think about this question: “Of my friends outside our church who do not know Jesus, for whom should I especially pray and initiate conversation about the gospel?”
As I reflect on this question, I believe that I need to be bold--yet humble--to effectively answer this challenge. I need to be bold like Paul when he says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.” Yet humble--as I am only a beggar of grace telling another beggar where to get the bread. So as we look for opportunities together to share the gospel in 2025, here are some witness counters from my own life that may encourage you.
One encounter I had recently was at work: I heard a coworker bashing Christianity. He kept using the phrase, “Jesus Freaks” - until I popped up over the top of his cube and said, “I’m one of those”. He asked, “You are one of what?” I said, “I believe the word you used was Jesus Freak”. I explained that I am a Christian. So, we stared at each other for a couple of seconds that felt like an eternity, until I asked, “Who do you say Jesus is?”
Somewhat to my surprise he answered that he’s the Son of God. I shared that I would agree with him on that. But I asked, “If the Son of God says he is the way and the truth, why don’t you follow Him?” That’s when my coworker shared that he does not need God. He has a girlfriend, good health, pays his bills, and can travel a little. So, I asked, “So, what happens if you die?”
He shared that he is still pretty young and does not expect to die anytime soon. So I responded, “Listen: life is not certain. We do not know what a day will bring, and God forbid, but you could die tomorrow.”
That’s when he shared that he feels God would be obligated to reveal Himself to him before anything like that would happen. I responded that we have the Word of God, the Bible, though which He reveals Himself. Then I challenged him to read the Gospel of John. I said, “Ask the Son of God to reveal Himself to you. I am confident that He will.”
He responded that he has no desire to do that and that God would have to get his attention in a different way. I said, “Maybe the Lord is using me to get your attention to read the Gospel of John.” He said, “No thanks, brother man--and I told you that I do not need God.” Then a phone call came and that witness opportunity closed. But not before I prayed a silent prayer for my coworker’s soul and for me to be a good witness because I know there were other coworkers listening in to our crazy conversation.
The second witness encounter that comes to mind was with a contractor named Carlos who had a 3-day job doing some ceiling repair in our home. I was reading my Bible in the kitchen as Carlos was finishing up the job on the last day when he came over to me and asked, “Are you a pastor?”
I said, “No, I am just a believer.” I am not sure why I said the word “just” before “believer” but nonetheless that is what I said. I followed it up with a brief testimony of how God saved me and then asked, “Do you know Jesus?”
Carlos said, “Yes,” and he shared his heart with me about how he grew up in the church all his life and became the worship pastor at a church in the neighborhood. He was really honest about how he felt discouraged and disappointed by the conflicts and negativity he experienced when he became the worship pastor. But what really struck me was how he confessed that he was always feeling curious about the world outside the church and how, now that he’d had a taste of it, he’s realizing it's not all it's cracked up to be.
So we had a conversation about how the world is not a friend to the committed Christian. And I shared how sad it is when the church is not being the church and a shelter for sinners. Then I asked, “Have you thought about finding a healthy church and just letting the Lord minister to you?”
Carlos laughed and shared that that is what his mom tells him to do all the time. He told me that every time he walked by my open Bible in the kitchen over the past few days, he could feel this gentle tug, like it was inviting him to come closer and explore.
So that’s when I invited him to visit KingsWay and mentioned the rich diversity of our Latino community and the unique aspect of our church where multiple ethnicities come together as one congregation every Sunday.
Carlos did not say yes or no to my invitation, so I invited him again. That’s when he opened up to me and shared how he has two daughters and that his mom brings them to church every Sunday. I said,
“Ok, Carlos, now we are talking about the father heart of God and your two girls need you to have conversations with them and you can lead them to Jesus!!” He laughed a little and shared “Yeah, that’s exactly what my mom says too!! She thinks it's super important for my girls to get to know the real me and what’s really inside me.”
From there Carlos got a text and the open window of opportunity closed. But after the business transaction was completed and Carlos was walking out my front door, I said that “you have my phone number; give me a call if you would like to meet me at KingsWay Community Church.”
My last example that I would like to share about is about my dad. I have often asked for prayer for my dad’s salvation in Jeff and Lauren’s community group. Recently, I sent him Caleb Collins’ sermon on Ecclesiastes 9 about what is certain and what is not. I asked my dad if I could send him the sermon to listen to and was thrilled when he said yes.
But what an adventure that turned out to be! The first time I sent it, he couldn't find it. The second time, he said it wasn't in a format he could listen to. And the third time, he somehow lost the email! And then praise God, he finally got it, and he even took notes and wrote down questions for me.
We had a long conversation about multiple questions, including my dad wondering about the fact that--from what he can see on the surface--a lot of people seem to do just fine without God. I don’t have time today to get into all of my responses—but the bottom line is, my dad still does not trust the Lord’s saving power. One of my main prayers is, “Lord, please send people into my dad’s life to share the good news of Jesus Christ.”
Because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And you never know when you be the gospel encounter in someone else’s life who has a loved one like me praying fervently for them.
I would like to close with a Scripture that I often share in my witness encounters: Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, shall live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Michael Sullivan