Reaching Your World With Luis Palau

Evangelism can be a lonely task. After all, proclaiming the Gospel can require leaving your comfort zone and stepping out in faith. The Bible assures us that we will face obstacles and opposition. This is why fellowship with other believers is essential. By working alongside other believers, we get the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences, gain encouragement from common ground, and engender a revitalized boldness for sharing the Good News. Even reading the stories of great evangelists and followers of Christ can bring a shot of empowerment when you need it most. Collaboration in evangelism can also help us reach more people more effectively. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” While each of us can accomplish anything with the help of the Holy Spirit, God did not mean for us to serve Him in isolation. To gather as followers of Christ, even by the handful, is a powerful thing. And, as we demonstrate His love in our relationships with one another, we become a te

About 4:00 a.m. little Olivia was startled to tears by an ambulance siren in the street. When the babysitter had put Olivia to bed in the evening, she had forgotten to switch on the night light. However, when her mother turned on the small yellow light, the child quickly went back to sleep. The darkness was gone, and with it, her fear. It is a scientific truth that light always goes into darkness, not the other way around. Darkness cannot overcome a candle, it must wait for the flame to flicker out. But light takes effect instantaneously, as soon as a match is struck, or a switch flipped on. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) Going into the darkness of our world can be scary, intimidating, but that is where Jesus wants us to be. Staying in our familiar, comfortable, Christian surroundings is not the way to reach our world. We need to find out where our neighbors and coworkers ha

I’ve just been reading Psalm 119 again, and I got excited. This psalm is all about how wonderful God’s Word is. Every verse – and there are 176 in the psalm – has something to say about how powerful and how precious it is. The first verse says, “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.” Verse 9 is for youth: “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” Verse 37 is a powerful prayer: “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” Verse 114 gives us confidence: “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.” Do you want to be wise? Read verse 130: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” But read it for yourself, the whole psalm. I hope it will give you a renewed love for the Word of God, and a desire to dive into it. My father taught me at a very young age the value of spending time in the Bible every day. All my adult life I ha

Bob is a farmer in eastern Oregon. He first heard me preach in 1978 and immediately got the vision for an evangelistic outreach in his home town of Athena – population just over one thousand. We were not able to schedule it at the time, but Bob was persistent. Finally, everything finally fell into place, and I and a few others of our team drove across Oregon to Athena. Over half the town’s population crowded into the high school auditorium, where we had a BMX bike demo and I gave the Gospel message. About 120 people in that small community received Jesus Christ into their lives that day, and Bob was ecstatic. The dream he had for 35 years had come true! Bob’s drive and persistence are impressive. He pushed us all to get on board and do our part. He mobilized the churches in the area and got dozens of believers involved. The success of this event can be laid at the feet of that one man. Do you have a dream? Is there something God has laid on your heart? Don’t be afraid to take the first steps towards making it

Did you see the movie, “War Room”? In it, a Christian pastor was viewing a house that was for sale. When he went into a certain closet he could sense that a lot of praying had been done there. I’m reminded of an incident a friend of ours told us about. She was home late one evening when the doorbell rang. A young girl was on the doorstep, crying and shaking all over. It was Linda, an acquaintance of her sons’ who had been there before with a group of young people. Linda’s story was a sad one of taking one wrong step after another, until now she had reached bottom. That evening, Linda had been doing drugs with her boyfriend when she suddenly was seized by a desire to get out. She said that when she had been in my friend’s house before, she had a sense of peace and wellbeing, so now that she was in trouble and needed help, that is where she turned. My friend was able to share Christ with Linda and lead her in a prayer of repentance. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said about Himself, “I am the bread of life … I am

What do think of when you hear the word “redeem?” To be honest, one of the first things that comes to my mind is coupons. You have to redeem a coupon in order for it to have any value. Until you trade your coupon in for that free cheeseburger or half-off a pair of shoes, all you have is a slip of paper and a promise. Redemption turns an idea into a result. The Bible often uses the word “redeemed” to describe a rescue: He redeemed the Israelites from Egypt. Luke 1:68 uses the term in words of worship: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.” Yes, past tense! God’s sacrifice of His perfect son Jesus was the catalyst that turned a promise into our salvation. Hallelujah! We have been redeemed; we have been rescued from sin. Because of Jesus, we are made new and welcomed into God’s family with open arms. We have access to the Holy Spirit in the face of struggles, and an ally who has overcome evil. We are called to live in light of this redemption on a daily b

There are two main reasons we share the Good News with people who don’t yet know Jesus. One, so that they can be in relationship here on earth with Jesus, and two, for their eternal salvation. But what if I told you that sharing the Good News actually develops you as a Christian? What if I told you sharing the Good News Gospel actually strengthens your own faith? It does! Here’s why: people generally feel timid about sharing the Good News. So many people have approached me and said, “Luis, I’m not a Bible scholar; how will I know what to say when I share the Good News?” To which I respond, “You have to trust that God will give you the right words to say every time.” Sharing the Good News strengthens our faith because it requires us, as believers, to trust that God is already at work in people’s hearts and consciences before we show up. It requires us to lean on God for strength, wisdom, and understanding when we share His message. Today, pray about who you can share the Good News with. Then, actively look for

A Christian author once said, “Churches should not be a museum of good people; instead, they’re a hospital for the broken.” I love that saying, but I think many people don’t realize this. After all, how many of us actually wear our problems on our sleeves when we go to church? Sometimes, it can feel like there’s pressure to have our act together on Sunday mornings. But the reality is, Jesus didn’t come just to save the folks that appeared to have it all together. He didn’t come for the people who worked the hardest, who had the best families, who appeared to be perfect. Jesus came for everyone—including the broken, the sinners, the people who have lied, and cheated, and messed up big time. Jesus doesn’t require us to be perfect. And unlike anyone on earth, Jesus never runs out of grace for us. All He asks is that we receive Him into our hearts, and then following that, we do our best to live out His love for others. Some people in this nation have never heard that the Bible says in John 3:16, “For God so love