Living a sent life
Christian leaders often motivate others to talk about Jesus by appealing to guilt, duty, or even shame. I endured many sermons that told me I should share my faith, and I would if only I loved Jesus more. I left these messages feeling like a failure. And I didn’t feel closer to Jesus or inspired to talk about him. Now, as someone who regularly and joyfully talks to others about Jesus, I think differently about evangelism. The secret to evangelism—and something I missed for many years—is identity. When we miss this, we perceive evangelism as a guilt-driven task rather than part of joyful intimacy with God. We can define this identity from a key verb in Scripture—the often-overlooked word “sent.” In John 20:21 Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Core Principles The sent identity operates from three core principles that can significantly change how we live even our most ordinary days. When we believe these biblical principles, our homes, n...