Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 25, 2025
“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.’” 
- Acts 16:14 -
One of the questions the church struggles with year after year and generation after generation is how to reach new people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are always looking for new, exciting and innovative ways to tell the story of God’s saving work on our behalf.  We look for ways to make it more interesting, more cool, more fun.
The first people who told the story of Jesus didn’t really think about things in quite that way. They went around from town to town simply telling people who Jesus is and what he has done.  They would talk to small groups of people. They would talk to large groups of people. They would talk to one person at a time. They would talk to anyone who would listen.
And the Holy Spirit took hold of their words and created believers. The Holy Spirit opened the hearts of those who heard preachers like Peter and Paul. Their hearts were opened and they came to know that Jesus had come to save them.  People like Lydia heard the good news and were moved to be baptized along with their entire families.
Sharing our faith with others is not nearly so difficult as we might imagine. The Holy Spirit takes our words and makes them his own.  Sometimes those words are elaborate, well-planned sermons. Sometimes they are simple invitations to come along to church. Sometimes they are Sunday school lessons. Sometimes they are prayers parents and children share. Sometimes they are faith statements confirmation students are forced to write. Sometimes those words are nothing more than saying hello to someone the world ignores.
Each of us can do the work Paul did for Lydia in Thyatira. Each of us can share the gospel. And we can trust that the Holy Spirit works through those words to accomplish God’s purposes. If you’re not really sure how to do it, or if you’re not really sure you’re up to it, the easiest way to start is to invite someone to come with you to church next Sunday. The Holy Spirit might already be working on them. They won’t be offended, and they might surprise you and say yes.

Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 25, 2025
“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.’” 
- Acts 16:14 -
One of the questions the church struggles with year after year and generation after generation is how to reach new people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are always looking for new, exciting and innovative ways to tell the story of God’s saving work on our behalf.  We look for ways to make it more interesting, more cool, more fun.
The first people who told the story of Jesus didn’t really think about things in quite that way. They went around from town to town simply telling people who Jesus is and what he has done.  They would talk to small groups of people. They would talk to large groups of people. They would talk to one person at a time. They would talk to anyone who would listen.
And the Holy Spirit took hold of their words and created believers. The Holy Spirit opened the hearts of those who heard preachers like Peter and Paul. Their hearts were opened and they came to know that Jesus had come to save them.  People like Lydia heard the good news and were moved to be baptized along with their entire families.
Sharing our faith with others is not nearly so difficult as we might imagine. The Holy Spirit takes our words and makes them his own.  Sometimes those words are elaborate, well-planned sermons. Sometimes they are simple invitations to come along to church. Sometimes they are Sunday school lessons. Sometimes they are prayers parents and children share. Sometimes they are faith statements confirmation students are forced to write. Sometimes those words are nothing more than saying hello to someone the world ignores.
Each of us can do the work Paul did for Lydia in Thyatira. Each of us can share the gospel. And we can trust that the Holy Spirit works through those words to accomplish God’s purposes. If you’re not really sure how to do it, or if you’re not really sure you’re up to it, the easiest way to start is to invite someone to come with you to church next Sunday. The Holy Spirit might already be working on them. They won’t be offended, and they might surprise you and say yes.