Have you ever thought about how far the Gospel traveled before it reached you? One of my favorite Southern Gospel artists, Michael Booth, recently released a new album that includes a song called “The Gospel Changes Everything.” That song has been stuck in my head ever since I heard it.
It got me thinking about the Gospel and how far it’s traveled and how many lives it’s changed. And then I started thinking about how far it traveled before it reached me. Honestly, I have no idea how far it traveled before it reached me because I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I first heard it. I grew up in church, so I was always exposed to the Gospel. I can’t even name the one person who introduced me to Jesus.
Well, that’s not true. I can name her. It’s my mother. She is the reason I grew up hearing about Jesus. She made sure I was active in children’s church, discipleship training, and the youth group. She introduced me to the Gospel by introducing me to Emmanuel Baptist Church. And then I started wondering how far the Gospel had traveled before it reached her. And how far it had traveled before it reached my young ears.
Y’all, this is mind-blowing!
A few months ago, the ladies’ group at my church was working our way through Lisa Harper’s book A Jesus-Shaped Life. During one of our Bible studies, we talked about Peter’s powerful sermon on the Day of Pentecost and how the Holy Spirit opened the people’s ears so they could hear and understand the Gospel in their own languages.
While everyone else was focused on how speaking in tongues began, I found myself thinking about something else. How far did that message travel that day? It traveled from person to person, across the land and across the sea, until one day, more than a thousand years later, it reached my ears as a little girl. I told y’all this was mind-blowing!
And then it stopped with me.
For years, I walked away from God. I didn’t really share Him, the Gospel, or even the good news of Jesus Christ with anyone. I was out there living my life, doing my own thing, and trying to make a living the best way I knew how.
But somehow, while I was busy doing my own thing, God was maneuvering me exactly where He wanted me. Because here I am in 2026, running the Matthew 28:19 Project, actively serving in my church, and teaching in Awana.
I’m not kidding when I tell y’all that God sure is sneaky!
The Gospel has changed my life. And sometimes I wonder what kind of person I would be if I hadn’t been exposed to it as a baby. What if it hadn’t reached my mother, who then introduced it to me? What if it hadn’t reached my teachers, who taught me Bible verses and brought Bible stories to life? What if it hadn’t reached the two men who pastored the church I was born into and raised in? What if it hadn’t reached Dr. David Jeremiah and Pastor Buddy, two of the biggest influences on my spiritual life? What if it hadn’t reached my friends at church, who filled gaps in my heart I didn’t even know were there?
The Gospel reached my mother, and she shared it with me. And somewhere along the way, God used all those people, all those moments, and all those messages to shape me into the person I am today.
Mind. Blown.
And that brings me to something new. I’m starting a new campaign on The Matthew 28:19 Project’s Facebook page. The idea came out of nowhere while I was brainstorming ways to fill the content gap created by my church’s Homecoming celebration. Pastor Buddy wasn’t preaching his usual sermon, and suddenly, on Friday morning, I realized I had nothing to create content around.
So, I started tossing out ideas and thinking about the Project and its mission. I decided this would be a good time to focus on the Romans Road, a simple roadmap for explaining salvation. The more I thought about it, the more the idea took root. Then I realized I could turn it into an entire month-long campaign for October.
A roadmap.
Know the Gospel.
Share the Gospel.
Live the Gospel.
Carry the Gospel.
Because from my own experience, I know the Gospel can stop with us. And I don’t want that anymore. I’m calling this campaign The Gospel Does Not Stop with Me. The Gospel cannot stop with me. And it cannot stop with you. We need to do a better job of telling our friends and family about Jesus. They need to know who He is. They need to know that He changes lives. They need to know that He offers the gift of eternal life.
The good news of Jesus Christ is too important to keep to ourselves.
Every one of us has an eternal destination. We will either spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus or in Hell apart from Him. That makes sharing the Gospel more than a good idea. It makes it urgent. Don’t assume someone else will tell them. Be the one who does.
Tell them that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Tell them that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Tell them that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And tell them that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
That is the Gospel. That is the good news. And if you are reading this blog and you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it’s not too late. You can do it today. You can stop right where you are and talk to God. You can confess your sin, believe in Jesus, and place your faith in Him.
You can pray something like this: “Our Father in Heaven, I know that I am a sinner and that I need forgiveness for my sins and the life that I have lived. I come to You in Jesus’ name and ask for Your forgiveness. I believe with my heart that Jesus is Your Son, that He died on the cross for me, and that You raised Him from the dead. I claim and accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. The Bible says that if I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead, I will be saved. I am doing that right now. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank You, God, for this gift. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”
If you just prayed that prayer, go tell someone. Tell someone you trust what you just did. Find a Bible-believing church. Start learning more about Jesus and what it means to follow Him. And if you’ve already prayed the Sinner’s Prayer but have been lax about sharing Jesus, today is a good day to change that. Go share the Gospel with someone you know. Because the Gospel came to you on the way to somebody else.
Don’t let it stop with you.
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