When I first became a believer in May of 1971, I had no idea that God could be known personally. I was, as the old song goes, “looking for love in all the wrong places.” My life had been lived completely separate from Him. But when I was gloriously introduced to Jesus and realized that He was risen from the dead and that people were still having encounters with Him, it was so exciting that I just had to share it with others.
Right out of the gate, I began telling my testimony. Evangelism became a part of my DNA. As I read through the New Testament, I came across Jesus’ words: “Freely you have received, freely give.” That became my call. From that day on, whether working in full-time ministry or in business, I was still an evangelist at heart.
From One to Many
In the early days, I shared my story one-on-one. Sometimes, it was even with people I had sold drugs to before Christ. I’ll never forget one young man who asked me if I had “any good stuff.” My reply was, “Boy, do I,” and I began witnessing to him about Jesus.
Over time, God began opening doors for mass evangelism. I joined a music group and started speaking to whole sanctuaries and auditoriums full of people. Then, I was invited onto a little radio station in Ohio. The host flipped a switch and told me, “Right now you’re talking to 10,000 people.” I was hooked! The thought of speaking personally while thousands were listening in was mind-blowing. I knew I had found my lane—mass evangelism through the power of media.
That vision eventually led to J103, a Christian radio station in Chattanooga, and later to ComeOnLetsGo, where we use short, powerful video testimonies to reach people through the Internet. My own testimony has been viewed nearly half a million times in just a couple years.
The Call for All of Us
From the beginning, Jesus’ first words were “Come, follow Me” (Matthew 4:19), and His last words were “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel” (Mark 16:15). That’s not a suggestion. It’s a call to every believer. We may not all stand on a stage or run a radio station, but each of us has a story to tell, and God has given us countless ways to share it. Whether face-to-face, through media, or whatever new platforms come along, the mission is the same: to freely give what we have freely received.
So however God has wired you, however He has written your story, use it. Share it. Tell the world what He has done.
Come on, let’s go!
