Sermon Illustration

Kindness Evangelism

John Trent, co-author of The Hidden Value of a Man, writes:

When I led a Young Life group, I did my best to round up kids who really needed to hear the gospel when we went to summer camp. Mark was one of those kids.

Bob Mitchell, the main speaker that week, called most of the shots —including when meals would be served. So "Mitch" was always talking with the cook.

The cook loved her work, but it was exhausting. She always looked tired. Whenever she talked to Mitch, he got up and gave her his chair— and a moment's rest —while they discussed meal plans.

Nobody noticed Mitch doing this … except Mark. Mark hadn't come to hear about Jesus. But when he saw Jesus' loved lived out in that simple act of kindness by the camp speaker, he began to listen to Mitchell's talks. Later that week, Mark asked Jesus to be his Savior.

It wasn't because of the messages, Mark said, but because of the love he saw in Mitch. "If that's what it means to be a Christian," Mark said, "I want to be one."

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