SHARING SOUND BITES THIS LABOR DAY

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV)

Sharing SOUND BITES Ministry is one of the simplest ways to place hope, truth, and encouragement directly into someone’s day. These short, Scripture‑centered reflections meet people right where they are -- busy, overwhelmed, searching, or simply needing a moment of clarity. When you pass them along, you’re not just sharing a quote; you’re opening a door for God to speak into someone’s life in a way that’s accessible, timely, and genuinely nourishing. A small click or forward from you can become a big blessing for someone else.

Labor Day is an ideal moment to share SOUND BITES Ministry because people are already pausing to catch their breath -- reflecting on summer’s end, resetting routines and priorities, starting college, or simply preparing for the season ahead. It’s a natural hinge in the year when hearts are a little more open and minds a little more reflective. Offering a short, hope‑filled SOUND BITE during this transition can give someone exactly what they need: a grounding word of Scripture, a moment of encouragement, or a reminder that God is present in every new beginning. Sharing now helps others start the fall with clarity, comfort, and a touch of grace.

Thanks for sharing and encouraging others.

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

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LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO MY FRIEND

Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you."  (John 15:15 NIV)

“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  (John 17:3 NIV)

We talk about God in the third person. We teach about God. However, we don't teach about our spouses or about our good friends. We introduce them, not teach about them. Too often we relate to God as a myth or a theorem to be talked about and not as a friend to be introduced.

-- Adapted from Norman Shawchuck in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

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MY SPIRITUAL GENEALOGY

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”  (2 Timothy 2:2 NLT)
 
Every family tree has branches, names, and stories that brought us to where we stand today. I have been working on my family tree, which now has over 2100 people in it, and in some cases goes back seven generations. And as I celebrate my 75^th birthday tomorrow, I am very appreciative of that lineage that has gotten me to this point.
 
But there is another lineage -- one not recorded in dusty archives or online databases. It is our spiritual genealogy, the sacred chain of grace that stretches from Christ Himself all the way to us.
 
It began with Jesus, who entrusted His gospel to a handful of ordinary men and women. They carried His message with trembling hands and burning hearts. They shared it with neighbors, strangers, and nations. One person told another. Parents told their children. A friend told a friend. A preacher proclaimed it to a crowd. A missionary whispered it on the other side of an ocean. A Sunday school teacher planted it in a young heart. A coworker shared it over lunch. A grandparent prayed it over a crib. A chaplain comforted a hospice patient.
 
Somewhere in that unbroken line of Christ’s faithful witnesses, someone told the person who told the person who eventually told me. There were actually many persons who showed me The Way.
 
I may never know all their names. I may never see their faces. But heaven knows every one of them and I hope to meet them there and thank them. God saw each conversation, each prayer, each act of courage that carried the gospel one link further down the chain until it reached my life.
 
And now, by grace, I am part of that lineage. The story didn’t end when the gospel reached me and I received it. It continues every time I share Christ’s love, speak His name, share a SOUND BITES quote, or live out His truth. I am both a recipient and a steward of a life-changing message that has traveled across centuries to find me.
 
My spiritual genealogy is a reminder that faith is never an accident. It is a gift, intentionally passed down through generations of faithful hearts, all rooted in the One who started it all -- Jesus Christ.
 
Lord, thank You for every person who carried Your gospel forward so it could reach me. Help me honor that legacy by sharing Your love with the next link in the sacred chain of grace. Let my life be part of someone else’s spiritual genealogy, pointing them back to You. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

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SPREADING THE WORD – Part 2 of 2

In the days after Christmas, it’s easy to pack away the wonder with the ornaments. But the shepherds remind us that the birth of Christ is not a seasonal story -- it’s a sending story. “They spread the word” (Luke 2:17). The good news they received was too good to keep quiet.

As followers of Jesus, we stand in their lineage. We, too, have encountered the Savior. We, too, have been entrusted with a message that brings amazement, comfort, and hope to weary hearts.

So how do we “spread the word” today? We do it by living with the joy of people who have truly met Jesus.  Joy is contagious, especially when it’s rooted in grace. We do it by telling the biblical story and by speaking naturally about what God has done in our lives.  Not forced. Not scripted. Just honest gratitude. We do it by embodying Christ’s love in small, faithful acts.  Kindness often opens doors… and ears… to the words we share. We do it by remembering that the message itself carries the power.  We don’t have to impress -- just point to Jesus. 

This week, as the world settles back into “normalcy,” let’s resist the temptation to let Christmas fade. The shepherds didn’t return to their flocks unchanged. They carried the wonder with them, and they shared it freely. May we do the same. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™  

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SPREADING THE WORD – Part 1 of 2

"So [the shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."  (Luke 2:16–18 NIV) 

Christmas Day has passed. The wrapping paper is gone, the cookies are thinning out, and the world is slowly returning to its routines. But in Luke’s Gospel, the story doesn’t end at the manger. In fact, something begins there -- something that continues long after the angels’ song fades into the night sky.

The shepherds, ordinary men in an ordinary field, became the first evangelists of the New Testament. They didn’t attend a seminar. They didn’t rehearse a testimony. They simply shared what they had seen and heard. Their encounter with Jesus overflowed into proclamation.

And notice the response: “All who heard it were amazed.”  Not because the shepherds were eloquent, but because the message was astonishing. God had come near. Hope had taken on flesh. Salvation had a name. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™  

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PHILIP HAD TO TELL NATHANAEL

“The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.”  (John 1:43-46 NIV)

Philip not only had a seeking heart, but he also had the heart of a personal evangelist. His first response upon meeting Jesus was to find his friend Nathanael and tell him about the Messiah.

I am convinced… that friendships provide the most fertile soil for evangelism. When the reality of Christ is introduced into a relationship of love and trust that has already been established, the effect is powerful. And it seems that invariably, when someone becomes a true follower of Christ, that person’s first impulse is to want to find a friend and introduce that friend to Christ. That dynamic is seen in Philip’s spontaneous instinct to go find Nathanael and tell him about the Messiah.

The language Philip used betrayed his amazement at discovering who the Messiah was. The One whom Moses wrote, and the One foretold by the prophets, was none other than “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph,” a lowly carpenter’s son.

Nathanael was at first nonplused. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”…

But Philip was undaunted: “Come and see.” The ease which Philip believed is remarkable. In human terms, no one had brought Philip to Jesus. He was like Simeon, “waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him” (Luke 2:25). Philip knew the Old Testament promises. He was ready. He was expectant. His heart was prepared. And He received Jesus gladly, unhesitatingly, as Messiah. No reluctance. No disbelief. It mattered not to him what kind of one-horse town the Messiah had grown up in. He knew instantly that he had come to the end of his search. 

-- John MacArthur (1939-2025) in “Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness and What He Wants to Do with You” 

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COME AND SEE

“The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.”  (John 1:43-46 NIV)

One thing I have observed in all my years of ministry is that the most effective and important aspects of evangelism usually takes place on an individual, personal level. Most people do not come to Christ as an immediate response to a sermon they hear in a crowded setting. They come to Christ because of the influence of an individual believer.

The church I pastor seeks to foster an evangelistic environment. And people are coming to Christ on a regular basis… And in the overwhelming majority of instances, they tell us they came to Christ primarily because of the testimony of a coworker, a neighbor, a relative, or a friend. Occasionally we hear people say they were converted in direct response to a message they heard in church or a sermon that was broadcast on the radio. But even in those cases, it is usually owing to the influence of an individual who encouraged the person to listen or brought him to church in the first place. There’s no question that the most effective means for bring people to Christ is one at a time, on an individual basis. 

-- John MacArthur (1939-2025) in “Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness and What He Wants to Do with You” 

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THE WAY WE SPEAK MATTERS

“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”  (Colossians 4:5-6 NLT)

We can turn people on to the church or turn them out of the church by the way we speak.

Catherine Booth (1829 –1890) was co-founder of The Salvation Army, along with her husband William Booth. Because of her influence in the formation of The Salvation Army she was known as the 'Mother of The Salvation Army'. When she died, her body was carried to a great auditorium in London. For hours and hours, people by the hundreds streamed by her casket in an outstanding display of love, affection, and gratitude.  One man in that long line expressed what all were feeling that day:  "She spoke to me as no one ever had before.  She cared for me, and I could tell it by the way she talked to me.  I was an outcast, lonely and lost.  I will never forget her voice.   There was something so wonderful and so meaningful about the way she spoke to you.  You could feel the spirit and love of Christ in her words."

How is it with you?  Are people drawn to Christ and to the Christian faith by the way you speak? 

-- Adapted from James W. Moore in “When You're a Christian, the Whole World is from Missouri”

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EVERY CHRISTIAN A WITNESS

Jesus replied, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8 NIV)

Every Christian is a witness for Christ.  We cannot bear the name Christian without indicating by our words and deeds what Christ means to us.  We are empowered by our faith.  We also invest the word Christian with meaning by the way we live our faith.  The only gospel some of our friends will ever know will come from their relationship with us.  We are bearers of the best news in the world.  And we owe it to those we love to cultivate our abilities at sharing this news with them.

-- Harold K. Bates in “Witness for Christ”

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WALK THE TALK, TALK THE WALK

“People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:15-16 NRSV)

It is important that our walk matches our talk -- that the way we live our life is consistent with the way we say we should. Too many people talk the right stuff but don't live it.

I see another problem, as well. It is just as important that our talk matches our walk -- that what we say explains what we do. I see many people in churches doing marvelous deeds and good works in the community because they are Christian. But they don't tell people why they are doing it. Are they just nice people? Or is it really more than that? Are they doing it because of the difference Christ has made in their life and because they want to share that love of Christ with others?

Let's walk the talk AND talk the walk. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

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ALWAYS BE PREPARED – Part 2

The confused look on the man’s face told me I wasn’t [making sense]. Shifting gears, I decided to tell him how I became a Christian. Several minutes into my story, he interrupted me to explain he had to get off the train at the next stop. Not sure what to say in the last minute or so, I stuttered and stammered awkwardly. When the sliding doors opened, he stood and looked at me before politely speaking words I’ll never forget. “Oh well, thanks for trying.” He stepped off the train, and I watched the doors slide shut.

The apostle Peter says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). Maybe you can relate. You’d like to be ready for anything, but you’re afraid you might choke under pressure. Preparation -- studying and thinking about what you’ll say -- will give you confidence.

Not every chance to share will be set up for you as obviously as it was for me on that train. You’ll recognize some opportunities -- clearly presented to you by God -- in which you are called to take the initiative. But no matter who starts the conversation, if you engage enough people, you’re going to be amazed how many of them are genuinely hungry to hear the truth from an honest, caring heart. 

-- Craig Groeschel in “The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist”

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ALWAYS BE PREPARED – Part 1

Once, I was with a few Christian friends on the El in Chicago, and we were chatting about Jesus. A young man politely interrupted us and explained that he couldn’t help overhearing our conversation. He asked if we were Christians. On behalf of the group, I explained that we were.

His eyes brightened. “I’ve been searching for a while, and I don’t know what I believe,” he said with sincerity. “Can you tell me exactly what it means to be a Christian and how I can become one?”

…If you’re playing basketball you would say, “That’s a slam dunk.” …In other words, you couldn’t find an easier guy to lead to the Lord -- unless, like us, you were unprepared.

Stunned by his straightforward question, I hesitated. Wow. Where should I start? My mind flashed back to my seminary days. Reciting to him the opening line of the script from my evangelism class certainly didn’t feel like the best way to go. I remembered another witnessing technique called the “Four Spiritual Laws,” but a canned presentation to his heartfelt question didn’t seem right. As my mind raced, I couldn’t figure out what to say, so I just started talking, hoping I’d make sense. The confused look on the man’s face told me I wasn’t.  

-- Craig Groeschel in “The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist”

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BY WORD AND DEED

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”  (Colossians 3:17 ESV)

Two primary means of spreading the gospel are word and deed. The gospel must be made both visible and verbal. To employ one means without the other is to truncate the gospel. In biblical literature word and deed are held together in an unbroken rhythm. In creation God spoke and creation happened. In the evangelization of Jesus there is no polarization between proclamation and action…. In Jesus word and deed do not fall apart. Jesus has integrity. His words ring true to His lifestyle and His life supports His words. Each illumines the other. Thus, by word and deed Jesus brings the claim and the power of the righteous reign of God (the kingdom of God) to bear on the whole of humankind.

We discover this same wholeness of word and deed in the evangelization of the early church. In the Acts of the Apostles, proclamation and good works are inextricably tied. There is a fusion of preaching and serving….

The biblical rhythm demands that verbalization of the gospel must take place in the midst of doing it. The ministry of kerygma (proclamation) must run concurrently with ministries of healing, serving, nurturing, liberating, reforming, and empowering. Announcement of the kingdom must be both verbal and visible, and one never asks which is more important. That would be like asking which is more important, breathing in or breathing out. It depends upon which one was done last! Obviously, proclamation and lifestyle must buttress one another. 

-- H. Eddie Fox and George E. Morris in “Faith-Sharing: Dynamic Christian Witnessing by Invitation”

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THEY PRAYED FOR BOLDNESS – Part 2

“But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.”  (1 Thessalonians 2:2)

How often has the Christian community of which you are a member prayed for boldness to declare the gospel? Probably not very often since we don’t place great value on boldness to declare the gospel. But what if we did? What difference would it make in our lives, our congregations, and the communities in which we live? The early disciples found that praying for boldness gave them the wisdom, the faith, and the power to live faithful and effective lives. What are we praying for today?

-- Reuben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God” 

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

Ask most people why they became Christians, and they'll likely tell you the story of other people whose witnesses were their inspiration. Ever since the shepherds and the wise men left the manger, telling what they saw to the people they met, Christians sharing their personal encounters with God have been the most important evangelism tools in the church.

It's no different today. On the job, in our neighborhoods, while running errands -- throughout our daily living -- we encounter people who are yearning for a deeper relationship with the living God. And our individual testimonies, told with humility, earnestness and gratitude (not pomp and self-righteousness) are often the stepping stones brothers and sisters need as they take that closer walk with God.

If Christ has made a difference in your life, you ought to tell somebody… Learn to share your story.

-- from Interpreter magazine, October 2000

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SPEAKING ABOUT CHRIST

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And because of His words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’” (John 4:39-42 NIV)

We are doing more good than we know, sowing seeds, starting streamlets, giving people true thoughts of Christ, to which they will refer one day as the first things that started them thinking of Him; and of my part, I shall be satisfied if no great mausoleum is raised over my grave, but that simple souls shall gather there when I am gone, and say, "He was a good man; he wrought no miracles, but he spoke words about Christ, which led me to know Him for myself.” 

-- George Matheson, from “Streams in the Desert”

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STARVING FOR CHRIST

“Those who accepted Peter’s message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:41-42)

People by the thousands became Christians because they saw Simon Peter's commitment to the church.  Peter was devoted to the church, and with good reason.  There is no institution in the world that serves people better than the church does.  There is no institution in the world that helps families more than the church does.  There is no institution in the world that redeems lives like the church.  There is no institution in the world that teaches love like the church.  There is no institution in the world that lifts God up and inspires righteousness like the church does.  There is no institution in the world that cultivates goodness like the church does.

But even more than that, the church has Jesus Christ!  The world is starving to death for Jesus Christ, and we have Him.  We are here to share Jesus Christ with a needy world, and everything we do is for that purpose… so that we can share the love of Christ; so that we can tell people about Him.

--  James W. Moore in “When You're a Christian, the Whole World is from Missouri"

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SHARING THE STORY

“For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ But how are they to call on One in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in One of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim Him? And how are they to proclaim Him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”  (Romans 10:13-15 NRSV)

You may not be called to be a pastor but may simply want to share with others what God has done in your life. God is calling all of us to this kind of ministry. Whether you are a pastor or layperson, God calls you to share your faith with family, friends, neighbors, and any with whom you have influence. Peter speaks of doing this with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). Our most profound witness is how we live and how we love, but at some point it also includes our words, sharing the story of what God has done in and for us. 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It”

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SHARING THE GOOD NEWS

Isaiah said, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’" (Isaiah 52:7)

Christians who can't or won't share their faith with others may be in a crisis of faith of their own. The question is whether they believe in the efficacy of the gospel -- the gospel which justified so that we don't need to earn our status before God or vie for position with others; the gospel which gives shape and purpose to live, making us other-directed rather than self-centered; the gospel of peace which reconciles broken relationships and builds community; the gospel of justice which advocates for the poor and the marginalized. This is good news. So how can one keep from sharing it? 

-- from the Leadership Network, first published in "Christian Century", 11/20/02

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A LEAP OF FAITH

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."  (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)

The African impala is well-known for its remarkable leaping ability. It can jump ten feet high and thirty feet long. One might think zookeepers would have a tough time keeping impalas in their enclosures, but it’s actually quite simple. A three-foot high wall will do the trick. Here’s why: an impala will not jump if it cannot see where it will land.

We have the same problem, don’t we? We want money-back guarantees before we take a step of obedience, but it eliminates faith from the equation. Sometimes we need to take a flying leap of faith.

We need to step into the conflict without knowing if we can resolve it. We need to share our faith without knowing how our friends will react to it. We need to pray for a miracle without knowing how God will answer. We need to put ourselves in a situation that activates a spiritual gift we’ve never exercised before. And we need to go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. 

-- Mark Batterson in “All In: You Are One Decision Away from a Totally Different Life”

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