When outspoken Christian quarterback Tim Tebow threw for 316 yards to help Denver upset favored Pittsburgh in the playoffs, millions flocked to the Internet to search for John 3:16 — so much so that the day after the game, that Bible verse was the No. 1 search on Google.

As it turns out, some of those Google searches were of eternal significance.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association reports that more than 150 people have made a decision to accept Christ as their Savior as a result of searching for “John 3:16″ in Google and then clicking on an advertisement for the BGEA’s PeacewithGod.net website.

Pretty cool, huh?

You can read the rest of the article here.

(By the way, Tim was not wearing the verse in his eye paint Saturday. The pic is from a game with the University of Florda. Messages are banned from eye paint in the NFL.)

Thoughts?

I had been presenting the idea that just one person has the ability to change the world at the North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati. Before a room full of pastors and church leaders, it was the third time that the elderly couple had asked the question. I had presented Global Media Outreach’s Online Missionary program and kindly spelled out the website they were inquiring about one more time; a site where anyone can apply to be an Online Missionary.

We live in a world of great possibilities.  Ours is the first generation to possess the ability to share the gospel with everyone on the planet. In the next few years, the half of the world currently without connectivity will gain access to the world wide web through their phone or mobile device with the Internet being delivered through satellite technology currently being implemented above the most remote parts of our planet.

Today, 2,000,000 people will use a search engine to find an answer to a spiritual question. These are people searching, with questions like “Is Jesus real?”, “Does God exist,” and “Am I loved?” What they will discover when they search for meaning can be labeled in one of two ways: Truth and Lie. There is no middle ground. Global Media Outreach Online Missionaries are sharing the truth through technology that is connecting the world.

Meet Sarah Coiner. Sarah is an Online Missionary, and I wanted the folks in Cincinnati to see how technology is helping Sarah change lives. Sarah is a child of God and loves Jesus. Sarah loves telling people about Jesus. Sarah is amazing. Check out Sarah’s story on the following video:

As Sarah points out, her life has been changed by email, and the chance to share Jesus as an Online Missionary. Sarah is introducing people to Jesus, and seeing their lives changed by her Savior.

That older couple in Cincinatti made it a point to come talk with me after the presentation. It turns out that they had just returned from a lifetime in a remote area of the Philippines translating Bibles and transforming lives. Now they’re back home, near the end of their lives, having a hard time finding any area to serve or share Jesus with people.

“We don’t get out much any more,” the lady told me. She went on. “I haven’t seen my husband this excited about anything since we left the field. Now he has a mission again!”

What is keeping you from sharing your faith or leveraging technology to reach more people? Who do you know who has a desire to change lives with the gospel, but feels trapped and unable to do anything about it?

Big thanks to Tami and Toni! Not only did they write an excellent book that challenged and instructed us to live out our faith online, but they were involved in the discussion throughout the entire project.

Big thanks to the 15 bloggers who wrote posts and led the discussion for each chapter. You guys did a fantastic job! Thanks especially to those of you who were engaged in the discussion throughout the entire book.

I hope through the course of reading @StickyJesus and/or discussing the blog posts that you’ve been inspired and learned a lot. If I had to pick just three critically important things I hope you take away from this project they would be:

1) There are tremendous opportunities for Christians to share the gospel, encourage others, and live out their faith online.

2) No matter how much or little you know about social media or blogging, you – yes, I’m talking about YOU – can make a significant impact for Christ online.

3) Don’t do it alone. While you build relationships online with people who are not Christians, continue to stay connect to people who are committed to “living sticky.” Let’s stick together, encourage one another, challenge each other, share ideas, and share each other’s content. Iron sharpens iron!

Before I get to the final discussion questions, whether you participated in this series as a blogger, commenting, or even just reading along, would you take 2 minutes and do this quick @StickyJesus Feedback Survey? Thanks!

While this series ends here, I hope it’s more of a new beginning than an ending. So, I want to end with three questions.

1. What’s the most significant thing you’ve learned through the @StickyJesus series?
2. What’s your next step to “living sticky?”
3. What can we do to help you live out your faith online from this point forward?

15) you: a witness <– @StickyJesus project

In celebration of Internet Evangelism Month, this is the fifteenth in a 15-part blog project discussing the book, @stickyJesus: how to live out your faith online.

I remember the excitement around selecting my wedding invitations. Oh! the details. I took great care choosing the invitation design and color; next, it was on to selecting the weight and the texture of the paper- it had to feel just right in my hands; then, on to the sample of fonts-I was in search of a font that was delicate and whimsical; and finally, the wording had to set the tone for an occasion of love, joy, and gratitude. Every invitation that went out carried our hearts’ desire that our guest would accept, and be present for our special day.

In the online world, followers of Christ  have the privilege of sharing the GREATEST  invitation ever!

The possibilities for the Kingdom in the online world are real, they’re here and they’re now. The invitation exists for anyone with access to the Internet. Transformation has started, and you are here to be part of it. ~ @sticky Jesus

The invitation exists…

God the Father has prepared the most exquisite invitation. This invitation is divinely designed and weighted with His glory. The Father’s invitation beautifully presents his beloved son Jesus Christ, and announces a glorious work of redemption done on Calvary’s cross. It is an invitation open to all.
As a follower of Christ, you have already RSVP’d yes! Yes Lord, to your will and to your way.  God makes His appeal through you ambassador of Christ! Go and present the invitation to the wandering hearts online. Go and encourage the wandering hearts to RSVP yes to the King’s invitation.

It is however, a wake –up call promoting you to get intentional about how you spend your time online-connecting, serving, and leading the conversation in such a ways the others will seek to know Christ personally. ~ @sticky Jesus

Wake-up call!

We can no longer passively post and tiptoe tweet; especially, when we can read cries of distress in folks’ statuses. As believers, we do have a purpose for being online- that purpose is to bring the light of Christ that dispels darkness. Personally, I would like to dedicate more time to learn about the people in my online community. As extroverted as I like to think I am, I can still be a  little timid about reaching out to people I don’t know.  Nonetheless, I stand with a willing heart, net in hand, awaiting the Holy Spirit’s unction to go fish.

Tell somebody what I’ve done for you.

Any opportunity to talk about God’s goodness in your life is a great opportunity! So here it goes:

I believe the Lord heard my heart’s cry, and connected me to the @sticky Jesus group blog project. Prior to the @sticky Jesus group blog project, I struggled with my purpose our web-based world.  Thanks to the insight of co-authors Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong, I understand  that part of my problem was a condition called “streaming me”; I had no idea such a condition existed lol! Over the last five weeks, I’ve learned what it means to live out my faith online. I’ve also witnessed God’s presence  in the online world too.  Throughout the @sticky Jesus group blog project, the Holy Spirit was always there sending me love notes and reminding me to trust Him all the way. I will always remember how He lovingly led me to the still waters of this blog project, so I may receive His online plan for me. Truly, He is my shepherd and He gets all the glory!

Questions:

1. Can you describe a time when The Holy Spirit was leading you to move and “cast a divine line into your online waters?”
2. How has your online witness grown or changed as a result of the @sticky Jesus group blog project?
3. Have you received RSVPs to Christ’s invitation?

[Image by Patricia Evanoff]

14) demystifying: content gathering <– @StickyJesus project –> Wrap-Up: 3 Takeaways & 3 Questions

In celebration of Internet Evangelism Month, this is the fourteenth in a 15-part blog project discussing the book, @stickyJesus: how to live out your faith online.

I have been going back and forth with myself for a while now about starting a blog. Do I want to step away from the safety and comfort of writing in the discussions tab of my Facebook fan page? Will I stick with it? Will anyone read what I have to say? And my biggest fear: Will I run out of things to say?

Well, according to file 14 of @stickyJesus, “The fear of coming up empty is a common one”.

Who knew there even were such things as RSS buttons, feeders, readers, and aggregators?! Probably everyone except me, but I feel as if I have a whole workshop full of tools now! I feel very confident that I can start a blog now and keep it interesting, entertaining, and consistent. RSS technology is also very appealing to me because I am…well…easily distracted. What was that? Oh, yes. The Land of Shiny Things. It gets me every time. I am encouraged that I will be able to sit down out my computer and do what I came to do without getting sucked into wasting ridiculous amounts of time checking out this season’s most amazing shoes, who’s cheating who, and Lady Gaga’s latest…ahem…”outfit”.

This is a new journey for me. Thanks to all of the good information in this file, I have a plan laid out in my head how I am going to begin my content gathering and use that content. However, I am very curious to know:

1. Am I the only one of us that didn’t know about RSS technology?
2. What RSS reader do you use?
3. What type of content do you gather and are you interested in?
4. How has this technology been useful to you in your content gathering?

13) demystifying: blogging <– @StickyJesus project –> 15) you: a witness

In celebration of Internet Evangelism Month, this is the thirteenth in a 15-part blog project discussing the book, @stickyJesus: how to live out your faith online.

If Facebook is the appetizer of social media and Twitter is a sweet tweet , then blogging is the meat and potatoes of social media.

I don’t know that that’s the best analogy, but as Tami and Toni write in @StickyJesus

Not confined to any magic word count, blogs allow you to go deeper into a topic, build relationships, and establish your own library of content.

From a ministry perspective, a blog is a great place to

• Share stories of what God is doing in your life.
• Share other people’s inspiring God stories.
• Share a Christian perspective on current issues or events and facilitate discussion.
• Advocate for a specific cause you’re passionate about and develop relationships with other people who share a passion for that cause.
• Share your concerns and struggles and invite others to share their wisdom in comments.

Blog = Rocket Fuel

As I wrote a few months ago a blog is rocket fuel for social media and search engines. Here’s what I mean:

To succeed in social media, you need to provide value to those you connect with. Some of the most valuable things you can provide to people include original content, a place to discuss things that are important to them, and a place to meet like-minded people. All of these valuable things can be provided through a good blog.

Additionally, if you want to rank well in search engines, you need original content and links to your content. Both of these valuable things can be facilitated through a blog.

(Also see 40+ Ways Blogging Leads to Success)

Content is King, Community is Queen

“Content is king” is a phrase often repeated in the context of blogs. It basically means, creating great, original content is the most important ingredient in a successful blog.

While there’s no denying the value of great content, I believe community is equally important. People are drawn to community. They return to the places where they are known and valued.  And most importantly, you will have a greater impact on the lives of the people who read your blog if you demonstrate you actually care about them.

Here are some tips for developing community on a blog.

• Ask questions in your blog posts that spark conversation
• Reply to people who comment on your blog
• Comment on other blogs that are on similar topics
• Connect with commenters and the authors of similar blogs on Facebook and Twitter
• Offer to guest blog on other blogs, invite others to guest blog on your blog, participate in group blog projects like this one.
• Look for opportunities to help and show appreciation for commenters

Discussion

1. How do you use your blog to minister to others?
2. What other ways can blogs be used for ministry?
3. What things do you to help foster community on your blog?

12) demystifying: Twitter <– @StickyJesus project –> 14) demystifying: content gathering

In celebration of Internet Evangelism Month, this is the twelfth in a 15-part blog project discussing the book, @stickyJesus: how to live out your faith online.

As a young man I spent a great deal of time traveling. I had many experiences exploring new lands and learning new things. Some of what I learned has stayed with me to this day. I learned it is best to travel light, that meeting new people is an essential part of the journey, that new discoveries are only open to those willing to try something new and that helping others is just as important as being helped. These lessons are a vital part of why I tweet. They have helped me to reflect on Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 and enter into this virtual world as a witness for Christ.

Connecting is an important part of the culture of Twitter. Unlike Facebook most of the people you follow or who follow you are strangers at the start. You get to know them through the various tools that Twitter provides. They also get to know you and whether or not they want to continue to follow you. It is essential to be yourself, travel light and be willing to meet new people.

Communicating is essential. This means learning a new language and culture. In the land of Twitter we are required to communicate within a fixed limit of 140 characters. It is intriguing and fascinating how much can actually be said in a very small amount of space. We also need to learn the lingo. Lingo used on Twitter is both unique and important. It is unique because it has to fit within the context of a limited space. Knowing the lingo is important because many words and phrases are abbreviated which allows you to use the limited space to more fully share your thoughts. So, to be effective on Twitter it is vital to learn this lingo.

Being able to communicate well is also vital if you are on Twitter. It will determine how much influence you have in this land. Each time you share and someone else shares what you shared your influence is multiplied. How amazing it is when that influence brings people closer to Jesus. This is the power of Twitter.

Caring about others ought to be a way of life for Christians on Twitter. It can make a powerful difference in the lives of those who inhabit this land. Sometimes it is just answering a tweet with a word of encouragement.  Being real in a virtual world is shown by the way we care about others. This is more difficult then it at first appears. However, the dividends make it worth the effort.

A very enjoyable part of going on any journey is discovering new things. Most residents in the land of Twitter are very patient with new comers. Many want to help people get settled in and become a vital part of the community.  Can you imagine the difference a loving and active Christian witness could make in the lives of tweeps?

The Twittersphere is a remarkable place filled with remarkable people. It is a land full of opportunities to connect, to communicate and to care about others. It is up to us to be willing to enter into this land and take advantage of these God given opportunities.

A few questions:

1) If you have not started using twitter what is stopping you?

2) If you are on twitter why did you choose to use it?

3) What are some possible ways you can envision twitter being used for ministry?

4) Why do you think twitter is so appealing to so many people?

11) demystifying: Facebook –> @StickyJesus project <– 13) demystifying: blogging

As a minister to college students, Facebook is more of a staple in my diet than bread and water. And apparently, I am not alone. At last check, Facebook boasts 500 million active users, with 50% of them logging in on any given day. People are spending 700 billion minutes per month on the site.

Astounding.

In addition to gathering at the local watering hole or sports stadium, people are congregating on Facebook. And, as responsible followers of Christ who take the Great Commission seriously, we need to be there.

Furthermore, did you know that 70% of Facebook’s users are located outside of the United States? This means there are 350,000,000 potential global relationships for us to forge. Jesus calls us to go out into the world to make disciples. But, through Facebook, the world is literally coming into our living rooms.

Because of it’s simple design, Facebook is, as the authors state, “a perfect place for you to begin to work out your expression of faith online.” Your friends are telling you what they are doing, thinking, and feeling on Facebook. This affords you the incredible opportunity to be present in their lives.

Our work in this digital mission field must not stop with presence only. It must move on towards engagement and expression. Here are a few ways I have learned to move into this relational glory land on Facebook:

1) Comment. Facebook makes it so easy to comment on the statuses, links, videos, and content others are posting. Do this. This is where we begin to engage on Facebook with the neighbors we are called to love.

Respectfully ask questions. Lovingly share your thoughts. Truthfully reveal God’s way, will, and Word. Clicking “Like” is too easy. Go deeper by commenting and continuing the conversation. Be honest and transparent. And be an ambassador for the Savior whose Kingdom you represent.

2) Contribute. It’s easy to consume content on Facebook. However, if we are to begin and grow relationships on Facebook, we must be willing to share what is going on in our own lives as well.

This is more than posting a status letting the world know you had PB&J for lunch. We must post with purpose and intention! I am not afraid to share my struggles, frustrations, and confusion over life. I often post Bible verses with some corresponding thoughts. I ask provocative questions, inviting others into a spiritual discussion. I post statuses asking friends to share with me how I can be praying for them. All of these are useful ways to purposefully and intentionally contribute to the conversation.

3. Coordinate. Facebook is an incredibly handy tool for coordinating with others for great purposes. For example, after the devastating tornado in Joplin this last weekend, I felt compelled to action. One Facebook post (combined with a blog post, a tweet, and an email) let my friends know I would be collecting relief supplies throughout the day. Fifteen hours later, I was on the road to Joplin with three trucks and trailers full of supplies and another load left behind because we were out of room.

Behold the power of Facebook when coordinating relief efforts, ministry gatherings, concerts of prayer, or so much more.

I assume most of us reading this post are already on Facebook. Perhaps, though, we aren’t using Facebook to its full potential for maximum Kingdom impact. It all comes back to relationships. We must gather where the people gather. And once we are there, we must earn the right to engage with them and express what God is up to.

A few questions:

1) How does the sheer global reach of Facebook change your perspective on its value?

2)What other ways have you experienced effective commenting, contributing, or coordinating on Facebook?

3) Besides engagement and expression, how else can we move beyond simple presence on Facebook?

[image by Laughing Squid]

10) cost: everything <– @StickyJesus project –> 12) demystifying: Twitter

A lukewarm Christian life hurts you and everyone in your path.  Mostly, it hurts the Father who created you. Not only is your own life disconnected from the power of the Holy Spirit, but it’s likely you are seriously confusing the people around you. And for that, you’ll be accountable someday. ~@stickyJesus

Our spiritual temperature drops when we decide the cost of committed Christ-”followship” is too great, too inconvenient, too painful. To fulfill our calling as Jesus followers and God glorifiers online or anywhere we must be willing to sacrifice…

• Time to build relationships (including the most important One of all)
• Wants and needs to serve and meet the needs of others
• Pride to endure rejection and ridicule for God’s glory
• Self to fulfill His purposes

Luke reminds us not only that the sacrifice is a daily choice, but that the rewards are worth it! “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.’” (Luke 9:24 ESV)

Just as Christ offered His body to be broken on our behalf we, as members of His body, have the privilege of being broken for the benefit of those whom He seeks to save! With that in mind, can we break our plans and plan time for Scripture study and prayer? Can we devote a good portion of our online time and energy to encouraging and strengthening others and delivering the love and grace of the Gospel? Can we set aside our pride, enduring negative comments and even losing readers, to stand up and stand out for Christ?

The struggle is daily but finite. The reward is unimaginable and eternal!

There simply isn’t a way to calculate what love invested on earth renders in heaven. ~ @stickyJesus

For discussion:

1. Have you ever been tempted to water down the Christianity of your online presence in the interest of increasing or maintaining readership?
2. What cost of online Christ-”followship” has been the biggest struggle for you…and can we pray for your victory over that struggle?

[image by Elsie esq]

9) Quiet: The Humility Zone <– @StickyJesus project –> 11) demystifying: Facebook

I knew as soon as I read through the chapter titles, that chapter 9 was my gold mine. Let me begin by confessing that I struggle with pride. I like to hear that I have done a good job and I am the first one to begin believing the hype. So a humility chapter was a great open door to hear from the Lord.

I really appreciate the incorporation of scripture throughout this book and I was moved by the prayer at the conclusion of this chapter as much as the rest of the content.

Here are the things the Lord really used in this chapter to remind me that my life is to make HIM FAMOUS and make HIM KNOWN:

* It takes intentionality to guard your heart in this world. We must constantly bring ourselves before the One whose very nature is humility. Philippians 2:5-6

*”Much of the information on the internet isn’t so much about facts and data as it about people’s hearts and passions.” Not too long ago someone shared with me that the struggle of being on Facebook was that it seemed everyone around her were friends with one another, while she felt so alone. My first response was, “Man you are super sensitive.” (Probably because of the afore mentioned struggle with pride) My later response was, “Look how I missed an opportunity to meet a need that was being expressed.”

*Being present for people is one of the greatest things we can do to show love and compassion. It also struck me in the chapter that a non acknowledged post or comment is equivalent to a dropped call. What a great reminder that a little goes a long way. Remember to say thank you!

Questions to Consider:

1. What is your motivation behind posting that picture, that blog, or that comment? Do you check your own self promotion factor before hitting send?
2. When are you most tempted to let pride rule your online presence?

[image by AJU_photography]

8 ) Warning: Danger Zones <– @StickyJesus project –> 10) cost: everything