Here is a recent story from an Azerbaijani national worker:

Asif, one of the disciple makers working on one of these teams, has been using livestreams on social media to talk about Jesus and share his faith with a wider audience. After one livestream, he connected with Rasim, who wanted a New Testament. Asif wanted to give him the book and Rasim wanted to receive it. After multiple failed attempts, Asif was finally able to hand him the New Testament. But when they tried to meet again, it was once again more difficult.

Finally, Asif figured out why. Rasim owned a tractor spare parts shop. Not only was he the only tractor spare parts owner in his rural town, but he also was the only person in his shop who knew their full inventory. Even though he had four employees, he could never leave his shop. 

After this realization, Asif began going to Rasim’s shop and studying the Bible with him and one of his employees. After reading Genesis 4 together, Asif encouraged Rasim to share it with the people around him. He agreed.

A week later, Asif returned and asked if he had shared with anyone. Rasim responded, “Well, I’ve been pretty busy, but I have shared with all of my customers.” When anyone had come into the shop and tried to buy something, he had told them, “Before you buy this piece, I need to tell you something. So come, sit and let me tell you a story.” Then sitting and drinking tea together, Rasim had told each customer about Genesis 4.

Although Rasim himself is not yet a follower of Jesus, he and his employee have started meeting with their families to repeat the Discovery Bible Study together.

What could that look like for us in our day to day lives? What are the challenges and obstacles to sharing? As years go by, more and more of our friends grow up without any understanding of the Bible and with no experience of it. As we pray, can we pray for those that hunger and thirst for the righteous way of God to be brought to our attention? Can we pray that the barriers of culture, wrong thinking, and past pain and hurts will be less than the hunger for God and His love for them and His Word?

It may be as simple as sharing a passage of scripture or asking a caring question. It may be the giving of a gift of a scripture, our time or our care for those who need it. If we believe the Bible truly is the Word of God, what is it saying to us and how do we let it speak to others.

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Chris Jones is the Global Outreach Director at New Hope Church. He longs for the unreached people of the world to experience the life-changing love of God and for people at New Hope Church to find fullness of joy by obeying the Great Commission.