Ryan Smith

I Must Preach The Gospel

Friday July 5th, 2013 I drove to City Heights at the intersection of the 15 Freeway and University Avenue in San Diego, CA to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to perfect strangers.

This was something that I had felt lead to do by the Holy Spirit for several months but never did. I don’t think I was fighting it but rather the leading wasn’t all that clear or more likely I wasn’t listening.

But on this day I wen’t becuase I couldn’t hold it back any longer.

Through The Lens of a Child

As I was kissing my children goodbye my son Jacob asked me why I was going to a random place to talk to strangers. Good question, right! I told him that I believed God was sending me to a person or group of people who needed to hear God’s message of love. I then asked him to pray for me. He prayed, “Dear Lord please send my dad to someone who needs to hear your message of love.” Boy did God answer his prayer!

Now It’s Real

So now I’m in the car driving south toward the City of San Diego and I begin to have doubts. Would there be anyone with whom to share? Would anyone want to talk with me or even receive the message if they took the time to listen? I also began to think, this is crazy, who does this sort of thing? But, I continued by faith knowing that if God had truly sent me he would put me in the right place at the right time.

I proceeded to exit the 15 Freeway at University Avenue, turned right and then left parking on Wightman across from a city park and small church (Though I didn’t notice the church when I first parked). I exited my car, closed the door and began walking toward University Avenue when a lady yelled toward me from her second story apartment, “If you don’t turn your tires toward the curb an over zealous cop will give you a ticket.”

This was God’s first divine appointment for as I again exited my car after properly aligning my tires I was immediately greeted by Pastor Bob Mets of City Heights Assembly.

He yelled toward me as he crossed the street, “I had to introduce myself to you since we don’t usually see people walking around this neighborhood with a Bible in their hand.” Pastor Bob invited me into the church, gave me a bulletin which proved to be handy and then prayed God’s leading and protection over me.

Let’s Do This

Now I’m off to share the gospel totally encouraged by meeting Pastor Bob and not a minute (Literally) after crossing the street I run into a teenage couple with whom I begin to share my personal testimony. They were both patient as I began to share and the young lady was particularly interested though the young man became a little ruffled when I mentioned the sin of sexual immorality. The young lady said she did attend a nearby church but the young man did not have any church affiliation or background.

Now after five minutes plus of sharing repentance from sin and faith toward God through Jesus Christ the young man said they needed to leave so before I let him go I looked into his eyes and said, “One day you will find yourself in a place where you will realize your need for God’s forgiveness. On that day don’t reject God’s invitation of forgiveness but trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and turn from your sin.”

He looked at me like I was bit crazy but I trust that God’s Word will not return void. That was just the beginning…