Christian, what keeps you from sharing the gospel? Is it persecution? Is it pride? Is it that you’re trying to say it all just right? There may be various reasons. But after some digging, you’ll find that most reasons come down to a selfish heart.
Thankfully, our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the perfect example of living a completely selfless life. He willingly gave up himself so that others might be saved. This is the gospel. A perfect Savior’s death on behalf of imperfect people. “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8).
Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing two ladies from Palmetto Collective (PC). PC is a SCBaptist ministry for college upperclassmen who are passionate about missions. PC equips these young students through mentorship, gospel training, and studying God’s word. They are given the opportunity to go on missions nationally and internationally to share the gospel, and to even continue with the IMB (International Mission Board) after graduation if they are led to.
Lola* and Natty* each have very different stories when it comes to PC. But one thing is common: sharing the gospel didn’t always come easy. They each experienced comparison and going out of their comfort zones. Through PC, however, they learned that the truth of sharing the gospel lies in self-forgetfulness and simply proclaiming Christ. It is for the good of others and His glory that we tell others about Jesus.
PC: Medical Missions
Lola is wrapping up her final year of college before heading on to medical school. She has had a burden placed on her heart for those who have no access to knowing Jesus and thought the coolest thing she could do with her life was to tell people about him. A passion for medical missions sparked while she was in middle school and two medical missionaries came to visit her home church. However, there are limited resources for those seeking to do both healthcare and missions. Going into PC her hopes were to share the gospel and gain insight from other medical missionaries who were already in the field. After looking back, the Lord answered both those prayers, but perhaps differently than she expected.
The Lord has a special way of leading her to other people in healthcare when sent on missions – whether this be talking to students in medical school on a bus in Boston, or with two nurses she met in Charleston, or sharing the gospel with a hospice nurse at Carowinds, or even her own patients as she’s worked as an assistant.
Through these experiences, Lola has come to realize that God has uniquely made every person and given them specific gifts for the kingdom to reach certain people. Lola said, “As an introverted person one of the reasons why I wanted to do healthcare missions is because, even in Scripture, it’s a really tangible need to then have conversation about spiritual needs.”
However, even knowing that the Lord has a specific purpose for your life, it is still so easy to fall into comparison. Lola was nervous to go to Boston for a street evangelism trip – not knowing how it would go when addressing strangers. The trip ended up showing her how accessible gospel sharing really is. Lola also said she’s aware that there are gospel sharing rockstars coming into PC and evangelism is definitely their spiritual gift. But rather than letting this be something that keeps her from sharing the gospel, she said, “When you see people doing what you’re commanded to do in Scripture, it spurs you on to do the same, rather than leading to comparison.”
Not only did she learn that comparison is the thief of joy, but also sharing the gospel often requires us to go out of our comfort zones. “There is a beauty of being willing to share the gospel in the everyday,” Lola said. They had gotten lots of practice with this when PC sent them to Carowinds where they shared the gospel on New Year’s Eve. They do this with the high schoolers from SummerSalt. Before New Year’s Eve, they teach and share the gospel with the high schoolers and have a whole day and half worth of evangelism training themselves. During this they addressed how to even start a gospel conversation and had an evening of mock sharing with the high schoolers. So by the time Lola had done this and had gone to Boston, she said she simply felt more confident to share the gospel and this happens “when you are willing to lean into conversations and let the Lord lead and guide you.”
Ultimately, Lola shared that we cannot be so focused on the mission that we forget the one who sent us on it and who it’s all for. “The whole purpose of why we are doing this is because God is worthy to be worshiped in all places and by all people. PC has given me a bigger view of God and who He is and why we worship Him. He is worthy of our devotion just because of who He is. Gaining more understanding of the cross and that He died for me and that He loves me makes me thankful that I get to know God and that He calls me friend. Not only that – but He allows me to partner with Him and getting to tell other people about that.”
PC: The Local Church
Natty graduated from college in Spring of 2025 and is now working at a baptist church in upstate South Carolina. She joined PC simply searching for clarity and to be equipped – as she was interested in missions but not yet passionate about specifics. When it came to sharing the gospel, Natty said, “I was really self-focused and got in my head about my ability. Major imposter syndrome was my problem and never feeling good enough.” Going to Carowinds she recalled feeling nervous, saying – “I did not feel like I could talk to strangers about Jesus or bring up hard things,” but after looking back she said, “It’s okay if it’s a little awkward for five minutes. To have an awkward conversation and share the gospel is better than not having a conversation at all.”
Natty had the opportunity to go to Clarkson, Georgia – which is a refugee city. This helped her to gain an understanding of various religions, backgrounds, and the horrible things people have gone through. “All they have left is to run to Jesus when they don’t have anything.” Natty said. This trip helped her realize the weight of the gospel – when it is truly the only thing you can offer.
Throughout her time with PC, Natty shared, “the Lord grew me in realizing who I am in Him,” saying she was able to let go of expectations such as “sharing the gospel a certain way, to a certain number of people, or making sure people come to know the Lord because of me. PC helped me realize how I think about myself a lot and not others. The goal is to share the gospel and be others focused – not being selfish, but discipling others and being equipped to be bold about my faith.”
In Natty’s case, she was led to serve in the local church and knows “wherever you are there are lost people.” She shared, “I think we have to get that in our heads that missions are not just going – missions are here where we are in everyday life. PC helps equip those who want to be senders – people who want to send people to the nations, but are still doing missions where they are. Equipping them with the same tools that you’re equipping others with that are going overseas – equipping us to share the gospel. They push people to be involved in their local church and serve their community.”
Selflessly Sharing
Palmetto Collective encourages the kind of gospel sharing we see in Scripture. Paul gives us several examples in his letters. To the Philippians he writes, “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will…Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice” (Philippians 1:15, 18). To the Corinthians he writes, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God…So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 3:7).
Here we see that Paul rejoices because he knows when the gospel is shared, no matter the manner, it is God who works in the heart and aids the growth. We also see that even Paul spoke the gospel simply because he believed in this power of God. So be assured Christian – the Lord can use your awkward conversation. After all, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14).
Paul gives another wonderful example of gospel sharing in the letter to the church in Thessalonica. The letter reads, “But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi…we had boldness in our God to declare to the gospel of God…so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts…we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves…” (1 Thessalonians 2:2-8).
Here we see that Paul encourages laying down one’s own comfort and being willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel – not only that, but being willing to put aside one’s own motivations and seeking God’s glory as we attend to others – offering ourselves for their good. This is a picture of Christ and what he has selflessly done for us on the cross.
Sharing the gospel may be hard in this world because it is not something we receive from this world but rather hope gained in Christ. So then, by grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to ask the Lord to help us surrender our fears of man, comfort, and selfish motivations as we remember what Christ has done. When we ponder His great selfless love, we too can be selfless ministers of the gospel, because Christ is simply worthy to be proclaimed.
*Names changed for security reasons.