Sudeep found Jesus back at home in India and has a heart for telling people about Jesus. When he came to university he struggled to find a church community in his first year but continuously talked about Jesus to his flatmates. He would have long debates with one flatmate in particular. However, these would often turn into arguments. After a while these discussions between them stopped.
In the spring one last year one of Sudeep’s friends invited him to an online church student group. Sudeep went back week after week and soon became a part of the community.
Returning in his second year with the same passion to share the good news of Jesus on campus, something changed in Sudeep. One night in his university room he encountered the love of Jesus in a powerful way. After this encounter he realised that he hadn’t been sharing the good news from a place of love.
Earlier this year, Sudeep’s church hosted an Alpha course. One week before Alpha, and prompted by Holy Spirit, he made his old flatmate some South Indian food (Jesus loved to share food with people and Sudeep’s dosas are legendary). Sudeep and his friend met to pass over the food, get a coffee and catch up. This time he just wanted to show his friend that he was loved.
After getting their coffees a homeless woman asked them for money. Sudeep gave her a couple of pounds and seeing love in action a discussion around faith sparked. His friend made a comment about Karma and Sudeep replied by talking about Jesus – how we don’t get to heaven with good works, but through Jesus Christ and accepting him into our lives. Sudeep was able to talk about why Jesus came and why he died for us. They continued the conversation and he invited his friend to Alpha, where he was able to ask some of his theological questions. A year before they argued, but after making him food, buying the lady a coffee and listening to his friend on a bike ride, something changed.
Sudeep has realised that if God loves us then we need to share our faith from this place. He also now asks Holy Spirit how to show his friends God’s love and reacts to it accordingly (with what to do and when to do it).
Sudeep’s friend hasn’t made a commitment to faith yet, but Sudeep now knows that there is more than one way to reach your friends, to never give up speaking to them about Jesus and to keep praying for them. We plant the seeds and God makes them grow.
Who could you make food for to share God’s love?
Who could you buy a coffee for listen to their thoughts on faith and ask good questions?
How could you help people to see that our God cares for the poor and is a God of justice?
How could you help someone with their theological questions? Maybe you could invite them to an Alpha course?
