A former professional soccer player is using the internet to reach thousands of people with the gospel during the World Cup. Jesse Bradley also is a pastor at Grace Community Church in Auburn, Wash.
“We’re able to create content where we share the gospel,” he told ”Faithwire.” “I share my story, and people are making decisions to follow Jesus. We’re reaching millions of people. We’re seeing over 18,000 already make first-time decisions.”
The World Cup effort also has a discipleship element, with Bradley partnering with Global Media Outreach, a company leveraging technology to spread the gospel, to ensure people are connected to a Christian community. “They follow up, and we help those people find a church,” he said. “So, it’s not just decisions; it’s disciples.”
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Bradley said the results from the campaign indicate a “massive hunger across the world now for God, for hope, for faith, for Jesus.”
“We all know there’s something much more significant than soccer that we need,” he said. “And I discovered it myself later in life, but our souls are content and we have joy in peace when we discover relationship with God.”
Bradley’s digital campaign relies on creating content that “leads to conversations and even conversions,” delivering these messages to mobile phones, among other personal locations. The less-than-60-second videos speak about the World Cup before going into Bradley’s story. He once was a professional soccer goalkeeper who had a tragedy, which creates interest among viewers. A medication he was prescribed to prevent malaria nearly killed him.
“I literally was fighting for my life for a year,” he said, noting he faced psychological effects in addition to serious physical ailments. “And in the middle of the pain, God birthed a new purpose and passion.”
Bradley entered the ministry and hasn’t looked back.
“Stories are powerful; everyone has a significant story,” Bradley said. “You have a powerful story, and when you share it, we learn more about God, we appreciate God, we see how God works and how he transforms our lives. We really go from the secular to the spiritual and then to the gospel in Jesus.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice