A Generation Hungry For Truth

A few months ago, we shared about trusting God for a fresh move of His Spirit in Australia. We’re contending for something significant and far-ranging, something transformational with lasting impact. We believe we’re beginning to see glimpses of what God has ahead!  

It’s clear God is opening the spiritual atmosphere here in Perth.

“I've been going out on evangelism here for over 25 years now, and I don't think I've ever seen it open like this before,” Ari reflects. So many people, especially young people, are noticeably hungry for the truth. “I think part of that is because truth has been challenged on so many levels, and many young people look at that and realise that has led to a lot of confusion.”

Something has shifted. It could be disillusionment or just recognising there is more to life than this. Young people, especially, are more spiritually inclined. Many of them are open to spiritual things.

We're encouraged to see different initiatives in the city responding to that! People from around the Body of Christ are linking up to reach out, with people going on evangelism from many different churches. We love partnering together for the sake of His Kingdom.

We recognise that all that we see happening, every story we get to be a part of, is a glimpse into God at work. He’s the hero of every story!  

Sometimes as we share, we find people are ready to put their faith in Christ right away. Tom, a student on the School of Evangelism, shares this story:  

“During evangelism I met Matt,* we started talking about God and God gave me a word of knowledge for him. When I shared it with him, he broke down weeping, crying ‘How did you know?' I told him because God knows him, God sees him, and God is calling him back into a relationship with him. He gave his life to Jesus and the next day he came to church with us and then to worship at YWAM the next day. He has also shared that he would like to be baptised, so that is coming soon!”

Other times, there is a longer journey to openness to Jesus, like in this story from Austin, another SOE student.

“On my DTS earlier this year, I was on evangelism and met a guy named Josh.* He grew up Catholic, but had walked away from the faith, and he was living away from the Lord. Over the next three months when I was back in Canada, I felt the Lord say to stay faithful to him, so I continued to pray for him and check in on him over text. I suggested he check out a local church, and to my surprise, one day he sent a photo of him in the back of the sanctuary. When I came back to Perth for the SOE, I continued to build a friendship with him. Though it was a challenging journey with many highs and lows, Josh eventually gave his life to Jesus. Since then, I have continued to walk alongside him through struggles and be a friend to him, and it has been a great privilege for the Lord to use me in his journey.”

There are many more stories we could share, but we need to be mindful of not making our updates too long! We’re so grateful for the glimpses of how we see God moving in our city.

It's important for all believers to know how to share the gospel confidently. But it’s not just our words that matter - our lives are a key part of our witness as well. Ari reflects, “We talk a lot about carrying the message, but it’s not just with our words, it’s with our lives. As the life of Jesus is being manifested in our personal journeys, that, together with what we share, is the best testimony.”  

*Names changed for privacy

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