Hi, I’m Lauren Lacson, director for communication and media production here in the Southern California Conference. In this video series, we’ve been taking a deep dive into our SCC mission, vision and core values—exploring what they look like in practice. It’s been inspiring, but this week we’re going to take a break from our regularly scheduled programming, if you will.

Today, I want to talk about the power of stories – specifically our stories, the testimonies each one of us carry. In Matthew 11, there’s an account of John the Baptist sending two of His disciples to Jesus to ask if He is the Messiah. His response struck me; but perhaps not for the reason you might think. He didn’t answer with a simple yes or no, but instead He said:

“Go and report to John what you hear and see; the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense at me” (Matthew 11:4-5). Sure, there are reasons Jesus didn’t answer with a simple yes or no, but even still, we can apply some principles of His response to our context today. Sometimes a simple factual statement doesn’t have the impact of a story. We can’t deny the power that comes from “reporting what we hear and see.” Ask yourself, how have you seen evidence of Jesus working in your life? The answer to this simple question is the testimony you’ve been gifted to share!

Our testimonies are powerful. And by testimony, I don’t only mean some impressive story. We experience testimonies every day, and it would do us good to focus on them and speak more of these experiences. I challenge you to get into the practice of thinking about these little things you may usually overlook and finding God’s hand at work in your daily life.   

In 1 John 1:3-4, the disciples talk about how they had been in the physical presence of Jesus, and their goal for sharing about that experience was this: I like how the Message translation says it: “We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.
Our motive for writing is simply this We want you to enjoy this too. Your joy will double our joy!" You see, positive stories tend to have a ripple effect. First, they impact those who are present to experience the story when it happened, but they also can affect people who weren't even a part of the event in the first place but who receive a blessing and are inspired from reading or hearing the story.

Before we close, I want to extend an invitation, if you’ve been enjoying the In Touch newsletter and these video messages from SCC leaders, I invite you to share with friends who would enjoy being connected with this content.

All they have to do is subscribe by text (SCC SUBSCRIBE to 33777) or fill out an online form. Let’s spread the word so others may be inspired by what God is doing all around them—and what He can do in their lives, too. I pray we may all have the courage to tell others about what we’ve seen and heard of Christ’s work in the lives of His people. 

Don’t forget to subscribe to us here on YouTube, and stay tuned to join us in the next issue for a message from our conference president as we resume our series on SCC’s mission and vision as we live it out together.