Have you ever tried on a pair of trousers only to find they’re a bit tighter around the midriff than you can remember? The tightness of the trousers exposes that we’ve put on a bit of weight. This exposure may result in staying away from cake!
Have you ever had a test paper come back with a low grade? The low grade exposes the lack of revision for the test. This exposure results in putting the phone down and picking up the books!
Have you ever taken your car in for an MOT only to find the testing of the car exposes how you’ve been riding the clutch?! This exposure results in taking your foot off the clutch when going round corners (hopefully!)!
What has this got to do with Passion for Life 2026? Passion for Life is a month-long focus on evangelism. That is, as individuals and a Church, we are looking to share the gospel of light, life and love with those who are walking in darkness, death and disconnection. Sounds straightforward… except it’s not! It’s in our lack of evangelism that some uncomfortable things about us might be exposed and we may have to make some changes. Let me illustrate from my own life.
Passion for Life 2026 has exposed that I don’t have any non-Christian friends in Stockport. Sure, I know a few people at the school gate or through the Reddish events team but none of these people are my friends. Can I look to share Jesus with people I know? Sure! However, the most effective form of evangelism comes through people we call friends. Those are people we have a relationship with; who we witness to with our loving deeds. Our friends build trust with us and will be more open to the deeper conversation about life and Jesus than, say, the person you see for 2 minutes on the playground every other week. Passion for Life has exposed my lack of non-Christian friends. This exposure needs to lead to change, notably with me making friends with some people in Reddish who are not part of our church.
What else might Passion for Life expose in us?
An unwillingness to engage with Passion for Life might expose some of the following:
• We don’t think it’s our role to share the gospel, that’s for the evangelists!
• We don’t know how to share the gospel.
• We’re too scared of what people might think of us if we do share the gospel.
• We don’t believe in the reality of hell and, therefore, don’t feel the need to share the gospel.
• We believe the lie that fundamentally what we do gets us right with God, not a belief in Jesus.
• We mistakenly think our faith should remain private and doesn’t need to be shared with others.
Maybe you identified something about yourself in the examples above, maybe not. If Passion for Life is exposing something in you, can I urge you not to ignore this. The resources we’ll be using in Growth Groups will go some way to help you in the areas that get exposed. However, if you still feel ambivalent towards Passion for Life, let’s grab a coffee and chat some more. Sharing your faith, although difficult, is fundamental to being a Christian and being on mission here at ECC. This really does matter for your own walk with Jesus and for those who are not yet walking with Jesus. Whatever Passion for Life exposes, may it lead to change.
