Lis is a visual artist and mother. After losing her mom, we simply reminded her that God can turn difficult situations for good.

This is Lis's story
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I lost my mother to cancer. Not long after, I found myself talking to someone else who also had cancer. To be honest, nasa grieving stage pa rin ako, but I didn’t want to let that pain get in the way of the Holy Spirit’s prompt na ipag-pray siya right then and there. I also didn’t want that woman to miss out on knowing what Jesus has done for her on the cross.

Yung challenge dito was how to be sensitive to what she was going through while sharing about Jesus. So, I asked her a simple question. Sabi ko, "Do you believe that there is hope in Jesus?" I asked this question kasi gusto ko ring malaman kung kumusta siya spiritually and also listen to her perspective.

Thankfully, the question opened up a great conversation. I was able to share the Gospel with her and how it gave my mom and my family hope in the opportunity to be in heaven, and in the end, I was able to pray with her! Praise God!

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We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.
Romans 8:28

Through this experience, I was reminded of God's faithfulness—what the enemy meant for evil, He can turn for good.

When you remember what God has done, you will be prepared to share when the opportunity comes.

Brian, one of our community members, shares how a SIMPLE LIFE CHOICE led to a miraculous opportunity to share Jesus. It all began at a gas station. Nothing dramatic—just Brian with a heart ready to obey.

After filling up my tank, napansin ko si Kuya na iika-ika. Hindi ko siya magawang iwasan because he looked like he was in a lot of pain. So, bumaba na ako ng kotse at nilapitan ko siya. Nagpakilala muna ako, tapos sabi ko, "Kuya, pwede ba kitang ipag-pray?" Sumagot naman siya at sinabi, "Pwede naman."

After praying, nagkausap kami at doon ko nalaman na Muslim pala siya. Pero praise God, pumayag siyang ipag-pray ko siya. After praying, nagkausap kami at doon ko nalaman na Muslim pala siya. Pero praise God, pumayag siyang ipag-pray ko siya. Nang nakabalik na ako sa kotse, lumapit siya sa akin at sinabi niyang nawala na yung sakit. Sabi ko, "Si Lord po 'yan. Mahal niya po kayo. He even sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Kailangan lang po natin maniwala sa Kaniya at magsisi sa mga kasalanan natin."

Sobrang bilis lang ng pangyayari. Alam ko na hindi naman niya agad tatanggapin si Jesus, but I also know that moment planted a seed. And maybe someday, in God's perfect timing, he’ll be open to hearing the Gospel.

To be honest, approaching a stranger and asking if I can pray for them feels intimidating. But that’s when I realized—it’s really God working through me.

And that's why, through this experience, I realized that choosing to keep my eyes open to what God can do through me is so important. Minsan kasi, sobrang focused tayo sa sarili natin that we miss the opportunities God is placing right in front of us. And most of the time, there are things around us that God wants us to notice as opportunities to share Him. All we need to do is simply obey. Right there at that moment. We need to consistently ask God, "Lord, how can I share You today?"

And when we do this, the Lord will open our eyes to see the souls who are waiting to be saved. Matthew 9:37-38 "Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’"

Always keep your eyes open and your heart ready to obey.

You'll be amazed at how God works through you!

With all this connectivity, why do we still feel disconnected?

In this day and age, various platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook have made it SO easy to connect with hundreds of millions of people worldwide. With just one click, sobrang dali na lang malaman yung mga perspective at idea ng iba. Every post, comment, and message opens a door to meaningful conversations.

And these conversations can create deeper connections. Thanks to the internet, we are more connected than ever. Pero bakit nga ba patuloy pa rin tayong naghahanap ng totoo at personal na connections?

Because true relationships are built on genuine presence, deep conversations, and shared experiences—things that a screen can never fully replace.

So, paano nga ba tayo makakabuo ng personal connections? Saan ba tayo magsisimula?

After Jesus' death and resurrection, He gathered His disciples and sent them out, saying, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Napansin niyo ba yung progression sa instructions ni Jesus? Jerusalem followed by Judea and Samaria, and finally the ends of the earth.

Jerusalem was actually the area closest to the disciples. Judea and Samaria were farther regions, and the ends of the earth meant the farthest they could go.

The lesson here is to START RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.

Start in your immediate area—kung saan mayroon ka nang personal connections. Start with your friends, family and the people you see every day. Build a genuine friendship and let your love for Jesus overflow. It can be as simple as starting a conversation with a coworker, a classmate, or a friend na mas gusto mong kilalanin.

As your friendship grows, hayaan mong makita nila what it means to follow Jesus through your life—through your actions, thoughts, and words. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in leading others to Jesus. Allow Him to give you the right words to say as you take opportunities to open up conversations about Jesus, church, and faith.

Tandaan, people are still hungry for genuine connection.

Share Jesus by starting where you are. Build real, genuine connections with the people around you.

Ikaw? Who can you reach out to for a genuine connection today?

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References
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-human-connection/201912/making-real-connections-in-the-age-social-media

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

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Alam mo ba that social media can become your NEW MISSION FIELD for sharing Jesus? It used to be outreach events that required physical presence. Pero buti na nga lang, we can now reach larger audiences through our social media accounts. Pero syempre, it’s not always that simple.

Social media isn't always the most effective space to talk about topics like faith and who Jesus is. Bakit? Because people usually look for quick, entertaining, or attention-grabbing content. Conversations about faith, on the other hand, can be more personal, may require deeper engagement, and even make them uncomfortable.

So, paano ba natin magagamit yung social media natin to share Jesus in an engaging way?

Para magawa natin 'to nang maayos, it's important to understand the nature of the environment WHERE we're communicating.

The Social Space

When posting online, keep in mind that you're operating in a social space. A social space involves a large audience, similar to attending a lecture, a church service, or even watching a YouTube video. Here, you can share information with a wide audience, but meaningful engagement and personal transformation are often lacking.

The Personal Space

A personal space, on the other hand, usually takes place in one-on-one conversations or small group interactions. This is where talking about Jesus works best because people feel more comfortable. When people feel safe, trust deepens, and it becomes easier to share what truly matters—Jesus—allowing for real, lasting transformation in their lives.

Alam mo ba that Jesus operated in both social and personal spaces? He shared His message in public settings, teaching crowds and healing the sick. But He also engaged in deep, personal conversations with individuals, like Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, and His 12 disciples. In social spaces, He shared wisdom and called people to follow Him. In personal spaces, He built trust through love and care, leading to deeper, life-changing connections.

From this, we can learn a helpful strategy for sharing Jesus on our social media. Move people from the social space into your personal space.

To do this, here are 5 tips to improve engagement on your social media.

1. Be a Normal Person

Balance your posts about Jesus with your everyday content. Alam mo ba that people are primarily interested in who you are as a person? This is why your relationship with Jesus is best shown through your daily life. Also, if people don’t engage with your posts about Jesus, social algorithms will cause them to eventually not see your posts at all.

2. Ask Questions / Polls

Engagement is key. Thankfully, social platforms have tools like questions, polls, sliders, and video replies to encourage engagement. Draw people in by asking intriguing questions and using polls!

3. Challenge The Norm

You can actually grab people's attention by using language that challenges their common perceptions of what it means to be a Christian.

4. Speak to Different Kinds of Needs

There are countless needs within the community. Address various types of needs—whether it's emotional, physical, or spiritual—and share how Jesus, the church, and faith offer hope and solutions to those struggles.

5. Follow Up In DMs

- When people engage with what you post in meaningful ways, follow up with them in DMs, or ideally, in-person.

Kapatid, let's follow Jesus' example: bring people from the social space to the personal space.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

Matthew 4:19

Tandaan, while getting likes is nice, each number represents a real person—a soul who may be in need of God's saving grace. Be intentional and prayerful about taking people deeper, even if it’s just one person.

Sharing Jesus comes with many barriers. Fear, judgment, misunderstanding, and even rejection can make it all difficult to open up about our faith.
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Being well aware of these obstacles, we prefer staying in our Christian bubbles and avoid connecting with non-Christians. The truth is, it's much easier to stay where we are safe from judgment or rejection. But doing so means we're not being faithful to what God has called us to do—to go and share the Gospel. So, ano nga ba yung pwede nating gawin para mabago 'to?

Jesus told a story about a good neighbor. A Jewish man was robbed and beaten and left on the road. After a priest and temple worker walked right past, a Samaritan man stopped to help him. Samaritans and Jews had a bad history and more or less hated each other. But when the Samaritan saw the robbed man, he had compassion for him despite their differences and helped him. Jesus said that the Samaritan man was a good neighbor and encourages us to be like him. Luke 10:29-37.

In the story, the Samaritan man helped the Jewish man despite their differences. Similarly, we have the opportunity to be good neighbors as well. Kaya naman, we must recognize that differences should never hinder us from reflecting Christlikeness in our actions. Reach out and have compassion for them. Find some common ground and serve them.

Today, start by paying attention to what's happening around you. If you take the time, mas madali mong maiintindihan yung mga tao sa paligid mo. Try taking some time to walk around your neighborhood and observe. Pray as you do so. Some families are very busy and struggle to provide for their family. Some people are lonely. And some people struggle with health. Simply observe.

You’ll start to notice people who could use some help. What you can do is approach them with humility and sincerity. Then offer to serve them. Offer to serve them in a way that shows you genuinely care. At kahit pa tanggihan nila ito, your offer may still encourage them.

Incase you don't know, many people struggle with loneliness. And this is why some people will simply appreciate your company. Spending just one hour a week asking someone from your neighborhood how they are can mean so much to them. Kaya naman, make an effort na pakinggan sila and genuinely care. And if there's a chance to share Jesus, take it.

Tandaan, God has placed you where you live for a reason. Apply Jesus' teachings and be the good neighbor He wants you to be. Take initiative, show compassion, and love them the way Jesus would.

Kapatid, take time today to observe where you live. Choose one person in need and reach out to them.