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Feb 16, 2026 06:00am

The Last Birthday Text: Why Sharing the Gospel Can’t Wait

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“Happy Birthday, Elvis!”

Every Jan. 8, I would send my childhood friend her early morning birthday greeting. It wasn’t just her birthday, but also the birthday of the King, Elvis Presley. And she hated when people said that to her—which, of course, made us want to say it even more.

We didn’t see each other often as we got older. Life changes, people drift apart, but our birthdays always generated a text between us.

And then one day, I felt the need to share the gospel with her.

We had known each other our whole lives, but I never remembered talking to her about Jesus. I wasn’t a follower of Christ in our younger days, so I knew I had never initiated this type of conversation.

Hitting send gave me all sorts of butterflies. You know the feeling, right? You worry about how they will respond. What if they ask questions you don’t know the answer to? What if they reject you and don’t talk to you anymore? What if . . .

She said thank you, but that wasn’t really her thing.

Our annual birthday texts continued, and we would chat about this or that from time to time—but nothing too deep.

Until we got the news that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

I would message her, telling her I was praying for her, ask what I could do, and offer support any way I could.

And then one day, I felt that nudge again.

Tell her how much I love her. Tell her the truth. Tell her about my forgiveness.

I could hear this tiny little voice within me. The Holy Spirit was leading, and I knew I needed to obey.

My fingers were tapping so fast I thought my phone might ignite with fire! And hitting the send arrow once again filled me with all sorts of emotions.

She wasn’t interested. She appreciated the sentiments, but it wasn’t for her.

My heart broke. If she could only see the truth of how much God loved her and who He really was.

Things continued to get worse. Her cancer was spreading, and treatments weren’t working. We were messaging regularly, and I continued to pray and share with her God’s love.

Every time God opened the door, I walked through it. Well, honestly, I ran. The urgency I felt within me was overwhelming. My heart poured out through our messages about God’s love, His forgiveness, and salvation. She had questions—things I could not answer—about why God would allow this. But I reassured her that God was good and that this life was so short compared to eternity.

And then the text came on Jan. 25.

“I may have a brain tumor and many other issues, but I can’t for the life of me (and without a FB reminder) forget your birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRIEND.”

That was the last time I heard from my friend before she passed away.

To this day, I don’t know if she accepted the Lord’s offer of forgiveness. But it wasn’t because she hadn’t heard or known. Often, I told her that not only did I love her and want her to know Him, but as a follower of Christ, I had to tell her. It’s what God calls us to do.

Today, Jan. 8, my friend’s birthday, this is the passage we come to in our study:

“By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving Him by spreading this Good News. Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, He graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.” (Ephesians 3:7–8)

Paul knew without a doubt that God had saved him and that He had a purpose for his life. He was given the ability to share the gospel effectively. He knew the work God called him to, and he set forth to accomplish it—to give everything for the sake of the gospel.

Because of his obedience, the gospel was preached to the Gentiles, not just the Jews.

Because of Paul, we have the gospel today. And we’ve been given the same command—to go and make disciples, to share with others the love of God and the forgiveness He offers.

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring—or if there will be a tomorrow. If you are a believer in Christ, I beg you, as Paul did the other believers, to be a witness for Christ. Don’t wait. Share the truth today.

And if you’ve made it this far and you’re still questioning whether this whole belief in God, salvation, and heaven is real, my friend . . .

Don’t wait until tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation. The Lord has turned your eyes to what you are reading for a reason.

I can’t promise He will heal your physical ailments. But He will heal your heart—the brokenness within. He will fill you with peace even in the midst of chaos. He will give you hope of eternity even when this life feels fleeting. He will give you joy when the circumstances around you want to pull you into despair.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave His life for you so that your sins could be paid for. He died, was buried, and rose again—defeating death and hell! He has all power and all authority to offer you salvation and eternity in heaven.

Do you believe that?

Then confess it to Him. Ask Him to save you. And He will.

Friends, I’d love for you to check out FOLLOW. You’ll learn more about Jesus, His love for you, and what it means to be on mission with Him. Maybe you recently got saved—or maybe you just did as you prayed to God. That’s awesome! And if you’re asking, Now what? Go to FOLLOW, and let me show you.

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