Marquan loves Jesus and wants everyone to know about Him. Marquan’s family reads the Bible and prays together every day. When Marquan was 5, he wanted to learn to read so he could read the Bible for himself.
Marquan loves Jesus and wants everyone to know about Him. Marquan’s family reads the Bible and prays together every day. When Marquan was 5, he wanted to learn to read so he could read the Bible for himself.
When Marquan’s family learned that they were not keeping all of God’s commandments, they determined to keep the Sabbath and began attending the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
An Invitation to Preach
Marquan wanted to be involved in his new church and asked for a job. He was invited to tell the children’s story, and he did a good job. Other invitations followed. Then one day the pastor asked Marquan, “Would you like to preach a sermon?”
“Me? I’m only 8 years old,” Marquan said, surprised.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are,” the pastor smiled. “God can use anyone to tell people about Him.”
Marquan talked to his parents, and the family prayed about the invitation. I’m just a child, Marquan thought. What would I preach about? Would people even listen to a child?
Marquan’s grandmother told him that the prophet Jeremiah had thought he was too young to preach too, but God had told him that he must go to everyone God sent him to.
Marquan thought about his grandmother’s words and decided God was asking him to preach. Marquan told his parents. His father helped him write his first sermon, and then Marquan memorized it.
Marquan felt a little nervous on the day he was to preach. But he remembered God’s words to the prophet Isaiah: “I have put my words in your mouth” (Isaiah 51:16, NIV). Marquan prayed for God’s peace. He felt better knowing that God was with him, and his nervousness went away.
A Bigger Task
People at other churches in his town heard about Marquan’s sermon, and they invited him to speak at their churches. Marquan accepted the invitations, for he had promised God that he would do whatever God asked. He prayed that his sermons would be a blessing to everyone who heard them.
When Marquan was 12, his pastor offered him a new challenge. “The church is planning a three-week Revelation seminar, and we would like you to lead it,” the pastor said. Preparing and preaching 21 sermons was a huge commitment for a young boy. But Marquan prayed about it and felt sure that God wanted him to do it.
The church held the meetings in a rented room at the local shopping mall. On opening night some 250 people came. Many returned each night to hear a young boy preach God’s Word.
Letting God Lead
“I’ve learned a lot,” says Marquan. “If we’re willing, God can use anyone to tell others about Jesus. It doesn’t matter how old you are; Jesus just wants you to be willing to tell others about Him.”
Boys and girls, we all can tell others that Jesus loves them. And when we give our mission offering every week, we help people we may never meet learn about God’s love.
