Jesus Invited the Unlikely; Will You?

An invitation to BSF can change a life for eternity

By Brooke Sims, BSF Chief Ministry Development Officer

I was the last person you would expect to say “yes” to a BSF invitation.   

In my early 20s, I had little Bible knowledge and had never done a Bible study. I did not believe in Jesus, and I was working long hours in a high-pressure public accounting firm.  

Who would have invited me? It would make more sense to invite someone who knew more about Scripture or who had more time on their hands. Right? Well, maybe not. 

Jesus invited the least likely. Who would have chosen a fisherman or tax collector for a disciple? Jesus chose the least likely to follow Him and the world was forever changed.  

Someone chose to invite me to BSF even though I was busy, inexperienced, and skeptical. And to my surprise and theirs, I showed up. Without that invitation, I would never have come to saving faith in Jesus. I am eternally changed because someone extended a simple invitation.   

What is holding you back from inviting your “least likely” friend or family member to BSF?  

Jesus chose the least likely to follow Him and the world was forever changed. 

Are they too busy? 

Most people in the world today are busy—busy with work, children, caring for aging parents, pursuing an education, and much more. But Jesus is needed every bit as much in a busy life as He is in a quiet life.  

When the disciples were called to follow Jesus, many of them had bustling careers. Simon Peter was a busy fisherman who cared for his wife and family. Did this stop his brother Andrew from telling Peter about Christ? Absolutely not. Scripture tells us, “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus”  (John 1:41-42a).  

We often think people may be too busy for a Bible study. Thankfully, Jesus is never too busy to reach us. God works in every season of life and faithfully calls His people in unexpected circumstances. 

Does BSF seem too difficult?

When you consider inviting someone new to BSF, maybe you worry that the questions will be too difficult. Perhaps the in-depth approach will be too challenging for a new believer or unbeliever without Bible study experience.  

When I first joined BSF, my understanding of God and the Bible was pieced together from the world, not the Word. Until I studied Scripture for myself, the idea of Jesus as Savior and Messiah seemed illogical.

However, the daily, personal questions from BSF gave me the courage to open my Bible. The guided study helped me to learn what the Bible said for myself. In community with others, I had the freedom to express my confusion and ask questions. The lecture and notes were like water for my parched soul. God used the study of BSF to bring me to salvation. 

As someone who has studied with BSF as a non-believer and then as a dedicated follower of Christ, I can confidently say that God uses in-depth study to mature people wherever they are in their faith. The Holy Spirit does the work; we are simply called to extend the invitation.  

The Holy Spirit does the work; we are simply called to extend the invitation.   

Are they too skeptical? 

God may be calling you to invite someone who has questions that you simply cannot answer. You are not alone.  

In John 1:45, Jesus’s disciple Philip extended an invitation to his skeptical friend Nathaniel, saying, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”  

When Nathaniel exclaimed, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Philip simply said, “Come and see” (John 1:46). This faithful disciple relied on Jesus’s truth to answer Nathaniel’s questions. He simply extended the invitation, trusting God to do the rest.

When I entered the doors of BSF for the first time, I was skeptical. I had questions about Jesus that none of my friends could answer to relieve my doubts. Only when I opened God’s Word did I discover the answers I truly longed to find.  

One of the most effective ways to reach skeptical people is to let them read the truth for themselves. 

The world offers endless suggestions; only Jesus has the solution.

Regardless of life-stage or church experience, all people seek answers the world cannot provide. We long for meaning and purpose. We want to be truly known and truly loved. We need forgiveness and a path forward. The world offers endless suggestions; only Jesus has the solution.  

When we do not invite others, eternal life and abundant life on earth are at stake. Too many of our friends and family walk through hard seasons without the truth and hope only Christ can give. How will we respond? 

What if you invited your “least likely” friend or family member to BSF this year? Who might come? Who might believe? How might a life—and the world—be changed for eternity because you invited that person to “come and see”? 

To invite a friend to join BSF, go to https://join.bsfinternational.org/, find your class, and click “invite a friend.”