(July 25, 2010)

Ever heard of viral marketing? The goal is for people to try the product, buy the product and then sell the product. Think about Mary Kay, Amway, even Facebook. They don't have huge marketing staffs. The customers themselves are the true advertisement.

The idea of viral marketing came from Jesus. Two tell two tell two tell two. It's a system that is based on spiritual spread, not spiritual consumption. There are churches all over America that are filled with people who are just consumers. This is not how Jesus operates. If it's a good idea, it came from God, the Father.

Within the 12 disciples, He invested heavy into the three. From there, seventy were sent out to spread the word. Today, there are more Christians in the world than have ever lived: Two billion people. When you get passionate for Jesus, don't you just want to pass it on?

Jesus' system was based on the Law of the Buy-In. It must cost them something. People value things that cost them. Your children take care of the toys that they had to buy with their own money more than those that were given to them. When you come in to church, it just costs you a little time. When you go out, it's going to cost you something.

Jesus is willing to take in anybody that's willing to spread the word. We don't need to raise a great harvest. We need to raise a great number of workers! Jesus qualifies who He calls. Jesus' system offered them the greatest opportunity to have a relationship with Him.

The people that are hearing God the most are the ones who spend the most. You always receive more than you put in. It about investing and inviting. Simply invest and invite and the system will work.

Identify people and begin to invest in people's lives. Don't be fake or flaky. Genuinely invest in people's live. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." You have to make them feel like a part of the body. Everyone in the church is part of the body, thus everyone is a missionary.

- Jon Bruney
(credit to John Maxwell)