Topics: Communication; Evangelism; Gospel; Opportunity; Purpose; Witnessing
References: Matthew 28:19–20; John 3:16; Ephesians 3:6–7; 5:15–16; Colossians 4:5; 2 Timothy 4:1–5
Billy Graham was so focused on bringing his message into every endeavor—even in something so simple as a sound check—that he would somehow always find a way to do it.
“One of the distinctives of Mr. Graham’s ministry has been his ability to make positive points for the gospel in any situation,” says Larry Ross, whose firm has handled media and public relations for Graham’s organization for more than twenty-three years. “You can ask Billy Graham how he gets his suits dry-cleaned on the road, and he’ll turn it into a gospel witness.
“I cut my teeth in the corporate world before I worked with Mr. Graham, and I set up numerous media interviews,” Ross says. “Almost always before a TV interview, they do a microphone check, and they ask the interviewee to say something—anything—so they can adjust the audio settings. Often a corporate executive will count to ten, say their ABCs, or recite what he had for breakfast. Mr. Graham would always quote John 3:16—‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.’
“When I asked Mr. Graham why he does that, he replied, ‘Because that way, if I am not able to communicate the gospel clearly during the interview, at least the cameraman will have heard it.’ ”
—Harold Myra and Marshall Shelley, The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham (Zondervan, 2005)