Sent With Hope That Sticks

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” — John 20:21 (NLT)

I’ve been listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, a book about how ideas spread and take hold. Gladwell talks about “stickiness”—the quality that makes a message linger in the heart and mind.

As I listened, I found myself thinking about the gospel, and about the way Jesus sends us into the world with a message meant not just to be heard, but to stay.

Gladwell says a message becomes sticky when it meets a real need, speaks in a relatable way, and is carried by people who embody it. This is exactly how Jesus ministered. He met people in their hunger, their grief, their questions. He spoke in stories that stayed with them long after he walked away. And he embodied hope in a way that made people want to follow him.

There’s something else at work too. Stickiness doesn’t create something out of nothing—it ignites what is already there. In Wesleyan language, that’s prevenient grace: God’s love quietly preparing the heart long before we ever speak a word. The gospel “sticks” because God has already tilled the soil.

Elsewhere, Gladwell also describes three kinds of people who help ideas spread: Connectors, Mavens, and Salespeople. Connectors build relationships and bring people together. Mavens love wisdom and help others understand. And Salespeople communicate with passion and authenticity.

When we look at Jesus’ ministry, we see all of these qualities at work. He gathered people, taught with depth in accessible ways, and spoke with a compassion that moved hearts.

And we see these gifts echoed in the early followers of Jesus too—not in rigid categories, but in the beautiful diversity of how they lived out their calling. Some built community. Some taught. Some proclaimed with boldness. Each offered their gifts, and the gospel traveled through them in ways they probably never imagined.

The church still needs all three today. In fact, the church already has all three. Each of us is gifted in a way that helps the gospel travel—through relationships, through insight, or through heartfelt expression. Evangelism isn’t a one‑size‑fits‑all task. It’s the body of Christ working together—each part doing what it does best to share Christ’s love and hope.

As Jesus sends you into the world today, consider this: How has God uniquely gifted you to carry hope? Are you a Connector, a Maven, a Salesperson—or some blend of the three?

Wherever you go, someone is longing for hope that sticks and love that lasts. And Christ has already equipped you to share it.

Holy God, you sent Jesus into the world with a message of hope that transforms lives. Send us now in the same spirit—listening deeply, loving generously, and using the gifts you’ve placed within us. Make the gospel sticky in us, and through us. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim