Global Sunday
Heart Impact of Mission Engagement
Ron Thomas

In Acts 1:6–8, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” They were focused on the wrong thing. But Jesus brought them back to what really mattered: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.”

The mission is to be His witnesses locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. It’s not either/or; it’s both/and. That’s why we give to local needs, city projects, and global missions.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” When you give or go or pray, your heart follows. Mission grows your heart. Here is what God did in my life to grow my heart for global missions.

1. CEMENTED MY DEDICATION TO THE COMMISSION
I’ve always been passionate about missions. Honestly, the only reason I’m still in Australia is because God hasn’t told me where else to go. I’ve been a closet missionary all my life! But there came a point when God said, “Go.”

For years, I resisted. I wanted to send money, not spend it on travel. But the Holy Spirit kept nudging, “Go.” When I finally went, it changed everything—me, our church, our perspective. When I came back, our mission giving more than doubled. Why? Because we stopped being spectators and started being participants.

2. OPENED MY EYES TO GOD’S WORLD
I’ve travelled before—beautiful places, great food—but it’s nothing like standing on a mission field and seeing God at work among the nations. That changes you. You begin to see how big God’s world is and how much He loves it.

It’s like helping with Fresh Start locally—you’re not just serving; you’re stepping into what God’s doing right here. Same heart, same mission, different place.

3. INSPIRED ME TO LIVE FOR GOD
Mission has changed who I am. I’ve sat with pastors in North Asia who’ve been beaten and imprisoned for their faith—people “of whom the world was not worthy.” Their courage stirred something in me.

We may live in prosperity, but that’s not something to feel bad about; it’s an opportunity to resource the kingdom.

Don’t limit your heart to your own little world. Let God enlarge it. Engage locally, yes, but also lift your eyes to the nations. It’s not either/or—it’s both/and.

God wants to enlarge your heart. He says, “Enlarge your tent, stretch your cords, strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2-3). So let’s do that—let’s live on mission, here and to the ends of the earth.