{"id":52035,"date":"2026-07-29T09:35:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=52035"},"modified":"2026-07-29T09:35:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:35:41","slug":"manny-pacquiao-challenges-christians-to-set-annual-soul-winning-goals-bring-2-souls-to-the-kingdom-of-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/07\/manny-pacquiao-challenges-christians-to-set-annual-soul-winning-goals-bring-2-souls-to-the-kingdom-of-god.html","title":{"rendered":"Manny Pacquiao Challenges Christians to Set Annual Soul-Winning Goals: ‘Bring 2 Souls to the Kingdom of God’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Joaquin008 \/ commons.wikimedia.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao is calling on Christians to approach evangelism with greater purpose, urging believers to set measurable goals each year for sharing the Gospel and leading others to faith in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

Speaking Monday night at the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila, Philippines, Pacquiao addressed nearly 4,000 Christian leaders from more than 50 countries, encouraging them to take the Great Commission personally and live with an eternal perspective.<\/p>\n

Drawing from his own testimony, the former eight-division world boxing champion reflected on the dramatic transformation that followed his decision to surrender his life to Christ.<\/p>\n

“Before that, people know my old life,” Pacquiao said. “A lot of vices in life, drunkenness, gambling, everything like that. I had that. But when God changed my heart and gave me conviction, and I surrendered my life to Jesus and accepted him as my Lord and Savior, then I obeyed.”<\/p>\n

Pacquiao, who the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches recently commissioned as an international evangelist, said Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19-20 should inspire believers to make intentional plans to reach others with the Gospel.<\/p>\n

“We should set a goal in our day-to-day life: how many souls that you can target in one year to bring to the kingdom of God,” he said.<\/p>\n

Rather than encouraging unrealistic expectations, Pacquiao suggested beginning with a simple goal.<\/p>\n

“My target this year is to bring two souls to the kingdom of God\u2014just two. And then next year, maybe I can make five souls. So that’s my goal in life. I encourage you to do the same.”<\/p>\n

The boxing icon reminded attendees that life is fleeting, comparing it to “a morning fog that we appear and disappear.” Because of that reality, he urged Christians to ask themselves an important question: “How many souls you bring to the kingdom of God in your lifetime in this earth?”<\/p>\n

Pacquiao also warned against pride, saying one of the greatest spiritual dangers is believing a person is already good enough to earn Heaven.<\/p>\n

“The greatest hindrance for a person to be saved is to assume that you are good enough to go to heaven,” he said.<\/p>\n

He encouraged believers to remain grounded in Scripture and prayer, warning that many Christians compromise their faith by neglecting these essential disciplines.<\/p>\n

“There are so many Christians right now in the world that we call it backsliding, turning and compromising their faith,” Pacquiao said. “They’re not reading the Bible day and night. They’re not praying continually.”<\/p>\n

Beyond Bible knowledge, Pacquiao emphasized that genuine faith should be evident in humility, compassion and the way Christians treat others.<\/p>\n

“The way you help others\u2014that’s the most important thing, being a Christian,” he said. “The way we humble ourselves for others.”<\/p>\n

Pacquiao concluded by praying that God would give believers “wisdom, knowledge, understanding” and the boldness to proclaim the Gospel without fear, reminding attendees that every Christian has a role to play in reaching the world for Christ.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao is calling on Christians to approach evangelism with greater purpose, urging believers to set measurable goals each year for sharing the Gospel and leading others to faith in Jesus Christ. Speaking Monday night at the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila, Philippines, Pacquiao addressed nearly 4,000 Christian leaders from more than…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":52037,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nManny Pacquiao Challenges Christians to Set Annual Soul-Winning Goals: 'Bring 2 Souls to the Kingdom of God'<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Manny Pacquiao urges Christians to set yearly soul-winning goals, calling believers to share the Gospel and live boldly on mission.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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