Witnessing Begins at Home
By Rev. John B. Sorensen
Is your home a lighthouse in your community? It can be.
In Acts, Luke writes that early Christians met regularly together in their homes. They ate together, prayed together, worshipped together…“and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). As believers, how can we use our homes as a beacon of Christ’s light in our neighborhoods in the 21st century?
Start Inside
Successful outreach begins with prayer. Spend time praying for your neighbors, your friends, and those you meet in your community. Pray for them by name, and ask God to provide opportunities to speak with them about His gift of eternal life. Invite your spouse, roommate, children, or extended family to join you in prayer. Make it a family initiative. Prayer not only breaks our hearts for the lost, but it also draws us closer together as a family of believers.
Reach Out
Take time to develop relationships with people outside your family. Sometimes the people we know the least live the closest to us. Get to know them. Ask questions. Invest time into them. Ask if you can pray for them about anything. Often, we have no idea that people we see every day are struggling. A kind word or an offer of prayer can open the door for deeper, spiritual conversations. Focus on building trust and relationships, not presenting an agenda.
Invite In
Offer an invitation to friends or neighbors to join your family for dinner. If spiritual conversations have already taken place, invite them to study the Bible with you, or get together to pray about their needs. If you are hosting a small group or social gathering for your church, don’t forget your neighbors. Invite them to join in. Create a friendly, open-door environment and let them know that they are always welcomed. Christian peace and joy are often contagious. People want to know how they can experience it, too.
Point the Way
As we engage in spiritual conversations with those around us, questions will come up. Answer them to the best of your ability, keeping the focus on Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. If you don’t know the answer, promise to find out, but be sure to return with an answer. Always point to Jesus as the reason for the hope that we have.
Remember, our job is to tell others about the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict their hearts. He is the ultimate Light, the only One who can truly save anyone. Continue praying for your neighbors and people in your community, and God will open doors for you to share His Good News and His Light to the people around you.
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Rev. John B. Sorensen, D.D. is the President/CEO of Evangelism Explosion International, headquartered in Arden, N.C. EE has been a leader in equipping Christians to share their faith for more than 50 years. For more free tips and resources, visit evangelismexplosion.org, or follow John on Twitter, @jbsoresen. Read more good news from John Sorensen HERE.
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