10 Simple Ways to Reach Your Neighbors for Jesus by Chuck Lawless

Most believers will never share the gospel with anyone, and many will never even invite anyone to church. Sometimes, in fact, we overstate the hard work of evangelism, and our folks never even try to reach anyone. Here are some simple ways to start correcting this problem by reaching your neighbors:

1. Learn their names. I know that sounds silly, but we will never reach people whose names we don’t even know. Particularly in North American culture, we often don’t know the people who live next to us. 
2. Pray intentionally for their salvation, at least weekly. Ask God to help you connect with them and to grant you opportunities to tell them your story of faith. Ask for courage to speak when the opportunity is there. 
3. Do a prayer survey with them. By that I mean, ask your neighbors how you might pray for them. My experience is that people often carry heavy burdens behind closed doors, and they welcome prayer support. 
4. Invite them to cookout in your yard.  For some reason, people seem to be more open to spending time in a yard than they are in entering a house for a meal. Take advantage of that opportunity. 
5. Invite their kids to children’s events at your church. Your ultimate goal should be to reach the entire family, but children often become the open door to speaking to others. Welcome neighbor kids into your life. 
6. Do acts of kindness for your neighbors. Cut their grass. Rake the leaves. Shovel the snow. Take out their garbage. Clean their windows. They’ll often ask why you do what you do—which then opens the door to talking with them about spiritual matters. 
7. Offer small gifts to them at Christmastime, and include the Christmas story. Only God knows what He might do through an inexpensive gift that includes a gospel tract. The gift opens the heart, and the tract drives the gospel in. 
8. Start a book reading club or a walking/running club. Build on your passions, and work to find others in your community who share that passion. Even if only a few join in, those few may still need to know about Jesus. Build relationships that can lead to evangelism. 
9. Grow a garden, and give away much of your crop. Fresh vegetables can open a door to conversation, so plan your garden accordingly. 
10. Make sure you know the gospel well. Talk with your pastor if you’re not sure what to say. You will want to get it right when God opens another heart to listen to you. 

Friday, September 21, 2018....From the Shepherd's Heart

Rainsville First Baptist Church has been in a year-long process we are calling the "Next Level Process" where we are asking God to show us what we need to do to go to the next level spiritually and strategically.

Part of this process has been inviting three pastors to spend the day with us challenging and sharing with us from their experiences. 

This Sunday we welcome back home Dr. Greg Corbin.  Greg was ordained here at Rainsville First Baptist.  He is currently the Pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church, Birmingham. After being called to preach at the age of seventeen, Greg has served in full-time ministry for over twenty years in churches in a variety of settings. 

A graduate of Jacksonville State University, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Greg has served in leadership at the associational, state convention, and national Southern Baptist Convention levels. 

Greg is married to Becky and they have two sons, David and Daniel.

Greg is preaching in both worship services this Sunday at 10:15 and 6:00. 

Wednesday, September 19, 2018.....From the Shepherd's Heart

We have two more Wednesday nights left of the "Getting to the Heart of Parenting" DVD series by Paul David Tripp.

This is what I wrote after viewing last Wednesday night's teachings:

"Due to my absence for two weeks in Africa, last night was the first time I got to be with the church family while we are watching "Getting to the Heart of Parenting" by Paul David Tripp. This is at least the third time I've shown it to a church and most likely the fifth-sixth time I have seen it and it always speaks to me.

Last night on the topic of "Parenting 0-5-year-olds" he talked about submission to authority - without challenge, without excuse, and without delay. Then about honor - treating the parents with respect and esteem by not giving commands and not addressing them as peers.

Then he concluded on some great wisdom about spanking this age group. You don't hear that much anymore in even Christian circles. So needed.

And yet I sat there realizing I am to willingly submit to my Father without challenge, excuse, delay and to honor Him by not giving Him commands. And His discipline (spanking) of me is always with love.

Don't miss the next two Wednesday nights..."

So let me highly encourage you to be present tonight at 6:10 in the Auditorium for this wonderful teaching.

Sacrifice Your Words by Paul David Tripp

God doesn’t want you to come to Him empty-handed.

No, you can’t come to Him full of yourself,
And you can’t come to Him based on your track record,
And you can’t use your performance as a recommendation.
No, you can’t come to Him based on your family,
Your personality,
Your education,
Your position in life,
The successes you’ve had,
The possessions you’ve accumulated,
Or the human acceptance you’ve gained.

But God requires you to come with your hands full.
He requires you to bring to Him the sweetest of sacrifices,
The sacrifice of words,
He calls you to bring Hosea’s offering.

“Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
Take with you words
And return to the LORD.
Say to Him
‘Take away all iniquity;
Accept what is good,
And we will pay with bulls
The vows of our lips.’”

God doesn’t want you to come to him empty-handed.
He asks of you a sacrifice.
Not a grain offering,
Not a lamb or a bull.
No, that requirement has been satisfied By
the blood of the Lamb.

Yet God asks of you a sacrifice
It is the offering of words,
Words of humility,
Words of honesty,
Words of moral courage,
Words of moral candor,
Words that could only be spoken,
By one who rests in grace

Words of confession are what you must bring.
Place words,
Free of negotiation or excuse,
On His altar of grace,
And receive forgiveness and cleansing.

Uncover your heart,
Exposed by words, and say:
“We will say no more, ‘Our God,’
To the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”

Come with words,
It is the way of grace,
It is the way of freedom,
It is the way to God.

God bless

Paul David Tripp

Scripture references are from Hosea 14:1–3

Wednesday, September 12, 2018....From the Shepherd's Heart

Tonight Rainsville First Baptist Church is in full swing with a great night of services and activities:

5:00 - Wednesday night meal
6:10 - Arrow Kids' Clubs meet
6:10 - Student Ministry with Bro. Zac Gardner preaching
6:10 - the Adults are watching the DVD of "Getting to the Heart of Parenting" with the session "Parenting For Ages 0-5."

Resources to Help Feed God’s Word into Our Lives By Jeremy Wallace

I am currently teaching a series on the Spiritual Disciplines at the church I pastor. One of the topics I recently covered was the spiritual discipline of Bible Intake. Bible intake is about intentionally feeding God’s Word into our minds so that it can do its work in our hearts.

For God to use his Word in our lives, we must be engaged with it. The challenge is that Bible intake can be hard work. While it does (and always will) require discipline, there are many resources available to help make feeding God’s Word into our lives more accessible. Listed below are several recommendations (and resources) to help you feed God’s Word into your life.

1- READ CREATIVELY.

While Bible intake is about more than just reading the Bible, it certainly does include reading. There are few things you can do to help bring your Bible reading to life.

• Alternate translations from time to time. Nothing has done more to bring my Bible reading to life like alternating translations. I prefer literal word-for-word translations such as the English Standard Version (ESV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), or the New King James Version (NKJV). If you have only used one translation for years, chances are you are very accustomed to the wording and the flow of your particular translation. Alternating versions will keep you focused and engaged. I highly recommend doing this.
• Utilize a Bible reading plan like those on Bible.com. If you prefer reading from a phone or tablet, download the YouVersion Bible app or the ESV app.  My favorite plan is the F260 reading plan. You can learn more about it HERE.
• Read from a chronological Bible. This will help you learn the chronological history of the Bible and how it all fits together.

2- SEEK TO GROW, NOT JUST KNOW.

There is a temptation to try to read as much as possible or to read simply for the sake of information. Both are bad ideas. I am not a fan of trying to read through the Bible in a year. In my experience, people who do this end up being more concerned with checking off their Bible reading box instead of trying to understand and apply what they are reading. It is far better to read 5-10 verses, understand what you are reading, and walk away with several application points you can put into practice that day. This kind of Bible reading will change your life.

3- BE WILLING TO STUDY.

There will be times that you will not understand what you are reading. That’s okay. Just be willing to do a little study. This is where a good study Bible will be a huge help for you. My favorite study Bible is the ESV Study Bible. The translation is readable and understandable, but it also has a ton of great notes that will answer most any question you might have. If you want to dive deeper than just a study Bible, there are several websites/apps that can help. In the past I have used BlueLetterBible, BibleHub, and Biblia.com. Try them out.

4- PUT EFFORT INTO MEMORIZATION.

Memorizing is hard, but there are some tools that will help. Both of these apps are very popular and will help you memorize God’s Word: the ScriptureTyper app and the Fighterverses app. Another idea is to get an accountability partner who will help you memorize Scripture. This provides the accountability that is so needed.

5- UTILIZE DEAD TIME.

We all have times during our day that are opportunities. Driving to or from work, mowing the yard, or walking the dog are all opportunities to feed God’s Word into our lives. How? By listening to God’s Word. There are a number of good apps available, but here are a couple of popular options (YouVersion Bible app and the ESV Bible app). Listening to God’s Word is a great way to feed God’s Word into your life on a daily basis.

6- READ BIBLE-BASED CONTENT AND LISTEN TO BIBLICAL PREACHING.

There are a ton of great blogs, podcasts, and websites that provide solid biblical content. You do have to be careful with this as there is also a lot of junk available. But reading Bible-focused blogs, listening to Scripture-saturated sermons, and working through podcasts on current events from a Christian world view are all ways to feed God’s Word into your life. You probably have blogs and pastors that you follow, but many people are not sure where to turn for commentary on current events. Here are a couple of options.

• The Briefing by Albert Mohler– A Summary of today’s events from a Christian world view.
• Signposts by Russell Moore

CLOSING THOUGHTS

We all need to feed God’s Word into our lives. For those of you who are bad at reading or who hate reading, the good news is that reading is not the only way to feed God’s Word into your life. With the resources listed above you can feed God’s Word into your life in a variety of ways. I guarantee you that when you start intentionally feeding God’s Word into your life, God will use it to change your life in amazing ways.

Friday, September 7, 2018....From the Shepherd's Heart

I am excited to return to the pulpit this Sunday at Rainsville First Baptist Church after having been in Africa speaking for two weeks.

I had originally planned to preach the life of Noah this fall, but I sense our church is in a very important and strategic place as we conclude our "Next Level Process" this fall. 

So, I sense the Lord's leading to speak about revival.  The restoration of His life in us. 

This Sunday and the next, I will begin this series by looking at the story of the four leprous men in II Kings 7 with the background story of II Kings 6. 

I have asked Tim Bryan to preach for us this Sunday night.  With me returning from Africa on Friday and having a full day of responsibilities on Sunday, I felt I would not be at my physical or mental best to be ready to preach Sunday night.  It has been a real joy to have Tim and Kay with us at Rainsville First and we will hear him Sunday night. 

Wednesday, September 5, 2018.....From the Shepherd's Heart

Tonight Rainsville First Baptist Church is in full swing with a great night of services and activities:

5:00 - Wednesday night meal
6:10 - Arrow Kids' Clubs meet
6:10 - Student Ministry with Bro. Zac Gardner preaching
6:10 - the Adults are watching the DVD of "Getting to the Heart of Parenting" with the session "Getting to the Heart of Behavior."

Don't Worry About Inviting Me....by James Emery White

Vol. 14, No. 62 Don’t Worry About Inviting Me Don’t worry about inviting me to church this weekend. Really. Because I’ve been thinking about it… I know we’re friends and you go to church, but I know talking about your faith makes you uncomfortable. At least, that’s the sense I get. We talk about a lot of stuff, but whenever church or God comes up, you get… I don’t know, tense. I’ve never understood why – it doesn’t weird me out as much as it does you. But I’m happy to relieve you of what is obviously something that makes you awkward. Besides, what would I be missing? It’s not like I’m an atheist – I’m not. I believe in God. I’m spiritual. And I want to do better. I’d like to understand the Bible, be a better parent, have a closer marriage, maybe even volunteer for something that would help others. But the last time I went to church, that isn’t exactly what was offered. Besides, we both know I’m not exactly a poster-child for Christianity. I’ve got baggage. I’ve got questions. I don’t think church is exactly the kind of place for someone like me. And I don’t want to have to dress up. I don’t want to be hit on for money. I don’t like organ music. And on top of all that, I don’t really believe in hell so I’m not even that worried about what happens after I die. I’m sure that whatever life there is after death, it will turn out fine.  As far as my kids go, I think I want to just give them the freedom to choose whatever religion they want; if any religion at all. Church was boring for me when I had to go as a kid, so the last thing I want to do is drag them to one every week. It turned me off to church and I’m sure it would just do the same for them. So it’s probably better if they just don’t go at all. So don’t worry about trying to invite me to church. It makes you awkward. It doesn’t have anything to offer my life. I can’t exactly come as I am. I like wearing shorts. I give money to charity. I listen to Coldplay. Hell is kind of a joke these days. And, my kids won’t like it. Right? But if, by chance, you think I have this all wrong, then for God’s sake… INVITE ME! James Emery White Editor’s Note This blog is a repost from 2011. The Church and Culture Team thought you would enjoy reading it again. About the Author James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and the ranked adjunctive professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Meet Generation Z: Understanding and Reaching the New Post-Christian World, is available on Amazon. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit ChurchAndCulture.org, where you can view past blogs in our archive and read the latest church and culture news from around the world. Follow Dr. White on Twitter and Instagram @JamesEmeryWhite.