{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":""Reaching Our Neighbors"","description":"\u201cReaching Our Neighbors\u201d Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19; Luke 14:23 Acts 1:8 \u2013 \u201cYou will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.\u201d We\u2019re continuing our \u201cReach\u201d teaching series where we\u2019re highlighting our REACH priority at Crossgate Church. Our purpose is to make \u201cmore and better disciples for Jesus Christ.\u201d And during the month of August especially, we\u2019re asking ourselves this question: \u201cHow are we going to make \u2018more disciples\u2019 without a reach and an outward focus on those outside these walls? This week and next week, we\u2019re going to get very practical with what we share: For now, let\u2019s consider how we can reach our neighbors for Jesus Christ along two lines: (1) taking every opportunity and (2) making every opportunity.   1) Taking Every Opportunity    I invite you to examine the following scripture when Jesus told his disciples to \u201cGO\u201d and verbalize the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20) The point that I want to make regarding that scripture is that, grammatically speaking, Jesus commanded his followers to verbalize the Gospel \u201cas they were going\u201d or \u201cwhile they were going.\u201d That is, they were to engage others with the Gospel while they were out and about living their lives. What does this mean for us? It means that as we live our lives in Hot Springs and Garland County, as we\u2019re out and about here and there and everywhere, we should take every opportunity to be a verbal witness and a non-verbal witness for Jesus Christ. Let\u2019s get very practical now and talk about ways to do that in the coming days. Invitational witness - One of the easiest ways to engage your neighbors is to invite them to one of our many gatherings on campus, whether that is our Sunday worship service, Lifegroups, Wednesday Night activities, or events such as our upcoming Trunk N\u2019 Treat. Testimonial witness - As we mentioned last week, the story of how you were saved will always be your best witness. And I\u2019m going to conduct some very practical training on Wednesday nights in October and early November that will equip you to share your testimony in a concise and compelling way. Relational witness - Building relational bridges with your actual neighbors in your neighborhoods is critical for reaching them. One easy way to do this is through a website called, \u201cBless Every Home.\u201d Visit: www.crossgate.org\/prayer for more information. Neighborhood Hangouts. These are exactly what they sound like\u2014opportunities to hang out with your neighbors with redemptive relationships in mind. Examples could be block parties, football watch parties, etc. Digital witness. Just about everyone listening to the sound of my voice has opportunity for a digital witness\u2014social media being your primary outlet. Our team plans to ramp up our most shareable content to make it as easy as possible for you to pass on the digital Gospel witness of Crossgate Church to those in your digital sphere of influence.    Vehicular witness. Nearly everyone 16 years and older drives, and you\u2019ve probably noticed that most people use their cars and trucks to advertise something so why not use your vehicle to identify with Crossgate Church? I want to encourage you to get a Crossgate decal from Wholly Grounds\u2014they only cost $4.00\u2014and use your vehicle as a rolling witness for the Gospel thru Crossgate Church. As we live our lives, God wants us to build bridges with our neighbors and those close proximity that we might share Jesus . . . as we go . . . taking every opportunity that comes our way.    2) Making Every Opportunity If Jesus commanded us to be witnesses \u201cas we go\u201d here and there and everywhere and take every opportunity that comes our way, Jesus was also adamant that we should make opportunities by going at specific times and places specifically to be witnesses. (Luke 14:16-23) So what are some practical ways we can engage people and share the Gospel? Feed the homeless \u2013 We have a quarterly ministry where we prepare food and then deliver it to those in need. Evangelistic breakfast and lunches. One of the easiest ways to make an opportunity is to set up a breakfast or lunch with someone who (1) you know is lost or (2) you\u2019re not sure is either saved or lost and use that opportunity to share your testimony and\/or share the Gospel with a call to respond. Pray & Go. In the coming days, you\u2019re going to hear more about \u201cPray & Go.\u201d How does it work? Pray & Go is basically a series of prayer walks where you and few other people (ideally from your LifeGroup) go to a neighborhood and pray for the homes and the people inside. As you progress through the neighborhood, you place a door hanger on the front door that contains the message \u201cWe prayed for you\u201d along with some basic info about Crossgate Church. Are you ready to take every opportunity and make every opportunity for Jesus Christ? ","author_name":"Crossgate Church Podcasts","author_url":"http:\/\/crossgate.libsyn.com","html":"