Love Intentionally
Care and courage. Matthew showed care for those he knew and he had the courage to invite them all over so they could meet Jesus. In this message Stuart challenges us all to care enough about someone to daily pray specifically for them, and have the courage to invite them to come to a service or special event here at FCC. Who are five people you know who need the light of Jesus? Pray specifically for these people. Who needs a bold invitation from you? Have the courage to invite because the worst they can do is say no, so invite boldly!
Invite Boldly
The church is for the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame, the people who have made bad mistakes, people who are not okay. The church includes messy people. The good news is Jesus is not afraid of messy people. Jesus doesn’t run from messy people; he runs to messy people. Therefore the church can’t be a place that says, “Once you become like us, and act like us – then you can become a part of us.” Everything about Jesus echoes his desire to leave the place of security and comfort to go to the dark places or the broken people. As believers, we reflect that attitude and willingness to go to them instead of expecting them to come to us.
Speak Boldly
We are to be a light in this dark world, but we are never alone. We are never alone in the conversations we have with others. God has given us the Holy Spirit. His power and his presence live within us to enable us to be a light. We aren’t rolling solo. So, be bold! Be courageous! We live in a world in desperate need of the light of Jesus. God created you specifically for a reason to reach people who can only be reached by someone like you. Be bold. God is with you.