7 tips for talking with your neighbors about Jesus

We met in the elevator of our condo building.

Instead of the classic stare down at the ground and avoid eye contact bit, I said hello and introduced myself. I asked him a few non-awkward, basic questions. How long have you lived here? Do you like it? Have you met any cool people?

11 Gospel-centered ways to love your city

Jesus calls us to “go and make disciples” and to love our city so that we might clearly communicate the gospel and see more people come to know him.

But what does this look like practically? What does it mean to love our city? Here are 11 practical, gospel-centered ways you can love your city.

Dangers Leaders Face

Being in leadership is dangerous.

The Bible is full of warnings and examples of this truth. The devil is always lurking in the shadows to sidetrack, plateau, neutralize or flat out destroy Christian leaders.  It is at times overlooked that 1 Peter 5:8 is in the middle of a passage directed to leaders. Leaders are often the first target of the enemy of our souls and the ministry.

Picking the right people

It is a truism that the more people you lead, the more leaders you need.

As the size of your group, organization, church or company grows, so does the need for more character-filled, Christ-centered, and competent leaders.

Defining the Center

I have recently noticed a trend of churches giving up on the notion that community is an essential component of church life.

Many are deciding that community is an optional experience that is helpful but not elemental to being a healthy disciple of Jesus. I think this is a significant mistake. There is no biblical support for personal, autonomous Christianity. If we want to truly make disciples who advance the gospel, we must not only see the importance of community, but we must understand it to be essential to the church.

The dirty Manger

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger." (Luke 2:7).

This is without a doubt my favorite time of year. I love everything about it: glowing lights, fragrant trees, cheerful carols, and cherished memories. One special Christmas memory and a song lyric add a depth of worship and gratitude that I will treasure in my heart forever.

Three ways to share the Gospel

People Are More Than Projects

The reason why we sometimes fail in evangelism is because people can detect that we see them more as a project than a person. This is true in the context of preaching and one-on-one. People perceive we have an agenda that doesn't have anything to do with them; it's just something to get out of them or something to get them to do. Our job is to communicate the gospel, the good news of a perfect Savior who died in the place of sinners, resurrected from the dead, and will one day return. We get to tell people this glorious news, and as we do it, the Apostle Paul gives us insight as to how this is to be communicated.