Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home.

Romans 12:13

On Sunday we concluded our teaching journey about who we are as Church At Barking Riverside and our main principle Habits, Hubs and Hands and how they help us on our discipleship journey individually, together and for others.

Sunday wrapped up on Hands, where our last Celebration talk left off; how can we bring Jesus into our relationships with others, specifically those He has put on our hearts, or as we call it, our Hands.

Firstly, we need to commit to prayer. Prayer about the person; their journey in faith, a situation they might be in or prayer for clarity around how God wants us to help them. As Sam said in the previous talk, we are meant to be thermostats as disciples, not thermometers:

“There are Christians who act like thermometers. They rehearse the problem over and over, but never do anything to change it. Then there are some who function as thermostats and change things for the better. The thermostat on the wall of your home is wired to the heart of that unit which is designed to control the temperature in your house. That thermostat has a built-in thermometer to reveal the present condition (temperature) and a dial to make the desired change. When you change the dial setting, it makes a demand on the heating and cooling unit. The thermometer only tells you how it is at the present time. But by setting the thermostat to what you desire, you can change present facts.”
– Charles Capps

As thermostats, we want to be people of hope and love and have a positive affect on those around us. We should lead ‘conspicuously spiritual lives’ so people around us can see Jesus’ love, hope and faith oozing out of us. One question Sam asked on Sunday (and I honestly don’t know how overt I would be if I was asked…) but if a random person came up to you and asked what do you believe, would you happily go into conversation with them about your faith? And how would you explain about the Gospel and how we have been saved by Jesus dying on the cross?

I didn’t have the answer. I know how divisive religion can be or how offended some people can get when religion is discussed, so 9 times out of 10 with a stranger I wouldn’t go into much detail about my faith. And that’s me just being honest. However Sam went on to tell us a simple way to explain the Gospel. Using just 3 circles…:

So, where are you on this journey?
Honestly, for me, I have seen such growth in myself since joining the Church At Barking Riverside family. I feel I owe a lot to the new extension of my family. Of course I still get distracted, for we are only human, but I feel like I am definitely getting closer to unlocking what He has called me to do here.

And no, I haven’t had the opportunity to share this with a stranger since Sunday. But I have shared it with a friend who, after losing his dad a few years ago, isn’t sure about God anymore. It may not have changed his mind, but it was a great, concise way to explain why and how He does exist.

Is there anyone that God puts in your heart (or Hand) that you should share this with? Is there anyone He has put in your heart that you need to pray for or with? How can you commit to doing one thing with or for that person to show that you are there for them, no matter how small it is, I’m sure it’ll be very much appreciated…