Make a guest list.

Invite the neighbors: the Samaritans, the tax collectors, the lepers, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and anyone else who you sense needs to feel loved. (Or, get a little crazy and invite those you struggle to love.)

Chuck any agenda you may have and simply get to know them personally.

Look them in the eye. Don't assume. Ask questions. Be present. Quit looking for an escape, and try to clear your head from your responses/rebuffs to their comments while they are still talking. Shhhh.

Believe me. This is not an easy assignment for me either.

Give them the attention that Jesus would give them.

Sounds like a great party. You willing to host it?

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Joline Atkins is your server this week! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Thursday night is Community Cookout night at any Youthworks mission site. All week long young people paint houses, do yard work, serve the elderly, deliver meals, teach local kids about Jesus, and volunteer at any number of local shelters and food banks. The young people and their leaders work hard at the tasks before them, but more importantly, they build relationships. That is always the main focus. Be like Jesus, sit with people, get to know them, love on them, AND invite them to Thursday night’s Community Cookout!

I’ve always loved this seemingly ordinary expression of hospitality because it’s a whisper of a bolder message. It’s this message I’ve been pointing to all week as I’ve reflected about Serving.

(1) Know that Service has an underestimated fueling potential for your faith.

(2) We must serve people because they belong to Jesus. And everyone belongs to Jesus.

(3) The ability to serve with the love of Jesus is the one thing all Christian Denominations can do in unity.

AND….drumroll, please…..

(4) There’s a big cookout coming. And we’re supposed to invite everybody to it.

“Sharing the Gospel”, “Spreading the Word”, “Evangelizing”, “Proselytizing”….call it what you will. It all means the same thing. Jesus is coming back. And when he does, there’s gonna be a feast. A big Par-tay with room enough for everyone. Our job is to invite them all. Tell them, “Ya’ll come!”

In anticipation of this banquet…we’ve got to give people a Full Serving. We’ve got to give them a foretaste of the Feast to come.

Amen.

“Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” – Luke 14:15

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