Day 34 of 50

READING GUIDE:

• Read today's devotion below and Matthew 13.
• During days 29-35 (at your own pace) read chapters 17 and 18 from Joining Jesus on His Mission.
• After days 29-35, meet with your small group and follow the back-of-the-book discussion guide for SESSION 5.

"As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Matthew 13:23 ESV)

Here Jesus explains the hope for us as His disciples--as we hear the Word, understand it, live our lives by it, we will bear fruit. We will make disciples who make disciples and so on and so on. This is also the hope for those in our lives who do not yet know Him.

As we join Jesus on His mission, our role is to help our neighbors gain a hearing of the Word so that they may understand it. This begins in an environment of conversation and trusting relationships.

"Neighboring Environments can be planned intentionally or happen spontaneously (that is, we can put ourselves into position to have spontaneous but meaningful encounters with neighbors)." Below is a short list of neighboring environments Finke shares in chapter 18:

• Have a cook out or ice cream party and invite your neighbors.
• Have a fire in the fire pit, provide the ingredients for s'mores and invite your neighbors.
• At work look for someone who is regularly overlooked and underestimated. Invite them to lunch with you and one or two other employees.
• Find reasons to be in your front yard rather than closed up in the house or apartment. Watering flowers, weeding, sitting on the front porch or driveway, etc. puts you into position to see who might wander by.
• Be a "regular" at a lunch spot. Start to get to know the wait staff and other "regulars." Tip well. (for more on this idea and to do this with your small group, check out the blog--groupsout)

Finke shares a total of 30 ideas. Check them out!

What idea did you most gravitate to? What will be your next step to execute that idea?

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT BELOW AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS AND STORIES.