COMMUNITY

I remember when I first felt the urge to spread the Gospel to Africa.  There was a burning desire deep inside my heart to reach the people in huts and dirt floors.   In 2007 I actually went to South Africa with a group of seventeen people who planned on making a difference on the continent half way around the world.   The sad truth about all of this was I did not have a desire to reach the people in my own community.  The people I ran into at Wal-Mart, McDonalds, or even the gas station were not even a thought in my mind.  Now hear me out, I am not saying there is anything wrong with going to another country to reach the lost.  But if you cannot reach the people in your own community, the people you see everyday then how are you going to reach someone half way around the world?  Lets face it, most of us would rather go through the trouble of raising the money for a plane ticket rather than facing the rejection we may experience when we reach out to the people around us.   Our community is our mission, you don’t have to be a missionary to fulfill what God has called you to do!  God placed in your city for a reason, there is no mistake with where you are on the map.  Seize the opportunities you have everyday to reach the people around you and the impact will be greater than you ever could imagine.  Be willing to embrace a little bit of rejection or persecution  so that you can reach your community.  If you get the chance read Acts 9 and you will see how one man reached another in his community and took a big risk, but in turn ended up changing the world.