Did you miss it?  Did you miss the theme we are focused on this year?  We want the HOPE of Christ to be more than a slogan or an insider experience.  We want to ignite the HOPE of Christ throughout our neighborhoods and throughout the nations.

(If you missed last week’s message, check it out here.)

It starts with neighborhoods.  And neighborhoods are made up of neighbors.  But too often we don’t view people as neighbors.  They’re simply bodies.  Bodies that live across the street, or in the apartment upstairs, or the dorm room down the hall.  But Jesus tells his followers to “love your neighbor.”  So we need to find a way to “turn bodies into neighbors.”

The best part is that ANY of us can do this.

• You don’t have to be a people person to do this.
• You don’t have to be a religious person to do this.
• You don’t have to be an organized person to do this.
• It doesn’t matter what your country, culture, or color is.
• It doesn’t matter what your zip code or your net worth is.
• It doesn’t matter what your BMI or your IQ is.
• It doesn’t matter what your marital status or your legal status is.

It’s as simple as filling in the grid with the names of the eight people who live closest to your residence.

Pray that you’d get to know their names if you don’t already.It doesn’t matter if you live in a dorm, a single family house, an apartment, condo, townhouse or McMansion.  There are people who are close to your residence when you lay your head down to sleep each night.  Write down their names (or whatever nickname you’ve given them because you don’t KNOW their name), and begin to pray.

• Pray that God will work in their life this year.
• Pray that they will experience God’s blessing.
• Pray that they’ll experience the H.O.P.E. of Christ.
• Pray that you would be able to extend the H.O.P.E. of Christ in some tangible way.
• Pray that they would come to see God as their loving heavenly Father.

That’s it.  Pray.  Ideally every day, but at least once a week.  It’s a practical, powerful way to ignite the HOPE of Christ from neighborhoods to nations.  And then watch to see how God begins to change you, your neighbors, and your community.  Are you in?

-Pastor Mark