PRAY IT! B|Neighbors

This week's topic as we continue on in our B|Neighbors series:  B|Family!

Hearing that charge may evoke various responses.  Maybe this excites you and you are ready to B|ring on the familyin'!  Or maybe in place of "family" you'd insert B|Drama.  Or B|Distance. 

As with everything, though, we look to Jesus to help us generate gospel-driven love and compassion.  2 Corinthians 5:14-15 states "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 

Christ's love for Paul, and Paul's love for Christ resulted in Paul having a Christ-centered love for people.  In Paul's letter to the Romans, this authentic love is made clear.  He spends the first 16 verses of Romans 16 greeting over 27 people with personal "shout outs".  The same Paul who writes such powerful statements in Romans as "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20a) also finds it just as important to express his love and thankfulness to specific individuals.  "Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too." (Romans 16:13).  Can I get a collective "awwwwww"???  Rufus' mother loved on Apostle and missionary-extraordinaire Paul and it did not go unnoticed.  Everyone needs family. 

PoC,
As we prepare for Sunday's message and the continuation of our B|Neighbors challenge (to share our table):
1.  We need to be tight with Jesus.  (Daily presence!)
2.  We need to be willing to invest.  To pastor.  To care.  It's how we are to B|Family.
3.  We need to remember that it is okay to spend time acknowledging and loving on people.  It sounds like a silly reminder, but have you ever been so caught up in your to-do list (ministry or otherwise) that loving on actual people takes a back seat?  It seems silly, but it happens!  Paul was extremely focused on spreading the gospel message, and this included passages such as Romans 16:1-16.
4.  It's okay to get specific.  Sometimes challenges like "B|Neighbors" can be overwhelming because loving on people seems like a HUGE undertaking.  What people?  How many people?  What about all the other people?  Priority paralysis!  Ahhhh!  But, we are being neighbors together.  God has placed some specific people in your life (maybe for a season, maybe for a loooonnnngggg season) for YOU to love on and for YOU to pastor.  The same for me.  The same for all of us. 

If your love of people is feeling depleted, prayer is an appropriate and helpful place to start.  If your love of people is abundant, prayer is appropriate and helpful as well.  (Isn't that great!)  Praying for people is a loving action and also draws us closer to God.  Either way, let's all start here!

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for loving us and for growing our love for others.  Please help us love you more, to humbly receive your love, and to love others even more.  Please continue to show us the people you have placed in our lives for US to pastor - to care for - to love on, and help us follow through.  Help us to encourage, to admonish, and to be family.
Amen.

Looking for a way to love on and pray for a range of needs from local to global?  Check out PoC|Coverage, tonight at 6pm!  Join us as we hear our unifying charge from Pastor Todd, and then break into various groups with various prayer and care missions!

Pastor Celia