Download Lesson: 10.18.15 Class Notes – Romans 16

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Paul did basic things to spread the good news to others. He went town to town. He mentored those new in the faith and then placed them in leadership roles. He encouraged many to open their homes to build relationships to lead others to Christ.

So here’s the seed I’d like to plant: What if each of us were willing to open our homes once a month to start cultivating friendships with our neighbors. I wouldn’t start bible studies or prayer groups at this point. The only goal is to get to know your neighbors over a cup of coffee. In fact, we ought to consider inviting neighbors for one-to-one gatherings first to get a sense of who they are and assess their level of interest in getting to know other neighbors on a monthly basis. The end goal is to love our neighbors, encourage one another, carry each other’s burden, and then the hope is to draw them to Christ over time.

But what I want you to hear is that I don’t think we should put pressure on ourselves to lead a bible study or prayer group. I’m suggesting you don’t need to put pressure on to provide a meal. Most people like a casual, comfortable setting to sip tea or coffee.

I think if all of us would pray about this, we could begin reversing the trend of Christians becoming a minority and have house churches filled with people we’re ministering to. At some point, the Lord will prompt us when it’s time to take it to another level. This is how Paul spread the good news through all of his helpers and husband/wive teams, etc. Let’s strongly consider this for 2016. Let’s be intentional!