A few Sundays ago, I introduced a faith-sharing concept based on the acrostic B.L.E.S.S. It is a way of developing relationships to help others find their way to Jesus.
BEGIN WITH PRAYER. Start each day in prayer, asking for an opportunity to B.L.E.S.S. someone in the name of Jesus. Enter each activity you attend with a prayer to B.L.E.S.S. someone in attendance. Ask God to give you a spiritual burden for someone and opportunities to B.L.E.S.S. him or her.
LISTEN. Everyone wants to be heard and valued. We all have burdens, problems, joys, hopes, dreams, and opinions we want to share. Enter into non-judgmental conversations with folks to find out more about them. Seek to discover more about their hobbies, hopes, family, childhood, significant events, and the like. Everyone has a story to tell; they're just waiting for someone to listen.
EAT. Who doesn't like to eat? Look for ways to eat with a person you want to bless. Conversations become more casual and less threatening over a meal. One of my favorite television shows is Blue Bloods. Every episode has the Reagan family gathered around a family table eating a meal together. They laugh, cry, and argue at the table, but they always remember that they are family first. The person you want to B.L.E.S.S. will remember the times you eat together as friends.
SERVE. Look for ways to serve others in Jesus' name. Mark 10:45 reminds me that Jesus came to serve. So if I want to be like Him, I need to serve others. Sometimes serving people is easy. Other times it is inconvenient. Helping with a repair, watching children, picking up medicine, or anything else that meets the need of someone far from Jesus leads them one step closer to faith.
SHARE. Ask God to give you the chance to share your faith story or an invite. Share your story highlighting the events leading to your commitment to Jesus and how your life has been different since following Jesus. Share an invitation to attend an event with you that might help them along their spiritual journey. You can invite them to a worship service, a Bible study group, a retreat, or a fellowship.
Easter is April 4. That would be an excellent worship service to invite someone searching for Jesus to attend with you. Start asking as soon as possible.
Here is a reminder about Easter Sunday. To accommodate a larger attendance, we will have an early worship service at 8:00 am, Sunday school at 9:15 am, and our second Easter service at 10:30 am. Please pass the word.
It is my hope and prayer that you will begin to B.L.E.S.S. others in Jesus' name.
Be a B.L.E.S.S.ing,
Pastor Lonnie