What do you see?

Tonight I took my youth on a prayer drive around New Castle.  I had done them before in Nashville at Truth and Peace and whatnot.  It was cool then just to see the different sides of Nashville.  You have Belle Meade – the ritzy side.  You have Thompson Lane – the ethnicity area.  You have Murfreesboro Road – the avoid this place area.  To see all of that wrapped up in one city, I saw the need for people to hear the message, but it never really connected the way it could have.

Since I began my ministry in New Castle, God has really put a burden on my heart for the city.  I would love to see our church grow in leaps and bounds.  Not so people could say, “Look at First Bible” or “Look at what Ryan and Kevin are doing” but instead so we can just fulfill the mission that God has set before His people.  Not just to spread the Gospel, but to love people.  Loving people goes such a long way (see post on Love from mid July).  

Tonight on our ride, we drove around New Castle.  We went out to Westwood Lake Park area where there are some gigantic houses.  We drove to Baker Park.  We drove by the high school.  We drove by one of the most popular summer places – Dairy Queen.  Within about the last five miles, one student counted over 230 people on the streets just walking or hanging out somewhere.  That’s a lot of people.  

My point in tonight’s lesson/exercise…there’s a city that needs to hear the message which we have been given.  When we look at New Castle, do we see a city that loves high school basketball and Trojan band?  Do we see over 600 homes for sale throughout the county, a high level of teen pregnancy, and a high drug rate?  Or do we see people?  Do we see people that need to be loved?  People who just need a shoulder to cry on, a body to hug them, a hand to hold, or an ear to listen?  We are Christ to this city.  We are to minister.  Yes, we need to love them.  But the thing is, in the process of loving them, me need to stay tuned to what the Spirit has to say.  What doors will the Spirit open up?  

When you look at your city, what do you see?  Do you see Wal-Mart?  Do you see drug addicts?  Do you see homes for sale?  Or do you see people who need to be ministered to?  Just take a look at where you are, chances are lots of eyes are looking at you, waiting for you to talk to them.