Surrounding the home of Joe & Jill Christian are three homes, one on either side and one across the street. Joe & Jill believe that their house address is God’s divine direction to share the gospel with their neighbors.
- Home 1: A young couple that are living together and are expecting their first child.
- Home 2: A gay couple with two elementary age children
- Home 3: An exhausted single mom with three unruly teens.
What is the biggest need that Joe & Jill’s neighbors have?
The answer we know to give is JESUS, but there may be a few other answers floating in our brain. While not verbalizing it, Christians can sometimes think (and believe) that the greatest need is JESUS + _________. For instance…
- Young Couple: Jesus AND (they need to get married pronto.)
- Gay Couple: Jesus AND (sexuality…what about the kids, etc.)
- Single Mom: Jesus AND (but what about the teens?)
Our neighbors’ greatest need is Jesus. But here’s what our neighbors may be wondering about Joe & Jill Christian…
- Young Couple: Joe, Jill & family are nice people but they almost seem too perfect.
- Gay Couple: There’s no way Joe & Jill would accept us, after all I see them leave for church every Sunday.
- Single Mom: Joe & Jill are nice, but I’m too exhausted to add one more thing to my life.
Joe & Jill’s neighbors’ greatest need is Jesus.
Yet, each family, in their own way, will need to come to understand that Joe & Jill love them and care for them as individuals. So Joe & Jill set out on how to become friends of each family. They still invite them to church events, like Easter Sunday or a Christmas Eve service, but they have chosen to be intentional about building relationships with them as individual families and the four homes combined. For Joe & Jill it looks like this…
- Once a week or so, it includes a brief conversation before heading inside the house. For the single mom, Jill will text her and let her know she’s running to the grocery store and asks if there’s anything she can pick up for her.
- Once a month or so, it’s an extended conversation about an HOA decision, sports event or update on the job search. Joe & Jill have exchanged phone numbers so Joe will text randomly about how the fantasy football team is doing, etc.
- Once a quarter, they try to make a more meaningful connection point. Maybe, it’s a barbecue or dessert night.
As Joe & Jill become friends with each home, each neighbor is learning that Joe & Jill are their friends. Yes, Joe & Jill clearly love them. Joe & Jill also love their church family because they regularly sprinkle in conversation about something going on in their church family and how it applies to the situation at hand.
It’s clear that each neighbor needs a friend. Joe & Jill aren’t just convinced that God assigned them their address, they also believe that God assigned them the task of making friends. When appropriate, they direct the conversation to the Theme of themes because they are learning of the soul’s need and are seeking to meet it.
Yes, Jesus is the need, but friendship is the relational bridge on which Jesus crosses most easily.
With each friendship, the timing is different and the occasions are unique, but Joe and Jill are actively engaged in The Exchange Bible Study with the single mom. They are prayerfully seeking opportunity to ask the question of their other two neighbors: “You know, we have a four-week Bible study that I think you guys would enjoy. We could do it in our home or yours. Would you be interested in doing that with us?”
The neighbors who thought they didn’t need a friend in Joe & Jill or had the time for a Bible study will soon come to learn about their greatest need: JESUS.
Joe & Jill are convinced that if they can get their friends to Jesus, He’ll take care of the rest.
Joel Mosier
Joel Mosier is the Lead Pastor at GraceLife Baptist Church in Cypress, TX and serves as an Exchange Trainer. Contact Joel about leading an Exchange Training Event or to discuss this article at [email protected]