Bringing joy to our cities

Acts 8:1-8

We live in a world where there is continuous confrontation. The devil is fighting the royal rule, the rule of love. He hates love. The devil wants us to camp around our needs to such an extent that we become distanced to the needs in our city. He makes us to become expert at understanding why the poor is poor and why we are rich.

James 2:8: 'If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.'

Don't be picky about who you associate with. Don't be jealous about what others have. As you do more for yourself, use the same measure for your neighbor. Love is very costly. Jesus had to pay the price because of Love. God loves this world so much that He gave himself.

Categories of people in this world (based on the Good Samaritan parable):

- Storytellers: they do not change anything but only tell things the way they are.

- Robbers: these are people who steal peace around them.

- Avoiders: they avoid love and getting their hands dirty. Society is dying because Christians are avoiding their responsibilities.

- Spectators: they watch life happening in the city and cheer for whoever wins.

- Good Samaritans

God is asking you, can my people know my love through you?

Basic areas of life pressure:

1. Area of your needs, this is a primary place where life put pressure on people. Worries take you out of the present time. 90% of things we worry about never happen. Your area of needs can paralyze you if not handled well.

2. Area of your wants, these are stuffs we fantasize on. Source of happiness is our unmet wants. The world of our desires can engulf us that we do not celebrate what we have.

The world of wants and needs if we are not careful can render us unable to add anything to our community.

Together we can create a church that is relevant to our city.