20 Years of Ministry

In my nearly 20 years of serving the Lord in ministry I have been blessed to preach the gospel in different parts of America and even in other countries around the world. I have had personal evangelistic conversations with people I knew well and others I had just met.

I have stayed mindful of verses like Mark 16:15 that gives us Jesus’ command to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’ Also, in Acts 1:8, Jesus says, “…and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”.

We are so loved by God that He chose not only to save us but also to entrust us with His glorious gospel. He allows us to be the ones to share it with all people everywhere. What an amazing love! What a marvelous mission!

Confession

I do have a confession. Over the years I have made the mistake of remembering the nations but missing my neighbors. I have invested time, energy, prayer, and money to fulfill the call of God to go to “Judea, Samaria, and even the remotest parts of the earth”, but missed many opportunities to witness in “Jerusalem”.

I have personally been challenged this past year to live out the command of Mark 8:31 to “love your neighbor”. I have intentionally looked to get to know my neighbors and share the love of Jesus with them. Not just neighbors who share my city but those who share my street. I no longer want to miss the opportunities to love the ones who are within my closest reach.

Dare to Imagine

I dare to imagine that others have shared this experience with me. You may have been involved in short-term mission trips in other parts of the country or world to serve and minister but still do not know the families who live in your neighborhood. I want to encourage you to join me in accepting the call to love our neighbors!

One of the best ways we can learn to step into our individual calling to share the gospel is to first work collectively with others who can teach us how to do it well. Our monthly local outreach is a great first step into reaching that goal. Believers from all over the Chattahoochee Valley come together on the third Saturday of every month to go out in small teams to spread the love of Jesus and share the gospel with our neighbors.

Just last month, we were able to pray for 59 people! 6 people received healing and 1 person gave her life to Christ for the first time!  I invite you to come this month, go out with a team, watch how it is done, and step into the action when you feel comfortable. It’s that easy.

Our August outreach is set for August 21 at 10AM at 2910 2nd Ave. Don’t miss it!

-Chuck Odum, Local Outreach Coordinator, chuck@take-the-city.com