Monday, July 07, 2008

Top Ten Ways to Use Your Home with Fellow Christians

On Sunday, I gave a top ten list of ways that we could use our homes to show hospitality to fellow Christians. Garth asked me to post this list. So here it is!

10. Let others use your vacation home (Acts 10:5).
9. Start a discipleship group in your home (Mt. 13:36f).
8. Invite those who are grieving over (Jn. 19:26-27).
7. Help start a church with your home as a base (Lk. 10:3f).
6. Host a small group (Rom. 16:3-5).
5. Host a youth devo (Col. 4:15).
4. Invite the preacher over (Acts 16:15).
3. Welcome released inmates (Acts 16:40).
2. Throw a "Matthew" party, mixing Christians and non-Christians (Mt. 19:10).
1. Welcome visitors, both in our church "house/building" and by inviting into our homes (3 Jn. 9).

What prevents us from becoming more hospitable? How can we change this?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank You!

Mr. E said...

Our home is in current need of repairs due to some storm damage and insurance is refusing to help pay for. Needless to say we are embarressed to use our home at the moment. We shouldn't let that stop us for using our home for God, but we let it anyway.

Anonymous said...

James,
I haven't commented here in a long time but I couldn't help commenting on this topic. These ways to use your home are great ideas and are SO important not only as ways to serve other Christians but also as opportunities for outreach. I know people have all kinds of reasons not to use their homes, Not BIG enough, not nice enough, not clean enough, belive me I have probably used them ALL! But once I stopped using those excuses and started opening my home to others.... believe me the blessings have been amazing. Believe me our home is far from big, but we have opened it up for as many as 50 people for our life groups, up to 30 teenage kids for teen devos, and some of the most fun is when we have invited friends for what you mention as a "Matthew Party." One such event was a "couples" Pampered Chef party where we packed (and I do mean packed, they were sitting on the floor)our living room with about 24 adults and talked about cooking. Some of those who came would never have attended a church function, but they came and had a chance to meet our Christian friends in a fun atmoshere. This type of hospitality can allow for some serious outreach opportuinities. My family has discovered that some of the best spriritual growth and blessings have come to us when we have taken the time to open our home to others. I urge everyone who reads this to pick one of these ideas and try it. You will be amazed how much good will come from it.
Kim S