Continuing with my focus on Christian outreach, I want to give you an extended quote from Rick Richardson in his book “Evangelism – Outside the Box” I would highly recommend the book to anyone who is truly willing to look outside his personal or his churches box.

Religious people tend to create programs and ministries that meet the needs of other religious people. Jesus knew that. He chose a different way. At the cost of his life, he chose to find the lost, to heal the sick, to cure the sinner. He wants his church to fulfill his ministry and embrace his priority.

Lost people matter to God. God is on an all-out search to find them. He wants partners. He wants partners in sacrifice. We sacrifice order. We sacrifice neatness. We sacrifice control. We sacrifice the comfort that comes with only meeting the needs of people like ourselves. We sacrifice the tranquility of those who close their eyes to the eternal needs of others. The payback far outweighs the pain.

All of us need to constantly get our of our comfort zones to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Preaching to the choir is just not good enough. Lets make it our daily prayer during the remainder of this Lenten season to ask Jesus to help us go to those who we have just been too uncomfortable to reach out to. The payback certainly far outweighs the pain.