Scripture

Ephesians 2:1-3
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Luke 10:1-2
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Romans 10:14-15
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

Reflection

It is easy to be lured into the belief that, here in the South, everyone is a Christian and on good terms with God. The truth is, a great many of our neighbors, friends and family are living apart from the saving grace of Jesus, and mere proximity to the message does not produce eternal life. God’s grace must be received by faith, otherwise we all are eternally separated from Him. As those who have received God’s grace through Jesus, this should be a great burden to us!

Prayer

Pray for the world.
Pray for the billions of people across the globe who are living in unbelief or in a false form of religion. Pray that God will reveal His grace to them through the spread of the gospel, and that many would respond in faith.

Pray for our community.
The Jackson area as a whole is an historically “Christian” community, but there are thousands upon thousands here who are not living in God’s grace and truth. Pray for the people of our community to see the difference between religion and the gospel. Pray for Christians and churches here to represent the gospel well, and to share it daily in a spirit of love and compassion.

Pray for your own witness.
We all have friends and family who are not walking by faith in Jesus. Pray for them by name, and ask God to give you a heart of boldness and grace to share His good news with them.