There are seasons when something inside of us feels… off. You might feel tired, numb, angry, or overwhelmed—and you can’t quite explain why. Maybe you’ve wrestled with anxiety or addiction. Maybe you feel like you’re stuck in patterns you should have broken by now. Or maybe—if you’re honest—it just feels like some part of your soul has gone cold.
You’re not alone.
But more importantly—you’re not without hope.
God specializes in resurrection.
He’s not just in the business of saving your soul for eternity—He wants to heal you here and now, breathe life into the parts of you that feel dead, and restore you from the inside out.
Why Do I Still Feel Broken?
We often try to deal with our emotional pain by managing symptoms. We work harder, eat more, scroll endlessly, escape into porn or alcohol, or throw ourselves into church work while feeling spiritually hollow.
But the problem is deeper than behavior.
In Soul Care, Rob Reimer writes:
“You can’t build a healthy soul on a foundation of lies. The foundation must be truth.”
That truth doesn’t come from self-help clichés. It comes from Jesus—the One who said, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32, NLT).
Your behaviors are the fruit, not the root. If you want real healing, you have to get to the root—and let Jesus and the Holy Spirit do what only they can do.
How Do I Begin Inner Healing?
Healing isn’t about striving harder or checking off a spiritual to-do list. It’s about surrendering to the process—led by the Holy Spirit, anchored in the Word, and walked out in community.
Here’s how that journey can start.
1. Take Ownership (Confess and Come Clean)
We love to blame others or minimize our own dysfunction. But healing starts with confession—raw honesty before God and others.
“God desires truth in the inward parts.” — Psalm 51:6 (KJV)
You may not be responsible for what happened to you—but you are responsible for how you respond now.
“The Holy Spirit will not heal what you pretend is not there.” — Rob Reimer, Soul Care
Start by naming it. The sin. The wound. The shame. The fear. You can’t fix what you won’t face. But once you name it, you disarm its power.
2. Tell Yourself the Truth (Renew Your Mind)
The lies we believe about ourselves often started in childhood pain and trauma. “I’m not wanted.” “I’m a burden.” “I always mess things up.” These lies aren’t harmless—they become the lens through which we see the world.
“Our lives are shaped by the stories we tell ourselves—and many of those stories are lies.” — John Eldredge, Get Your Life Back
The Bible calls us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, NLT). This means replacing toxic beliefs with the truth of God’s Word.
As Dallas Willard put it:
“You are what you do with your mind.”
So speak truth out loud:
“I am a child of God.” (John 1:12)
“I am not condemned.” (Romans 8:1)
“I have a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Renewal is warfare—and the battlefield is your thought life.
3. Dig Deep (Let the Holy Spirit Heal the Root)
This is the messy part. This is where most people stop—because it gets uncomfortable. But this is where the real work of healing happens.
“Freedom comes when we confess the truth, forgive the offender, and break agreement with the lie.” — Rob Reimer, Soul Care
Let the Holy Spirit guide you through these questions:
When was the first time I felt this way? Ask God to show you. He will. And it may surprise you.
What lie did I believe in that moment? That I’m not safe? Not valuable? Unwanted?
What is the truth, Jesus? Ask Him to speak. Then speak that truth out loud until it becomes part of you.
Did I make a vow I need to break? “I’ll never trust anyone again.” “I have to take care of myself.” Break those vows in Jesus’ name. Let Him rewire your inner world.
As Henry Cloud says:
“We change our behavior when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing.”
Let the Holy Spirit go to the roots. Invite Him into the places you’ve been too afraid to go.
4. Build New Habits (Walk in the Spirit, Not the Flesh)
You can’t experience spiritual freedom while continuing to feed the same old flesh patterns. That means you may need to change your inputs, adjust your schedule, or set new boundaries.
“Spiritual formation is not a passive process. It requires engagement and discipline.” — Dallas Willard
We’re not talking about white-knuckled willpower. We’re talking about forming new pathways—led by the Spirit.
Try this:
Worship first before you check your phone.
Fast from media that pulls you into comparison or lust.
Build margin in your week for reflection and prayer.
Sabbath without guilt—God designed you to rest.
“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” — Galatians 5:25 (NLT)
Freedom isn’t just about saying “no” to sin. It’s about saying “yes” to life with God.
5. Don’t Do It Alone (Let the Body of Christ Walk With You)
You were never meant to heal in isolation.
“Healing happens in the context of safe, grace-filled relationships.” — Rob Reimer, Soul Care
We say it all the time at Open Arms: church isn’t a service—it’s a family. And families carry each other’s burdens.
If you’re waiting to feel “ready,” you’ll wait forever. Start where you are.
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” — James 5:16 (NLT)
Let God Breathe Life Into You
Maybe you’re tired of pretending you’re fine. Maybe you’ve been busy doing “Christian things” but feel spiritually hollow. Maybe, like the Pharisees Jesus rebuked, you’ve been focusing on performance while your soul quietly withers.
“Woe to you… you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones.” — Matthew 23:27 (NLT)
To the people that reject Christ, that’s self-condemnation. But to those of us willing to hear, it’s invitation. Jesus isn’t condemning us for being dry bones. He speaks life into them.
In Ezekiel 37, God took a valley full of dead bones and brought them back to life. How? Through His Word, through His breath, and through His Spirit.
“I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” — Ezekiel 37:6 (NLT)
That’s His promise for you, too. You don’t have to stay stuck. You don’t have to keep numbing out. Let Jesus put you back together. Let Him breathe on you again.
👣 Are You Ready to Come Back to Life?
It won’t happen overnight. But it starts with one step:
One truth spoken.
One wound confessed.
One lie broken.
One invitation to the Holy Spirit.
And then another. And another.
🔥 Join the Journey
Come walk it out with us. Open Arms Community Church meets Sunday mornings at 71 Congress Street in Bradford, PA. And our network of microchurches meets throughout the week in homes, coffee shops, and honest spaces all over the region.
Restoring the Soul – Part 1: Finding Your True Identity in Christ
In Part 1 of the Restoring the Soul series at Open Arms Community Church in Bradford, PA, Misty Surine delivered a deeply personal message about identity—the kind that isn’t built on what the world says, but on what God declares to be true. This message is for anyone who’s ever felt lost, burned out, or unsure of who they really are.
Identity shapes everything. It affects how you think, how you act, how you love, and how you live. If you believe you’re broken beyond repair, you’ll stop trying. If you believe you’re not good enough, you’ll settle. If you believe people always leave, you’ll never let anyone in.
“When you catch yourself saying ‘I am…’ you should stop and ask yourself, ‘What does this say that I believe about myself?’”
Breaking Agreement with the Lies
Most of us don’t realize how many lies we’ve agreed with over the years. Words spoken by others… wounds we’ve carried… insecurities that whisper in the dark.
I’m worthless.
I’m unlovable.
I don’t belong.
I’ll never change.
These lies layer on top of each other like a twisted parfait—so familiar, we start to think they’re truth. We build our lives around them, striving, performing, pretending. But the cracks always show. We feel fragile even when we look strong.
“I was always learning, but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7)
Are You a Fan or a Follower?
There’s a difference between believing in Jesus and actually following Him. It’s possible to say the right things, wear the label “Christian,” and still keep your life tucked away behind pride, fear, and control.
“I thought that saying the sinner’s prayer meant I had seen all there was to see.”
Jesus said in John 10:27:
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Are you listening? Are you following? Or have you put the Holy Spirit in a closet and covered Him with a blanket, only pulling Him out when life falls apart?
The God Who Calls You By Name
In Exodus 3, Moses is tending sheep when something strange catches his eye—a bush on fire that doesn’t burn up. He stops what he’s doing and moves closer.
“Moses had to be curious first… had to stop working, notice something that God had put in his path, and go toward it with a question in his heart.”
God calls out: “Moses! Moses!” Moses replies: “Here I am.” But almost immediately, he questions himself:
“Who am I that I should go…?”
God’s response isn’t to pump up his confidence or recite his qualifications. He simply says:
“I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12)
That’s it. That’s the identity shift. When God is with you, everything changes.
You Don’t Have to Be Perfect—Just Surrendered
This isn’t about self-help or behavior modification. This is about complete surrender. Not halfway. Not someday. Not when you’ve cleaned yourself up. Just… all in.
“You don’t have to untangle every thread of hurt. You only have to give Him everything—and He will take care of the rest.”
If you feel like a lump of clay filled with gravel and sand, you’re not alone. We all are. And anything we build with our own strength will be flawed and fragile. But if you ask Him to take all of you—He will begin to reshape it.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Are You Tired Yet?
Living outside of God’s truth feels like trying to swim upstream with a backpack full of rocks. Every day, the same struggle. The same arguments. The same emptiness.
“Every day I fight the same battle. Something has to change.”
Jesus is calling:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
You don’t have to keep fighting. Let go. Lift your eyes. He’s on the shore, calling you by name.
Who Does God Say You Are?
You are not your past. You are not your mistakes. You are not your diagnosis, your title, your income, your pain.
“This world didn’t give you your identity—and it can’t take it away.”
“You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)
“I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
A Planting for His Splendor
God isn’t trying to erase who you are. He wants to partner with you—to prune away what’s dead, breathe life into what’s good, and send His power through you like water from the vine into the branches.
You were meant to live rooted and strong, like a mighty oak. Storms will still come. Pain will still exist. But when you live surrendered and Spirit-filled, you’ll stand firm. Not because life is easy—but because God is close.
Take His Hand
Open your clenched fists. Let go of every lie, every label, every false identity. Stop trying to figure out where you are on the map. Just let go. Trust Him.
“Hand Him everything, and you will lose nothing—but gain more than you can imagine.”
You were made for more. You were created for wholeness. He is calling you by name.
Find Your Identity in Christ at Open Arms Community Church
If you’re searching for healing, purpose, or truth, this is your invitation. You don’t have to figure it out on your own. You don’t have to keep living in survival mode.
Join us at Open Arms Community Church in Bradford, PA as we continue the Restoring the Soul series. There is more for you—more freedom, more peace, more purpose. Come find your true identity in Christ.
📍 Sunday mornings at 71 Congress Street in Bradford, PA 👉 Plan Your Visit
This is a church where you can find healing, hope, and who you were always meant to be.
Jesus had been in Jerusalem since Sunday, riding in to cheers from the crowds. By the time Thursday rolled around that week, things were very tense in Jerusalem.
Only days before, Jesus had been in the temple, angrily driving out all of the “snakes” and clearing out what he called a “den of thieves.” He had been openly antagonizing the religious leaders, calling out their hypocrisy and angering them further day by day. The fervor in the city must have been palpable.
Amid the turmoil, he sits down Thursday evening to eat one more time before he is betrayed and led away to his death.
What Would You Say If You Knew?
What would you say to your best friends if you knew by that time tomorrow you would be dead, and that one of them would be the cause?
What if all the things you wanted to say, the tears you wanted to cry, the memories you wanted to call up with them, had to be set aside so that you could give them the last pieces of wisdom they would need to go forward without you—because there was nothing you could do to stop what was coming?
Jesus knew that in their hearts they were still not ready, and he was trying his best to prepare them.
Luke tells us that the disciples squabbled over who among them would be the greatest that night, but Jesus was washing their feet, trying to give them an example of humility and service to others that might get their attention.
As if that wasn’t making things awkward enough, he then comes out with the revelation that one of them will betray him.
This was not a peaceful evening of lighthearted comradery; certainly not how you’d want to spend your last moments with loved ones before you die. Our most trying holiday dinners with family don’t hold a candle to the dramatic events unfolding at this table.
A Sacred Supper with Heavy Words
Luke 22: (19) And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (20) In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (21) But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. (22) The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!”
Simon prompted John to ask Jesus who would betray him, and Jesus responded to him in a way that made clear it was Judas.
Before John (or Simon, if he overheard) could react, Jesus immediately sends Judas away to carry out his task:
John 13: (26) Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. (27) As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” … (30) As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Free Will at the Table
Indeed, darkness had fallen. So much just happened in that fraction of a conversation.
I would imagine that John, and also Simon, would have wanted to immediately try to stop Judas, but Jesus made it clear that Judas should be allowed to leave… that he be allowed to choose.
Jesus, having described what the bread and wine were—symbols of his broken body, of his very own blood given for the sake of a new covenant, and forgiveness of sin—HANDED it to Judas!
It was a gesture of immense magnitude, demonstrating divine forgiveness, even for the man who was headed away to betray him to his suffering. Judas still had free will, and a choice to make in the same way that we ourselves still have a choice.
We Still Have a Choice to Make
Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, or not.
Share the news to others so they can know the same freedom we know, or not.
Obey his commands and strive to live without sin, or not.
Love one another and forgive our enemies, or not.
Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven… or not.
The breaking of bread and sharing of wine at The Last Supper symbolized the ultimate act of selfless love.
We, too, can give of ourselves—whether it’s time, resources, or empathy—to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
Or not.
A Prayer of Surrender and Love
Lord, I pray you will give me a heart like yours.
I ask you to let me see all your children the way you see them.
I want walk on my journey with you, leaving the baggage of past grudges and hurts behind. I want to let go so I can live wholly in step with your purpose for my life.
I know that hurt, and fear, and anger are not of you Lord, but are afflictions set upon us in this world through our struggles with sin.
You are the only path to redemption… the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Please Lord, let the lessons you gave your disciples reach our hearts today, so we can live in earnest and pure alignment with your greatest command – to love one another.
By this Lord, let them know me as your disciple.
In Jesus’ Holy and Precious name I pray. Amen.
Misty Surine is a Local Ministerial Candidate (LMC), a worship leader, and a member of the Least of These Riders Microchurch.
As we enter the final stretch of our 40 Days of Sharing, we focus on the importance of boldly sharing our faith. This week, we explore The Art of Sharing and The Art of Speaking Out, recognizing that our words have the power to introduce people to Jesus.
It has taken us this long, through learning 8 Arts of Spiritual Conversations, to actually get to Sharing. Why share our faith?
In research done by Luis Palau, it shows that “75% of all those who come to Christ do so through a relationship with a Christian friend, relative, or coworker.” The Institute of American Church Growth shows that actually, “90% of the 14,000 Christians recently polled said they came to Christ through a friend or relative who invested in a relationship with them.”
Notice these statistics didn’t say they received Christ from a stranger knocking on their door or a tract left at a restaurant. They came to Jesus through a relationship with someone who invested in them. This takes time and commitment.
Our first and most important reason to share our faith in Jesus should always be genuine love for the other person, not our own agenda or sense of obligation. If we are sharing with them to check off the boxes on our 40-day commitment, they can tell, and we will alienate people when they detect our motives. Remember, we are not salespeople—we don’t need to “sell” Jesus to those around us.
An important part of sharing Jesus with people who believe differently is being aware of how God might already be at work in their life, drawing them to Himself. Then, as the Spirit leads you, share how God has done a similar thing in your life. Every one of us has a story worth sharing!
When we share with others, remember:
Tell Your Story:
Be brief – No more than a few minutes. You don’t want to make it all about you or lose their attention.
Be clear – Use real language, no “Christianese” or Bible terms that they may not understand. Just tell what you were like before Jesus, how you met Jesus, and what He has done for you since you’ve given your life to Him.
Be humble – Don’t criticize other churches, denominations, or people. Acknowledge that your own sinfulness is what led you to God.
Tell God’s Story:
Good Judge – God is loving and just. Not one or the other. There is a penalty for sin, and we have all sinned (Romans 3:23).
The Sacrifice – Because sin deserves a penalty that we couldn’t pay, Jesus Himself paid that penalty by dying on the cross for our sins.
Victory – He rose from the grave and defeated the power of sin, so we can now live victoriously in Him.
Pray with Them:
Give them an opportunity to pray with you to receive Jesus as their Savior:
Acknowledge – Confess that they are a sinner and choose to repent of their sins.
Believe – Choose by faith to believe that Jesus died for them.
Choose – Confess Jesus as their Lord and choose to follow Him.
Sharing your faith with others is an honor and a privilege, but it is also a command of God. In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), we see that it is what Jesus has left us to do here on the earth. I am praying for opportunities for you to share your faith with others this week!
The Art of Speaking Out
Today we are going to focus on the value of Speaking Out. I was disheartened to see early in the ministry that most leaders had never shared their faith with someone or led someone to the Lord. This is a problem! How will the church grow if we don’t tell others the Gospel? Are we really leading His Church if we are not leading people to Jesus?
Why do we Speak Out? Because:
Hell is real.
It strengthens your faith.
It builds the Church.
It blesses the world around you.
It pleases God.
The Bible commands us to.
In scripture, we see the command to speak out:
Psalm 107:2 “Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.”
Two of the main reasons that we don’t share our faith are because we say that we don’t know WHO to tell or WHAT to say.
WHO needs to hear?
Everyone! Especially your acquaintances. Chances are that you’ve shared with your immediate circle (if you haven’t, start today!). Acquaintances are important because they unlock access to their networks—people that we otherwise would not have known. These people can be Persons of Peace.
Who are Persons of Peace?
They are people who have been prepared by God to hear and respond to the Gospel.
They have influence over others in their social networks.
They will be drawn to you and show you favor.
People of peace in scripture are Zacchaeus, the Woman at the Well, the Jailer in Acts, Cornelius, and many others. These are people who were drawn to Jesus or the believers and were open to the Good News. And they told others!
Have you ever led someone to Jesus? Tell the story in the comments. Who are your Persons of Peace that God may have sent you today?
Have you ever held a secret? A BIG one? Maybe it was an upcoming surprise for a friend, or perhaps you knew something that was going to devastate someone when they found out.
Can you imagine holding the secret that Jesus was keeping as he entered the final week of his life?
In John 12, we are given a glimpse into the scene in Jerusalem as Jesus, whose fame had spread far and wide, came riding in on a donkey, moving steadily toward the climax of a beautiful redemption for all mankind.
(12) The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. (13) They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”
A King Welcomed, Yet Misunderstood
In Matthew 21, we learn that as Jesus made his way through the city streets, huge crowds scrambled to see him, throwing their cloaks on the road before him—cloaks that were likely among their most valuable possessions.
The people cheered in adoration, shouting Hosanna!—calling on him to save them.
But how his heart must have broken, knowing what was to come.
Many believed the Messiah would be a military leader, one who would overthrow the occupying Romans. Perhaps it would have been easier to fight a battle of swords than to ride through those crowds, knowing that though many would be saved through his sacrifice, others would not.
Some would not understand. Some would not believe.
Jesus knew that soon, a choice would be put before them. He understood well the danger he was heading into—so that they would HAVE that choice. This is surely the heaviest burden the world has ever seen.
Are We Any Different Today?
I wonder, how different are we today from the crowds in Jerusalem?
We still shout and pray to God for salvation… but are we actually taking that final, required step to truly be saved?
If there is one lesson mankind should have learned from biblical history, it’s that our relationship with God is exactly that—a relationship. And relationships require commitment from both sides to be healthy.
As we head into this week, remembering the amazing sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ made for us, I want to reflect on the health of my relationship with Him.
Is my commitment as strong as His?
Is my relationship with God one-sided, or is it a healthy representation of a Savior, Provider, Protector, Redeemer—and his loyal servant?
What can I do to honor His sacrifice—not just in my heart, but through action?
Faith in Action: A Call to Live Differently
(14) What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? (15) Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. (16) If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? (17) In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2 reminds us that faith without action is dead.
What is dead has surely not been born again through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is the equivalent of standing on the side of the street in Jerusalem, calling out for salvation to the Lord—but never bringing our faith to life through action.
A Prayer for Reflection and Action
Lord, I pray that you will give me eyes to see how my life may not be in alignment with your will.
Help me to know you more, day by day, so that I might reflect your loving light into this world in all its fullness. Show me where I can take action on behalf of your kingdom, bringing boldness to my heart and divine truth to the words I speak on your behalf.
Light a fire in my heart that will burn brightly in the darkness. Above all, please don’t ever let me forget the Holy Sacrifice that was made so that I could know your love.
I do not want to be a bystander, Lord, but an active participant in your kingdom and in your plans.
Thank you for your patience and your kindness as I reflect on my actions this week.
I pray these things in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
Misty Surine is a Local Ministerial Candidate (LMC), a worship leader, and a member of the Least of These Riders Microchurch.
Our God is a welcoming God, constantly pursuing, seeking, and inviting people into His loving community. When we welcome someone, we bring them from being a vulnerable outsider to being connected. But welcoming is more than just entertaining guests or inviting people to church—it’s about cultivating a welcoming presence wherever we go. It all starts with our intention and attitude.
Creating a truly welcoming space requires: honesty, authenticity, common interests, flexibility, generous hospitality, good conversation, genuine listening, empathy, fun, and humor. We see all of these qualities in Jesus as He interacted with His followers.
Luke 15:1-2 “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”
Jesus embraced people just as they were, meeting them where they were. He calls us to do the same. How can we intentionally create a welcoming presence in our everyday lives? Let’s look at four key aspects:
1. Your Face: The First Welcome
Ever heard the saying, “Are you happy? Then tell it to your face”? Sometimes we unintentionally project stern or unapproachable expressions, even when we’re not upset. A simple smile and warm eye contact can go a long way in making others feel seen and welcomed. Be intentional about how your face reflects your heart toward others.
2. Your Space: Making Others Feel Comfortable
Some people naturally struggle with relational awkwardness, whether they’re introverts or extroverts. Ask yourself:
Do I make an effort to help people feel at ease around me?
Do I try to find common ground in conversations? Building comfort takes intentionality, but when we create a safe and inviting relational space, we bridge the gap between strangers and community.
3. Your Place: Setting the Atmosphere
Where we welcome people matters. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s warmth and invitation.
A home that’s too spotless can feel intimidating.
A space that’s too chaotic can feel uncomfortable. Think about the places where you feel most relaxed and accepted. How can you create that same atmosphere for others?
4. Your Grace: Accepting People as They Are
A truly welcoming presence extends grace. It means:
Being a person others feel safe with.
Accepting people where they are, not where we think they should be.
Creating an environment where people feel comfortable being real and vulnerable.
Welcoming grace is acknowledging that life is messy and we don’t have all the answers—but we walk together toward Jesus, who does.
How Will You Welcome Others This Week?
Wherever we are, we can carry the atmosphere of God’s love. A welcoming presence doesn’t just happen inside the church—it happens at work, in our homes, and in everyday moments. Who can you intentionally welcome into your life today?
What do you think of when you hear the word neighborhood? Maybe something nostalgic, like Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood—an ideal community where everyone works together, differences are celebrated, and kindness is the norm. But for many, reality looks quite different. Broken homes, isolation, division. Most people today don’t even know their neighbors.
In today’s world, neighborhoods have become places of separation rather than connection. People live next to each other for years without ever really knowing one another. But Jesus calls us to more than just coexisting—He calls us to love our neighbors.
Try this exercise: Fill out a simple map of your neighborhood and answer the following questions about those around you:
Names – Can you name the people in the houses around you?
Basic details – Do you know anything about their lives, such as their families or jobs?
Deeper knowledge – Have you had conversations where you’ve learned about their passions, struggles, or faith?
The reality is:
Only 10% of people can name all their neighbors.
About 3% can share personal details about them.
Less than 1% know their neighbors’ hopes, dreams, and struggles.
Why is this? In America, we are an individualistic society, prioritizing personal space over community. In contrast, many cultures around the world value collectivism—caring for and supporting one another as a way of life. But God designed us for community. In Genesis, He said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” The early church in Acts reflected this deep sense of togetherness, meeting each other’s needs and living in true spiritual family.
Until we receive new eyes, we cannot truly see our neighbors. Until we receive a heart transplant, we cannot truly love them.
Seeing Your Community Through God’s Eyes
Do we see our city, our neighborhood, and our neighbors as God does? Or do we, like Nathanael in John 1:46, say, “Can anything good come from there?”—writing off our community because of its struggles?
Bradford, PA—like many communities—faces real challenges:
High rates of drug overdoses and opioid addiction.
Increased mental health struggles, with 47% of adults diagnosed.
28.4% of residents living in poverty—significantly above the national average.
Housing and unemployment issues that leave many struggling.
But God has a dream for our city. A dream of healing, transformation, and restored families. A vision of neighbors truly knowing and loving one another.
Jesus’ Command to Love Our Neighbors
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus answered:
Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
He followed this with the Parable of the Good Samaritan, teaching that being a neighbor is not about proximity—it’s about action. It’s about seeing people, caring for them, and meeting their needs.
How to Start a Neighboring Movement
See Your Neighbors – Look at your community with fresh eyes. Who lives near you? What are their stories? Make eye contact, smile, and start noticing them.
Accept That God Placed You Here for a Reason – Stop wishing you lived somewhere else or that your neighbors were different. You are here on purpose. God put you in this place for a mission.
Pray for Your Neighbors – Set a daily reminder to pray for those around you. Ask God to give you a heart for them, to love and understand them better.
Build Relationships Through Simple Acts – Love starts small.
Learn and use your neighbors’ names.
Offer help when you see a need.
Spend time outside, being available for conversation.
Invite them over for coffee or a meal.
Ask God for a Heart Transplant – Lay down the self-centeredness that says, “I don’t need anyone else.” Ask God to replace it with a heart that longs to love and serve others.
It’s Time to Move Into the Neighborhood
Jesus didn’t just love from a distance—He moved into the neighborhood. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”
It’s time for us to do the same. Who is God calling you to truly SEE this week?
Today we are looking at The Art of Serving Together. We know and have heard of the importance of serving, but serving together invites people into a relational environment where they can belong so that they may see and feel the Gospel being lived out. A special bond is formed when you pursue a common cause with someone.
“Today’s typical outsiders aren’t likely to be reached through persuasive argument but instead through first experiencing an authentic Christian: someone who is willing to roll up his or her sleeves and restore alongside them.” – Gabe Lyons
There’s a saying that goes, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” When Jesus fed the 5,000 in John 6, He asked the disciples to feed the crowds. Then He proceeded to take what they gave Him and showed them how to feed them by faith. They served the people together.
Scripture describes the followers of Jesus as “living stones” with which the Kingdom of God will be built. (1 Peter 2:5) Going out to serve among and with the people of our communities gives us a great opportunity to be living stones. When we communicate God’s personal love and care for people, our message resonates with authenticity.
Things to Consider When Serving Together
Choose the Right Opportunity – Don’t just identify needs to fill, but discover what people are passionate about. You want them to want to join you in the work, not just watch you serve.
Make an Invitation – Build a bridge of relationship by practicing the former arts of spiritual conversations. Pray first, make it clear what you will be doing together, and make it fun! Allow them to respond—don’t say their ‘No’ for them.
Prepare – Start with prayer. Ask God to open doors and grow the seeds you are planting. Be prepared for the task: get permission from those you are going to serve, and have all the needed supplies ready.
Compelling Service – Be a good example of service. Work hard without complaining. Let them wonder why you are doing this. Let your actions do more talking than your words.
Gentle Answers – When you do answer their questions that come while serving, remember what your relationship with God means to you and why your service is an outflow of that relationship. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to “be prepared to give an answer” about the hope we have in Jesus. Be ready.
Service: Living Out Our Faith
One of our core values as a church is Action: Sacrificial Service to Others.
I heard recently that Francis Chan shared this when speaking at a large conference:
“How many would go on missions wherever God sends you for the Gospel?”(Many raised their hands.) “I was afraid you’d say that… you won’t even walk across the street to your neighbors.”
Isn’t that the truth? Unfortunately, we tend to seek out the “big things” to do for God as our calling or our duty, rather than being the one who will offer to babysit for a neighbor or take a meal to a friend.
Listen to this message on Serving today and reflect on what God is saying to you: Listen Here
We are well into our 40 Days of Sharing commitment now. Most definitely, this has required a great deal of sacrificial service from us all as a church. Can we count the cost of what this means for us? And then ask Him to fill us for His service.
Galatians 6:9 (NIV) “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
I’m praying that you find opportunities to serve together with someone you are trying to reach with the Gospel this week. Be Salt and Light to your neighbors!
As we continue our 40 Days of Sharing, we shift our focus to the heart of Jesus’ mission: Loving Our Neighbors. This week, we explore The Art of Loving and The Art of Welcoming—two essential practices that allow us to embody Christ’s love in our relationships and communities.
Love is to be the basis of our efforts of sharing Jesus with anyone. If we do not love when we Notice (Art 1), Pray (Art 2), Listen (Art 3), and Ask Questions (Art 4), then our attempts will fail. We cannot learn any of the other Arts to build relationships in which we are attempting to lead someone into the Faith. From our message on Sunday, when God’s love has been poured into us, it overflows into the lives of everyone around us. When we have experienced His love, we are motivated to spread it in tangible ways to people in our world who are burdened with guilt and judgment, without God and without hope.
1 John 4:7-12 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
When we have learned the love of God, we begin to increasingly love what He loves—which is people. Both those who are near to Him and those who are far from Him. For that reason, Love initiates and pursues those who are hurting or different from us. We reach out, take the first step, don’t avoid, and don’t condemn.
How do we show the heart of God’s love in our interactions with those who are hurting?
Listen—we can give the hurting the ministry of our presence.
Gentle words—acknowledge their pain is real and give them permission to grieve and heal.
Don’t offer pat answers—if you use scripture or Christian sayings, make sure it’s from the heart and appropriate to share in their context.
Show up—be faithful in showing up in their life, be the one they can count on to be there.
Look to Jesus—ask the Holy Spirit to help you know what to say, and when you don’t, point them to Jesus.
God loves people extravagantly—do we?
The Art of Welcoming
Our God is a welcoming God, constantly pursuing, seeking, and inviting people into His loving community. When we welcome someone, it is bringing them from being a vulnerable outsider to being connected with others. Welcoming is so much more than entertaining or asking people to come to us. We can have a welcoming presence wherever we go! It’s all in our intention and our attitude.
The ingredients to creating a welcoming environment include: honesty, authenticity, common interests, a flexible plan, food that is generously shared, good conversation, genuine listening, empathy, fun, and humor. We see all of these qualities in Jesus as He interacted with His followers.
Luke 15:1-2 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
He wants us to do the same. We can do this by looking at four aspects of Welcoming:
Your Face – Ever heard the saying, “Are you happy? Then tell it to your face.” Many times we can have things on our minds that have nothing to do with the people around us, but it affects our countenance. We can look angry or stern without even realizing we are doing so, projecting the idea that we are not happy to be with them. Being intentional about our facial expressions and how they are communicating a welcoming attitude toward others is important. A smile and warm eye contact go a long way toward helping someone feel welcomed.
Your Space – Some people struggle with relational awkwardness, regardless of whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. How open and comfortable are you around others? Do you try to make others feel at ease around you? Try to find common ground—this will help both you and others loosen up and feel comfortable in your interactions.
Your Place – Where you welcome others and the condition of the space matters. We’re not talking about the level of cleanliness or the appearance of the space, but is it warm and inviting? Sometimes a spotless or high-end home, car, or office can make people feel intimidated or uncomfortable. But likewise, so can a filthy and disorganized space. Think of a place where you feel relaxed and accepted. What can you do to create the kind of atmosphere where others feel comfortable and welcomed?
Your Grace – Are we able to extend grace to others? When we strive to be a person that is safe, that accepts them as they are, we create an environment of grace. That environment of grace leads to transparent sharing and vulnerability, which can lead to more opportunities to share our faith in the context of relationships. Welcoming grace is being willing to admit we don’t have all the answers and that life can be messy, but that we come to Jesus for the answers together.
No matter where we are or where we go, we can create a welcoming atmosphere of God’s love. How are you going to go out and welcome others today?
Before we begin this testimony, I ask you an extremely important question: is there meaning in art without its artist?
It may be an odd question at first, but for a young writer like myself, answering this question is necessary to understand why and for whom I write. So, please, reflect upon it and think carefully. It is important that you have an answer before reading what I have to say, so please pause for a few seconds and think.
Well, now that you have an answer – or perhaps a line of thought – it is crucial to state that art does not belong to anyone, not even its artist. When you read a book, your first thought is never that it is a particular vision of an author, that all of that story is merely a testimony of an artist. Your first thought, your intuition, is always that in some way that story belongs to you – it tells you something that burns in your own blood.
What I mean is: good art belongs to everyone, not to its artist or audience, not to its country or culture, but to all.
How Knowing the Artist Changes the Art
On the other hand, knowing the story of the author is necessary to understand where lies his inspiration, and this somehow changes the whole book. An interesting example is my favorite writer, J. R. R. Tolkien – yes, I like medieval battles and green orcs. If you are a lover of his work, you know that he is a Christian and that his fictional world is based on such a perspective.
However, did you know that Tolkien was also inspired by pagan Norse mythology? That Gandalf the Grey is inspired by the figure of Odin? I ask you, does this piece of information change your perspective on his work, even by a little?
Whether it’s Tolkien’s writings or Michelangelo’s sculptures, every artwork that survives the shackles of time has the mark of its artist, but it belongs to everyone.
Can We Find the Hand of a Creator in Everything?
What would become of The Lord of the Rings if the book stayed on a shelf, never in bookstores? What would become of Pieta or David if these statues were in a basement, never in museums? Valuable art belongs to us all; however, art still bears the mark of an artist who only sought to express himself.
What is the answer to this big question?
Let’s observe, for example, artists who died thinking that their works were merely some waste of time, such as the famous writer Franz Kafka. After his death, his books such as Letter to his Father and Metamorphosis became a hit around the world, some of the finest pieces of literature ever produced. Would it be that the success of these works is attributed to our research about Kafka’s life? Or are these books simply great by themselves? What I am trying to say is – would these works be famous if we did not know who Kafka was?
Let’s put this question on a pause for a second.
Let’s instead look at the art that surrounds us all. Can you find art in everything? Clearly, you look at a clock and do not think it simply “fell out of the sky”, as a clock has several complex and precise parts that work together so that the object serves its specific purpose: to mark the time. The clock is a fine piece of art due to its complexity, and I believe that we can all agree with this statement.
On the other hand, you probably look at a stone and think that it is just a stone – after all, it is abundant and simple.
However, if you were to pay closer attention to the molecular structure of a stone, how it has probably been here on this earth for thousands of years, how it can have hundreds of thousands of different uses… if you were to analyze a stone from the perspective of its artist, as something extremely complex, you would realize that everything around you is extremely complex, and that everything has the mark of its artist. If you understood for one second how everything around you is an art precisely calculated with hundreds of millions of variables that need to come together simultaneously for that stone to be in front of you in that same place and at that same moment, you would probably be amazed by its artist.
However, since you do not care about a stone, you probably do not care by its artist – and why should you?
.
Now, coming back to that question:
is there meaning in art without its artist?
There are two possible practical answers in my view.
The first, you can experience art as if it belongs to you, live a lifetime without even asking what was the artist’s purpose, or who the artist even is.
Basically, you can limit the artist to your own inability to understand him, or your unwillingness to appreciate his art.
The second, the one that seems more coherent to me: simply wanting to understand the artist. What is the purpose of his magnificent work? What was his inspiration?
Why did he share his art with us? Are we part of his art, or just an accident in the middle of his artistic process?
A Personal Testimony: From Rio de Janeiro to Faith
I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and lived 18 years of my life there. Yes, I like football – I do not shy away from the stereotype.
No, it is called football, not soccer. Yes, it is always hot there and the beaches are wonderful – if you want to visit, just be careful where you go.
I was born to a Jewish mother and an atheist father, and at the age of 4 my parents got a divorce. I am the older brother of three, all male. If you are or want to be a parent of a large family, please make sure you raise children of different sexes – four men is not easy for any parent or sibling.
My father taught me to love art since I was little, and so I have always been very connected to books and movies. My mother taught me to love my family, and despite all the fights with my siblings, we all developed an extremely special feeling for each other.
Encountering Christianity Through Literature
Despite all the family and cultural upbringing, all the character and personality mold, I had never had any contact with spirituality or religiosity. I had my Bar Mitzvah like any Jewish male at the age of 13, and I also occasionally participated in the Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, among other festivities. However, I had never had a truly religious education at home or at school – Judaism for me was reduced to cultural rather than spiritual practices.
Until I was 22 years old, I had never prayed or set foot in a church or synagogue in order to truly worship God.
I came to the United States with a dream of becoming a writer. I told myself that I wanted to tell people about the “truth of things”, to teach them through inspiring stories how to become better people. Well, I soon understood that not only did I not know the “truth of things” but also that I was just a boy who simply wanted to be heard and respected for his opinions – the reason for my writing was never to help the world, only myself.
These moments of reality shock are crucial to shaping humility, and so I seek to continue to learn that I will never know much, and that the little I know does not make me superior to those who know as little as I do.
Humility! Such a simple word, but very, very complex. As you will see, I never had much humility.
Finding the Artist Behind Life
Anyway, as the writing and literature classes at the university went by, I came across questions like the one that started this testimony – questions that have no ultimate answer, just personal answers. I came across spectacular books that simply showed me the soul of an author who, regardless of age, was as simple as me: someone who had no answer to anything, just views. This simplicity brought me closer to artists, and so I tried to follow in their footsteps – that was the worst choice of my life, I came to understand.
Looking back now, I understand it was necessary, but definitely I could have learned my lesson in a simpler way if I merely spontaneously learned how to be humble. Well, that never happened.
To become a successful writer, I thought, I had to follow two simple steps.
First, I needed to isolate myself from the world and focus on those questions that no one knew how to answer.Thus, I almost did not see or talk to anyone for years. I truly did not worry about my physical or mental health – these were all obstacles in my way. All I did was read and write, philosophize and seek understanding.
Secondly, I needed to become extremely observant, a narrator rather than a character. Thus, I did not seek to have experiences, but to observe others in order to try to better understand how other people behave and feel – their motivations, passions, and pains.
After a few years of living this way, I was faced with the following reality. I no longer enjoyed spending my time with others. I did not want to meet new people nor seek much from my friends and family. Everything and everyone became so, so distant from my reality that I could not understand them anymore, and I did not want to understand them anymore. Humanity seemed lost to me – everything indicated that there was no purpose to our mediocre existence.
This is the most logical conclusion one can reach once one truly distances oneself from people – nothing makes sense, and nothing should make sense. I simply could not understand how people were not like me, and if they were not, that meant they were somehow intellectually dishonest with themselves – and there was nothing that raged me as much as intellectual dishonesty.
Well, I learned a few “truths” once I came out of this experience, and one of them is that the path to hopelessness is extremely comfortable. Once your eyes see what you want to see, and people become mere accidents and feelings mere obstacles, you do not hurt as much anymore. It is a constant process of distancing oneself from the pain that, although painful, is comfortable.
Those who loved me were constantly worried about me, but I was worried about them for still living in an extremely cruel and corrupt world. My world could forever be to read and write, and that would be a perfect world, even if no one liked my art. After all, I no longer wanted people to like anything I wrote, because I did not like them anymore. I felt sorry for them for being so blind.
Gabriel Asks: What is the Value of Life?
About a year ago, I took a class on literature in the medieval age, and I needed to read a
100-page “poem” called Pearl. There is no reason to summarize the work, but the following question appeared in my mind once I was finished with it: what is the value of life?
The book is according to the Christian perspective, and through these lenses children go to Heaven. If a child dies, he goes directly to Heaven. However, if a child lives and becomes an adult, regardless of that individual’s life, Heaven is no longer a guarantee. Such a person, after all, will not be perfect, and so will not go to heaven without believing in Jesus Christ. A child, on the other hand, is still perfect in his or her purity, and so go to Heaven. Therefore, I asked myself: why live?
Why live if you could have died at the age of 2 and gone directly to eternal life alongside your creator? It did not make any sense. Life was reduced to a “test” or “trial” rather than being a gift.
You see, I was not a Christian and had never picked up a Bible in my life. For a lover of
unanswered questions, this was something that intrigued me for a long time, and really it appeared to make no logical sense. Sure, I knew about the story of the garden of Eden, about how sin entered into the world, but the question still lingered in my mind: why live? So, again I ask you, before you continue reading, try answering the following question. Why do we live since if we died as children we would go directly to heaven – why grow up and be susceptible to sin? Reflect upon it, think carefully. I will not touch on this subject exactly next, but it is important that you have an answer before you read on.
After some time, that became a question that motivated me to understand the Christian perspective upon life more deeply.
Finding God in The Bible
With the influence of that question and my lovely girlfriend Katherine – please know that you changed my life, my love, and I am forever grateful – I enrolled in a class called “Bible as Literature”. We had no Christian teachings, nor did we seek to answer any questions about the existence of God. The goal of the class was simply to read the Bible as a story and understand how it influenced literature. So yes, I had to read almost the entire Bible in less than four months.
For every class, we needed to make comments on some topic that we found interesting about the reading for the day (which was usually between 12 and 16 chapters). Despite all the “homework” we had to do, it was extremely interesting to dedicate myself to reading the Bible every day, to seek to better understand its metaphors, its teachings, and its connections, alongside the whole of its beautiful story. I knew it would be fascinating, but I had no idea that I would question whether the Bible was really divine or worldly. For those who have never read the Bible and think that what I just said is absurd, please let me give you some context to my statement.
The Bible has approximately 66 thousand cross-connections throughout its books – these connections are established through prophecies that appear elsewhere in the story, or details that are once mentioned that come to light in the future of the work.
The second collection of books with as many cross-connections are all of the works of Stephen King combined, which total somewhere between 1 and 1.2 thousand connections. The Bible was written in 3 different languages by more than 40 authors, and for some reason it retains its original content even after 2,000 years. Many of the books that make up the Bible are based on an oral tradition that remained alive for thousands of years before being placed in its first manuscripts, mere pieces of paper that tell us about more than fifteen hundred years of a people’s history. If this information is not enough to make you question whether the Bible is not a miracle in itself, then try to read its contents and answer the thousands of theological questions that to this day are topics of discussion for philosophers, physicists, scientists, and some of the most talented scholars from around the world. Perhaps, try to understand the messages that have shaped the ethics and morals that are still prevalent in the vast majority of the world’s most developed countries. In short, there is no collection of books as frighteningly complex as the Bible, and for some reason its story opens and closes perfectly, without leaving a comma out of place.
I do not need to tell you about the Bible, its impact speaks for itself. All I need to say is that I tried to see how it could simply be the making of men, and failed.
I was extremely frightened when I did not find any piece of archaeological evidence that proved to me that the events of the Bible were wrong. Obviously, no one can prove whether or not Moses parted the red sea because no one can go back in time to see the sea splitting right in the middle. However, all the pieces of Egyptian chariots, Egyptian armor, and human bones that were found at the bottom of the Red Sea, in addition to the massively large burned area of sand – which has originated from such a potent fire that civilizations at the time did not even dream of ever being able to manipulate – lead me to believe that the Red Sea was really opened and a pillar of fire really fell from the skies. Yes, it is indeed absurd to philosophize whether fiction exists in real life – but it is even more absurd to deny its existence when faced with evidence.
And I tell you, search for the evidence, because it is the way, the truth, and the life.
I have converted to Christianity about 6 months ago.
I like to tell others that I was converted by my pursuit of knowledge and reason, but the plain truth is that once I read the Bible and sought to understand what it said, I began to see things differently.
Many say that books change your life – I cannot believe it. I do not think that books change your life unless you want to change your life, allow yourself to see the artist.
If you read a book and do not get to know its author, that book will not change your life, since you will never truly know that book. Thus, I sought to know the artist behind all, and until the end of my life, I will continue to seek Him.
With a single stone, I was able to hit two birds. With a single sentence, I was able to answer both of my unanswerable questions.
Is there meaning in art without its artist?
What is the value of life?
Life is but a constant quest to know the artist behind life. And that is my testimony.
About the Author
Gabriel Lyra is an international student from Brazil studying literature at the University of Pittsburgh. When visiting Bradford, PA, he attends Open Arms Community Church and the Sunday Dinner Microchurch. His passion for writing, philosophy, and faith has led him on a journey of deep discovery, both in literature and in life.
