The joy that serving others can bring is more than fulfilling.  You will find that if you are discouraged this will bring encouragement to your own soul.  If you are sad this type of activity will bring lasting joy.  If you are lonely this can bring friendship as you work together with others to spread the gospel.  If you are upset it will help you to focus outside of yourself.  

Serving others and reaching out is very flexible.  There is no set method or formula for going about it but there is one basic thing that will help you.  The first and most important prerequisite is prayer.  That may sound like a very generic prerequisite, but I’m very serious.  God has given me many outreach ideas, and they have all been inspired from God.  I can’t claim any of the credit.  Many times I have thought that God couldn’t outdo Himself with a particular idea, but He does!  He constantly gives me more ideas for reaching out and loving others in His name.  I promised Him one time that if He would keep giving me ideas, I would keep sharing them.  He has been more than faithful!!  Ellen White states that, “The Lord is willing to reveal to you wondrous things… Pray most earnestly for an understanding of the times in which we live, for a fuller conception of His purpose, and for increased efficiency in soul saving.”  (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 514)  The Lord is full of a knowledge of how to turn people’s hearts toward Him, and He has a storehouse of creative ideas as well.  He will reveal to you exactly what you need to know and do.  Just be willing to carry through with the ideas that He gives you!

God is calling each one of us to be missionaries in our sphere of influence.  It doesn’t matter your age.  It doesn’t matter your gender or your ethnic background.  It doesn’t matter your income level.  God designed that each one of us would be missionaries and feel the responsibility of winning souls for Christ.  On page 30 in volume 9 of Testimonies for the Churches, Ellen White says, “God expects personal service from everyone to whom He has entrusted a knowledge of the truth for this time.  Not all can go as missionaries to foreign lands, but all can be home missionaries in their families and neighborhoods.”   Now is the time for us all to “let our lights so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father, which is in Heaven.  (Matthew 5:16).  Won’t you?

For many more outreach and service ideas, please visit www.biblelabs.blogspot.com

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Thank you, Amy, for taking the time to share such wonderful ideas with us! I pray that each family will be encouraged to find a service activity and make it their own… so they can shine their lights for Christ! This complete’s Amy’s series on service. Please check out her website, listed above, for more great ideas!