Sunday, June 12, 2011

Going Outside the Camp

Hebrews 13:13 calls us to go to Jesus outside the camp and bear the disgrace He endured. "Going outside the camp" is a metaphor for doing the hard thing and taking risks in identifying with Christ. We are called to follow a disgraced Savior. Here are just a few suggestions for practical ways we can obey this command in today's world:



  • Don’t settle for a small, minimalistic devotional life. Be radical in your devotion to the bible and to the gospel.

  • Give up your pursuit of the American Dream and embrace an all-encompassing purpose to make your life count for the gospel of Christ.

  • Adopt a child.

  • Get off the couch and go help someone. Get into someone's life. Spend your evenings serving others.

  • Get involved in the mess of relationships.

  • Get involved in a dispute and seek to be a peacemaker.

  • Confront someone you see doing wrong (it is your business).

  • Be the first one at church to help set up for Sunday morning and the last one to leave after its over (especially if you are part of a church plant!).

  • Fund the adoption of a young family.

  • Make every effort to be the most hospitable person in your church. Invite visitors out to lunch or to your house.

  • Invite someone to dinner who you have nothing in common with. You may be annoyed by this person. You may feel like if you invite them, they’ll never leave and you’ll have to kick them out. They may have several young kids. They may break something in your house. They may smell bad. They might steal something.

  • Chose to live in a “not as safe” neighborhood.

  • Do foreign missions.

  • Do evangelism. Don't worry about getting egg on your face.

  • Stand up at a public event and humbly invite people to trust in Jesus.

  • Cut your cable bill and use that money to fund a Bible Translation project.

  • Start a work-place Bible Study.

  • Organize a tutoring program for kids struggling in school.

  • Give gospel tracts to cashiers and drive-through attendants.

  • Visit a nursing home.

Feel free to offer more suggestions...

2 comments:

BoldLion said...

All of that is great!

Adopt a child. I would love to but feel it would be better that the child have both Mommy and Daddy instead of single person like me.

For single like me: How about adopt furry children even though they don't have the soul like children do?

Tip your waitress or waiter godly books and tracts or CD along with your money tip. That is what I do when I do have godly books to give away.

How about to learn other language that you can communicate with your neighbor with? I do want to learn to speak or read Spanish.

Are there a lot of deaf in your area: How about learn sign language as well? I do know some but not fluently like I ought to especially that I am deaf but very oral educated.

Hungry to eat His Word,
'Guerite ~ BoldLion

Rachelle said...

I am inspired..
One thing I do is bring baby booties to preganacy resource clinics, along with letters telling new mothers that they are loved...many of these women opt for abortion...baby booties remind them that thier babies have feet..

I also bring teddy bears with personilized t shirts to kids at temporary shelters and orphanages...along with a letter from fathersloveletter.com and a personal letter telling them that they are loved..
love your post :)
Spread the light :)