What is B.L.E.S.S.?
5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World
When you’ve been transformed by God’s love, you can’t help but want others to experience the same grace and freedom. But how do you share it without scaring them away or offending them? For most Christians, “evangelism” is an intimidating word. But what if there was a more organic, more authentic way to share your faith with your friends, neighbors, and coworkers?
We recently did a 10-week sermon series on the B.L.E.S.S. book. You can purchase a copy of the book on this page if you would like to read along. We also have a short description of each B.L.E.S.S. step listed below.
To catch up on this sermon series please visit our Sermons page.
B: Begin with prayer
When Jesus started His earthly mission, Luke 6 tells us that He went out on a mountain and prayed. Prayer is both how you discover your mission and how you live out the mission. Over and over again, we see Jesus retreating to pray. If you’re not sure who God is calling you to bless or where God is calling you to go to be a blessing, you can begin with prayer. And if you know the people you want to bless, begin praying for those people now.
L: Listen
Asking questions and then listening was central to Jesus’s life and teachings. Consider the blind man in Luke 18. Jesus didn’t assume the blind man wanted to see. First, He asked, “What do you want me to do?” Then He listened (more on this story later). In the Gospels, Jesus asked many more questions than He answered. Of the 183 different questions He received, Jesus answered only a handful. Any relationship starts with listening to someone’s words and life. True listening may be the kindest and most loving gift you can give someone.
E: Eat
Jesus liked to eat! Over and over, as in Matthew 9, we find Jesus with tax collectors and sinners… doing what? Eating! There is something about sharing a meal together that moves any relationship past acquaintance toward friendship–faster than just about anything else we can do.
S: Serve
Jesus told us straight up, “‘The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” (Matthew 20:28 NIV). He modeled for us that once you begin with prayer, listen, and eat with someone, there is a good chance that you’ll discover how you can best serve the person God is asking you to bless.
S: Story
When people were ready to listen, Jesus would share His story. Like when doubting Thomas came to him asking, “How can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:5-6 NIV). When you befriend and bless people, they feel relationally safe and want to know your story. Then, and only then, you can tell them how the love of God and Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection have changed you.