Light Up The Night! 1 of 3

How many people ring your doorbell over the course of a week? Maybe one or two? Perhaps none? If someone does ring your doorbell, is it usually a neighbor or a sales person? How do you feel when someone is at the front door? Are you happy someone is stopping by or do you feel anxiety about the person out front?

Things have sure changed in recent years. In the digital age, personal interaction on our porch has become rare. Unfortunately, the likelihood that the person ringing your doorbell is a neighbor wanting to share freshly baked bread is low. Therefore, many of us have become leery of guests at the front door. 

In two weeks from Sunday, however, your doorbell may ring three dozen times, and you will be glad to open it. People will be on you porch, and you will probably give them all gifts. No, this is no episode of the Twilight Zone, but in two weeks it will be Halloween night.

You might see Halloween as just dress-up fun and games for the kids or you might understand it as a holiday with a dark nature that Christians should avoid (October 31 is also Reformation Day if you're looking for a worthy alternative). Nevertheless, the 31st remains one of those strange times when your neighbors willfully come to your house and you can welcome them. Regardless of your views of the day, this seems like a golden opportunity to share about Christ with people. 

The greatest missionary who ever lived understood that He had to enter into darkness in order to shine the light of the gospel. That missionary was Jesus our Lord. John 1:5 says, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Jesus came from heaven to earth, from light to the darkness, because that's where lost humanity was. That's where the people were whom He came to save. 

In a similar way, we've been called to carry the gospel to a world of people who are condemned because of their sin. Where do you think these people are? They are in the dark. In two weeks, these people may come to your front door. Will you tell them about Jesus?

On the 31st, I'd like to encourage each of our members to Light Up The Night! This means that I'd like you to form a plan with your family or with your growth group to give the gospel to people looking for candy on Halloween night. One of the easiest things you could do is attach one of our ABC gospel cards to the Snickers bars you're handing out. Growth groups might go bigger and offer hot cocoa and gospel conversations. Others still might go to a community event and pass out candy and tracts. In each of these ideas, you have Great Commission Christians using this holiday for a holy purpose- the spread of the gospel. 

One critical ingredient in sharing the gospel with maximum impact is having close proximity with people who need to hear. In two weeks, these people might be at your house! How will you take advantage of this incredible opportunity?