Many Christians today are in the habit of not going to church. Most are good-hearted believers, who simply don’t think they need the local church. But Hebrews 10:25 tells us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.”

Why do we need church? Because the local church is God’s way of shaping us, molding us, and then using us to reach our world. Although there may be people there who rub us the wrong way, that’s part of the genius of Gods design!

He wants to stretch us, and cause us to grow. We may get bothered by the style of this, or the sound of that. But it’s good for us! It’s humbling, it’s purifying, it’s “iron sharpening iron.”

As we are sharpened by others in the church, we become more like Jesus Christ. We also learn how to work with those who are different than us. And working well with other believers is one of the best expressions of Jesus Christ to our world.

So, dream great dreams for your church! Be faithful to it! Pray for it! And get involved. Ask God to use your church to reach your neighborhood, your city, your country for Jesus Christ. That’s exactly what He wants to do!

There’s a wonderful promise in the Old Testament that I came to understand when I was a young boy. The promise is found in Genesis 26:6. God says to Abraham, “Through your descendants all the nations on earth will be blessed.”

When I read that as a boy, I remember thinking, This is something I can pray for my own kids someday! So, as my wife and I started our family, we prayed that prayer for each of our four boys. We said, “Lord, through these boys, please bless all the nations of the world.”

Now, there were some rough years. One of our sons, Andrew, took a big spiritual hike for about 13 years. We experienced a lot of sadness. But we kept praying, “Lord, bless the nations of the world through our boys.” And praise God, Andrew did finally surrender his life to Jesus Christ!

Now, he’s an evangelist – sharing the Good News all around the world. In fact, each one of our boys is serving the Lord in different capacities. It’s thrilling to watch how God has answered that prayer of ours!

So, dream great dreams for your family. No matter where your kids are right now with the Lord, don’t despair. Pray for your children by name, asking God to bless the nations of the world through them. The Lord will hear, and answer!

What kind of people live in your city? Ambitious people. Lonely people. People struggling financially. Young people in search of freedom. Displaced people out of touch with their families. The list goes on!

The point is: The harvest is ready. But where are the workers? In city after city around the world, I proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ before massive festival crowds. Through my preparatory work in each city, I have discovered that many Christians fail to see the importance of evangelism. What does that mean? It means that before we can bring the hope of Jesus to our cities, we must first recognize the urgent need!

In the Bible, Mark 16:15 reports Jesus telling His disciples to, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Guess what? That command is for you! Those words include your city. God has a plan. And YOU must respond to His call.

You may not have the opportunities to share your faith with thousands, but you can share God’s love in your city by reaching out to your neighbor. Will you do it today? Reach your city by reaching those in your community. Reach out and see what God can do through you.

When I say the word “city,” what picture comes to your mind? Some people think of lights and wonderful opportunities. Some people think of crime, smog and traffic. These people see city life as Henry David Thoreau once described, as “millions of people being lonesome together.” A sad picture indeed.

Regardless of how you view cities, aren’t you glad that Jesus desperately loves them? Remember in Matthew when Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem? He loves cities! And, one of the pictures of heaven is the “city of God.” God wouldn’t use that picture if He didn’t care about cities. No matter where people are, city or country, there will be sin. Even if the people in your life aren’t perfect and aren’t friendly, they still need the Lord.

My friend, do not ignore your city, or your street, today. The world’s cities need a revival caused by changed hearts that only the Gospel can activate! YOU may be the only person willing to share God’s Good News with your bus driver. With the person next to you on the Subway. With your taxi driver. YOU have a purpose in your city. Say “YES!” to reaching your world today for Jesus Christ!