The Unexpected Mission Field in Your Neighborhood: Lessons From the Virtual Jesus Challenge
Key Takeaways
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The Jesus virtual challenge helps you slow down enough to notice the people around you.
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Daily walks create natural opportunities to see and know your neighbors.
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Most of us are too busy to see the people living next to us.
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Jesus was always present and attentive to people who interrupted Him.
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Many of Jesus’ interruptions were the heart and soul of his ministry.
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Your neighborhood is part of your mission field.
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Living on mission starts with simple conversations and relationships.
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The more time you spend with Jesus, the more you see people the way He does.
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God can use ordinary walks like the Jesus challenge for Kingdom purposes.
I Didn’t Expect to Meet My Neighbors
I was shocked at how many people I met just by walking my neighborhood once a day with the virtual Jesus challenge! I never knew they existed until I started walking daily. 😱 If you’re participating in the Jesus virtual challenge, I’m sure you’re experiencing this too.
That one guy’s cute dog always wants to come say hi on his evening walk.
The older lady tending her flowers starts waving.
You get to know the family that plays outside every day after school.
The couple out on their porch asks how your day’s going.
Before long you’re exchanging names and having little conversations with neighbors almost every day.
Most of us live shockingly close to people we barely know. Or don’t know at ALL. 🙅 They live, sleep, and eat literally feet away from us, but many of us don’t even know their names.
Occasionally we’ll wave as we zip down the street. But for the most part, we’re all just rushing from one responsibility to the next, heads down, phones out, and schedules overflowing. Who has time or capacity to chit chat with neighbors? 🥵
As I walked outside daily with the Jesus challenge, I realized that God was changing my heart in an unexpected way. He changed how I saw the people around me. He slowed me down enough to even see them at ALL and view them through His eyes of compassion and love.
The same houses I used to drive by without noticing now hold dear people with names, stories, struggles, and lives that matter deeply to God. My daily walks are now very purposeful, full of low hanging fruit to reflect the love of Jesus to the people God’s placed in my path. LITERALLY in my path. 😅
We Spend Most of Life Rushing Past People
Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about our neighbors or being aware of them.
The garage door opens.
We back out of the driveway.
We run errands, shuttle kids around, come home, zip into the garage, and close the door behind us.
Repeat tomorrow. 🔁
We don’t have any malice or ill intent towards our neighbors. We’re all just BUSY! 😰
Life moves fast, and it’s genuinely a struggle to keep up. And when you’re juggling work, family, responsibilities, and 37 things on your to-do list at any given moment, of course it’s easy to miss the people living their own busy lives right next door.
But that’s what makes me love the Jesus virtual challenge.
It physically plants you back into your physical location, life, and neighborhood. It allows you to finally slow down enough to be present to the life and people around you.
Instead of flying past at 35 miles per hour with a thousand thoughts competing for your attention, you walk. Slowly. You’re present. You pay attention. 👀
When you slow down, you notice the people God’s placed in your life and see opportunities that were there all along. Your neighborhood is PACKED with people God loves dearly.
I wonder, for what great purpose He chose you to live there specifically? 🤔 It’s certainly not a coincidence.
Jesus’ Example of Presence
When we look at the life of Jesus, nowhere do I see an example of Him rushing or hurrying past people. That’s pretty impressive, considering that He was literally saving the world. 😅
As you read the Gospels, you’ll notice that Jesus was CONSTANTLY being interrupted. All the time, even during his most “important” ministry moments.
And you’ll notice these weren’t always the easiest people to talk to. They were hurting, complex, struggling, real people.
🧕 A woman at the well needed someone to truly see her.
🌳 A short, deceitful collector named Zaccheus hid in a tree, desperate for a glimpse of hope.
🧑🦯 Blind Bartimaeous shouted from the side of the road while everyone else tried to quiet him down.
🩸 An outcast woman suffering bleeding for years pushed through a crowd just to touch His robe.
And Jesus stopped.
Every. Single. Time.
He wasn’t so focused on His next destination that He missed the people right in front of Him.
👉 The interruptions WERE the ministry. 👈
Wow.
That’s a pretty different mindset than we usually have in our busy day-to-days, right? I know I need that reminder all the time.
Caveat:
Don’t panic and think you have to knock on every door with a stack of Gospel tracks. That’s not what I’m talking about. 😅
Jesus was incredibly available to people, but He also didn’t heal or speak to every person that called out to Him. There were hurting people everywhere He went, too many to count.
But Jesus moved slowly, intentionally, in step with the Father. His heart was open. His eyes were attentive. He was available for the Father to direct Him towards the people He was meant to engage with. 🤲
Not everyone. And not at the sacrifice of His own time with the Father.
That’s a beautiful model for us. It’s not an all-out, forceful, evangelistic race. And neither is it a reclusive, hidden life buried under a lampstand. This is a life of openness and availability, lived in dependence on God’s voice. 🧎
You’re not responsible for saving the world. As you abide in Him, God will direct you to exactly the people He wants you to engage with.
Your Neighborhood Is Your Mission Field
When you hear “living on mission,” you might picture someone boarding a plane, moving overseas, and being part of a dramatic Gospel revival in a distant location. Or you might think it’s a special assignment reserved for a few select Christians: pastors, missionaries, or extroverts.
But Jesus gave every single one of us that calling. 🫵
To love people. See people. Encourage them. Pray for them. Share the hope we have in Him.
Those opportunities are right outside your front door. 🚪
Living out this calling can look a lot simpler than you might think.
🗣️ Like learning your neighbors’ names. That’s a great start!
🌱 Asking questions and remembering and caring about the answers.
🙏 Praying for families as you walk past their homes.
🔨 Showing kindness, encouraging, bringing a meal, helping with a practical need.
📱 Being available when someone needs a friend.
Over time, these small interactions build trust and relationships. And relationships open doors for deeper, more honest conversations.
Maybe the mission field you’ve been praying for is the one you walk past every day.
Right now, as you read this blog, people are living across the street, next door, and around the corner who matter more to God than we’ll ever comprehend.
What a privilege that He would invite us to love them too. 🥹
A Simple Missionary Challenge for You This Week
As you’re out walking this week, ask God to help you see your neighborhood through His eyes.
Here are a few ways you can start:
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Pray for the houses you pass, even if you don’t know the people living inside.
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Learn one new neighbor’s name.
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Start one conversation instead of just waving.
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Ask God if there’s someone who needs encouragement and then follow through.
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Look for small opportunities to lend a helping hand.
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Pay attention to the people you see repeatedly. God often highlights them for a reason.
Remember, you don’t have to force or manufacture these opportunities. Just walk with Jesus, stay available to the Spirit leading you, and obey. You’ll be surprised at what happens! 🤩
Keep Your Eyes Open with the Virtual Jesus Challenge
👉 The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we see people the way He does. 👈
The neighbor sitting quietly out on her front step.
The man behind the sweet golden retriever.
The woman planting flowers.
The family you don’t really know but see often.
They’re no longer just background characters in your day. God brings them to the forefront again and again for a reason. 🤔
The virtual Jesus challenge keeps us engaged with God’s Word, Spirit, and voice. As we hear Him through Scripture, we can immediately apply those lessons to the people immediately in front of us.
So if you’re currently participating in the Jesus challenge, keep your eyes open, and consider joining our extre Bible challenges. God has more planned for these walks than you may realize. 😌 That friendly wave or chat probably isn’t random at all.
And if you’re considering joining the virtual Jesus challenge, I encourage you to take that step. You have NO idea what God can do in the world through your obedience to walk with Him 20 minutes a day. 👟
After all, your neighbors are not an obstacle to your spiritual growth or walk with God. They could be the very people to whom God wants to show His love – through YOU!