By Don Thomas, Senior Pastor at Central Christian Church

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4:35

On several trips to Lubbock lately, we’ve noticed that the cotton fields are looking spectacular!! The July rains REALLY are making for a great crop! There are many fields that have already been stripped…and lots of rolls, bales, and big modules of cotton all over the West Texas Prairie! It’s so fun to see good fields and know that their hard work is really paying off this year! I don’t know if Jesus was referencing cotton when He made the statement in John 4, but it certainly is appropriate! The fields are truly WHITE for harvest!

A “White Harvest” implies that the fields are ripe and ready to be harvested. The statement above was Jesus addressing his disciples concerning the people of the nearby town. He was pointing out that the disciples were missing an obvious opportunity to share Jesus with people that were “prepared” (or ripe) in their hearts to receive him. They knew of a coming Messiah from scripture and were obviously interested, but the disciples were concerned with food and their own agenda at the time.

I’ve been thinking about that a lot: Do we RECOGNIZE “fields” that are ready to be harvested? Are we even LOOKING for people that might be interested in hearing about Jesus?

Too often, I’m afraid we think, “If they are interested, they know where to find me.” But that is NOT the methodology that Jesus said we should have! He said, “Go tell them!” Be on the LOOKOUT for people that need encouragement, hope and a friend! That’s where it starts the most…just speak to people as a friend! So here are a few questions to get you looking toward “the field”:

1-Do you know your immediate neighbors? Have you talked to the people that live CLOSE to you? Do they GO to church? Are they believers? Do they have a big family? Do they NEED anything? Maybe they just need a friend to INVITE them to church! In a survey of 50,000 people over the last 10 years, almost 90% said, “I began to attend church because someone invited me!” INVITE SOMEONE…this week!

2-Do the families you play sports with attend church? You spend time with the other families of YOUR kids on sports teams. You are in the stands with them weekly, and picking up from practice at the same times. It doesn’t have to be a “pressure sales pitch”…just merely asking them, “Hey…if you don’t already have a church home, we’d love to have you with us at Central this weekend!” You might be surprised at how much that helps!

3-Co-workers that are struggling need a friend. There are people at your workplace that are having a rough time. Maybe they are going through a divorce…or they are dealing with grief. Perhaps they have a teenager that’s struggling with depression…or they are caring for aging parents. Maybe a simple hug and a comment like, “I’m sorry you are going through a hard time. When I’ve struggled the most, my faith really keeps me going. Do you have a church home?” Being a friend to them when they are down will matter SO MUCH!

The fields of PORTALES are ready to harvest! We say it all the time…”we’re in this together!” Let’s REALLY be together in how we reach out and invest in people! As we head toward the Holidays, make an effort to invite someone new EVERY WEEK! And let’s point them to Jesus!