“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood. It’s a beautiful day for a neighbor. Won’t you be mine?”
-Mr. Rogers – Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

The Bible states in Mark 12:31 that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves. However, who exactly is your “neighbor”? Is it the person that lives in the house, or apartment, right beside you? Is it the coworker who’s cubicle is next to yours? Or, is it the person you sit next to on the bus as you commute to work? Well, to be quite honest, it’s all of the above. God has granted you the opportunity to show some love to your neighbor each and every day.

Mr. Rogers, is the first of many challenges that will cause you to step out of your comfort zone and ensure that as a Christian you are paying attention to the small things that God asks of us in order to allow Him to make a bigger impact on the lives of those who may not know him.

Getting to know someone is more than just saying hello and asking how they are doing. It is an intentional pursuit to learn who that person truly is. What are their goals and dreams? Are they generally happy? Have they found Jesus Christ or are they searching for their purpose within the confines of the world? All of these questions are a part of truly getting to know your neighbor.

While we understand that getting to know someone can be challenging (especially if you are an introvert), the Christian faith calls for us to step out of our comfort zone, dying to ourselves and picking up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). We are supposed to show love to all, not just those we feel comfortable around, and as Christians that is something we should strive for every day.
Mr. Rogers is just the first part in a long list of things that YOU can do to positively change the community you live in. After you have gotten to know your “neighbor,” you will have a better understanding of the kinds of people that live in your community and their needs.

Put love into action, step out of your comfort zone and play your cards. What’s the worst that could happen? They don’t answer the door? They turn down your prayer? You never know how God can use your simple obedience to correct complex situations within a person’s life.

Our challenge is not only that you will get to know your neighbor, but that you will get to KNOW your neighbors! That you will make lasting relationships where you can continue to show them the love of Christ and be there to support them along this part of their journey, giving them sound advice and encouragement to pursue great things!

After you have completed the challenge, take some time to reflect upon the week and the actions you took to complete the tasks, and then create a post (video is highly encouraged!) and upload it to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #BTGUM and #BlackJackChallenge for a chance to be featured on our page. Don’t want to post to social media? No problem! We still want to hear from you! Send an email to blackjack@btgum.com and let us know how each challenge has impacted you.
Make Your Move.