Sunday, Oct 19, 2025
The Art of Neighbouring: Why Do You Live Where You Live? "Not in Temples"

Acts 17:22-28

This Sunday we start a new teaching series; the Art of Neighbouring that will take us up to Advent.

You’ve been told to “love your neighbour as you love yourself”. Thinking about “our neighbour” can call all sorts of images to mind - from Sunday school accounts of the Good Samaritan story, to visions of that weird person who lives across our street. 

But beyond that, it can raise all sorts of good questions if we let it; “who is my neighbour?” “What is it to love them?” (What if I don’t like them?) How well do I know my neighbours? Do they know me? What difference does it make? 

Why do I think I live where I do? Why does God think I live there? How far would I need to go to be where God actually planted me? 

Going Deeper… who are the people on your street in closest proximity to where you live? Do you know each of their names? Do you know any more about them? Make some time for prayer and reflection, asking God to show you one thing you could do to know your neighbours better. 

Listen. Act on it.

Looking ahead… Read Luke 10. What do all these stories in Luke 10 have in common? And what do they say about ‘hospitality” and "being present” and our posture toward the people we encounter - toward our neighbours?
~ Pastor Joe