Focus on Reproduction, Mentor's Guide, MG12

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F O C U S O N R E P R O D U C T I O N

of eternal life, commencing from the moment we declare Jesus Lord of all, and Lord over our lives. Paul and Silas spoke the word of God to the jailer, and to all the members of his oikos , that network of family, friends, and associates connected to the jailer through trusting relationships and ongoing contact. Not only did the jailer repent and believe on the Lord Jesus, being baptized by Paul and Silas, but “all his household” as well. They ate together that night, rejoicing as an oikos that they had believed in God. In one meeting, the entire family, friendship, and associate network of the jailer entered the Kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ. This incident is the safe, easiest, and most effective way for the Gospel to spread. Every human being is connected by birth, proximity, and relationship to a network of people who know them, are associated with them, and who recognize them. These networks represent the “fabric of our lives,” the web of relationships that provide us with identity, friendship, and connection. This story illustrates the power of the Gospel to penetrate society, and reveals how the Good News spreads through the work of the apostles. Through their web of influence, their network of relationships, the Good News touched every strata of society, every corner of the Roman empire. We marvel at the work of God through the apostles, as we should. We also should look carefully at the natural, spontaneous, and very real way the Gospel spreads–along the lines of real family, friendships, and associates. Who is in your oikos network today? Of what family are you a part? Who are those neighbors and friends you know who need the Savior? What coworkers and associates do you know need the love of God in their lives? As we walk with Christ, may he give us courage, grace, and opportunity to speak with those kinfolk, friends, neighbors, and coworkers who belong to our oikos , and may he grace us, that salvation will have not only come to us, but to us and our households, to the glory of God through Jesus Christ.

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