{"id":280451,"date":"2024-05-06T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/why-and-how-to-reach-your-neighborhood-chris-elizabeth-mckinney\/"},"modified":"2025-04-30T11:16:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T15:16:21","slug":"why-and-how-to-reach-your-neighborhood-chris-elizabeth-mckinney","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/why-and-how-to-reach-your-neighborhood-chris-elizabeth-mckinney\/","title":{"rendered":"Why and How to Reach Your Neighborhood: Chris &#038; Elizabeth McKinney"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine a neighborhood where everyone&#8217;s connected, solving problems together, and showing kindness breaks down walls. Chris and Elizabeth McKinney think the beatitudes are the key to making neighborhoods thrive. Learn how to be good neighbors, build relationships, and connect with your community in unmissable ways.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine a neighborhood where everyone&#8217;s connected, solving problems together, and showing kindness breaks down<a class=\"d-block py-2 read-more color-cyan small\" href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/why-and-how-to-reach-your-neighborhood-chris-elizabeth-mckinney\/\" title=\"Read more: Why and How to Reach Your Neighborhood: Chris &#038; Elizabeth McKinney\" >Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47000,"featured_media":280865,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/6bd41247-fe4d-4954-a796-b1620160fc51\/audio.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:25:30","filesize":"23.38M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"2024-05-06 09:00:00","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"podcast_series":[8755],"cwp_profile":[9704],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-280451","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","podcast_series-making-a-mark-in-your-neighborhood-chris-elizabeth-mckinney","cwp_profile-chris-and-elizabeth-mckinney","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg?w=1024","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/280451\/why-and-how-to-reach-your-neighborhood-chris-elizabeth-mckinney","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/280451\/why-and-how-to-reach-your-neighborhood-chris-elizabeth-mckinney","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"NDA4ly1HFC\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/why-and-how-to-reach-your-neighborhood-chris-elizabeth-mckinney\/\">Why and How to Reach Your Neighborhood: Chris &#038; Elizabeth McKinney<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/why-and-how-to-reach-your-neighborhood-chris-elizabeth-mckinney\/embed\/#?secret=NDA4ly1HFC\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Why and How to Reach Your Neighborhood: Chris &#038; Elizabeth McKinney&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"NDA4ly1HFC\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"spectra_custom_meta":{"secondline_imported_guid":["6bd41247-fe4d-4954-a796-b1620160fc51"],"audio_file":["https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/6bd41247-fe4d-4954-a796-b1620160fc51\/audio.mp3"],"duration":["00:25:30"],"filesize":["23.38M"],"_thumbnail_id":["280865"],"show_notes":["<ul>\n<li>Connect with Chris &amp; Elizabeth McKinney and catch more of their thoughts at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.placedforapurpose.com\/\">placedforapurpose.com<\/a>, and on Instagram <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mcwifey\">@mcwifey<\/a> or X <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/crmckinney\">@crmckinney<\/a><\/li>\n<li>And grab Chris &amp; Elizabeth McKinney\u2019s book, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product\/neighborhoods-reimagined-how-the-beatitudes-inspire-our-call-to-be-good-neighbors\/\">Neighborhoods Reimagined<\/a> in our shop.<\/li>\n<li>Intrigued by today\u2019s episode? Think deeper about Loving your Neighbors by listening to<a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/being-like-jesus\/\"> Being Like Jesus<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Want to hear more episodes by Chris &amp; Elizabeth McKinney, listen <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/guest\/chris-and-elizabeth-mckinney\/\">here<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/may-2024\/?cru_source=D0002405RB&amp;cru_medium=RadioBanner&amp;cru_premium=PRE21802&amp;cru_campaign=May2024&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=radiobanner&amp;utm_campaign=may2024\">Double your gift<\/a> this month when you give to FamilyLife!<\/li>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"],"_edit_lock":["1746026242:47000"],"_edit_last":["47000"],"theme_header_position":["Sticky"],"post_header_is_sticky":["default"],"is_header_overlay":["0"],"episode_type":["audio"],"date_recorded":["2024-05-06 09:00:00"],"enclosure":["https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/6bd41247-fe4d-4954-a796-b1620160fc51\/audio.mp3"],"_seopress_redirections_type":["301"],"_seopress_redirections_logged_status":["both"],"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":[""],"transcript_url":["https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2024-05-06.pdf"],"transcript_content":["<p>FamilyLife Today\u00ae National Radio Version (time edited) Transcript<\/p>\n<p>References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete.<\/p>\n<p>Why and How to Reach Your Neighborhood: Chris &amp;amp; Elizabeth McKinney<\/p>\n<p>Guests:Chris and Elizabeth McKinney<\/p>\n<p>From the series:Neighborhoods Reimagined (Day 1 of 2)<\/p>\n<p>Air date:May 6, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Sometimes people come to neighboring with this guilt-based mentality. They're [thinking], \u201cMan, I should stop making excuses and get to know my neighbors.\u201d It's okay to make excuses. Actually, that's exactly what we need. We need an excuse, and holidays, a lot of times, are that excuse.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and your hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson. You can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This is FamilyLife Today!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I was going to sing a song right now, [Laughter] but I have no voice, because I have a cold. But the song is very familiar\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014okay.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014and you finish it.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh, I don't know. Do I know it?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: [singing] \u201cLike a good neighbor\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: [singing] \u201cState Farm is there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: See, you can sing. [Laughter] I'll play it\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014no! [Laughing]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014you sing it.<\/p>\n<p>Well, when I thought of this book, Neighborhoods Reimagined, [I thought of] good neighbors. We\u2019ve got Chris and Elizabeth McKinney with us.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And you're back with us because you've been with us before.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, a few years ago we were with you guys talking about our first neighboring book, Placed for a Purpose. That was kind of everything we wished we would have known when we started neighboring. This is a book on helping you continue to neighbor and continue to put yourself out there in your neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cNeighboring.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Neighboring.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: You're \u201cneighboring.\u201d What does that mean?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Our hope is to show and share the love of Jesus to our next-door neighbors: people with whom we share proximity. We can think about loving our neighbor in a general sense and keep it in the abstract. Neighboring\u2014the practice of loving the people who live right around you\u2014takes loving your neighbor out of the abstract and puts it right into practice with the people who live right around us.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s so convicting. [Laughter] I'm just going to say that I am bad at this. It feels like in Michigan, too\u2014if you're in a cold climate\u2014the garage door goes up; the garage door goes down, and we don't see our neighbors until the spring.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: For months and months.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: And all the kids have grown. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: But when the kids were little, that was\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014easier. So, it's good to talk about this because, biblically-speaking, this is important.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Jesus talked about it.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, I think when Jesus says, \u201clove your neighbor as yourself,\u201d it can obviously mean more than your next-door neighbor; but I don't think it can ever mean less. If we're going to say, \u201cI want to love my neighbor,\u201d our next-door neighbors have to be included in that sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Isn't this convicting? [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, it is.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: If you want to make it even more convicting, [Laughter] now we're going to start talking about the Beatitudes. Chris brought up, initially, that he wanted to write a book on the Beatitudes, and I told him he was crazy. I was [thinking], \u201cWe can't write a book on the Beatitudes. This reads like a foreign language. I don't want to be poor, or [Laughter] persecuted\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014\u201cor meek.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014\u201cor meek.\u201d These are words I'd rather avoid than write a book about [them].<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Most people in the world would like to avoid those words.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: So, why the Beautitudes?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, I had an uphill battle convincing her [Laughter] that we should write a book on the Beatitudes and neighboring. But a few years ago, I was spending time in the Book of Matthew and was just really, again, drawn to the Sermon on the Mount. I found myself just skimming over those first eight statements of Jesus: \u201cBlessed if you're poor in spirit.\u201d \u201cOkay, God's going to bless me if I'm mourning?\u201d I was [thinking], \u201cI need to figure out what's going on here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Through a couple of resources, one being Dr. Jonathan Pennington's book, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, I began to realize that \u201cblessed\u201d statement\u2014we're not being poor in spirit; we're not depending on God to be blessed. We have all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. This is more of an invitation of Jesus into a life of flourishing.<\/p>\n<p>We are invited to live this way, and Jesus promises that it will bring flourishing to our lives and also to the lives of others around us. But what's hard is that these are so upside down,\u2014Ann: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014so different than what the world would say will bring flourishing. Being dependent, mourning, being meek\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014maybe we should read it, just to hit those\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Absolutely!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Let\u2019s do that!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, and even before we get there, I'd love to ask you: are you guys\u2014have you always been good neighbors? [Laughter] Is this part of your \u201cM.O.?\u201d Because we just said, \u201cWe're not very good.\u201d We have a cul-de-sac, not a whole street.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I'm telling you: Ann underestimates. She's a great neighbor.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: She's great!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: [Laughter] I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Oh, every time I look out, she's talking to Pam. Every time I get the snow blower out, she [says], \u201cGo do theirs, and go do theirs.\u201d [Laughter] Every time, because that's what her mom and dad did. So, I think she's better than I am, but I would say, I'm not naturally, really a good neighbor.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Are you guys?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Well, I would say we came to neighboring in a place of need. We were in one of the most stressful seasons of our lives. We had four young kids (we had four kids in five years). So, I was pulling my hair out.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: I was just trying to string a sentence together. [Laughter] I mean, I was! So, it was the needing the proverbial \u201ccup of sugar,\u201d but it was more than that. It was: if I'm going to have any sense of community; if I have to drive across town to get that, it's not going to happen, because I might as well be going overseas. The kids are\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014going to have to get\u2014 It's nap time by the time I get there. I needed people right around me, and we kind of had this sense that our neighbors: \u201cWell, why not the neighbors? Why not these people?\u201d We had a real heart for connecting with people from different worldviews and the unchurched. At that point in our lives, we were connecting with a lot of college students, so, our neighbors\u2014to have relationships with people that were more peers in the same life-stage was really enriching.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So, did you guys walk across the yard? How did this start?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, we\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014it started with a fish fry.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes, we got to know a couple of the neighbors right next to us. Bingo was seven feet tall; he played basketball at the University of Missouri there where we live, in Columbia, MO.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: His name is Bingo?Chris: Bingo Bingenheimer, [Laughter] and he lved to fry things. So, he brought his fryer down to our driveway, and we're wannabe foodies, so we did a fish fry; we made all these sauces, and that was kind of fun. And then we did an Easter egg hunt\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave:\u2014and some more people came?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Small beginnings\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014small beginnings\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014\"Do not despise the day of small beginnings.\u201d [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: That's right. Yes. And the Easter egg hunt: eight kids were there; four of them were ours, [Laughter] But it was at that Easter egg hunt, we met Nathan and Kathy. They went to a different church, and they were [asking], \u201cWell, what's next?\u201d And we're [saying], \u201cWe haven't thought past the Easter egg hunt. We're not trying to\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014\"We're just trying to make friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014Yes. \u201cWe're not trying to start something here.\u201d And they said, \u201cLet's do a bigger street party or block party.\u201d On the outside, we're [saying], \u201cSure, let's do it.\u201d But on the inside, I was [thinking], \u201cDo you see the neighborhood we live in? Everyone is independent. It's super isolated.\u201d No one even trick or treated in our neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: What?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: The first time we came out for Halloween, \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014for years!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014it was a ghost town; no one was there.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Pun intended.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Pun intended. [Laughter] But we did it, and we got the word out, and there were 75 adults and kids that came to that first little block party. That's when we began to realize: \u201cOh, okay. On the outside, everyone is acting like they're fine: \u2018I just want to pull into my garage.\u2019 But on the inside, they want to be connected. They want to be connected to a larger community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We need these excuses, because it's awkward to get to know our neighbors. So, we just started going after that, and the relationships and spiritual conversations that we [have gotten] to have over the last 12 or 13 years have just been incredible.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: What does that say about the human heart, that you just identified? We act like we want to be isolated.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: COVID isolated us\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014oh, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014in some ways. Do you think that's a part of it? Because you're finding out,\u2014Ann: \u2014people are\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014\u201cWe don't really want to be isolated.\u201d Church people, non church people; it doesn't matter. They are looking for community. Is that what you're finding?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: We don't like to be needy, and the very first beatitude is: \u201cBlessed are the poor in spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You call them \u201cSpiritual Zeros.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: [Laughter] Yes, that's right! Spirit\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014I'm not\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014we don\u2019t want to be zeros.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014You don't call hem \u201cSpiritual Zeros,\u201d \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014it\u2019s a chapter title.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014but that's your chapter title, which got me interested. I'm [wondering], \u201cWhat's a \u2018Spiritual Zero?\u2019 l don't want to be that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Right?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: But we are.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: We want to act like we're fine. We don't want to be dependent or interdependent. Yet, that's how we've been designed. We've been designed to be dependent on the Father and each other.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew 5:1 says, \u201cSeeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain. And when He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them saying, \u2018Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness\u2019 sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then, I was going to circle back to this earlier, but just after these verses (we left off in verse 11), in verse 13 is the familiar and beloved \u201csalt and light\u201d passage\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014right.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014that says: \u201cYou're the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its taste, how shall saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, Chris was saying he had an uphill battle convincing me to write a book [Laughter] on the Beatitudes, because I thought, \u201cWe\u2019re going to be out over our skis trying to write a book about something we can't understand, let alone apply.\u201d But it was reading this section on being salt and light. I thought, \u201cI want to be salt and light. I want my neighbors to see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven. Maybe I need to back up and see what some of these postures and invitations are and try to understand them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I don't know what it was, but it was years ago\u2014decades ago: Matthew 5:14, \u201cA city set on a hill cannot be hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I studied it in the Greek because I'm a Greek scholar, that's what I am.\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: No.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: You are, Hon.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: No, I was preaching on it, I think. So, I'm studying the passage and the words \u201cset on a hill\u201d literally mean \u201cstrategically placed on a hill.\u201d Even when I've preached this many times over the years, because when we do our vertical marriage weekends, we talk about this, people look at me like, \u201cSo, what's the big deal? \u2018Set on a hill; strategically placed\u2019.\u201d That actual meaning changes everything\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014that\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014because it means that where you live, in a sense, God has strategically placed you; us in a cul-de-sac. You where\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014in the Uber [driver] I'm with. It's a different perspective. It lifts your eyes to go\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014and again, I'm not saying we don't make decisions every day. It isn't like God is literally got a little thing and pointing us around. But in a sense, it sort of is. It's like [God is saying], \u201cI didn't just put you in this job or in this neighborhood or on this campus. I'm literally strategically placing you for what? To shine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris and Elizabeth: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So, that's what you're saying, right? As you look at that, it's like, \u201cOh, my goodness. Where we live is not just random.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: God wants to us to be salt and light.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, we say: \u201cYour address is not an accident, and neither are your neighbors.\u201d I think, if you believe that, and you walk out your front door, knowing that God was working behind the scenes to place your neighbors there and place you where you are, then that changes everything. That means something's going on, and He's at work. He wants to use you in your neighbors\u2019 lives, and He wants to use your neighbors in your life too.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, I like that. It's both ways.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: It\u2019s both ways.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That's right.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: We're not just doing it because they're our project.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Exactly.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That\u2019s exactly right.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: We want to become friends with our neighbor, because we all need that.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I like that.<\/p>\n<p>Well, take us back to being Spiritual Zeroes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, you write: \u201cThe false Beatitude is: \u2018Blessed are the self-assured. They will retire early with spiritual independence\u2019.\u201d [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: We're talking about retirement, and we're in Orlando. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Right.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: [Laughter] It's a good place to do it.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: For a lot of people, that\u2019s their goal in life. So, what did you discover?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: None of us want to be poor. We want to be self-confident; we want to be independent, self-assured. What Jesus is calling us to, right off the bat, is complete and utter dependence on Him for everything.<\/p>\n<p>You see Jesus model this in John through what we call \u201cthe nothing verses.\u201d Jesus says, [paraphrase of John 8:28-29] \u201cI don't do anything on My own. I don't speak My own words. I came to accomplish the Father's will.\u201d We don't want to be spiritually independent. We think maybe that's the goal, like the more mature we get, the more we can handle things on our own. But Jesus is saying, [paraphrase] \u201cNo, no, no. I want people who are growing in their dependence on Me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you think about trying to get to know your neighbors; trying to breakthrough that awkwardness in the cultural story that says, \u201cTo be a good neighbor means to leave your next-door neighbor alone;\u201d if you're not dependent on God, [saying], \u201cLord, help! I've been living next door to this neighbor for three years. I've never introduced myself. This is scary.\u201d We can not do that out of our own strength.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Tell this story about, \u201cLord, help!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes. We had a friend who was a nanny, and they told her that when their daughter is struggling with something\u2014like taking the square peg and trying to put it in the round hole\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014those little shape sorters.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014those little shape sorters; to not jump in and help immediately, but wait until she asks for help, because we want her to know that it's okay to ask for help and receive it.<\/p>\n<p>As we think about this first Beatitude, a little prayer that we say just to try to embrace this attitude of dependence is, \u201cLord help!\u201d So, as I'm walking over to a neighbor who maybe is hard to get along with: \u201cLord, help!\u201d Immediately, I'm saying, \u201cLord, I need You. I need You to work. I can't do anything without You. Without You showing up, nothing is going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead of saying, \u201cOh, I've got it all together, as long as I'm eloquent enough, and I'm slick enough, and I have the right invitation to church, they're going to come with me.\u201d That's not what Jesus is calling us to there.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, it's interesting to think\u2014I remember in seminary, we were studying the \u201cWoman at the Well\u201d passage.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And one of the applications our professor made was, if you want to get to know your neighbors, ask them for something.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Oh yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Ask to borrow something.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Ask for help.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And I was [thinking] the opposite: \u201cNo, no, no. You don't want to. You want them to ask you for something.\u201d He's [saying], \u201cJesus started that conversation by saying he wanted a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That\u2019s exactly right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So, I remember\u2014this is decades ago\u2014I was [thinking], \u201cOkay, so if I'm doing a project at my house, and I know somebody in the neighborhood who has a tool I need, it's going to start a relationship just to go over and say, \u2018Hey, could I borrow your saw?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Oh, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: You have\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014the next thing I know\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014always done that.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014I've done that everywhere we've gone.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I do it now in Orlando. The guy behind us named Tom\u2014dude, this guy saved our life! [Laughter] You can tell when you ask him for something, he's excited to be needed.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That's right.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Of course!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Did he really save your life?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Well, we needed the pool heated,\u2014 [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014and the heater broke, and the grandkids were coming (tomorrow).<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: So, in a sense, yes!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: So, yes!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: He saved your life. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Big time.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And he's like, \u201cIt's a capacitor. I guarantee it. I'm not an AC guy, but here, I have an extra one in my garage at all times. Boom!\u201d And every time I call him, he's got the tool.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: And not even just tools, but just advice\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014right.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014and for help, right?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Expertise.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Expertise. We have friends who are therapists,\u2014Elizabeth: \u2014our neighbors\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014and we don't share the same overall worldview, but some of their thoughts on things that we're going through have been really helpful. It's just such a fun connect point to be like, \u201cCould you give us some advice here? Free counseling\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014right?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014\"out by the mailbox?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That's awesome.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Then, what happens when they're standing there? Because when Tom comes over, or Bingo\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014Bingo!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014you\u2019re right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014something sort of starts happening, right? Because you don't just stand there and do your job. You end up saying, as Tom said to me: \u201cSo, what do you guys do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: [Neighbor:] \u201cYou're from Michigan. Now you\u2019re in Orlando.\u201d [Dave:] \u201cThis is what we do.\u201d [Neighbor:] \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That's when the relationship goes from being an acquaintance to a friend; a neighbor, and then, hopefully eventually, they'd become your brother or sister in Christ someday. But, you can't just jump into those kinds of weighty conversations. They come through relationships of mutual benefit, where we're receiving, and that shifts the power dynamics from us coming in as the Christian who's always the giver and never the receiver.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: And people sniff that out, like you said.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Totally.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: You were saying earlier, Ann, that we don't want people to be projects, and we don't want to be projects.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: No.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: It's in those natural conversations where you can self-identify as a Christian. You don't have to fly under the radar. You can start sharing, \u201cYes, this is my job,\u201d or, \u201cOur kids just did Vacation Bible School, and it was a lot of fun.\u201d And see, \u201cHey, do they want to know more?\u201d If they do, you can continue on; or if they don't, then you know, \u201cOkay. That's where they're at. That's okay, right? I'll bring up something another time.\u201d But it's in those natural conversations when you can do those things.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Do you utilize holidays, like you said: Halloween, Easter, Christmas? Do you do things with those? Because there are some people who think, \u201cOh, I'm not going to do anything with Halloween. It's evil. It's a bad, bad holiday.\u201d And there are others [thinking], \u201cWhat an opportunity! You\u2019ve got your whole neighborhood coming to your front door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Talk about that a little bit.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Sometimes people come to neighboring with this guilt-based mentality. They're like, \u201cMan. I should stop making excuses and get to know my neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This is Dave and I\u2014[Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014because we have a new neighbor on our cul-de-sac, and we haven't been home very much,\u2014Elizabeth: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014but we feel that guilt: \u201cOh, I'm failing!\u201d [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u201cUgh!\u201d And we say, \u201cIt's okay to make excuses.\u201d Actually, that's exactly what we need. We need an excuse, and holidays, a lot of times, are that excuse. We like to do the Easter egg hunts, and I will say\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014you do them right at your house?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Well, we used to. It outgrew\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014too many now.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014outgrew us.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: That\u2019s great!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: We had to shift to the school. But yes, it used to be in our backyard, and those were really fun days. But you [Chris] do hot sauce nights.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes. [Laughter] Hot wings.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: No way, like super hot sauce?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes. So, if you\u2019ve ever seen\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014you're trying to be a good neighbor? [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, yes. There's a YouTube show called\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014Hot Ones, where the hosts\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: So, I purchased the sauces, and I have a big turkey fryer. (Bingo discipled me well.) [Laughter] I'll fry 150 wings, because it's ten per guy; and we'll meet\u201415 guys. We'll put ten wings into the thing. You sauce them, and then you hand them out to each guy, and then we'll all try them together. I'll do tasting notes, and then we'll all go from one, all the way up to ten. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>It's been awesome! One of the best neighboring events for just the guys that\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014if I\u2019m there,\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014I've ever done.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014can I say I'm not going past five?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Okay. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: It's not high pressure, but every\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014it\u2019s a torture kind of thing.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014but everybody ends up going all the way, and I'm not pressuring. I'm like, \u201cYou can stop whenever you want.\u201d But it's a source of camaraderie, and we're in it together; we're marching up the hill together.<\/p>\n<p>So, yes, we make use of all those opportunities. Halloween, like we said when we first came out of our front door, no one was trick or treating. Eventually, we were [thinking], \u201cThis is not right.\u201d Once we had some momentum with some of the neighboring stuff, we were [thinking], \u201cWe need to change this, because what an incredible opportunity to get to know your neighbors to have neighbors work together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To pull it off, we do little hot dog stations or hot chocolate stations,\u2014Ann: \u2014that\u2019s so cool.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014and we encourage everybody to sit outside by a fire pit to hand out candy, and it's one of our favorite nights of the whole year in our neighborhood. Literally, the neighborhood comes alive.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: How has this impacted your kids? Because you have four daughters, and they're from middle school down to elementary, so you've been probably doing it since they were little.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: What's that been like for them?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: We were in the campus ministry, and we loved having college kids in our home, and the girls loved being around the college kids. But when we switched to neighboring, it opened up a way for them to see mission in a whole new way, because it wasn't something far off. We love mission trips, but at the same time, if we only think [of] missions as something far off that we have to travel overseas to do, we kind of disconnect from the people who are right around us, and the opportunities that are there.<\/p>\n<p>So, with our kids, they've been involved from Day One, because they've been praying for neighbors to come to know the Lord. They have to learn when to take a risk, or when to pull back, and [they] have seen friends start to come to church.<\/p>\n<p>We recently read a book called The Great De-Churching, and one of the things we learned in that book, is that there are those who dechurch casually, and then there are those who are dechurching casualties. The number one reason why people are dechurching is because they've moved. They're just casually dechurching thinking, \u201cWe'll come back,\u201d but then they don't. The take-away for us from that book was, \u201cJust invite, especially if it's a new neighbor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: So, our kids have been asking their neighbors to come to church and have started to see some neighbors come with them. That's formative\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014for them: to get to see God use them in these little 4th graders' lives.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s sweet.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: And then the parents come.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, and as I hear you say that, I know this because we have older kids: they're going to do this.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: When they're adults, they've grown up in a home that does this. You know this, but you're giving them a vision for how everybody's supposed to live.<\/p>\n<p>Chris and Elizabeth: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Ann and I always say, \u201cMake a dent where you're sent, and where you\u2019re sent is where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dvae: You guys are living out what God called us to do.<\/p>\n<p>We want to help you shine right where you live, because God wants you to make a dent where you\u2019re sent. So, guess what we're going to do? We're going to give the Mckinneys\u2019 book to you for free, but not really, because we'd like you to give a monthly donation. Become a monthly partner, and your donation will be doubled for the year, which is awesome! But we're going to send you this book as our gift back to you for giving a gift to us. This will help you do what we're talking about: make a dent where you're sent.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: I'm Shelby Abbott. You've been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with Chris and Elizabeth McKinney on FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>Well, as Dave and Ann were saying, this is going to be our gift to you when you give monthly. So, how do you do that? You just simply go online to FamilyLifeToday.com, and then you can click on the \u201cDonate Now\u201d button at the top of the page. Or you can give us a call at 800-358-6329; again, that number is 800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you wanted to hear more from the McKinneys, they actually have a podcast called Placed for Purpose: Helping You Love Your Neighbors Well and Engage in Your Neighborhood. You can find that podcast anywhere you get your podcasts. Again, it's called Placed for Purpose. Or, you could check out the link in the show notes today at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>Again, you can become a monthly partner and have your gift matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000 by giving today at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>We talked a lot about neighboring today, and a lot of people like me, for example, love the practicalities of figuring out how to do that. What are some practical ways to impact your community, redefine neighboring, and embrace what Jesus communicated in the Beatitudes right there in your neighborhood? Well tomorrow, Chris and Elizabeth McKinney are back with the Wilsons to talk about just that. We hope you'll join us.<\/p>\n<p>On behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Shelby Abbott. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Helping you pursue the relationships that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs?<\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2024 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>www.FamilyLife<\/p>\n"],"_g_feedback_shortcode_805e2597ad8d3b9a8909e866bec09cca9fa47ddd":["\n\t\t\t\t[contact-field label=\"Name\" type=\"name\"  required=\"true\" \/]\n\t\t\t\t[contact-field label=\"Email\" type=\"email\" required=\"true\" \/]\n\t\t\t\t[contact-field label=\"Website\" type=\"url\" \/]\n\t\t\t\t[contact-field label=\"Message\" type=\"textarea\" \/]"],"_g_feedback_shortcode_atts_805e2597ad8d3b9a8909e866bec09cca9fa47ddd":["a:17:{s:2:\"to\";s:29:\"margaret.coyle@familylife.com\";s:7:\"subject\";s:96:\"[FamilyLife - A Cru Ministry] Why and How to Reach Your Neighborhood: Chris & Elizabeth McKinney\";s:12:\"show_subject\";s:2:\"no\";s:6:\"widget\";i:0;s:14:\"block_template\";N;s:19:\"block_template_part\";N;s:2:\"id\";i:280451;s:18:\"submit_button_text\";s:6:\"Submit\";s:14:\"customThankyou\";s:0:\"\";s:21:\"customThankyouHeading\";s:26:\"Your message has been sent\";s:21:\"customThankyouMessage\";s:30:\"Thank you for your submission!\";s:22:\"customThankyouRedirect\";s:0:\"\";s:10:\"jetpackCRM\";b:1;s:9:\"className\";N;s:9:\"postToUrl\";N;s:14:\"salesforceData\";N;s:12:\"hiddenFields\";N;}"]},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg",1024,1024,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Margaret Coyle","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/margaret-coyle-a9eb952f\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Imagine a neighborhood where everyone&#8217;s connected, solving problems together, and showing kindness breaks downRead More &raquo;","meta_box":{"show_notes":"<ul>\n<li>Connect with Chris &amp; Elizabeth McKinney and catch more of their thoughts at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.placedforapurpose.com\/\">placedforapurpose.com<\/a>, and on Instagram <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mcwifey\">@mcwifey<\/a> or X <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/crmckinney\">@crmckinney<\/a><\/li>\n<li>And grab Chris &amp; Elizabeth McKinney\u2019s book, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product\/neighborhoods-reimagined-how-the-beatitudes-inspire-our-call-to-be-good-neighbors\/\">Neighborhoods Reimagined<\/a> in our shop.<\/li>\n<li>Intrigued by today\u2019s episode? Think deeper about Loving your Neighbors by listening to<a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/being-like-jesus\/\"> Being Like Jesus<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Want to hear more episodes by Chris &amp; Elizabeth McKinney, listen <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/guest\/chris-and-elizabeth-mckinney\/\">here<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/may-2024\/?cru_source=D0002405RB&amp;cru_medium=RadioBanner&amp;cru_premium=PRE21802&amp;cru_campaign=May2024&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=radiobanner&amp;utm_campaign=may2024\">Double your gift<\/a> this month when you give to FamilyLife!<\/li>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2024-05-06.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>FamilyLife Today\u00ae National Radio Version (time edited) Transcript<\/p>\n<p>References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete.<\/p>\n<p>Why and How to Reach Your Neighborhood: Chris &amp;amp; Elizabeth McKinney<\/p>\n<p>Guests:Chris and Elizabeth McKinney<\/p>\n<p>From the series:Neighborhoods Reimagined (Day 1 of 2)<\/p>\n<p>Air date:May 6, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Sometimes people come to neighboring with this guilt-based mentality. They're [thinking], \u201cMan, I should stop making excuses and get to know my neighbors.\u201d It's okay to make excuses. Actually, that's exactly what we need. We need an excuse, and holidays, a lot of times, are that excuse.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and your hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson. You can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This is FamilyLife Today!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I was going to sing a song right now, [Laughter] but I have no voice, because I have a cold. But the song is very familiar\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014okay.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014and you finish it.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh, I don't know. Do I know it?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: [singing] \u201cLike a good neighbor\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: [singing] \u201cState Farm is there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: See, you can sing. [Laughter] I'll play it\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014no! [Laughing]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014you sing it.<\/p>\n<p>Well, when I thought of this book, Neighborhoods Reimagined, [I thought of] good neighbors. We\u2019ve got Chris and Elizabeth McKinney with us.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And you're back with us because you've been with us before.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, a few years ago we were with you guys talking about our first neighboring book, Placed for a Purpose. That was kind of everything we wished we would have known when we started neighboring. This is a book on helping you continue to neighbor and continue to put yourself out there in your neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cNeighboring.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Neighboring.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: You're \u201cneighboring.\u201d What does that mean?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Our hope is to show and share the love of Jesus to our next-door neighbors: people with whom we share proximity. We can think about loving our neighbor in a general sense and keep it in the abstract. Neighboring\u2014the practice of loving the people who live right around you\u2014takes loving your neighbor out of the abstract and puts it right into practice with the people who live right around us.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s so convicting. [Laughter] I'm just going to say that I am bad at this. It feels like in Michigan, too\u2014if you're in a cold climate\u2014the garage door goes up; the garage door goes down, and we don't see our neighbors until the spring.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: For months and months.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: And all the kids have grown. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: But when the kids were little, that was\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014easier. So, it's good to talk about this because, biblically-speaking, this is important.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Jesus talked about it.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, I think when Jesus says, \u201clove your neighbor as yourself,\u201d it can obviously mean more than your next-door neighbor; but I don't think it can ever mean less. If we're going to say, \u201cI want to love my neighbor,\u201d our next-door neighbors have to be included in that sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Isn't this convicting? [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, it is.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: If you want to make it even more convicting, [Laughter] now we're going to start talking about the Beatitudes. Chris brought up, initially, that he wanted to write a book on the Beatitudes, and I told him he was crazy. I was [thinking], \u201cWe can't write a book on the Beatitudes. This reads like a foreign language. I don't want to be poor, or [Laughter] persecuted\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014\u201cor meek.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014\u201cor meek.\u201d These are words I'd rather avoid than write a book about [them].<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Most people in the world would like to avoid those words.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: So, why the Beautitudes?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, I had an uphill battle convincing her [Laughter] that we should write a book on the Beatitudes and neighboring. But a few years ago, I was spending time in the Book of Matthew and was just really, again, drawn to the Sermon on the Mount. I found myself just skimming over those first eight statements of Jesus: \u201cBlessed if you're poor in spirit.\u201d \u201cOkay, God's going to bless me if I'm mourning?\u201d I was [thinking], \u201cI need to figure out what's going on here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Through a couple of resources, one being Dr. Jonathan Pennington's book, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, I began to realize that \u201cblessed\u201d statement\u2014we're not being poor in spirit; we're not depending on God to be blessed. We have all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. This is more of an invitation of Jesus into a life of flourishing.<\/p>\n<p>We are invited to live this way, and Jesus promises that it will bring flourishing to our lives and also to the lives of others around us. But what's hard is that these are so upside down,\u2014Ann: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014so different than what the world would say will bring flourishing. Being dependent, mourning, being meek\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014maybe we should read it, just to hit those\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Absolutely!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Let\u2019s do that!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, and even before we get there, I'd love to ask you: are you guys\u2014have you always been good neighbors? [Laughter] Is this part of your \u201cM.O.?\u201d Because we just said, \u201cWe're not very good.\u201d We have a cul-de-sac, not a whole street.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I'm telling you: Ann underestimates. She's a great neighbor.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: She's great!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: [Laughter] I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Oh, every time I look out, she's talking to Pam. Every time I get the snow blower out, she [says], \u201cGo do theirs, and go do theirs.\u201d [Laughter] Every time, because that's what her mom and dad did. So, I think she's better than I am, but I would say, I'm not naturally, really a good neighbor.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Are you guys?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Well, I would say we came to neighboring in a place of need. We were in one of the most stressful seasons of our lives. We had four young kids (we had four kids in five years). So, I was pulling my hair out.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: I was just trying to string a sentence together. [Laughter] I mean, I was! So, it was the needing the proverbial \u201ccup of sugar,\u201d but it was more than that. It was: if I'm going to have any sense of community; if I have to drive across town to get that, it's not going to happen, because I might as well be going overseas. The kids are\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014going to have to get\u2014 It's nap time by the time I get there. I needed people right around me, and we kind of had this sense that our neighbors: \u201cWell, why not the neighbors? Why not these people?\u201d We had a real heart for connecting with people from different worldviews and the unchurched. At that point in our lives, we were connecting with a lot of college students, so, our neighbors\u2014to have relationships with people that were more peers in the same life-stage was really enriching.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So, did you guys walk across the yard? How did this start?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, we\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014it started with a fish fry.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes, we got to know a couple of the neighbors right next to us. Bingo was seven feet tall; he played basketball at the University of Missouri there where we live, in Columbia, MO.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: His name is Bingo?Chris: Bingo Bingenheimer, [Laughter] and he lved to fry things. So, he brought his fryer down to our driveway, and we're wannabe foodies, so we did a fish fry; we made all these sauces, and that was kind of fun. And then we did an Easter egg hunt\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave:\u2014and some more people came?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Small beginnings\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014small beginnings\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014\"Do not despise the day of small beginnings.\u201d [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: That's right. Yes. And the Easter egg hunt: eight kids were there; four of them were ours, [Laughter] But it was at that Easter egg hunt, we met Nathan and Kathy. They went to a different church, and they were [asking], \u201cWell, what's next?\u201d And we're [saying], \u201cWe haven't thought past the Easter egg hunt. We're not trying to\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014\"We're just trying to make friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014Yes. \u201cWe're not trying to start something here.\u201d And they said, \u201cLet's do a bigger street party or block party.\u201d On the outside, we're [saying], \u201cSure, let's do it.\u201d But on the inside, I was [thinking], \u201cDo you see the neighborhood we live in? Everyone is independent. It's super isolated.\u201d No one even trick or treated in our neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: What?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: The first time we came out for Halloween, \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014for years!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014it was a ghost town; no one was there.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Pun intended.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Pun intended. [Laughter] But we did it, and we got the word out, and there were 75 adults and kids that came to that first little block party. That's when we began to realize: \u201cOh, okay. On the outside, everyone is acting like they're fine: \u2018I just want to pull into my garage.\u2019 But on the inside, they want to be connected. They want to be connected to a larger community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We need these excuses, because it's awkward to get to know our neighbors. So, we just started going after that, and the relationships and spiritual conversations that we [have gotten] to have over the last 12 or 13 years have just been incredible.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: What does that say about the human heart, that you just identified? We act like we want to be isolated.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: COVID isolated us\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014oh, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014in some ways. Do you think that's a part of it? Because you're finding out,\u2014Ann: \u2014people are\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014\u201cWe don't really want to be isolated.\u201d Church people, non church people; it doesn't matter. They are looking for community. Is that what you're finding?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: We don't like to be needy, and the very first beatitude is: \u201cBlessed are the poor in spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You call them \u201cSpiritual Zeros.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: [Laughter] Yes, that's right! Spirit\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014I'm not\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014we don\u2019t want to be zeros.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014You don't call hem \u201cSpiritual Zeros,\u201d \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014it\u2019s a chapter title.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014but that's your chapter title, which got me interested. I'm [wondering], \u201cWhat's a \u2018Spiritual Zero?\u2019 l don't want to be that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Right?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: But we are.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: We want to act like we're fine. We don't want to be dependent or interdependent. Yet, that's how we've been designed. We've been designed to be dependent on the Father and each other.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew 5:1 says, \u201cSeeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain. And when He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them saying, \u2018Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness\u2019 sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then, I was going to circle back to this earlier, but just after these verses (we left off in verse 11), in verse 13 is the familiar and beloved \u201csalt and light\u201d passage\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014right.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014that says: \u201cYou're the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its taste, how shall saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, Chris was saying he had an uphill battle convincing me to write a book [Laughter] on the Beatitudes, because I thought, \u201cWe\u2019re going to be out over our skis trying to write a book about something we can't understand, let alone apply.\u201d But it was reading this section on being salt and light. I thought, \u201cI want to be salt and light. I want my neighbors to see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven. Maybe I need to back up and see what some of these postures and invitations are and try to understand them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I don't know what it was, but it was years ago\u2014decades ago: Matthew 5:14, \u201cA city set on a hill cannot be hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I studied it in the Greek because I'm a Greek scholar, that's what I am.\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: No.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: You are, Hon.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: No, I was preaching on it, I think. So, I'm studying the passage and the words \u201cset on a hill\u201d literally mean \u201cstrategically placed on a hill.\u201d Even when I've preached this many times over the years, because when we do our vertical marriage weekends, we talk about this, people look at me like, \u201cSo, what's the big deal? \u2018Set on a hill; strategically placed\u2019.\u201d That actual meaning changes everything\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014that\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014because it means that where you live, in a sense, God has strategically placed you; us in a cul-de-sac. You where\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014in the Uber [driver] I'm with. It's a different perspective. It lifts your eyes to go\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014and again, I'm not saying we don't make decisions every day. It isn't like God is literally got a little thing and pointing us around. But in a sense, it sort of is. It's like [God is saying], \u201cI didn't just put you in this job or in this neighborhood or on this campus. I'm literally strategically placing you for what? To shine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris and Elizabeth: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So, that's what you're saying, right? As you look at that, it's like, \u201cOh, my goodness. Where we live is not just random.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: God wants to us to be salt and light.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, we say: \u201cYour address is not an accident, and neither are your neighbors.\u201d I think, if you believe that, and you walk out your front door, knowing that God was working behind the scenes to place your neighbors there and place you where you are, then that changes everything. That means something's going on, and He's at work. He wants to use you in your neighbors\u2019 lives, and He wants to use your neighbors in your life too.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, I like that. It's both ways.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: It\u2019s both ways.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That's right.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: We're not just doing it because they're our project.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Exactly.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That\u2019s exactly right.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: We want to become friends with our neighbor, because we all need that.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I like that.<\/p>\n<p>Well, take us back to being Spiritual Zeroes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, you write: \u201cThe false Beatitude is: \u2018Blessed are the self-assured. They will retire early with spiritual independence\u2019.\u201d [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: We're talking about retirement, and we're in Orlando. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Right.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: [Laughter] It's a good place to do it.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: For a lot of people, that\u2019s their goal in life. So, what did you discover?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: None of us want to be poor. We want to be self-confident; we want to be independent, self-assured. What Jesus is calling us to, right off the bat, is complete and utter dependence on Him for everything.<\/p>\n<p>You see Jesus model this in John through what we call \u201cthe nothing verses.\u201d Jesus says, [paraphrase of John 8:28-29] \u201cI don't do anything on My own. I don't speak My own words. I came to accomplish the Father's will.\u201d We don't want to be spiritually independent. We think maybe that's the goal, like the more mature we get, the more we can handle things on our own. But Jesus is saying, [paraphrase] \u201cNo, no, no. I want people who are growing in their dependence on Me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you think about trying to get to know your neighbors; trying to breakthrough that awkwardness in the cultural story that says, \u201cTo be a good neighbor means to leave your next-door neighbor alone;\u201d if you're not dependent on God, [saying], \u201cLord, help! I've been living next door to this neighbor for three years. I've never introduced myself. This is scary.\u201d We can not do that out of our own strength.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Tell this story about, \u201cLord, help!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes. We had a friend who was a nanny, and they told her that when their daughter is struggling with something\u2014like taking the square peg and trying to put it in the round hole\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014those little shape sorters.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014those little shape sorters; to not jump in and help immediately, but wait until she asks for help, because we want her to know that it's okay to ask for help and receive it.<\/p>\n<p>As we think about this first Beatitude, a little prayer that we say just to try to embrace this attitude of dependence is, \u201cLord help!\u201d So, as I'm walking over to a neighbor who maybe is hard to get along with: \u201cLord, help!\u201d Immediately, I'm saying, \u201cLord, I need You. I need You to work. I can't do anything without You. Without You showing up, nothing is going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead of saying, \u201cOh, I've got it all together, as long as I'm eloquent enough, and I'm slick enough, and I have the right invitation to church, they're going to come with me.\u201d That's not what Jesus is calling us to there.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, it's interesting to think\u2014I remember in seminary, we were studying the \u201cWoman at the Well\u201d passage.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And one of the applications our professor made was, if you want to get to know your neighbors, ask them for something.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Oh yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Ask to borrow something.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Ask for help.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And I was [thinking] the opposite: \u201cNo, no, no. You don't want to. You want them to ask you for something.\u201d He's [saying], \u201cJesus started that conversation by saying he wanted a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That\u2019s exactly right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So, I remember\u2014this is decades ago\u2014I was [thinking], \u201cOkay, so if I'm doing a project at my house, and I know somebody in the neighborhood who has a tool I need, it's going to start a relationship just to go over and say, \u2018Hey, could I borrow your saw?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Oh, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: You have\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014the next thing I know\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014always done that.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014I've done that everywhere we've gone.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I do it now in Orlando. The guy behind us named Tom\u2014dude, this guy saved our life! [Laughter] You can tell when you ask him for something, he's excited to be needed.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That's right.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Of course!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Did he really save your life?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Well, we needed the pool heated,\u2014 [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014and the heater broke, and the grandkids were coming (tomorrow).<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: So, in a sense, yes!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: So, yes!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: He saved your life. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Big time.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And he's like, \u201cIt's a capacitor. I guarantee it. I'm not an AC guy, but here, I have an extra one in my garage at all times. Boom!\u201d And every time I call him, he's got the tool.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: And not even just tools, but just advice\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014right.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014and for help, right?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Expertise.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Expertise. We have friends who are therapists,\u2014Elizabeth: \u2014our neighbors\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014and we don't share the same overall worldview, but some of their thoughts on things that we're going through have been really helpful. It's just such a fun connect point to be like, \u201cCould you give us some advice here? Free counseling\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014right?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014\"out by the mailbox?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That's awesome.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Then, what happens when they're standing there? Because when Tom comes over, or Bingo\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014Bingo!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014you\u2019re right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014something sort of starts happening, right? Because you don't just stand there and do your job. You end up saying, as Tom said to me: \u201cSo, what do you guys do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: [Neighbor:] \u201cYou're from Michigan. Now you\u2019re in Orlando.\u201d [Dave:] \u201cThis is what we do.\u201d [Neighbor:] \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: That's when the relationship goes from being an acquaintance to a friend; a neighbor, and then, hopefully eventually, they'd become your brother or sister in Christ someday. But, you can't just jump into those kinds of weighty conversations. They come through relationships of mutual benefit, where we're receiving, and that shifts the power dynamics from us coming in as the Christian who's always the giver and never the receiver.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: And people sniff that out, like you said.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Totally.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: You were saying earlier, Ann, that we don't want people to be projects, and we don't want to be projects.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: No.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: It's in those natural conversations where you can self-identify as a Christian. You don't have to fly under the radar. You can start sharing, \u201cYes, this is my job,\u201d or, \u201cOur kids just did Vacation Bible School, and it was a lot of fun.\u201d And see, \u201cHey, do they want to know more?\u201d If they do, you can continue on; or if they don't, then you know, \u201cOkay. That's where they're at. That's okay, right? I'll bring up something another time.\u201d But it's in those natural conversations when you can do those things.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Do you utilize holidays, like you said: Halloween, Easter, Christmas? Do you do things with those? Because there are some people who think, \u201cOh, I'm not going to do anything with Halloween. It's evil. It's a bad, bad holiday.\u201d And there are others [thinking], \u201cWhat an opportunity! You\u2019ve got your whole neighborhood coming to your front door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Talk about that a little bit.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Sometimes people come to neighboring with this guilt-based mentality. They're like, \u201cMan. I should stop making excuses and get to know my neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This is Dave and I\u2014[Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014because we have a new neighbor on our cul-de-sac, and we haven't been home very much,\u2014Elizabeth: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014but we feel that guilt: \u201cOh, I'm failing!\u201d [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u201cUgh!\u201d And we say, \u201cIt's okay to make excuses.\u201d Actually, that's exactly what we need. We need an excuse, and holidays, a lot of times, are that excuse. We like to do the Easter egg hunts, and I will say\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014you do them right at your house?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: Well, we used to. It outgrew\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014too many now.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014outgrew us.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: That\u2019s great!<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: We had to shift to the school. But yes, it used to be in our backyard, and those were really fun days. But you [Chris] do hot sauce nights.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes. [Laughter] Hot wings.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: No way, like super hot sauce?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes. So, if you\u2019ve ever seen\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014you're trying to be a good neighbor? [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes, yes. There's a YouTube show called\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014Hot Ones, where the hosts\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes!<\/p>\n<p>Chris: So, I purchased the sauces, and I have a big turkey fryer. (Bingo discipled me well.) [Laughter] I'll fry 150 wings, because it's ten per guy; and we'll meet\u201415 guys. We'll put ten wings into the thing. You sauce them, and then you hand them out to each guy, and then we'll all try them together. I'll do tasting notes, and then we'll all go from one, all the way up to ten. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>It's been awesome! One of the best neighboring events for just the guys that\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014if I\u2019m there,\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014I've ever done.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014can I say I'm not going past five?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Okay. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: It's not high pressure, but every\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014it\u2019s a torture kind of thing.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014but everybody ends up going all the way, and I'm not pressuring. I'm like, \u201cYou can stop whenever you want.\u201d But it's a source of camaraderie, and we're in it together; we're marching up the hill together.<\/p>\n<p>So, yes, we make use of all those opportunities. Halloween, like we said when we first came out of our front door, no one was trick or treating. Eventually, we were [thinking], \u201cThis is not right.\u201d Once we had some momentum with some of the neighboring stuff, we were [thinking], \u201cWe need to change this, because what an incredible opportunity to get to know your neighbors to have neighbors work together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To pull it off, we do little hot dog stations or hot chocolate stations,\u2014Ann: \u2014that\u2019s so cool.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014and we encourage everybody to sit outside by a fire pit to hand out candy, and it's one of our favorite nights of the whole year in our neighborhood. Literally, the neighborhood comes alive.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: How has this impacted your kids? Because you have four daughters, and they're from middle school down to elementary, so you've been probably doing it since they were little.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: What's that been like for them?<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: We were in the campus ministry, and we loved having college kids in our home, and the girls loved being around the college kids. But when we switched to neighboring, it opened up a way for them to see mission in a whole new way, because it wasn't something far off. We love mission trips, but at the same time, if we only think [of] missions as something far off that we have to travel overseas to do, we kind of disconnect from the people who are right around us, and the opportunities that are there.<\/p>\n<p>So, with our kids, they've been involved from Day One, because they've been praying for neighbors to come to know the Lord. They have to learn when to take a risk, or when to pull back, and [they] have seen friends start to come to church.<\/p>\n<p>We recently read a book called The Great De-Churching, and one of the things we learned in that book, is that there are those who dechurch casually, and then there are those who are dechurching casualties. The number one reason why people are dechurching is because they've moved. They're just casually dechurching thinking, \u201cWe'll come back,\u201d but then they don't. The take-away for us from that book was, \u201cJust invite, especially if it's a new neighbor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: So, our kids have been asking their neighbors to come to church and have started to see some neighbors come with them. That's formative\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: \u2014for them: to get to see God use them in these little 4th graders' lives.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s sweet.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth: And then the parents come.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, and as I hear you say that, I know this because we have older kids: they're going to do this.<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: When they're adults, they've grown up in a home that does this. You know this, but you're giving them a vision for how everybody's supposed to live.<\/p>\n<p>Chris and Elizabeth: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Ann and I always say, \u201cMake a dent where you're sent, and where you\u2019re sent is where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chris: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dvae: You guys are living out what God called us to do.<\/p>\n<p>We want to help you shine right where you live, because God wants you to make a dent where you\u2019re sent. So, guess what we're going to do? We're going to give the Mckinneys\u2019 book to you for free, but not really, because we'd like you to give a monthly donation. Become a monthly partner, and your donation will be doubled for the year, which is awesome! But we're going to send you this book as our gift back to you for giving a gift to us. This will help you do what we're talking about: make a dent where you're sent.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: I'm Shelby Abbott. You've been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with Chris and Elizabeth McKinney on FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>Well, as Dave and Ann were saying, this is going to be our gift to you when you give monthly. So, how do you do that? You just simply go online to FamilyLifeToday.com, and then you can click on the \u201cDonate Now\u201d button at the top of the page. Or you can give us a call at 800-358-6329; again, that number is 800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you wanted to hear more from the McKinneys, they actually have a podcast called Placed for Purpose: Helping You Love Your Neighbors Well and Engage in Your Neighborhood. You can find that podcast anywhere you get your podcasts. Again, it's called Placed for Purpose. Or, you could check out the link in the show notes today at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>Again, you can become a monthly partner and have your gift matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000 by giving today at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>We talked a lot about neighboring today, and a lot of people like me, for example, love the practicalities of figuring out how to do that. What are some practical ways to impact your community, redefine neighboring, and embrace what Jesus communicated in the Beatitudes right there in your neighborhood? Well tomorrow, Chris and Elizabeth McKinney are back with the Wilsons to talk about just that. We hope you'll join us.<\/p>\n<p>On behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Shelby Abbott. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Helping you pursue the relationships that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs?<\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2024 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>www.FamilyLife<\/p>\n","theme_header_position":"Sticky","post_header_is_sticky":"default","is_header_overlay":"0"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/280451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280451"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280451"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=280451"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=280451"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=280451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}