Field guide · Terrain · “You prepare a table before me… my cup overflows”
Us with Godand Neighbors
Forecast: garage doors up and down all day, with a slight chance of real conversation.
Four tired ways to walk
Each has some truth in it. None of them is the whole story.
Under GodSheep that hide from the Shepherd
I should invite the neighbors to church so God knows I’m doing my part.
Over GodSheep that know the way
Good fences make good neighbors. I wave, I mow my lawn, and that’s enough.
From GodSheep that follow the grass
I like the neighbors who make my life easier, especially the one with the snowblower.
For GodSheep trying to be the sheepdog
Every neighbor is a project, and I have a seven-step plan to reach them.
The table he prepares has room for the people next door.
When a lawyer asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus told the story of a Samaritan who stopped (Luke 10:29–37). Paul tells us to “practice hospitality” (Rom 12:13), and Hebrews says some have welcomed angels without knowing it (Heb 13:2). We don’t have to fix our neighbors or recruit them. We can notice them, share a meal, and trust Jesus to be present in the ordinary.
Where the Shepherd isHe moved into the neighborhood himself. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
Learn one neighbor’s name this week, or use the one you know and ask how they’re really doing.
Jesus, who on my street have you already been loving that I haven’t noticed?
Fellow travelers
People in Scripture who walked this ground before us.
- The Samaritan crossed the road, bandaged a stranger, and paid for his care (Luke 10:33–35).
- Abraham saw three strangers near his tent and hurried to make them a meal, and the Lord was among his guests (Gen 18:1–8).
Keep walking
- With God: Sheep that know his voicethe posture every entry points to
- Which Way Are You Walking?a short self-check
- The Field Guideevery entry, by terrain, weather and crossing