Drugs and a smile…

"I started going to TFH when I was 16, on drugs and a real mess... The smile I received walking into my very first TFH service is still that same smile I receive today. This is a big church with a lot of love. Jesus is in the building! If you are hopeless and need healing, come to The Father's House where I found hope, healing and a purpose..."

Guys, this all started with a smile... This girl, now a woman, says she is healed. Do you think that healing would have happened here had we not had smiling faces there to welcome her in?

Of course we could never turn her away but the impact of our Guest Services team was lasting. It doesn't matter whether she was on drugs, like she said, or not. Serving like Jesus means we need to be there for her. That smile is what brought her in and kept bringing her back. Something so simple. Keep bringing people in over and over again, that starts with your smile!

What is your first instinct when you see someone that might be using drugs? If that instinct is to shut them out, that is normal. To clarify, it does not make you bad to have that thought. That is survival mode kicking in. The key here is to lean into loving like Jesus. Knowing that he would want you to love on people the way that he does and did (of course, be wise if you have had history with substance abuse or feel it is a dangerous situation).

So, come along with me and get more comfortable smiling, welcoming and loving on people that are in the thick of it. Come in to service prayed up. When you meet someone that is down and out, before they make it to you, pray for them with your eyes open and smile on your face. Then when they get close enough to you welcome them to the church and bring them in. Love on people in a big way.