25-1022wc - Detailed Summary

The session is part of Del Tackett’s Engagement Project, specifically Tour 5, Part 2, titled "The Royal Vision, Engaging with Grace." This transformative series aims to equip Christians for meaningful cultural and relational engagement based on biblical truth. Tour 5 emphasizes loving neighbors as an extension of God’s kingdom work.

In recapping Part 1, "Catching the Vision to Engage with Grace," the focus is on engaging neighbors with grace as a fundamental way to love them. Del Tackett highlights that God entrusts primary kingdom work not to celebrities or leaders, but to ordinary people like us.

Tackett uses the story of Ananias, an ordinary believer in Damascus, whom God chose to restore Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul, to show that divine assignments occur in everyday settings. Referencing Acts 17:23-28, he explains that God strategically places individuals, including us and our neighbors, for purposeful encounters. We live in specific locations because of the people there, like a hypothetical Mrs. Smith, calling for intentionality.

The vision statement is: "We will build real relationships with those providentially in our Jerusalem, those close to us, through prayer and action, with grace and wisdom and truth, being attractively winsome, tearing down walls, building up trust, doing the work of the kingdom." Jesus modeled this by investing deeply in his 12 disciples, especially the inner three—Peter, James, and John—demonstrating that meaningful relationships require depth, not shallowness.

Deep relationships involve friendship, ongoing communication, shared meals (noting the importance of breaking bread), collaborative projects, sacrifice, and trust. Cultivating them is like a farmer working virgin land: cutting trees, removing rocks, plowing, tilling, fertilizing, weeding, and more. This requires effort and sacrifice.

Tackett criticizes "drive-by Christianity," superficial interactions that bear no fruit, noting that for many neighbors, their only real encounter with a Christian might be us. This recap prepares for Part 2’s practical guidance, shifting from theory to action. Part 2 addresses how to implement this, continuing the farming metaphor with real-life stories and scriptural anchors.

A key example is Joy’s testimony: in a neighborhood with apartment complexes, Joy and her team prayed for 52 weeks over a year for their community.

This persistent prayer led to unexpected opportunities; they offered women’s Bible studies but were invited to lead after-school programs and skill sessions for men and women. Joy credits prayer for these doors, stressing wisdom to neither rush ahead nor lag behind God. The story shows sustained intercession’s power, envisioning children praying for neighbors and seeing God’s reality.

Tackett outlines steps: pray for opportunities, learn names, plan kind deeds, practice hospitality, and foster fun. Hospitality includes opening homes for meals, movie nights, game nights, or gatherings to build bonds with grace, wisdom, and truth, reflecting kingdom values.

Three key scriptures recur: Colossians 4:5-6 urges wise conduct toward outsiders, gracious speech seasoned with salt, tailored responses. 1 Peter 3:15 calls for sanctifying Christ in hearts, ready to defend hope with gentleness and reverence—apologetics with humility. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 advises against quarrelsomeness, promoting kindness, teaching, patience, gentle correction, relying on God for repentance and escape from the devil’s snare.

These emphasize grace: defending gently, instructing opponents kindly. Engagement focuses on relational warmth for truth encounters, not arguments. Attractively winsome qualities come from Galatians 5:22-23’s fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—not just personal, but to equip for others, fulfilling James 2:8’s royal law of loving neighbors. This outward reorientation brings concepts alive.

Personal stories: Tanya overcame fear by delivering breakfast tacos, starting connections. Tackett contrasts cultural doom with the Holy Spirit’s hope, posing: "When was the last time someone asked you for the reason for the hope that is in you?" from 1 Peter 3:15.

In a pessimistic world, radiant hope sparks curiosity. To tear down walls and build trust, Phil’s story with a crusty neighbor, inspired by C.S. Lewis to pretend love until genuine, led to deep friendship, showing actions transform barriers.

Part 2 ends with a woman’s story facing hostile "dagger eyes" from a neighbor; persistent prayer softened hearts for reconciliation. Tackett assures God answers such prayers, empowering the royal vision. In summary, Tour 5 Part 2 turns vision into practice via prayer, hospitality, scriptures, fruit of the Spirit, and hopeful stories, equipping authentic neighbor engagement. It’s relational farming—effortful, sacrificial, fruitful—advancing God’s kingdom in a divided world, one neighbor at a time.