Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 1 John 4: 7-21

Highlight Verse:

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A seasonal business has opened back up in our area called the “Haunted Field of Screams” (part of Maize in the City). It exemplifies this month.

I don’t hate October since 2 of my daughters were born in October (as well as several other family members).

I like the fall colors and harvest flavors.

But I don’t like that so many emphasize fear and evil this month.

It’s all rooted in All Saints Eve, otherwise know as Halloween.

The traditions of Halloween go back to the pagan practice of appeasing the spirits of the dead with offerings to keep them from haunting. That morphed into the practice of giving candy to kids (to keep them from haunting us?)

That’s an oversimplification but still true.

I can understand why many believers choose to avoid anything that has to do with Halloween.

I’ve been known to turn off the lights and watch movies in the basement on October 31 myself.

Nowadays, we decorate our home with fall decorations and hand out full-size candy bars to the kids of our neighborhood.

Does that make me a hypocrite?

I don’t think so.

This is the one day a year when nearly all the kids in the neighborhood come to our door.

I just can’t pass up the opportunity to get the Gospel to them.

Taped to those candy bars will be a note with a QR Code. The code will lead to a webpage with a story about a scary moment in my life with a Gospel message tied to it.

It’s not a preachy story; just one kid relating how God has helped him overcome fear, inviting them to learn about God while sharing God’s love through candy.

I invite you to join me. Stock up on those big candy bars (Costco has them for less than a dollar each right now) and attach a message of hope to them.

You are welcome to use my QR Code (which will be posted on the downloads page at http://www.WITLBible.com in a few days) and story or write your own. There are also many tracts available to hand out (though people tend to react more positively to websites).

Instead of reflecting the evil aspects of Halloween or hiding from the whole thing,

I challenge you to take advantage of the holiday to shine the light of Jesus in your neighborhood.

What other ways have you turned the dark holiday of Halloween into an opportunity to spread the Gospel?What do you do to be sure that people know that you do not support the evil aspects of Halloween?