Meeting the New Kid: Welcoming Others the Way Jesus Welcomes You

Hey, Carpool Crew. I'm Pastor Justin. In this episode, we're talking all about meeting the new kid, and we've all been there. Now, let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember for the ride. Welcoming a new kid is doing something Jesus does for you every day. Now, listen to this from Hebrews chapter 13 verse 2. "Don't neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it." Hospitality is just a fancy word for welcoming, opening up, saying hey, and making people feel like they belong there. The writer of Hebrews is telling Christians, that's us, if you're in the Carpool Crew and you say, "I believe in Jesus, I follow Jesus," He's talking to you. And He's letting us know not to skip on hospitality. Don't walk past the kid that no one knows. Be the one who notices. And then the writer goes even further and throws this wild line. When you welcome someone, you might be welcoming an angel and not even know it. Now, that's a really wild thought. The new kid in your neighborhood this summer is more than likely not an angel. But if Jesus were sitting next to you, He'd probably say, "Watch for that new kid this summer," the one at the pool, the one hanging out in the street riding his bike, the one who just moved. Because when you're kind and welcoming to that new kid, it's like you're being kind and welcoming to me. Now it's summer. A lot of families move around in June. It's the end of the school year. So kids might show up at camp that you've never seen before, show up at your church, and they're new. There might just be new faces in the neighborhood for the first time. The new kid is everywhere right now, and being the new kid is cool. I've been the new kid. I love it. And guess what? They're looking around, seeing, "Well, where do I belong? Who are gonna be my friends? Who am I gonna hang out with?" Now, the easy move is to stay with your usual people, the people you know, the people you hang out with. Maybe pretend that you didn't see anyone new, and you tell yourself that someone else is gonna handle it. And I get it. It's comfortable. It's easy. But that's not what you should be doing. See, Hebrews 13:2 says move. Like, look up. Make eye contact and just say four words, "Hey, come hang out." And hey, this week, try one of these ideas. First, when you see a new kid at the pool or in the street riding his or her bike, smile, wave. That alone tells them, "I see you. You're not invisible." Second, shout out those four key words. This is so easy. "Hey, wanna hang out?" It's so simple. It's so easy. There's no big speech. Now, and remember the most important move of all, when you see the new kid and you wanna hang out, go talk to mom or dad. Let them know, "Hey, there's a new kid. I wanna go say hi. I wanna introduce him. I want to invite him in. Can we go hang out and meet their family together? They're new in town." That is awesome. You gotta let your parents know what you're doing. Make sure you do not forget that. Very important. Remember, Carpool Crew, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you're liking this podcast, consider going to carpoolingwithjesus.com and click For Parents. At the bottom, there's a bunch of links. You can send this to friends that you know on Facebook or LinkedIn. You can also send it in a text message or put it up on Pinterest. We wanna make it really easy for you to share Carpooling with Jesus with people that you know. Now before you go, let's answer this question together. When you notice a new kid, what are a couple things you could do to welcome them? I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.