As Christians, we are supposed to help people, but how to best help them is a big conundrum. Often our impulses tell us to just give them some cash or food, but is that really the best answer? Maybe in the short term, but what most people need almost as much as food, is dignity and purpose. If you are not contributing to society, it becomes hard to see your worth. The state welfare system was not designed to help with that. We need the church to step in and actually listen to people, find out what specifically they need to feel like a whole person again, ready to take on the world.
Every individual has different needs and talents, some need specialized child care for their child. Uncle Sam does not know that a retired pediatric nurse lives down the street from you who would love to take care of someone’s child and knows exactly what to do when their heart monitors alarms. Some need an affordable car, and you or someone at your church know where a cheap, but safe and reliable used car can be found. Some need a counselor or a friend…
As a church, we are better able to supply those needs than the state ever could be.
Edit: If I led anyone to believe that the Gospel is unimportant, that was not my intent. It is, the intent of this article was to show that showing them love while we tell them the Gospel is important too.
Smart Christian.net 
Some people have been saved when others have proven they can act like Christ wants us to act. And Christ clearly wants us to be charitable and good stewards of what we have.
This page isn’t just about Salvation, it is about seeing the entire world the way that God wants us to see it.
Christ didn’t just preach about salvation, he healed, and fed others, he was wise, he was so many other things.
2 Peter 1:5-8
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are not done when we develop faith, there is so much more left to do.
Handing someone money is just flashing your cash, it is not love.
For most of his life Jesus was a carpenter in his earthly father’s carpentry business. Was Jesus being unbiblical when he had a job? When he got dressed in the morning was he being unbiblical. When he gave of his time and his power to help mother’s who lost their sons, was he being unbiblical? If so we are all in trouble. If not how is helping other people do those things unbiblical?
Tell that to the people who are starving to death. I prefer to feed them like Jesus said, and did!
But if you are about to die, and haven’t yet heard the word, I am sure you wouldn’t mind getting a spoonful of food as the person told you about God.
If you die before you hear the entire message you will die in you sins.
I guess you think Jesus was sinning when he fed thousands. Well he wasn’t
I am not slamming the Gospel, I am just saying that the Bible is more than John 3:16, it is an instruction book for life.
I understand the Gospel isn’t about getting rich, but have you ever tried to pay attention to anything when you are so hungry, something in a trash can looked tempting to eat? Do you realize how many people have been saved in soup kitchens? How many people have been saved when they have been helped out of a bind by a Christian who genuinely loved them? If the Bible just said get saved It would have been a mighty short book. It talks about so much more!
No I am saying the Bible wants us to preach the word, and live the word, which means helping people, if they are hungry feed them, If they are thirsty give them something to drink, he wants us to obey our parents, treat others as you want to be treated, heal the sick,,, If we just tell them that God loves them and walk off, they won’t believe that we know a thing about love.
So if I preach while I am feeding them I am Satan? Interesting…..
Then what are you complaining about? You do know that my blog has more than one page, and most are very religious!
We can talk about Christian principles every now and then without being Satan!
You don’t think a hot shower and a meal would make you a better listener? I am not saying don’t preach the Gospel, we are called to do that and more. Jesus did not just preach, he fed thousands of people. If Jesus did it, it isn’t just good, it’s a good idea whenever possible.
Helping people whenever possible is a good thing, that God asked us to do, and I will not apologize for it. My church adopted an orphanage in Mexico. We feed them, educate them, love them, and teach them about the love of Christ. There is nothing wrong with any of that.
Even before Adam got kicked out of the Garden of Eden, where he had direct communication with God, God said that it isn’t good for man to be alone. Helping people makes both the giver and the taker feel less alone.
By the way, this is a page designed for people who are already Christians, they already know the Gospel.