"Beautiful Feet"

Here's the true story of Bill Barnes, a creative Miami, Florida, pastor who resolved to stop staring at the homeless in Dade County and do something about them. Bill Barnes had an idea!

Since other people were giving them sandwiches, he decided to give them shoes or socks. Few sneakers or socks make it to a second life, much less a second-hand store. Dubbing it the "S.O.S." project (for "Shoes or Socks"), he found a donor who funded the purchase of new socks and another who gave free new sneakers to the church in assorted men's, women's and children's sizes. Barnes then contacted a local podiatrist to help out, since one of the biggest health problems of the homeless is their feet. The podiatrist enlisted some already overloaded med students at Barry University in Miami Shores, who agreed to donate some of their free time to assist with foot examinations and medicine.

Now Barnes faced his toughest customers: his own parishioners. He recommended to the church they implement their "S.O.S." homeless program with a foot washing service on Maundy Thursday. Would they commit to washing the feet of as many homeless as they could convince to come? You can imagine the yucks and grunts that followed. But one lay leader stood up and demanded of her brothers and sisters: "The question is, are we humble enough to do it?"

Those church members who weren't humble enough then, soon became humble. Just before the appointed Maundy Thursday service, a homeless woman was electrocuted on Biscayne Boulevard during a rain storm. She had stepped barefooted on a metal drain underneath which was a broken power line. The news reports stated that had she been wearing rubber soled shoes she would not have been killed. Unable to identify the woman, a local coalition of homeless ministries organized an interfaith memorial service. The date selected was Maundy Thursday.

They spread the word through Social Services, bread lines, mission houses, that there would be free medical treatment and sneakers available to all who attended. Many came and received spiritual and physical care that Maundy Thursday. The church conveyed to over 500 homeless, habitually downtrodden and despised (they gave out more than 500 pairs of shoes and many more socks - they only stopped because they ran out of larger men's sizes) that they cared about their bodies and their souls. To those with the most need, they did not hand out pious sops - they handed out sneakers. Instead of prayerful platitudes, they offered podiatry. These Christians attended to their brothers' and sisters' bodily needs as well as to their spiritual longings.

Beautiful Feet Romans 10:5-15

1. Beautiful Feet can become creative Just Like Bill Barnes had an idea

• Paul had an idea about the law Paul believed the Law could not save you 5Moses describes

in this way the righteousness that is by the law

• Paul had an idea about Zeal Paul believed Zeal could not save you. Paul’s fellow Jews are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. The Jews' zeal for God (see Ac 21:20; 22:3; Gal 1:14) was commendable in that God was its object, but it was flawed because it was not based on right

knowledge about God's way of salvation

• Paul had an idea about Jesus 9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in

your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved

2. Beautiful Feet Donate or Offer Their Lives, their Time and their energy, Mayo Angelo said, “All God’s children need walking shoes, Mabe we need working shoes, loving caring shoes

• Remember overloaded med students at Barry University in Miami Shores, donated some of their free time to assist with foot examinations and medicine.

• Consider your Beautiful Feet you offer Parents Night out, Back Pack Ministry, women willing to go to the depo to work, Children’s Choir, outreach committee, VBS’s, these ideas grow ministry, Make Chow chow, Make apple butter, Do Bazaar,

3. Beautiful feet “Are Humble Enough to Do It” The Maundy Thursday Foot Washing services the guy aske are we humble enough to do it?”

• Paul asks the redeemed are we humble enough to accept all people E 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all

• Paul asks are we humble enough to share, to hear, to go, to put on good news gospel shoes . “How can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"G Note put on Good News Gospel Shoes and start walkin, walkin. Do you have a good church? What do you say about your church? Remember Good News Gospel Shoes