Dear Leader,
As we conclude this series, I want to thank you for venturing into this study. My hope is that we can usher friends and family into a deeper experience of the Grace of God. Please take time to leave a comment or ask a question that I can address in the next post.
In Christ,
PD
Stewards of God’s Grace
OPEN: If you have young kids right now, talk about some experiences you have had about teaching them how to share. What about your own growing up years, in what ways have your parents tried to instill in you the value of sharing and serving one another?
Truth: All of us can be a little selfish. We are born with a selfish desire. One of the biggest challenges of maturity is learning how to live for something beyond ourselves. Something that doesn’t simply satisfy the self.
When you take the time to think about it, a life lived for just you can be a very boring life! In fact, I would say that it’s a wasted life.
I believe that it is possible to go to heaven with a saved soul and a wasted life.
Until you learn to serve for a cause that’s bigger than you, you’ll never find purpose or meaning in life.
- It’s more than serving your family
- More than living for stuff that give you satisfaction or pleasure.
- It is serving that helps you grow beyond your own desires.
- It is serving that puts God’s desires in your heart.
Nothing has the power to break selfishness more than SERVING.
The Bible calls it being a “Steward of God’s Grace”.
We’ve been talking about God’s grace in forgiveness, in generosity, in inclusiveness. We said that God’s grace is the space where He transforms sinners into saints. And that the nature of God’s Grace is lavish or extravagant. As we close our series I’d like to invite you into a story that brings the point of God’s grace home in a deeply profound and practical way.
To many of us this is a familiar story. But I invite you to take a look at this from a totally different perspective. The story is found in John 13.
Try to imagine what was going on in the heart of Jesus considering these factors:
How the disciples were behaving that same night:
What Jesus knew about what was about to happen:
Whose feet would you be willing to wash?
- Someone you love
- Someone you care for
- Someone you want something from
On this night Jesus did this because he wanted to share with his disciples the most important key to becoming a true follower.
Every follower of Jesus is called to SERVE.
What Jesus was telling them and us is that serving is not something you do, it’s who you are! And you will never find purpose and fulfillment in life until you begin to serve.
We all agree right? But here’s the problem: We have legitimate excuses. We’ve convinced ourselves that while we do agree in principle, making it happen is a different story. We do it “in our way” and in “our own time.”
Excuses we use not to serve: (Discuss the following)
- I’m not QUALIFIED
- I’m too BUSY
- I’m not NEEDED
- It’s BENEATH me
Why I should serve:
To live like Jesus, I need to SERVE like Jesus
Jesus didn’t even bother to take a selfie as he was washing their feet! What we see is the grace of God in action! You will never grow spiritually until you experience serving a cause greater than what satisfies you. Jesus didn’t have to do anything, but He gave His life.
Serving is the best way to experience the POWER of God’s Grace
If you ever want to see God at work in your life, try serving a cause beyond yourself. Beyond something that attracts you. Beyond something that’s comfortable or convenient.
Serving holds a special BLESSING
After Jesus washed the disciple’s feet, and he explained the value of that core truth, he said this:
TAKE AWAY
Can you think of someone in your life who expressed God’s grace by serving you when no one did?
Your greatest contribution in this life is not something you do, but someone you serve.