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When it comes to serving Jesus, there is no one right way to thank Jesus for his gift of salvation. Yet sometimes we get the idea that our service is not very important. Nothing could be further from the truth! A famous pastor once said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’ ”
Read Matthew 25:34-40.
List the opportunities—big or small—you have or could have to serve Jesus in your life.
What are ways that we can encourage others to view their service as important?
Free to serve as citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom
We are citizens of God’s kingdom, the church, while we live here. As such, we have the mission to grow and go with God’s Word. As people who know they are going to heaven, we want to share that with everyone else.
Read 1 Peter 3:15.
We all have a story of how the truth of God’s love impacts our lives. You know the reason for the hope that you have. What is your story?
Read James 2:1 and Philippians 2:3.
As citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom, we are going to serve by treating everyone in our lives differently than others would. We are to love others without showing favoritism. Kindness and gentleness replace malice and insensitivity. Give an example of a person or people we need to treat equally. What will it look like?
Discuss what it means to “value others above yourselves” and what that means for how we treat others.
Free to serve as citizens of God’s earthly kingdom
We are citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom, but we are also citizens of the state, which is God’s representative. This is another opportunity to serve God and others. So often people disrespect their elected officials or police officers who are placed over us to bless us. We may not always agree with God’s representatives, but we owe them our respect.
Read Romans 13:1 and 1 Timothy 2:1,2.
Develop a scenario where you disagree with others or your elected leaders. Write down how you can express your opinions while maintaining respect for God’s representatives and his Word.
Author: David Scharf
Volume 109, Number 12
Issue: December 2022
- Psalm 103: When you count your blessings
- Psalm 91: When God lifts you up on his lap
- Psalm 4: When you draw nearer to the end
- Psalm 42: When you ask, “Where is God when I’m hurting?”
- Psalm 32: When you need forgiveness
- Psalm 130: When rocks fall
- Bible study: Freedom in service
- What does this mean for me? Article 6
- Bible study: Spiritual gifts
- What does this mean for me? Article 5
- What does this mean for me? Article 4
- Bible study: Rejoice in your status!
- Bible study: Baptismal blessings
- What does this mean for me? Article 3
- What does this mean for me? Article 2
- Bible study: Gifts of tongues and miraculous healing
- What does this mean for me? Article 1
- Bible study: Jesus is everyone’s Savior
- Bible study: Love one another
- Bible study: Above all things!
- Bible study: The comfort of God’s providence
- The book of James: Waiting for Christ’s return
- Bible study: Precious grace
- The book of James: Active in using prayer
- Bible study: Rewards of grace
- The book of James: Active in showing love
- The book of James: Correctly evaluating riches
- Bible study: What’s going to happen on the Last Day?
- The book of James: Avoiding loveless judging
- Bible study: Interpretation practice
- The book of James: Taming the tongue
- Bible study: The Bible’s attributes
- Bible study: The importance of the family altar
- Bible study: God’s attitude is grace
- Bible study: The Bible’s account of Easter morning
- Bible study: Different types of sin
- Bible study: God’s inspiration
- Bible study: Giving God glory
- Bible study: Judge for yourself
- The book of James: Using the Word of Truth
- Bible study: The need for the Bible and worship
- Bible study: Citizens of two kingdoms
- The book of James: Active in good works
- The book of James: When battling temptation
- Bible study: God cares
- Bible study: God made the world
- The book of James: When facing trials
- Bible study: A loving God saved people from hell
- The book of James: A blueprint for living out our life of faith
- A Bible story just for me: Guilt
- Bible study: God provides victory over death!
- A Bible story just for me: Anxiety
- Bible study: God forgives and refuses to remember our sins
- A Bible story just for me: Grief
- Bible study: God helps those who cannot help themselves
- A Bible story just for me: Depression
- Bible study: God has not grown soft on sin
- Bible study: Only one path leads to God’s presence
- A Bible story just for me: Trauma
- A Bible story just for me
- Bible study: God wants me in heaven
- Bible study: The incarnation of our Lord