Monthly Practice:
Serving
Overview
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Galatians 5:13
When we serve, we connect ourselves to Jesus’ heart and point others to Jesus’ love.
Jesus modeled servant leadership better than anyone who has walked the planet—and then challenged us to live the same way. When we serve, we are reminded that our issues are not the only issues, and that the world is bigger than our problems. We find joy in helping others overcome their struggles. We serve because through serving, we find life, and we help others find life.
Weekly Guides
Week 1
PRE-MEETING PREPARATION
- Make sure you have access to the weekly video as well as the extra video for this week (linked here and below) and can play them for the group.
- Review the weekly Big Idea for your reference. This is intended to give you context for the week. You can choose whether or not to read this in group as a summary/refresher after watching the video.
- Read through the Group and Individual Practices ahead of time.
BIG IDEA: Serving glorifies God.
- Serving reveals and honors the nature of Jesus.
- Experiencing the drain and demand of serving allows us to understand the heart of Jesus more clearly.
- Our support of others is evidence for our trust in God's support for us.
Connection Time - 20 Minutes
Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)
Group Application - 40 Minutes
Group practice - do this together in Group
- WATCH the overview video together, then engage in discussion.
- REVIEW the video and Discussion Highlights for this week.
- ASK: What have you learned about God through serving others?
- WATCH this testimony video from our Core Resources. Discuss what stood out to you most and what next step you hope to take.
- REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.
Individual practice - to do on your own throughout the week
Pray the following prayer each morning this week, and keep a record of any impact you sense or experience throughout the week:
- Father, my life belongs to you. Everything I will do today is only possible because you have given me this life. I present my body, my mind, my energy and my time to you. Above all else, may my life bring you glory today. Amen.
Pray - 10 Minutes
Week 2
BIG IDEA: Serving demonstrates love.
- We show the validity of our faith through caring about those around us.
- When we follow Jesus, he produces his compassion in our hearts.
- Serving is simply looking for opportunities to meet the needs of those around you.
Connection Time - 20 Minutes
Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)
Group Application - 40 Minutes
Group practice - do this together in Group
- WATCH the overview video together, then engage in discussion.
- REVIEW the video and Discussion Highlights for this week.
- DISCUSS how you can serve together as a group in the next few weeks, whether through a Serve First Saturday project or something else.
- ASK: How would you define compassion?
- ASK: Do you feel that your compassion for people is growing over time? Why or why not?
- ASK: How have you been impacted by someone else serving you?
- REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.
Individual practice - to do on your own throughout the week
Write a card or give a gift to someone you wouldn’t normally do that for. Be prayerful throughout the process, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Pray - 10 Minutes
Week 3
BIG IDEA: Serving helps us find fulfillment.
- God works through our serving to shape us and bring fulfillment into our own lives.
- When we serve people as a means to connect with Jesus, we are rejuvenated.
- Following Jesus by serving others helps us connect to his heart and experience his life.
Connection Time - 20 Minutes
Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)
Group Application - 40 Minutes
Group practice - do this together in Group
- DISCUSS the previous week's individual practice. Who did you reach out to, and how did they respond?
- WATCH the overview video together.
- REVIEW the video Discussion Highlights for this week.
- ASK: Do you feel fulfilled by your current way of life? Why or why not?
- ASK: How are you using your gifts and the influence you have to serve others?
- REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month. Remind each other of when you plan to serve together if you haven't already done so.
Individual practice - to do on your own throughout the week
Plan ahead to do something purely for someone else’s benefit that you wouldn’t normally do. Write down some thoughts about your experience—what was satisfying, what was challenging, and how did your expectations match up to reality?
Pray - 10 Minutes
Week 4
PRE-MEETING PREPARATION
- Decide in advance what you will do this week for the Group Practice. This can be anything that builds community and relationships. If your group missed a week, you can also use this week to make up for previous content.
Connection Time - 20 Minutes
Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)
Group Time - 40 Minutes
- REVIEW the previous week’s individual practice. Try to share your memorized verse with the group!
- In addition to the usual connection time and sermon review, use this week’s meeting to foster community and deepen relationships.
- REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.
Pray - 10 Minutes
MEMORY VERSE
If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
Matthew 10:39
