1. First base for us in our baseball image represents our “Learning to Grow” classes. Teaches the idea that we are created for realtionship with Jesus and the habits necessary to nurture that relationship
2. But if we stay stranded at fist base, we actually hinder our discipleship.
3. Counterintuitivly, we see in scripture that we actually grow as we look outside of ourselves to the other.
4. “The love of neighbor is the only door out of the dungeon of self.” George MacDonald
5. Matthew 20:20-28 (NIV) **
6. *Diakonos- is where we get the word deacon, but more generally (as a noun) means servant, an attendant or even the image of a waiter or waitress. to relieve one’s necessities, to provide take care of, distribute, the things necessary to sustain life,to take care of the poor and the sick,to attend to anything, that may serve another’s interests, to minister a thing to one, to serve one or by supplying any thing
7. Doulos- bondservant, to voluntarily put yourself under someone, devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
8. This is what it means to be truly great in the Kingdom of God. When we can look beyond ourselves to the other we become more like Christ.
9. Philippians 2:1-7 (NIV) *
10.Who is the “Other”? **Matthew 25:44-45 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Matthew 20:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
**James 1:27 **Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Class dates:
Learning to Connect Saturday February 26th 9:00-12:00
Learning to Grow Saturday April 30th 9:00-11:00
Learning to Serve Saturday June 30th 9:00-11:00
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