Together For a Purpose: Serve
Matthew 9:1-8
Part of Together for a Purpose
April 21, 2024

11424 Online (1).png

SERVE

We serve holistically. We care for people and communities near and far who are in need of mercy, justice, and healing. Following Jesus’ model, we strive to meet both the spiritual and physical needs of people by bringing real and creative solutions in order to show God’s care for them, and to point people to their ultimate need for a Savior.

Matt. 9:1-8: The Healing of the Paralyzed Man

Two Characteristics of Jesus’ Heart on Display:

Characteristic #1 - Jesus cares about the complete

of people’s needs.

Characteristic #2 - When Jesus cares for people’s immediate needs, he wants us them understand his

ability to meet our ultimate need for Savior.

1 John 3:16-18

Two Pathways for Mirroring the Heart of Jesus through Serving:

Pathway #1:

Serving

Identify and embrace opportunities to serve God and others as God puts them in front of you.

Pathway #2:

Serving

Create and commit to a rhythm of serving God regularly according to the things that matter to Him.

[Calling] is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” - Frederick Buechner

Conversation / Reflection Questions

1. What memory comes to mind as one of your most positive experiences in serving? (Either in the church, local community, or nationally/internationally.) What made this experience so special?

2. Read Matthew 20:25-28

a) What stands out to you the most about Jesus’ definition of greatness in this passage?

b) What about Jesus’ definition of greatness here seems unnatural or countercultural?

c) Have any leaders or mentors you have interacted with done a good job of modeling the heart that Jesus commends here? What do you remember most from their example? (i.e. “he cleaned my shoes”)?

3. Read 1 John 3:16-18

a) What do you see in this passage about the Christian motivation for serving?

b) What words or ideas in this passage might be helpful for you to remember when God prompts you to serve in ways that take you out of your comfort zone?

4. Frederick Buechner wrote, “[Calling] is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

a) What is an area of your life that you can identify where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet?

b) Have you responded to this calling in any way already? What is an idea that comes to mind for how you could take the next step in serving in this area?

c) How can we support you or pray for you in this calling?