Serve
B.L.E.S.S. (5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor & Change the World)
Chip Stapleton
Part of BLESS Sermon Series—5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor & Change the World
October 10, 2021

B.L.E.S.S. Week 5: Serve
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John 13:1-17
Takeaway: In order to BLESS our neighbor, Jesus invites us to serve.

B.L.E.S.S. HPC @ Home Guide - October 10-16, 2021

Icebreaker & Opening Thought
1. What is one task that you hate and like to avoid?

  1. When you hear the word serve, what comes to mind?

Bible Discussion
1. Read John 13:1-17. What details stand out to you about this story?

  1. Some biblical scholars assert that foot washing was reserved for only the lowliest slaves. In what ways does Jesus’ example come into conflict with our cultural values?

  2. Jesus lived in a cultural setting that was considered an honor-shame society. Protecting your name, your reputation, and your dignity is critically important in an honor-shame culture. Your honor was like a social credit rating. The higher your honor score, the more privilege and prestige you enjoy. If you had a high honor score, other people were expected to serve you. What does Jesus’ action reveal about the nature of God?

Life Application
1. What would be some contemporary equivalents to washing another person’s feet in our culture today?

  1. How can we cultivate a posture of readiness to serve others in big and small ways?

  2. Who are some people you could serve? How could you reach out to them? How could you be in a posture of readiness?

Challenge- This story foreshadows the death of Christ on the cross, where we see the ultimate act of love. This love has been changing the world for the last 2,000 years, and the most vivid picture of love we can paint is to serve others the way Jesus served us. May we know the love of God through Christ. May we learn to value the things Jesus values. May we be a people who seek not to be served but to serve others.