An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. —Luke 9:46

“Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” —Matthew 18:1

Under the surface of true greatness is humility.

Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 18:4

The pathway to humility is serving.

…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” —Mark 10:43-45

• Serving is how God expresses his love for us.

Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. —John 13:1

• God humbles Himself and comes near to serve us.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, … ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist… —John 13:3-4

• When God comes near and gets in our business, it gets uncomfortable.

“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”… ⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” —John 13:8

• Jesus serves us unconditionally.

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. —John
13:10-11

• He never stops serving us. (Hebrews 7:25)

How far does He want us to take it? (John 13:12-17)

• Leverage your strength to advantage others.
• Following Jesus will lead you to serve in His church.
• Following Jesus will lead you to serve as His church.

Discipleship Guide

Let’s Connect

What’s the nastiest, smelliest mess you’ve ever cleaned up?

Let’s Talk About It

When Jesus called people to follow Him, He was leading them somewhere. But Jesus’ leadership is different from what you would expect. He modeled sacrifice, service and humility. He asks for us to lead others in this way as well.

Romans 8:19; Luke 9:43-46; Matthew 18:1-4; Mark 10:43-45; John 13:1-17; Hebrews 7:25

• Which part of the message made an impact, caught your attention or challenged you?

• Read Mark 10:43-45. How does this scripture make you feel about the people you interact with each day?

• Read John 13:1-11. Share a time when someone went out of their way to serve you. How did that make you feel? How can you leverage your strength to advantage someone else?

• Read Matthew 18:1-4. How have you seen humility develop in your life through serving? Think about seasons of your life when you’ve been more and less involved in service. What patterns do you notice?

• Do you serve at Grace Honolulu or in your community? How have your family, work, passion, and relationships been affected through humble service? If you’re not currently serving, where do you think God could use you?

Take a Step

• How can you go out of your way to serve someone in need this week? If you’re not currently serving at Grace Honolulu, take a step to explore your options:
  https://gracehonolulu.churchcenter.com/people/forms/31546

• SOAP reading: Download the Grace Honolulu app to view this week’s SOAP reading. It’s in the “Bible” section at the bottom banner of the app.

Here’s My Prayer

Jesus, You were there when life was spoken into being, yet you spent Your life in service. Teach me to serve others the way You have served me. Holy Spirit, tug my heart toward the people You want me to serve. In Jesus’ name, Amen.