2020 Serve Sunday

Devotional:

Good morning! Welcome to Serve Sunday! If you’ve been following us on FB & IG, you’ve likely seen us talking about this all week.

Serve Sunday is a special day for our church when we cancel service, to serve our community! But, as we all know, this year has changed everything - including Serve Sunday.

In the past, we’ve volunteered at a local 5K race, but that’s just not possible right now. So, this year, we’ve got an opportunity to allow God to show us where to serve. And again, if you need ideas, our Communications Team has been posting them all week long on our social media pages!

But before I officially send you off to serve your community in Jesus’ name, let me leave you with a couple of thoughts:

You’ve probably heard me talk about that God has given us a mission. Sometimes we call this the Great Commission. And it’s when Jesus commands us to GO into the world and tell people about Him. There’s many ways we do this… and one way is through serving others.

In Genesis 12, God tells Abraham (the father of our faith) that one day he’s going to have a descendant who will save the world. We now know this Savior is Jesus. And Jesus is described this way: Through Him, all the nations will be blessed!

That’s specifically talking about Jesus dying on the Cross for our sins. That anyone, from any nation, can receive forgiveness and new life through faith in Jesus. But it’s also describing a daily mission we have.

As followers of Jesus, the people around us (the nations) should be blessed. Our church should bless our community! And I believe Serve Sundays is not skipping church, but opportunities to BE the church.

So, this Sunday - Go serve your community in the name of Jesus and be a blessing. God has given you talents, time, resources, and even put you into specific communities...

… did you know that your neighbors, classmates, co-workers, friends, and family members are not a coincidence? God put you with them so you can tell them about Jesus! So you can bless them in Jesus’ name...

… Use what God has given you to serve those around you!

So, as you head out the door, think about these 3 things:

How can I show people the love of Jesus today?

Pray for opportunities to talk about Jesus during Serve Sunday. You’l be surprised what God can do when we’re ready and willing!

Serve with all your heart. This is worship. As you sacrifice to bless others, say in your heart, “This is for you Jesus. I’m doing this because I love You and want to honor You.”

Let me pray for us...

Father, thank you for this day! Show us how we can serve someone today. And we pray You give us an opportunity to talk about Jesus. Maybe it’s just publicly saying, “Jesus.” Maybe it’s inviting someone to Life Group or Church Online. Maybe we get to help someone put their faith in Christ. That’s up to You! We just want to be ready. And finally, Lord, help us to honor and worship You today. In Jesus name, Amen.