Introductory Notes for our new 20 day study on our Facebook Group The Passionate Participation In God Project. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302SERVICE:
Loving, thoughtful, active promotion of the good of others and the causes of God in our world, through which we experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves.
Service is one of the most frequently mentioned disciplines in the Bible. From the very beginning God’s people pledged themselves as God’s servants and were directed in the law to serve and care for others. Being a servant of God and of others was a way of living—a declaration of obedience, not an occasional volunteer activity.
In the New Testament, Jesus made it clear that He was God’s servant, but also the servant of others. These two were inextricably linked. Again and again, He spoke of turning the cultural order upside down: “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35b). In Luke 22:25-26, He said, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.” Jesus underscored His point by humbling Himself to wash the feet of the disciples (John 13:1-20), making it clear that this servanthood was much more than symbolic.
Then after Jesus’ ultimate act of submission and servanthood on the cross, Paul took up the theme of servanthood, referring to himself time and again as a servant of the gospel (Eph 3:7; Col 1:23). We can follow in Jesus’ footsteps and serve God and others purely as an act of love, but service is also an excellent way to train ourselves in humility and submission to God’s will.
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. —1 Peter 4:10
Day 106 Spiritual Practice: Serving God in Every TaskDay 107 Serving and Carrying
Day 108 Consecrated for God’s Service
Day 109 Do Not Neglect Them
Day 110 My Servant Caleb
Day 111 A Willing Heart
Day 112 Service in the Home
Day 113 As for Me and My Household
Day 114 Two Servants
Day 115 In Every Good Work
Day 116 Spiritual Practice: Not to Be Served, but to Serve
Day 117 I Devoted Myself to the Work
Day 118 Do Not Withhold Good
Day 119 Wash One Another’s Feet
Day 120 Servants of the Lord
Day 121 Serving Others’ Needs
Day 122 A Servant Heart
Day 123 A Servant of the Gospel
Day 124 Serving the Saints
Day 125 A Light to the Nations
Join us for this 20 Day Adveture in Serving God!
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