Wednesday, October 25, 2023

We are in the second week of our series, Scary Things, and Andy Rectenwald spoke about how God uses us to spread the Gospel message. He discussed three ways we can share the Gospel. Today, we will focus on serving.

Jesus, the King of kings, our Lord and Savior came to Earth not as a king but as a servant. He loved and served people. 

Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus served others by loving them, looking them in the eye, spending time with them, feeding them, healing them, and sharing the Gospel with them. We—as followers of Jesus—are called to do the same. 

In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus said:

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Verse 16 is why CedarCreek focuses so much on serving others. We want to let the light of Jesus shine through us and bring others to know Jesus and follow him.

A few years ago, I joined the Oregon Campus for Serve Day. We all worked together to help a woman clean up her yard, plant flowers, and do some home repairs. While we were there, we also chatted with some of her neighbors. They were astonished that a church would send people out to help as we were. It was a great opportunity to invite them to church and show them the love of Jesus. 

Our world is full of lonely, hurt, and angry people who really need to know the Gospel message. They are longing for the truth. Some are so hurt that they are skeptical about Jesus and his followers. We are being watched to see if our actions and behaviors are different from the rest of the world. 

Shine your light and show them how different we are by serving others and sharing the Gospel with them. 

Questions:
How are you serving? In what ways can you serve the people around you? 

Why is it important to serve and share the Gospel message?

Next Steps:
Join the DreamTeam. Participate in a Second Saturday Serve event. Join a service Group.

Prayer:
Jesus, I am in awe of you. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords, and yet you came to this earth as a servant to save me. You love me that much. Please, Lord, let your love and light shine through me to others. Help me to serve others and lead them to you. I praise your holy name. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Matthew 6:33
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

This post was written by Marsha Raymond, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.