What Does Serving Mean?
When people think about leaving a legacy, they imagine big accomplishments, lasting impact, or a name remembered for generations. But what if Jesus showed us that the legacy that matters most is found in quiet, humble acts of service? One of the greatest ways we show love for the church—and for Jesus Himself—is through serving others. A Lesson Around the Table In John 13, Jesus and the disciples gathered in the upper room for the Passover meal, the final supper before His arrest and crucifixion. Instead of leaning in to listen to their Teacher, the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest and who would get the best seats in the kingdom. Meanwhile, something important had been overlooked. No one had washed anyone’s feet. In that day, when most people walked everywhere in sandals or barefoot, foot washing wasn’t just polite; it was essential. The roads were filthy, covered with dust, dirt, and all the mess that came with animals roaming about. To eat at a low table while reclining meant someone’s dirty, smelly feet were right in your face. Normally, a servant would be stationed at the door to wash feet. But that night, either there was no servant or no one wanted to stoop to the job. So they sat around the table with unwashed feet. And then Jesus got up. John tells us: “So he got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then, he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” (John 13:4-5) The room must have gone silent. Foot washing was for servants, not for rabbis. It was unthinkable for a leader, especially one called Lord and Teacher, to do this. But when He finished, Jesus asked them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? … Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:12-15) This was His final teaching moment before the cross. In other words, if His disciples could grasp this, everything else would fall into place. The Attitude of Christ The apostle Paul later echoed this truth in Philippians 2: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant… he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-9) The word translated attitude refers to our internal guidance system, like a spiritual GPS. When we program our hearts toward Christ’s humility and service, our direction in life shifts. Service becomes our default path. That shift changes everything. In marriage, it means serving your spouse even when they don’t deserve it. In friendships, it means putting others first. At work, it means moving from competition to humility. The irony of life is that when we serve others, they often respond with love and kindness. But when we attempt to control or dominate, people resist. Serving with Time One of the first and most practical ways to live this out is with our time. Everyone has the same 86,400 seconds each day, but how we use them reveals what we truly value. Saying “I don’t have time” often really means “I value something else more.” Serving with our time means making space for God, for family, for church, and for others. It requires choosing what matters most over what is merely convenient or entertaining. Serving with Talents We also serve with our talents. Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, “By their fruit you will recognize them.” In other words, our gifts and abilities become clear by the way we live them out. Some people serve in visible ways like music, teaching, or leadership. Others serve quietly in the background, making coffee, setting up chairs, or rocking babies in the Kid Village. The church depends on every person using their God-given gifts. These talents aren’t just for Sundays. They’re meant for every corner of life…our homes, workplaces, and communities. The question isn’t whether we have something to offer, but how we will use what God has entrusted to us for His purposes. Serving with Treasure Finally, we serve with our treasure. Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Money has a way of pulling our hearts along with it. Looking at our bank statements often shows us where our hearts are going. Wealth itself isn’t wrong, but it becomes dangerous when it matters more to us than our relationship with God. Generosity helps loosen money’s grip and realigns our hearts toward God’s kingdom. Following the Example At the end of the meal, Jesus reminded His disciples: “You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:12-15) Jesus, the one with all authority, chose to kneel and serve. He calls us to do the same. Our purpose isn’t found in titles or positions, but in picking up the towel and serving others. That is why we say, I love my church. Because loving the church means loving people, and loving people means serving them the way Jesus first served us.
Why We Do What We Do
I am honored to serve on or consult with boards of different charities. Each one has a mission and each one has a budget that is in place to accomplish that mission. In short…here’s a problem, and this is our solution. It’s the “Why we do what we do.” Here’s a great example of a “why we do what we do”: “I grew up in the Catholic Church, attended CCD and went thru the sacraments of communion & confirmation. I have never found my place to worship – always feeling like I was going thru the motions of sitting in church & not taking away any meaning. I wanted to have a relationship with God – but needed to seek out a place that I would feel comfortable & could learn & feel close to God without feeling judged. I attended your Church for the first time on Thursday – January 18th – everyone was so welcoming. It was a very inviting environment & nonjudgmental! Since attending that Thursday evening in January, I have downloaded the You Version Bible on my iPad & have opened it each day ~ thanks for the reference & way to learn more about God. I have also purchased a Life Application Study Bible. I am truly excited now to attend Church & learn each & every week.” – Kim When you and I give, stories like this happen! WHY GIVE? Giving is all about the heart and a key part of the Christian faith. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Luke 12:34 The Bible teaches us that our baseline standard for giving is the tithe – contributing10% of our income to the church. The word “tithe” literally means a tenth. We return to the Lord 10% of what He’s given us because it belongs to Him. We tithe, or give, to honor God. We acknowledge God as the giver of everything we have. “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” – 1 Chronicles 29:14 We trust that God will continue to provide for us. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house.Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” – Malachi 3:10 We become a part of God’s work here on Earth. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Luke 12:34 We follow through on what God has asked us to do. “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops;” – Proverbs 3:9 Thank you for your generosity! Read More About Giving
Accept The Opportunity
I am grateful for the opportunity to be generous in many ways. Generosity of Spirit, generosity with finances, generosity of time. All of them have something in common, the way they make people feel. The receiver feels seen, valued, appreciated, cared for and loved. There is a tangible nature to the love they have been offered. The giver is able to show, through any of their offered resources, their love for the Lord, gratitude for the blessings they have received, love for people, an understanding of what it looks like to put spiritual gifts to use, discipleship through giving from the overflow of what they have first received, trust in God, abundant joy, etc. The definition of generosity- The quality of being kind and generous. Everything We Have Is A Gift From God And An Opportunity “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember, the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 There was a point in my life that I asked these questions and I have since been asked by others, isn’t tithing and generosity the same thing? If we are generous to someone in need, we can tithe less, right? My first response is that Jesus cares about your heart. We are to give cheerfully, not reluctantly, but out of abundant joy. The Pharisees were careful to tithe on the tiniest amount, but often missed the heart of the message. Let’s not make that same mistake. Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38 A Story For You Paul told a story of incredible generosity in one of his letters to the Corinthian church. It clarifies these questions and provides a model for tithing and generosity. Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they not only gave what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They did even more than we hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord, and to us, just as God wanted them to. – 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. Did you catch that? Even though they had very little, they begged to help. While they were extending themselves to meet a need, they still gave to the Lord first, they also gave to the church and then accepted this opportunity as well, “just as God wanted them to.” God is so generous with us. He blesses us and we give back and bless others. What an opportunity!
GivingTuesday – Give in Gratitude
Have you heard of #givingtuesday? Here’s a challenge for you, and it starts like this… Yesterday was a fun day a church. A friend told me that he was able to sell his house and move into another. He was so grateful that he decided to give a special gift. In gratitude to God, he gave a special gift of $2000 to Destiny Rescue, a mission that rescues girls from human trafficking in Cambodia and Thailand. On #GivingTuesday I can’t think of a better cause to give towards. In 2016, Destiny Rescue rescued 485 girls out of human trafficking. In 2017, they are well past this number of rescues and anticipate being close to 600 girls rescued! Take a moment to think about that. 600 young girls being rescued from human trafficking! Incredible! The key part to the rescue is the after care. After care includes a home to live in, food for each day, emotional and physical counseling, an opportunity to learn a new trade, and then a transition back into society. The goal is to get the girls to a point where they will not return to trafficking. While the increasing number of rescues is outstanding, the funds for after care are not enough to handle the amount of rescues. So…will you consider making a $20 gift to The Village that will go directly to Destiny Rescue? Here’s the challenge: If we can get 100 people to donate $20 each, that will be $2000 going to provide after care for these young girls rescued from human trafficking! We add that to my friend’s generous $2000 gift and we have a total of $4000 to donate to this life changing mission! This is a challenge for #GivingTuesday only so act now! You can give at The Village Christian Church. All gifts are 100% tax deductible. Share this with your friends so we can hit our goal! Give Now
Don’t Let Anyone Look Down On You Because You’re Young!
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young! You have the potential to do great things in life. All you need to do is step up. Back in our portable church days, it was always a challenge to find space to have student ministries. Some of our best days included meeting in a warehouse space (yep, you heard that right) that also doubled as our office space. It was small, it was dirty, there weren’t many windows, it was kind of depressing to be honest. It was pretty challenging and we had to overcome a lot because of our “not so great” meeting space. To help us overcome these obstacles we needed great leaders. Today I’m writing about one of those great leaders. A young gal in High School stepped up big time and led her entire neighborhood of kids to come to Youth Group. Literally, she made sure that at least 10 kids, if not more, from her neighborhood came to church youth group every week. Then she went to college, but that’s not where the story ends. During her college years, she came home every weekend for 4 straight years to continue to lead in our student ministries. She continued to invite kids from the neighborhood. I recently attended her college graduation party. It was a great day to celebrate her and all of her accomplishments. She already has a great job and will do great things in life. At her party, she asked that all gifts be given to our church, The Village Christian Church. I’ve never seen that in my 20 plus years of ministry! The church is truly humbled and honored by her generosity. What if she would have decided that she was too young to lead in her high school years? What if she would have decided that she was too cool to lead in her college years? Dozens of student’s lives would be different today. Their relationship with God would have been much less than what it is today. Also, she would have missed out on so much growth in her leadership and her relationship with God. Thank you Paige Mass for living out this verse…. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12 I would like to challenge you as you read this to step up and do something for the Lord. Step up and do something no matter what your age. Step up and do something no matter what your circumstance may be. Just step up.
Memorial Day Thank You
On this Memorial Day, we pay tribute to those that have given their lives for our country. We think about those that will give their lives in the future as we defend freedom. Thank you to Congressman Adam Kinzinger for summing it up so well!
Young Eagles Need To Fly
When do your young eagles get to fly? I just got back from an incredible Pastor’s conference where a speaker asked this important question. The question simply means this….is your church a place where people are encouraged and challenged to serve and lead? OR…are there just a few spots of service and leadership and you have to wait in line (sometimes years) to be able to serve and lead? I’ve been a part of organizations and churches where it was very clear….In 10 years or maybe 20 you can sit at the big boy table, but for now, we’ve got this and don’t need your input. Everyone Gets To Play My prayer is that in my role, I lead in such a way that “Everyone Gets to PLAY!” If you want to serve, you get to serve. The more the merrier! If you want to lead (and you have that leadership gift), you get to lead! The more the merrier! Oh yeah, by the way, my job description could truly be summed up in one verse of the Bible…. 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:12) Simply put, my job is to EQUIP people to do God’s work SO THAT the body of Christ is built up! Please, understand, I don’t always get this right and struggle with this. It’s so much easier for me to just do stuff myself or call a few friends who I know and trust to serve and lead, but God says I need to equip his people (all people!) for works of service. Equipping Others Something happened this past Sunday which helped me to see we are heading in the right direction. There were three people working on the First Impressions Team that I introduced myself to. I had never met them face-to-face. Our First impressions Team Leaders have been equipped to serve and lead, and now they are equipping others to serve and lead. This is great! I’m looking forward to many more Sundays where I’m introducing myself to new leaders who are serving that I haven’t yet met. Are You Ready? Are you a young eagle who would like to serve or lead? Shoot me an email (nate@thevillagechristianchurch.com) and let’s find a time to sit and visit about what God is placing on your heart. I can help you personally or can get you connected to some great people who will get you equipped to start serving and leading. When do your young eagles get to fly? The answer is RIGHT NOW! We need you! I look forward to hearing from you soon! Thanks to Deb Sperling, one of our church family, for capturing and sharing these incredible pictures! Another example of one of the many ways you can serve here at The Village.
Serve Others
Last year at Thanksgiving, I found myself in a new town. My husband was working and my children went back to our hometown to spend Thanksgiving with extended family. I was lying in bed that morning, feeling especially sorry for myself, thinking that I might as well not cook at all. Then I had a realization. It was a day for being thankful and I sure do have a lot to be thankful for! I got up, called around and found a local organization that would be preparing lunch and dinner for anyone in need. As a result, I ended up helping to prepare a full meal for 800 people that day. I came home exhausted, happy, grateful for the opportunity to serve, and thankful for everything the Lord has blessed me with. Let’s talk for a moment about serving. How often do you serve other people around you? Do you make a conscious effort as individuals or as a group to offer your time and gifts? 1 Peter 4:10 says: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms”. How You Can Serve Grundy Area PADS board is in desperate need of volunteers. The program is offered to anyone in need in Grundy County seeking safe overnight shelter & a warm meal. Last winter, PADS hosted 71 different people seeking shelter & a warm meal. On average there were 10-11 guests per evening all winter ranging from single men & women to families with teenagers & young children. In total Grundy Area PADS provided meals & shelter 1,842 times last season. As you can see, there is a large need for these services in our community! The program rotates each night of the week to a different church within the city of Morris & it is staffed by volunteers. There are 3 shifts, 6:30-11pm, 10:45pm-3am, 2:45-7:30am. Sites are staffed with volunteers 7 days a week. Currently we have a huge shortage of volunteers for the 2nd & 3rd shifts at multiple locations on multiple days of the week. Usually the time commitment for volunteers is only 1 day a month (or more if willing). Is this something you would be willing to do? What about serving together as a Lifegroup? If you find it in your heart to serve in this way, please contact Becky Thomas.