A Lifestyle of Servanthood

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

 

When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. Matthew 13:12-17

 

A Lifestyle of Servanthood

 

Jesus gave us the perfect example of serving others with his whole life. During his last meal with his disciples, Jesus modeled servanthood for them and called them to do as he has done for them. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. Jesus calls us to live a life of servanthood – a life where we live and move and have our being in him. When we live and move and have our being in him, and when we live and love like Jesus, our whole life, everything we say and do, is lived in him.

 

For in him we live and move and have our being… Acts 17:28

 

In him we live and move and have our being. Everything we are is because of him – down to the air we breathe. We exist because of him, by him, and for him. In a surrendered life nothing we have is our own. Our breath, our body, our possessions, and our time is all for him. The words we say and the things we do should glorify him and point others to him. Just as we have talked about worship being a lifestyle, servanthood is a lifestyle as well. As Jesus followers it should be second nature to us to step up and serve when needed and as opportunities arrive. If we are available, and able, and can in any way, we should. When we across come opportunities, we should be ready and willing. 

 

Many times it is a small sacrifice with a bountiful reward. Others will be blessed by our obedience to serve, and our hearts will be blessed by obedience, filled by the pouring out of ourselves for others. We should also be surrendered to serve when it comes as a great sacrifice to us. We should not reserve our serving for small opportunities with little inconvenience. Those are just as important, but it is good for us to be inconvenienced for the glory of God and the ministry of servanthood. Where is the surrender in only serving when it is good for you, when you don’t get messy, or when you don’t have to sacrifice something of yourself, your time, or your resources. When there is a sacrifice involved we sometimes see the real commitment level of servanthood.

 

Are you willing to be inconvenienced? 

Are you willing to sacrifice? 

Are you willing to give up your time, energy, and resources to live a surrendered and obedient life serving others? 

 

If you have ever surrendered in servanthood and a life in relationship with Jesus, learning to live and love like him, you know there are inconceivable blessings that follow. We are blessed by obedience. We will be blessed by helping others. We have a heavenly reward waiting for us. Living a life of surrender and servanthood does not mean an empty life of giving away ourselves to others. It is a life of abundance as the love of God fills us more and more as we pour ourselves out in service and love for his glory. 

When Serving Is Hard

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.  For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.  Romans 15:1-3

When Serving Is Hard

God has really called us to a simple task...It is simply to serve each other in love.  It can be a simple task, yet the thing that seems to intervene in our service to others is ourselves.  Selfishness can get in the way of our serving others in obedience to God.  We don’t want to give the time to serve.  We don’t want to give money to help.  And often, we just don’t want to deal with people.  Jesus knew we would have these struggles.  We can find countless scriptures that speak of the attitude that must be present for us to love and serve others in an attitude of selflessness.

Serving others not only requires the right attitude, it requires us to develop some patience.  To "bear the weaknesses" does not mean to solve their problems.  God never made us responsible for another person’s burden.  To "bear" in this passage is a word that means to endure patiently. 

The cry here is for us not to demand the spiritual perfection of others that we have not achieved ourselves...OR even to demand what we HAVE achieved.  God is dealing with every individual at their personal pace of growth.  The fact that someone does not agree or does not act properly does not mean they are less than you.  It merely displays a place that may need temporary indulgence and understanding until God changes them…or you.   When someone says, “that is just the way I am", they may be sharing a place of weakness rather than personality. 

A Word about Porcupines
Realize that accepting an individual is foundational to serving them.  If it doesn’t feel like you accept them, chances are that you are not going to be able to have an impact on their life.  Accepting a person – or loving a person – doesn’t mean you have to accept/love their behaviors or decisions.  We are to see them with the eyes of Christ and serve them with the love of Christ.  

·      We are called to love them as Christ loves us – with mercy and grace.  

·      We can ONLY love and serve them with the strength of Christ.  In our humanness we cannot love and serve like He loves us, but through Jesus Christ we can! 

We all come across people like that in our lives, and some of them might even be a relative. People that are hard to be around and hard to love make it even harder to serve them.  They are like porcupines because if you get too close, you may get stuck. Some people deal with the hard to love people by simply just ignoring them or shutting them out of their life altogether.  But God has called us to be his hands and feet to all people.  

What does serving look like? Servanthood means lots of things. Opening the door for someone, helping someone carry something, checking in on a neighbor and doing yardwork for them, and much more. 

Set self aside, grow some patience and love the lepers in your life.  You don’t know what seeds you are planting or how God is touching their hearts.  He uses us to change people’s lives and we may not even be aware.  Serving others in love will change lives – ours as well as those we serve. Someone may be one kind word away from the possibility of knowing God’s love through his people serving.

Accept one another…Just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.   Romans 15:7

How To Serve Like Jesus

Monday, July 28, 2025

So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. John 13:12-14

Jesus calls us not to conform, but to be transformed. The world wants us to conform to the world, to be tolerant. As believers, we are called to live different – radically different – from the world. We are called to love the ones no one else loves; help those who are helpless, deserted, or forgotten; serve those who others believe don’t deserve it. We are called to live and love like Jesus and that means showing the love of God to a broken and fallen world. One way we show that love is through serving. Through serving we can offer them the only answer to everything – Jesus.

How To Serve Like Jesus

It was the week of Passover, the week leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross.  Jesus gave His disciples a special commandment, a new commandment, as He celebrated His final Passover meal with them. This new commandment was A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (John 13:34). This command gave the disciples a new standard to measure themselves by - the way they loved others.

Jesus didn’t just share a meal with them that night, He washed their feet, a beautiful display of humility and servant leadership. As they sat and dined together, Jesus rose from the table and began to wash their feet - the job of a slave. Peter was uncomfortable with Jesus washing his dirty feet, but Jesus told Peter that unless he let Jesus wash his feet, he couldn’t be a part of His work.  Jesus was setting an example for them as he instructed them to wash each other’s feet just as He has washed their feet.  He served those who served Him. This is the lesson of the least shall be the greatest and the greatest shall be the least. And Jesus wasn’t just setting an example, He was telling them to be humble and serve others. This is how He expected them to treat each other after He left.  

Jesus loved His disciples sacrificially, meeting their deepest needs in a way no one else could, by giving them forgiveness of sins and new life. He loved everyone that way, even His enemies. He commanded His disciples, and us, to love and serve all the way He loved. That means those who we think don’t deserve it, those who are difficult to love, and those who are different than us. 

How do we practice the spiritual habit of servanthood so that we might grow to look and act more like Jesus? 

Right up to the end of His life Jesus was setting the example of how we are supposed to live our lives and treat others. Jesus showed us with His whole life - His actions while He was here on earth and His sacrifice on the cross. How we treat others will be more important than any other accomplishment we will ever achieve. How we treat others will either point others to him or not. If we are his disciples we are already in a relationship with him, learning to live and love like him. We will learn to serve others as he did. 

How can we practice the spiritual habit of servanthood so that we might grow to look and act more like Jesus? We live and love like Jesus. As his followers we should be stepping where the Spirit steps, living and loving like him. We love the unlovable, help the helpless, serve the ones others have deemed undeserving like Jesus did. Like he did for us as well. We should be looking for opportunities to serve, seeking to live in humility, and making serving others a part of our whole life. 

How are you serving God and others?

Are you looking for opportunities to humbly set aside your own needs and serve others? 

What can you do this week to grow in the spiritual discipline of servanthood?

Deeper: Developing Spiritual Habits “Servanthood”

Deeper: Developing Spiritual Habits
“Servanthood”
 John 13:1-17 (CSB)

 

- Spiritual Habits: “Spiritual habits are disciplines we put into our lives that place us in a position to hear from God and allow Him to take us deeper into life with Christ.”

- Key Truth: “The habits we form determine the people we become.”

Main Question: How do we practice the spiritual habit of servanthood so that we might grow to look and act more like Jesus? 

1.    We are to look for opportunities to serve.  (John 13:1-5)

2.    We are to seek to live in humility.  (John 13:6-11)

 

 

3.        We are to understand that servanthood is a lifestyle.  
(John 13:12-17)

 

After the Message: 
Read Week 9 of the DEEP Devotional Journal on pages 219-243.

How to Give

Friday, July 25, 2025

How to Give – Matthew 6:1-4 Submitted by Kay Crumley

In the Old Testament the Jew’s worshiped by giving a sacrifice in the Temple. They also were taught to be generous and give to those in need. Begging was an accepted profession for those who were handicapped, unable to work, so people gave to them because generosity was a righteous practice and as thanksgiving to God for protecting them from that malady. Pastor Jim preached a two-sermon series entitled Giveology with the Key Truth: “Giving is a part of growing because stewardship is a part of discipleship.” As disciples of Jesus, we are to grow in our faith by carefully taking care of the things God provides for us by giving back. As I read this passage this morning, I am reminded that it’s more than giving but we are to give in the right way and for the right reasons.  

Jesus is preaching to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 and comes to chapter 6 with instruction and warning. We are to practice activities that point others to the Kingdom of God however, the way we practice those activities is important. This passage is about giving. Giving to the poor is a righteous act. Yet some were more interested in gaining approval, honor, or admiration from others than helping the needy. 

It was a custom in Jesus’ time for the rich to draw attention to themselves when making charitable gifts so others would see how generous they were and believe them to be righteous. I really cannot imagine what it might have been like to have a trumpet sound just before you dropped those coins into the basket, yet that was common.  

Jesus tells His listeners that their reward will only be from man because there will be no reward from our Father in heaven for those looking for recognition. 

 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 

God knows our heart. He sees our reason and where we seek honor. Those who loudly proclaim their generosity are rewarded with kind words, praise, and maybe envy but they are not rewarded by God. That reminds me of the parable of the Widow’s mite in Mark 12:41-44. He was more pleased with the widow because of the manner and portion; she quietly gave all she had while the rich loudly announced their gift from their abundance. Those who seek man’s applause will get that but nothing else, God is not please with self-aggrandizement. As His disciples we are to point to Him who is worthy of praise and honor.  

He follows by telling them to give in secret so that your left hand doesn’t know what your right hand is doing. The point is the motive in which we give. Are we worshipping and honoring God by generously giving back a portion of what He has given us, or does we want those around us to be impressed and give honor to us? God knows our heart; we cannot hide our motives from Him. Are we giving joyfully, 2 Corinthians 9:7, as we give out of our love for Him? If so, He will reward us for our righteous deeds.  

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. As we grow in Christian maturity and learn to steward the provision God gives us, we are to give as He directs us with the focus being on honoring Him and not self. He knows our heart, our purpose, our attitude. Where will your reward come from, God or man? 

The Choice To Trust

 Thursday, July 24, 2025

Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me; He fights and oppresses me all day long.  My adversaries trample me all day, for many arrogantly fight against me. Psalm 56:1-2  

The Choice To Trust

God’s word really is so perfect for us. it gives us answers to every single difficulty we will ever encounter in this life. David knew difficulties, and he wrote Psalm 56 from a place of being tormented by them. He knew where to go when he was being tormented. 

We may not have an army of Philistines afrer us physically, but many days it can feel like it. Lots of “enemies” torment us in this life - addiction, illness, financial hardship, family troubles, and so much more. Satan loves for us to be tormented, but this is never God’s plan for us. He delivered us and we are safe in Him, but the advesary still prowls, roaring at us. He wants to steal our peace and crush our joy. The victory is already ours, but satan does all he can to make us think we are defeated. We don’t have to live in this torment. We can be free from it, but where can we go when we feel tormented by our ”enemies?” Like David, we can go to the only one who can help. 

Psalm 56 speaks to everyone who feels like the world is falling apart and they are feeling the pressures of physical, financial or emotional enemies. David wrote about all the things he felt and experienced  as he dealt with this threat.  

Fluctuations of courage and faith characterize the devout soul. - Van Houser

When we are being attacked by enemies of any kind, it is normal for us to struggle a little in our faith. When the enemy is closing in fast and we feel the firey darts whizzing past our head, it can cause us to ask God “Where are you?” We can feel fear and still have faith. We are human as well as being Christians and sometimes these overlap - and that may be our greatest struggle. We know what we know, but we feel what we feel. We have to learn to trust what we know, and not always what we feel. 

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust, 
I will not be afraid.  Psalms 56:3-4

We may not only turn to God when we are afraid, hurt, struggling in some way, or sick, but we do turn to Him much faster in any of those situations. He should be our first call and our safe place. He should be the first one we turn to in these times, because no one else on earth can do for us what He can - and that is to give us peace on the battlefield. The one antagonist of fear, or anything we face, is faith.  Remember those firey darts whizzing past your head? The shield of faith is what deflects them away from you. Trust, is a choice and faith will enable us to trust God when our circumstances are threatening. When we focus on circumstances, we will not have peace.  In fact, focusing on our circumstances will steal our peace, and give us anxiousness in return. Often we have no control over what is happening in our lives, or even the fear we feel, but we have control over what we focus on. Focusing on God and trusting Him will restore that peace and, continue to give us peace, no matter what comes our way. 

We must be willing to trust in God when the world is on fire around us! If we don’t, the heat from the flames will take us out. We have to be willing to trust even if - not when _____ happens.   And - should the heat from the flames take you out (it happens), don’t stay down. Allow your faith in God to pull you up and get right back at it. He is faithful. He is for you and with you in every moment, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Make the choice to trust in HIM over anything else. 

Simply Trust

 Wednesday, July 23, 2025

And he said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9  

The apostle Paul knew the secret of grace.  In the face of opposition, God gave him a revelation.  Why is this verse so important?  Because Paul truly depended on God.  He recognized that whatever came against him, he didn’t have to fight it in his own strength.  He trusted in God’s ability and strength to continue in the work of the ministry.   

How are we to get to the other side of whatever we are facing?  The same way – by grace through faith (by God’s ability and our faith in that ability).  Just as we operate in faith, we need to operate in His grace.  How can we activate the grace of God in our lives?

1.    Simply ask for it.  God will not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly.  Hebrews 4:16, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  God’s ability is ever ready for us.  We need only ask.

2.    Be humble.  Pride will always get in the way of God’s grace.  Think about the person who is lost, driving around for hours trying to find a certain location, when they know they could just stop at the gas station and ask for directions.  What keeps them from just stopping?  Usually pride!   The “I know how to do this” or “I can handle it” attitude never cuts it when it comes to grace.  If you could do it yourself, you would have done it by now.  God’s ability works best in a thoroughly yielded vessel.  But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  James 4:6

3.    Know the Word.  When you know the Word, you’ll be fully persuaded of God’s ability.  In fact, the more intimate knowledge you have of God, His ability will be multiplied in your life.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.  II Corinthians 9:8 

4.    Be patient.  Being delivered from a problem is not the only work of grace.  Actually, grace is better known for delivering us in the problem.  Grace is the power that sustains us until deliverance happens. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10

5.    Trust God.  Just holding on may not be evidence of faith.  We may fear letting go because where we are is more comfortable than where we might land if we let go.  Faith may call for us to let go and trust God.  If I have asked God for grace and wisdom, humbled myself to His plan and confirmed it in the Word, I need to be willing to go where He leads to stay in the channel of His will.  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7  

God wants us to be everything He created us to be.  He not only has a plan for our lives, He also has a power available to bring it to pass.  Simply ask Draw upon it in each and every situation. God’s best is ahead of you, as you take hold of His grace. 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,  1 Corinthians 1:3-5