We Live to Serve. Celebrating 30 years. By Jessica Bordeleau

Transcription

1 We Live to Serve By Jessica Bordeleau At an LCM S Servant Event I learn ed: I can wo rk with a variety of people. At an LCM I a S Servant Eve m not nt I le arne my lo ve fo afraid to d: r Je sus. show Celebrating 30 years At an LCMS Servant Event I learned: I want to consider full-time church work. This service you perform is not only supplying the needs of God s people, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 2 Cor. 9:12

2 We Live to Serve Leader's Guide Greetings in Christ our Lord! As you prepare to lead this Bible study, there are a few hints and techniques that you might find helpful. Please read the entire leader's guide and Bible study unit before leading the study so that you will have a holistic approach and see each day's study in the context of the whole unit. Make sure to begin your preparations with prayer! Here is a prayer you could begin with: Dear Lord, Please guide me as I prepare to lead others in a study of your Word. Please send your Holy Spirit to enlighten me as I read the Scriptures and open my heart and mind to what you would have me learn. Please remove all obstacles and stumbling blocks so that your word would be understood in its truth and clarity. Thank you for giving us your powerful Word that is living and active! Thank you for your love and forgiveness in Christ. In His name I pray, Amen. Each study is opened and closed in prayer. You can have participants pray in any way you think is best for the group at that time. For example, they could pray silently on their own, you could speak the prayer aloud in front of the group, or you could have them pray in their small groups. Each day there is a verse of the day and word of the day that is the focus of that day's topic. Use the verse as often as you can throughout the day to reinforce its concept and help participants put it to memory by; speaking it to participants as a form of encouragement, incorporating it into your meal prayer, using it as a call and response that you use throughout the day, or incorporating it into your decorations for the event. There are 5 activity headings in this Bible Study: Hands On Personal Reflection Each method of teaching allows participants to interact with the concepts in a different way, meeting various learning styles. It is important that participants are allowed ample time to discuss the ideas and concepts shared in this study. The discussion questions are designed to encourage participation, community building and engagement with the topic. In order to allow each individual this opportunity it is important that participants be divided into small groups. Depending on the total group size, the group dynamic and your unique event, small groups could be as small as 2 or as large as 10 people. You can vary the size and make up of the groups from day to day or keep them the same, depending on what seems best for your group. These sections share key concepts. them in advance so that you can share them in your own words, without changing the meaning. These sections of Scripture could be read aloud by a volunteer, individually, in small groups, or by 1

3 going around the room with each person reading a verse. No matter what way the passages are read, make sure that each individual has a Bible to follow along on their own. The more participants handle and interact with the Bible, the more comfortable they will be to do so on their own at home as well. Hands On These activities require some materials that you will need to assemble ahead of time. You will need a note card, index card, or other small, sturdy paper for each participant for each day. You will also need thin markers, pens or colored pencils. Participants will need ample light and a surface to write on (for example: a night time devotion at the beach would not be a good environment for this activity). Personal Reflection Some learners require individual time to process and think through concepts before being comfortable discussing them with a group. These learners benefit greatly from some personal journaling time. These activities require some materials that you will need to assemble ahead of time. You will need to provide writing utensils and paper as well as ample light and a writing surface (such as tables, the floor or the back of a notepad). May the Lord guard and guide you as you prepare to lead your group in His Word! 2

4 Overview Day 1 -We Live To Serve, We Don't Serve To Live Verse of the Day Romans 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Word of the Day Justification - God's act that declares a sinner to be righteous, right with God and acceptable to Him. This is God's work by grace through faith in Christ. Day 2 -We Live To Serve Others So That They Will See God's Love In Us. Verse of the Day - But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... 1 Peter 3:15 Word of the Day Gentleness and Respect Gentle kind, not severe, rough, or violent. Gradual, polite ( Respect a relation of regard, esteem or deference ( Day 3 We Live To Serve The God Who Serves. Verse of the Day - Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Word of the Day Rest -relief from work, a state of peace, freedom from anxiety, a state of completion ( Day 4 We Live To Serve Without Fear Verse of the Day Isaiah 41:13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Word of the Day Fearless -without fear; bold or brave; ( Day 5 We Live To Serve Those Who Don't Deserve It Verse of the Day Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. whatever is on your heart. Word of the Day - Undeserved - not deserved, earned or merited; unfair ( Day 6 We Live to Serve, Its A Lifestyle Not An Event Verse of the Day you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. Philippians 2:15b-16a Word of the Day - Shine to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light, to be bright with reflected light ( 3

5 Day 1 -We Live To Serve, We Don't Serve To Live Bible Study Verse of the Day Romans 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Word of the Day Justification - God's act that declares a sinner to be righteous, right with God and acceptable to Him. This is God's work by grace through faith in Christ. Begin with prayer. What made you want to come to this Servant Event? Why are you here? No matter what your reason for coming to this Servant Event, God can use this time to help you learn how to serve others and show you how much He loves you! God loves you so much that He created you to be with Him. He wants you to be with Him forever in heaven. Who will be welcomed in to heaven? How do you know if you get to go there? Romans 3: In this passage we will read some terms we might not be familiar with. Here are some paraphrases that might help you understand the terms: Being declared righteous by God = being saved, going to heaven, justified Observing the law = obeying the 10 commandments perfectly, living a good life Based on Scripture, who is good enough to be considered righteous before God? Who will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law? Based on their actions, not even the most kind, loving, self sacrificing, servant hearted person can be good enough to be declared righteous by God. No one can earn a place in Heaven. NO ONE! How does that make you feel? Romans 3:21-28 Remember what justification means? Justified = to be declared righteous by God, welcomed in to heaven 4

6 According to this passage how are we justified? Ephesians 2:1-10 In this passage we read again that we are saved by faith in Jesus and not by doing good works. We don't serve others in order to live with God in heaven...we have already been given the sure hope of life with God in heaven by grace through faith in Christ. It is a free gift given to us through faith...and faith is also a free gift! The Holy spirit works faith through the Word (the Bible) and Sacraments (Baptism and the Lord's Supper). Whether you were given faith as a baby at your baptism or later in life by God working through His Word, you were justified (declared righteous) by the work of God! It's all given to you like a present! He does all the work in our salvation. WOW! What a loving God we have. We couldn't be good enough on our own to be in His presence, so He sent His son, Jesus to be perfect in our place, to take the punishment for sin in our place by dieing on the cross. Jesus paid for all our sins. It's done, over. Jesus rose from the dead and so will we. We get to spend forever with God in haven not because we are good servants, but because Jesus was in our place. You've heard it before, but let it sink in again...your sins have been forgiven in Christ and God welcomes you to heaven. You have been justified by grace through faith in Jesus. Personal Reflection Take some time by yourself to decide how that makes you feel. How does it make you feel to know that you have been justified (declared righteous by God and welcomed into heaven) by grace, through faith in Jesus? If we are justified by faith in Jesus, not by doing good, then why should we serve others? We don't serve in order to make God love us more - He already loves us more than we can understand. We don't serve in order to show how good we are we are all sinful. We don't serve in order to be justified (declared righteous and welcomed into heaven) our salvation has been accomplished for us. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. We serve because we want to show God's love to others. We live to serve because we want to...not because we have to. More about that tomorrow! Close with prayer. 5

7 Day 2 -We Live To Serve Others So That They Will See God's Love In Us. Bible Study Verse of the Day - But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... 1 Peter 3:15 Word of the Day Gentleness and Respect Gentle kind, not severe, rough, or violent. Gradual, polite ( Respect a relation of regard, esteem or deference ( Open with prayer. Have you ever encountered a high-pressured sales person? What kind of tactics do they use to persuade you to buy what they are selling? How do these tactics make you feel? Sometimes the tactics work and we buy something that we really didn't want. Later we regret the purchase, maybe even try to take it back. Has this every happened to you? Share the story with your group! Personal Reflection Think of the best teacher you ever had. What was that teacher like? Why did you want to listen to that teacher? Describe that teacher. Describe how that teacher treated you. Why did you want to listen to that teacher? Sometimes people share their faith in such a way that seems pushy or rude like a high-pressure salesperson. Their motivation may be good, but they often turn off those they are trying to witness to. What would it look like if we shared our faith the way a good teacher would instead of like a highpressured salesperson? 1 Peter 3:15 Which two adjectives in this passage describe how we should share our faith? What are some ways you could you share your faith with gentleness and respect? 6

8 When we serve others - both Christians and non-christians we are treating them with gentleness and respect. By serving them we are creating a relationship and showing them God's love in a practical way. Instead of telling them what they should believe, we are showing them what we believe and how it changes us. Our acts of service give them a reason to listen to us. We live to serve so that they will see God's love in us and want to know more. We will be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... Yesterday we left off in Ephesians 2. Go back and read Ephesians 2:8-10 again. Ephesians 2:8-10 What do you think it means that we were created to do good works? Luke 10:25-28 We spent our entire Bible Study yesterday focusing on how we are justified (declared righteous by God and welcomed into Heaven) by grace through faith in Christ, and not by our own good deeds...and now we read that Jesus is telling the expert in the law that if he obeys the law he will inherit eternal life. How confusing! What does it mean? What do you think Jesus means in this passage? If we could obey the law perfectly we would inherit eternal life on our own...but as we learned yesterday WE CAN'T! Jesus could see the man's heart and knew that He needed to learn this as well. Jesus goes on to share a parable about a man that the expert in the law probably would have had a hard time serving...a Samaritan. The Jews of that time didn't associate with Samaritans and yet this Samaritan treated the injured man with great gentleness and respect. Jesus showed this expert in the law that he wasn't able to obey the law and inherit eternal life on his own. We don't serve our neighbor to earn heaven...we serve our neighbors because they need to see God's love in us! Its what we want to do in response to what God has done for us. We live to serve! Luke 10:29-37 What can you learn about serving others from this parable? Jesus said that we should be like the Samaritan, serving others with gentleness and respect. How can you be like the Samaritan this week? How can you be like the Samaritan in your life back home? How has God been like the Good Samaritan to you? 7

9 Close with prayer. More about that tomorrow! 8

10 Day 3 We Live To Serve The God Who Serves. Bible Study Verse of the Day - Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Word of the Day Rest; relief from work, a state of peace, freedom from anxiety, a state of completion ( Open with prayer. Describe a time when someone served you. Was it hard to let someone else help you? How did it make you feel to be served? In what ways has God served you in the last year? Jesus served us by dying on the cross in our place. When you were baptized, God served you! He claimed you as His own and created faith in your heart. The Holy Spirit works through God's Word to help you grow in your understanding of that faith. Through Holy Communion Jesus serves you. He offers you his very self to give you complete assurance of His absolute forgiveness, and His sure promise of eternal life. God also serves us through His Word. How does God serve you through His Word? Luke 10:38-42 Why do you think Jesus told Martha (who was busy serving and doing good) that Mary had chosen what was better? By spending time studying the Bible we allow the Lord to serve us. Like Mary, we sit at His feet; listening and learning. The Holy Spirit works through the Scriptures to guide us, point us to Christ, and enable our acts of service. Perhaps Martha had the right idea, but the wrong order. She was a busy servant who was working for the Lord; yet Jesus stopped her and pointed her to something that should come first being served by Him. Matthew 22:

11 Why do you think that loving God is the greatest commandment? Why wouldn't loving your neighbor be greater? It is only because God serves us first that we can fully serve others. God's greatest command to us is to love Him with our heart, soul and mind. Our focus is on Him. When we experience the ways He serves and feeds us, we are equipped and enabled to more fully live out the second greatest commandment; to love our neighbor. When you fly on plane you are always given the direction: If oxygen levels are low, masks will drop from the overhead. Secure your own oxygen mask before assisting others. Why would they ask you to do such a selfish thing?! BECAUSE YOU CAN T HELP ANYONE IF YOU ARE DEAD! If you can t breath you can t help others. The healthier you are, the better you are able to serve others. That s true spiritually as well. God s Word and Sacrament are like oxygen for our soul. We need it to live, we need it to serve. Prayer, works of service, and acts of love are very important, but you need spiritual oxygen first!! You can t run if you can t breath. God serves us the oxygen we need to live through His Word and Sacrament. He serves us! Matthew 11:28-30 What does this passage mean to you, in your life? We are reminded again that God has done all that is necessary for our salvation! We can bring Him our worries and allow Him to serve us. We can rest in Him. Close in prayer. 10

12 Day 4 We Live To Serve Without Fear Bible Study Word of the Day Fearless: without fear; bold or brave; ( Verse of the Day Isaiah 41:13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Open with prayer. When you were younger, were you more afraid of the dark or thunder storms? What fears prevent you from serving others? What fears make it hard for you to live out your faith? Isaiah 41:8-14 Personal Reflection Write out all the I statements that God makes in this passage. (For example I have chosen you, I have called you...) verse 14 again. What does it mean when God calls his people O worm Jacob, O Little Israel? In the Old Testament, God called Abraham to follow Him. Some of Abraham's descendants where Issac and Jacob. God gave Jacob the name Israel. Israel and Jacob refer to the people of God...back then and today. You are a part of the spiritual Israel because you are a part of God's church. In this passage we read that God knows that we are sinful, weak and have no power of our own. On our own we have a lot to be afraid of! God knows these things about us. He knows that we are scared and that life can be difficult for us. He assures us that we are not alone. He knows our weaknesses and still loves us. He will be with us and help us. verse 14 again! In this passage, God refers to Himself as your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Jesus is our Redeemer who was holy in our place. We can be fearless because we have been redeemed by Christ! Sometimes its not the big fears that are the hardest to deal with...its the little worries. What kinds of things are you worried about? What's the difference between healthy concern and useless worry? Do you think God wants you to worry? 11

13 Luke 12:22-34 Personal Reflection Pick a verse or phrase from this passage that you find the most helpful. Write it out. Share the verse or phrase that you choose to write out. Why do you find it helpful? Psalm 94:18-19 How can God's love relieve your anxiety? In your small group sit in a circle. Each person will pray for the person to their left. Pray that the Lord would help that person with the worries and fears they have discussed, and that they would be aware of God's help in their life. Close in prayer. 12

14 Day 5 We Live To Serve Those Who Don't Deserve It Bible Study Word of the Day Undeserved - not deserved, earned or merited; unfair ( Verse of the Day Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Open with prayer. Share something in your life that you feel is unfair. The usual come back to the complaint Hey, that's not fair! is... Life's not fair. Do you agree with that statement?...is life fair? Have you ever helped someone and later thought that they really didn't deserve your help? Luke 19:1-7 Sometimes when we serve others it may not seem like they deserve it. Consider the account of Jesus and Zacchaeus. Why didn't the people like tax collectors? Other than the obvious fact that no one likes to have their money taken, there were more reasons for the people in this passage to dislike tax collectors. The people of Israel were taken over by the Romans. Imagine how difficult it would be to see your country being occupied by a foreign army of idol worshipers! The Romans were disrespectful to the Jewish Temple, made laws that discriminated against the Jewish people, took away many of their legal rights, and to top it all off they charged them to do it! The Romans charged the people taxes that they often couldn't afford to pay and hired Jewish people to collect them. Zacchaeus was a traitor. We was willing to take money from his own people in order to become rich himslef. He betrayed his people by joining the Romans. He took money from those already poor and suffering so he could live a lavish lifestyle. He took more than he was required to and kept it for himself. Can you see why the people didn't like him? Instead of being turned away by the sinfulness and unworthiness of Zacchaeus, Jesus showed him love. Zacchaeus didn't deserve it. It really wasn't fair that he got to spend time with Jesus. God doesn't treat us as our sins deserve either! In Christ we are treated unfairly. Psalm 103:8-12 Personal Reflection Take the time to write out the entire passage you just read onto an index card or note paper. Underline the lines that are especially important to you. Keep the paper as a bookmark for your Bible. When God looks at a Christian, He sees Jesus! Instead of treating us as our sin deserves, He treats us as Jesus deserves. Jesus took the punishment we deserve, and we get the reward that Jesus 13

15 earned. That's not fair! Now let's go back to the story of Zacchaeus. Luke 19:8-10 How did being treated with love (even though he didn't deserve it) change Zacchaeus' life? The passage shares the outward actions that happened in response to that change...but what was the change that happened in Zacchaeus' heart? How do you think the change in Zacchaeus impacted those around him? You may never see the change that happens in the lives of those you serve. You may never even get a thank you. We don't serve others to be thanked, to feel good, or because they deserve the help. We serve others because we want to show them God's love...love that we don't deserve. Romans 5:6-11 Personal Reflection What verse do you like the best? Why? Share your verse and why you choose it as your favorite. Personal Reflection Take some time now, on your own to write out a prayer to the Lord expressing how you feel that He loves you, asking His help to love and serve those who don't deserve it or just share whatever is on your heart. 14

16 Day 6 We Live to Serve, Its A Lifestyle Not An Event Bible Study Verse of the Day you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. Philippians 2:15b-16a Word of the Day - Shine to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light, to be bright with reflected light ( Open with prayer. What is the brightest light you have ever seen? Describe it. Have you ever stayed out at night in a location away from a city so that the you could see the stars? Describe that time. Philippians 2:1-5 How would you describe the word attitude? What does it mean? What is the difference between an attitude and a one time action? This passage ends with a call to have the same attitude as Jesus. What do you think Jesus' attitude was like? Philippians 2:6-11 Jesus' attitude is that of a servant. He wasn't a servant only for a day or for a week, but his entire attitude reflects service toward others. In what ways did Christ live out that attitude durring His life on earth? What words and actions showed His humble, servant attitude? You are a part of a week long servant event. What a great opportunity for you to help others, grow in your faith, and enjoy being part of a Christian community! Being part of a servant event is fantastic, but having the attitude of a servant is much more than a one week event. How can you live out a humble, servant attitude; back home with your family? as you hang out with your friends? at work? when you go back to school? In which of those settings is it hardest for you to shine God's love? 15

17 How could you support each other to shine in that difficult environment? Philippians 2:12-18 We can live out a servant attitude by something as small as not complaining or arguing. What other small things can you do to shine God's love in your daily life? Our servant attitude enables us to shine like stars in the universe. Stars are bright and beautiful...and yet there is a light much more powerful and radiant than the stars we see at night. The Sun is the star at the center of the solar system. It supports almost all life on Earth and drives our climate and weather with its heat and light. God's love is like the power of the sun, it changes everything! God's love for you caused Him to send Jesus to live and die in your place, justifying you before God. His love is undeserved, but it is given anyway. It allows us to rest in Him and serve Him without fear as we shine His love to others with gentleness and respect. In what way have you been changed by God's love this week? What is the most important thing you have learned this week? Close in prayer. 16

18 We Live to Serve! Closing Worship Invocation L We come together in the name of the Father C Whose undeserved love caused Him to make a plan to justify His fallen creation L...and the Son C Whose life, death and resurrection allows us to rest in Him L...and the Holy Spirit C Who enables us to treat others with gentleness and respect as we serve without fear and shine God's love to the world! Amen Confession and Absolution L O Lord, hear our prayer! C We are sinful and we need you to save us L We have not loved you with our whole heart, strength or mind C We have not loved our neighbor as our self L We don't deserve your love C Our thoughts, attitudes, words and actions are selfish and greedy. Please forgive us! L You have chosen to justify us by grace through faith in Christ C Thank you for giving us faith! L God has forgiven your sins because our Lord Jesus has paid the price and died in your place C Thank you Lord Jesus! L Your sins are gone. You can rest in Him! C Thank you Heavenly Father! Bible ings Romans 3:10-12, Philippians 2:5-11 Response L Jesus is true God and true Man C and yet He chose to have the attitude of a servant L The Lord serves us through His Word and Sacrament C He works faith in our hearts and allows us to rest in Him L Thank you Lord, for serving us! C Amen The Apostle's Creed Message Prayers L Dear Heavenly Father C Thank you for hearing our prayer. L You showed your love to us by sending Jesus to be a servant C He lived and died to serve us. L He showed love to the poor, the weak, the sick and those who didn't deserve it 17

19 C L C L C L L C He wasn t afraid to serve sinners Sinners like you and me. Thank you, Lord for showing your love to us Thank you, Lord for serving us. Help us to respond to that love by shining your love to others Help us to show your love by serving our families, our school, our community and our world with gentleness and respect. Help us to shine with your love (Raise up specific prayer requests of the group) Thank you for hearing our prayer. We love you, Lord In Jesus Name we pray, Amen. The Lord s Prayer L Let s pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us; C Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen Order of Communion Benediction L God serves us C Through Word and Sacrament. L He gives us all we need. C Jesus served us L through His life and death. C Because He Rose from the dead, we too shall rise L It is amazing that God would choose to love and even serve us! C That makes us want to serve others too L Lord, let our actions show your love to those around us C Guard and guide us! L Lord Almighty, bless and direct our days and deeds in your peace. C Amen L The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26 (New International Version) 18

20 Day 1 -We Live to Serve, We Don't Serve to Live Devotion Opening Prayer Verse of the Day Romans 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. The words Justification and Justify are not words we use often in our daily lives. What do they mean? What do they mean in a Biblical sense? Word of the Day Justification - God's act that declares a sinner to be righteous, right with God and acceptable to Him. This is God's work by grace through faith in Christ. Hands On (If your devotion time doesn't lend itself well to this activity (such as around a campfire or in a remote location) use this activity as a lead-in to your Bible Study time.) Pass out large note cards or index cards and an assortment of markers and pens. Have all participants write the word of the day with it's meaning on one side of the note card and the verse of the day on the other. Encourage participants to be creative and expressive in how they write...use of color, drawings, calligraphy, etc. These note cards can then be used as book marks in their Bibles, locker decorations for back home, reminders to carry in their backpacks or pockets etc. Group Prayer (allow participants to offer prayer requests, pray out loud popcorn style, or go around the circle having each person squeeze the hand of the person next to them when they are done praying of if they want to pass.

21 Opening Prayer Day 2 -We Live To Serve Others So That They Will See God's Love In Us. Devotion Verse of the Day - But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... 1 Peter 3:15 to this quote by Saint Francis de Sales. What do you think it means? How can it be true? There is nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. Words of the Day Gentleness and Respect Gentle kind, not severe, rough, or violent. Gradual, polite ( Respect a relation of regard, esteem or deference ( Hands On (If your devotion time doesn't lend itself well to this activity (such as around a campfire or in a remote location) use this activity as a lead-in to your Bible Study time.) Pass out large note cards or index cards and an assortment of markers and pens. Have all participants write the word of the day with it's meaning on one side of the note card and the verse of the day on the other. Encourage participants to be creative and expressive in how they write...use of color, drawings, calligraphy, etc. These note cards can then be used as book marks in their Bibles, locker decorations for back home, reminders to carry in their backpacks or pockets etc. Group Prayer (allow participants to offer prayer requests, pray out loud popcorn style, or go around the circle having each person squeeze the hand of the person next to them when they are done praying of if they want to pass.

22 Day 3 We Live To Serve The God Who Serves. Devotion Opening Prayer Verse of the Day - Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Word of the Day Rest - relief from work, a state of peace, freedom from anxiety, a state of completion ( In what ways does the Lord give you rest? Hands On (If your devotion time doesn't lend itself well to this activity (such as around a campfire or in a remote location) use this activity as a lead-in to your Bible Study time.) Pass out large note cards or index cards and an assortment of markers and pens. Have all participants write the word of the day with it's meaning on one side of the note card and the verse of the day on the other. Encourage participants to be creative and expressive in how they write...use of color, drawings, calligraphy, etc. These note cards can then be used as book marks in their Bibles, locker decorations for back home, reminders to carry in their backpacks or pockets etc. Group Prayer (allow participants to offer prayer requests, pray out loud popcorn style, or go around the circle having each person squeeze the hand of the person next to them when they are done praying of if they want to pass.

23 Day 4 We Live To Serve Without Fear Devotion Opening Prayer Verse of the Day Isaiah 41:13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Word of the Day Fearless -without fear; bold or brave; ( Over and over in Scripture God tells His people not to fear. Why do you think God wants you to live free from fear? Hands On (If your devotion time doesn't lend itself well to this activity (such as around a campfire or in a remote location) use this activity as a lead-in to your Bible Study time.) Pass out large note cards or index cards and an assortment of markers and pens. Have all participants write the word of the day on one side of the note card and the verse of the day on the other. Encourage participants to be creative and expressive in how they write...use of color, drawings, calligraphy, etc. These note cards can then be used as book marks in their Bibles, locker decorations for back home, reminders to carry in their backpacks or pockets etc. Group Prayer (allow participants to offer prayer requests, pray out loud popcorn style, or go around the circle having each person squeeze the hand of the person next to them when they are done praying of if they want to pass.

24 Day 5 We Live to Serve Those Who Don't Deserve It Devotion Opening Prayer Verse of the Day Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Word of the Day Undeserved - not deserved, earned or merited; ( to this this statement and discuss if you think it is true: Nothing you can do will make God love you more. Nothing you can do will make God love you less. Nothing you can do will make God love you more. He already loves you more than you can imagine. Nothing you can do will make God love you less. You can't earn God's love, He has chosen to love you. God loves the world (John 3:16) and wants all humankind to come to faith in Christ and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) Hands On (If your devotion time doesn't lend itself well to this activity (such as around a campfire or in a remote location) use this activity as a lead-in to your Bible Study time.) Pass out large note cards or index cards and an assortment of markers and pens. Have all participants write the word of the day on one side of the note card and the verse of the day on the other. Encourage participants to be creative and expressive in how they write...use of color, drawings, calligraphy, etc. These note cards can then be used as book marks in their Bibles, locker decorations for back home, reminders to carry in their backpacks or pockets etc. Group Prayer (allow participants to offer prayer requests, pray out loud popcorn style, or go around the circle having each person squeeze the hand of the person next to them when they are done praying of if they want to pass.

25 Day 6 We Live to Serve, Its A Lifestyle Not An Event Devotion Opening Prayer Verse of the Day you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. Philippians 2:15b-16a Word of the Day - Shine to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light, to be bright with reflected light ( How has someone else in the group shined God's love to you this week? Hands On (If your devotion time doesn't lend itself well to this activity (such as around a campfire or in a remote location) use this activity as a lead-in to your Bible Study time.) Pass out large note cards or index cards and an assortment of markers and pens. Have all participants write the word of the day on one side of the note card and the verse of the day on the other. Encourage participants to be creative and expressive in how they write...use of color, drawings, calligraphy, etc. These note cards can then be used as book marks in their Bibles, locker decorations for back home, reminders to carry in their backpacks or pockets etc. Numbers 6:24-26 What does it mean to have The Lord's face shine upon you? Group Prayer (allow participants to offer prayer requests, pray out loud popcorn style, or go around the circle having each person squeeze the hand of the person next to them when they are done praying of if they want to pass.