The Power of Serving: How One Life of Service Changed Everything

So, I couldn't sleep much last night. I couldn't fall asleep, and I've been fighting a cold myself, and so I couldn't fall asleep, and I had watched Thunder Games, so I was all riled up, and couldn't fall asleep, so I put an AirPod in and listened to a podcast a little bit, and then I fell asleep with the AirPod in, and shut the thing off, never put it away, and about 5.58 this morning, I hear a, in my ear,

good morning, Caleb, I have an urgent request for you, and it's Siri talking a text message to me from Logan, but at 5.58 in the morning, when you hear a voice in your head, you just assume it's God, and I'm like, okay, you know, okay, so God is like, good morning, Caleb, I have an urgent request for you, and I was like, I'm like, yes, I'll do it, whatever you need, whatever,

but then I grabbed my phone and looked, and it was Logan, and he's fighting fever, and it's no fun, and he was like, can you come teach this morning, and I said, well, when you think it's God, you just say yes, so here I am, Refuge, and I said, well, what time do I have to be there?

What's the latest I can get there, and he told me, and so I just, my wife woke up, and I was like, happy Mother's Day, I have something to tell you, and I said, Logan's sick, and she goes, so you're preaching, and I was like, I am, and she was like, I'm going back to sleep, and so I went into the office and wrote something, and I spent some time in prayer, so now I just told Kelsey, you know, if this was a church where Logan would preach for 40 minutes, that would be a bad deal,

so very thankful that you guys have a tight service around here, because that's what you're gonna get from me, so this is what it's gonna be doing.

I did grow up Southern Baptist, but I will not be long-winded today, I promise you that much, so we're gonna have a good time.

We're gonna have a good time, I do wanna take a moment and recognize it is Mother's Day, and I'm thankful for that, I don't have a full Mother's Day sermon planned or anything, because reasons, okay, but I do recognize mothers, I love being married to my wife, who is a wonderful mother to my three children, I have a fantastic mother, and also today is a heavy day for many, and I don't take that lightly.

I lost my best friend at 21 years old, and every Mother's Day I make sure to reach out to his mom and just tell her how much we love her.

So I recognize that today brings up a lot of mixed emotions for those of us in the room, so can I do this, can I pray over the mothers this morning, can I pray, if you are a mom, we're so thankful for you and the work that you do.

If you desire with your whole soul to be a mother, and that's something that hasn't happened yet, can I pray for you, and for those of us who have been mothers, and today is hard because we haven't, maybe we don't get to play that role right now, can I just lift you up in prayer, and could the Father just meet us wherever we are in this room.

Would you do that with me, and let's welcome the Spirit into the room and pray over those who are so special to us.

Jesus, we are so thankful for you.

God, whatever it is we're walking through, you got a name for that thing.

So Lord, I just ask that you would be whatever it is that we need you to be.

For the mothers in our lives, Lord, we're just so thankful, would you pour out your blessing and gratitude unto them today for what they've done for us.

God, for those who today is a hard day, and they're longing for answers, would you be the alpha and the omega in their life, would you be the beginning and the end, that you hold their future in your hand, and you want good things for them, Jesus.

Would they know that today?

If today is hard, Jesus, would you be a rock and a fortress for those who need to be you?

Maybe they need to just cry out to you in frustration, God, thank you that your name is Wonderful Counselor, and you desire us to call out, so would we talk to you today?

Would you meet us wherever this day lands in our lives?

Would you do what only you can do, and I thank you, God, that for whatever it is we're walking through, you've got a name for that thing.

I pray that your word would speak loudly today, that you would remove me from anything that we have today, and I pray that we walk out of this room a little differently than the way we walked in.

In your name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, let's get after it.

I thought I walked into my office, or not my office, it's definitely my wife's.

She runs the show.

I'm just her arm candy.

So I just make her life a little better.

But walked into her office this morning and started writing, and I was like, I don't know how to have a full Mother's Day sermon, but I have learned something from my mother.

And so I would just love to teach you a lesson from my mom, if you don't know my mother.

Her name is Sue Kinney.

She is this tall, and she's from Ada, Oklahoma.

Go Cougars, she says.

And she's never done a wrong thing in her life.

She's just the sweetest little lady, and everything's always just like, got to do things right, got to be perfect.

And she married my dad, who was like a true, not like hypothetical, like a real-life hippie from like, you know, he had long hair, was the whole hippie dude, like did this.

They couldn't be more opposite, and it's hilarious, you know.

Like my mom's like, every time we were playing a video game growing up, she was like, this is too violent.

And my dad rounds the corner, and he's like, yeah.

Like they're just like, they couldn't be more opposite.

And my mom taught me so many things, and I think the thing that I learned when we were talking with her a few weeks ago, we were like, mom, you were always busy.

And I just need to say sorry, because we would always get so annoyed at your busyness.

We never knew what you were doing.

But she was like, yeah, dirty clothes have to be washed.

And I was like, but as an 8-year-old, I don't comprehend that.

Like food had to be bought and prepared and cooked and cleaned, and I just didn't comprehend those things.

And I needed to be disciplined, and I didn't know why.

And then, see, I thought I was a really good parent, and God just gave me a daughter first.

And I was like, I've got this thing figured out.

Rosalyn, my daughter, she's 13.

She was so easy.

Now she's a teenager, and I'm the worst person that's ever lived.

Literally, I walk in, I'm like, good morning, Rosalyn.

And I'm like, I'm sorry.

I don't know.

Like I literally, I feel like she's my celebrity crush.

Like when I see her, I'm like, hey, we're going to have dinner.

I'm not trying to bother you.

You're probably busy.

I'll leave you alone.

Like I'm just trying to impress her.

But I thought I was good at it when she was little.

And then I had two sons, and it was like God just laughed at me very loudly, like you think you have anything figured out.

And so I was getting on to my youngest the other day, and my mother just looks at me and goes, you deserve it.

And I was like, I do.

That was literally me.

That was me.

But I learned from her.

And the thing that I admire the most about my mother is she didn't just serve us constantly at home.

She was a person who served people.

She had a saying that was the worst, and I can still hear it ringing in my ear.

Every time I'd finish a project or finish something for school or do something at home, and she'd be like, okay, it's done.

But did you go the extra mile?

And I'd be like, no, mother.

I didn't go the extra mile.

I did what would get me a 91.

And she was like, but God gave you the ability to get 100.

And I was like, he gave you the ability to get 100.

That's what it is.

So even last week, she was like talking about I was, I preached a few weeks ago in another church, and she was like, it was really good, Caleb.

Like, you did so good here.

You did so good here.

I'm always just so impressed with what you've become.

I was like, well, what did you think I was going to become, mom?

Like, what was the outcome going to be?

She was like, well, you're pretty short.

You got no hair and one eye.

I didn't know.

I was like, I didn't know.

I was like, I love her.

But she did.

She taught me how to serve.

And it was so funny.

She was always either running around doing things around our house.

We had an upstairs.

She never really came upstairs to, like, clean that mess.

She was like, if it's out of the way, I don't have to see it.

Unless we were, like, on the phone or she thought we were doing something bad, she was always putting away clothes walking around us.

You know what I'm saying?

She did that.

She was always serving at church, whether it's in the kids ministry.

They ran the singles ministry for a while.

The young adults and the Mary class.

And now they lead the senior adult ministry where she still, like, goes.

And she has this massive wildflower garden that she plants so she can make bouquets for the widows of our church that she's always taking and filling in their home.

And she's just a wonderful, wonderful servant.

In fact, we would come home, I would say, you know, five out of ten nights and we'd smell this delicious meal that she'd prepared.

And we'd walk in and be, like, so excited.

And she's like, oh, this is for someone else.

But you guys can go get Little Caesars.

And we're like, oh, okay.

Awesome.

About five out of ten meals she was taking to somebody else.

But I would say this.

The thing I learned is, what I want to share for us today is, the lesson I learned from her is, what would happen if we served people?

And this isn't a, listen, I'm not your pastor.

I'm not on staff here.

I'm not asking you to go volunteer in the kids' classes.

Although, if you wanted to, I'm sure Logan would be pleased, okay?

That we'd come out of the fever dream and, like, oh, you got a bunch of new volunteers.

That's not my goal this morning.

My goal isn't to get you to sign up to volunteer.

My goal is for us to consider this church word that we use a lot, is what does it mean to serve people?

What would happen if we served?

And what does that even mean?

I have the opportunity to be a Bible teacher.

One of my favorite things to do is to ask students what this word means.

And it's, like, a church word they use all the time.

And if they give me churchy answers back, I just boo them.

They're like, well, because I think that's what God has, like, called us to.

I'm literally like, boo.

Like, thank you for saying nothing.

You know what I'm saying?

Like, what does this actually mean?

So I want to look at three things quickly today, and we'll wrap up.

Why do we serve people?

Why is this something that we do?

And I think the first reason is because Jesus modeled it.

Like, if you go into John chapter 13, you see that Jesus, in the busiest week of his life, decides to host a slow dinner.

John 13 · chapter mention

Now, everything that Jesus does tends to bother me because it's the opposite of the way in which I live my life, right?

Like, how often in the busiest week of your life are you like, this week is crazy, my kid has this practice, and then this practice, and then this practice, and this practice.

And, of course, they're all the same day on opposite sides of town.

And then we've got to get here and get here, and there's only two seasons in Oklahoma.

It's winter and construction, so it's never easy to get anywhere.

You know what I mean?

You're always going somewhere, and everything's busy.

What's the first thing to go when you look at your calendar and you have a really busy week?

I'm not planning no meals.

Like, this is crazy.

Like, this wonderful, like, Sunday we're going to meal prep.

Liar.

You're a liar, okay?

On the busy weeks, I look at it and be like, well, we're not prepping food this week.

I don't even have time to stop and pray.

I've got to get Chick-fil-A because that chicken's pre-blessed.

That's the only time I've got.

I don't even have time to stop and pray for it.

Although we did a few weeks ago on the way to practice eat Chick-fil-A in the Hobby Lobby parking lot, and I was like, this is what heaven's like right here.

This right here.

This is heaven.

I never felt more spiritual in my life.

That was not on the notes.

Okay.

Jesus, in the busiest week of his life, decides to host a slow, long dinner.

And at it, in John 13, verse 1, it says this, that Jesus, it was just before the Passover feast.

John 13:1

Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.

Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

Which meaning that everything that Jesus had done up to this point in John 13, verse 1, was a fraction of his love.

John 13:1

And the moment he decided to show them the full extent of his love was right now.

And it was at this long dinner that he hosted.

And I love family dinners because there's always the awkward family member at the dinner.

You know what I'm talking about?

It's Mother's Day.

You might be about to have that meal with that person.

You know that person who's like, you're sitting around eating, and they're like, you know, who did you all vote for?

And you're like, what?

Why are we talking about this?

You know?

And if you're wondering, my family doesn't have that person, can I tell you?

You're the family member.

You're the awkward one.

They all play the role of the awkward family member at the dinner.

They're all sitting around eating, talking, and then Jesus is like, guys, guys, guys, guys, guys, guys.

Guess what?

And they're like, what?

And he's like, one of you, I'm not saying who, is going to betray me.

And they're like, uh, what, what?

And they go on and they keep having this thing.

And they're like, sure they're not, sure they're not.

But then Jesus decides to do something.

He decides to show them the full extent of his love.

He's like, everything I've done for you has been a fraction of my love.

But for you to feel how much I love you, the full extent, I have to do one thing.

And he begins to wash their feet.

See, the full extent of Jesus' love for us, we always talk about the cross and we do this.

But actually when scripture says the full extent of his love was the way in which he lowered himself to serve those he loved.

He would then love us to the full extent on the cross.

But you see, it's the same thing.

It's more dramatic and it's bigger and these kind of things.

But the full extent of Jesus' love was shown by the way in which he served people.

So why do we serve people?

Because Christ modeled it.

Because in order to show those the full extent of your love, you serve them.

You see, any of us can say we'll do something.

My favorite parable that Jesus tells is the story of the two brothers who go to farm the field, right?

He says, one of them he says to go tend the field.

And he's like, sure, I will.

But he doesn't do it.

And the other one says, sure, no, I'm not going to do it.

But then goes and tends to the field.

And he's like, which one did the right?

You see, we're often the first brother because we're like, yes, we should serve people.

So you and I think we serve people because we've said yes to God.

We'll do it.

And our intention dies at the yes.

But the full extent of loving people isn't me telling my wife how much I love her, me telling my children how much I love them.

That's a fraction of my love.

The real extent of the love is what was modeled to me by the Father who said the full extent of my love is the way in which I will serve you.

So why do we do it?

Because Christ modeled it.

Why else do we do it?

I love the Bible because I can't figure it out, okay?

I love it.

I think, my dad's always like, we're going to learn so much, we're going to know so much when we get to heaven.

And I'm like, disagree.

I think I'm going to walk around heaven and be like, I can't wait to get to heaven and find out everything I'm wrong about.

It's most, okay?

I'm going to walk around being like, everyone's going to be like, we're going to be worshiping.

I'm like, not me.

I'm going to be going, how'd you do this?

Why'd you do this?

How'd you do this?

What'd you do this?

He's going to be like, go bother Peter.

I'm going to Peter, I'm like, why'd you cut the dude's ear off?

What was it like walking on water?

What cuss word did you say?

Like, that's what I'm going to say.

Like, I want to know everything.

And I want to teach forever.

Hopefully I'll go find something out and be like, where are my friends from refuge?

Guys, guess what?

We're wrong about it.

And it's because it's so ambiguous sometimes, right?

Like, you know, those people who are like, you know, I opened my Bible and it was exactly

what I needed today.

God just spoke to me.

And I'm like, what?

I needed something.

And I'm opening and reading about a sheet gate.

And why is this not helpful to me?

And some people are just like, I just see.

But every now and then in scripture, it's spelled out clearly what we're to do.

And those are my favorite texts, right?

Why do we serve people?

Well, Christ modeled it.

And then 59 times in the New Testament, you and I are commanded to do things for one another.

They're called the one another's in scripture.

I thought I'd read them all to you.

It says this, what are you supposed to do for one another?

Well, Caleb, I don't know if that's actually something I have to do.

59 times you're commanded in the New Testament.

It says, be at peace with one another.

Wash one another's feet.

Love one another.

Love one another with brotherly affection.

Outdo one another.

Showing some honor.

Live in harmony with one another.

Let us not pass judgment on one another.

Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.

Instruct one another.

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

Got to stop shaking hands, Refuge.

Just kidding.

We aren't French.

Greet one another.

Listen to this.

When you come together to eat, wait for one another.

So that person that takes a bite before you get your food, they're actually in sin.

There you go.

That's not true.

Have the same concern for one another.

Through love, serve one another.

If you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear one another's burdens with patience.

Bear with one another in love.

Be kind to one another.

Forgive one another.

Address each other with psalms and spiritual songs.

Submit to one another.

In humility, count one another more important than yourselves.

Don't lie to one another.

Bear with one another.

If someone has a complaint against one another, forgive each other.

Teach and admonish one another.

In all wisdom, abound in love with one another.

Encourage one another.

Build one another up.

Exhort one another.

Every day, stir up one another toward love and good works.

Encourage one another.

Don't speak evil against one another.

Confess your sins for one another.

Pray for one another.

Have unity in mind, sympathy, and brotherly love with one another.

Show hospitality with one another.

Receive gifts from one another.

Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another.

And then 1 John.

Love one another.

Love one another.

Love one another.

Love one another.

Love one another.

Love one another.

Love one another.

Love one another.

Do we get it?

This is not an idea, church.

This is a command.

Why?

Why is this a lesson?

Well, Christ made an example out of it.

And 59 times you are commanded to do things for one another.

Why is this a big deal?

Can I tell you why, church?

Because if you and I do not do these things for one another,

when we begin to tell the world what we have to offer for them,

they'll never believe us.

And that is devastating.

That crushes me.

Because here's what I know.

The world is very clear about what the church, I'm not talking about your church,

Capital C.

The world knows what the church is against.

We are so loud about the things that we are against,

and they have no idea what we're for.

Because we spend all of our time shouting about the things that we're against.

It's time we start showing them the things that we're for.

And if we tell them all the things we'll do for them,

you'll be accepted here, you'll be received here, you'll be prayed for here,

you'll be met here, you'll be served here.

And they're like, no, we won't.

You won't even do those things for each other.

All I ever hear is how bad this church is and that church is.

It's like we're on competition, like we're on a different team.

I drove past nine churches on my way here this morning.

I prayed for all nine of them.

Holy Spirit, would you fall on that place.

If we don't do these things for one another, guys,

we don't have a chance at reaching anybody out there.

I'm so tired of hearing people be like, we've got to be the church outside the walls.

I'm like, you built the walls, bro.

Those aren't in the book.

We got to do these things for one another.

It has to start here.

It must start here.

Because they'll never believe us if we're not doing it for one another.

They should be like, what's going on at refuge?

Like my prayer for my students, I tell them this all the time,

isn't that you would be interested in one another.

It's that you would be like heartbroken when you wake up in the morning.

Lord, give me a word of encouragement to say to my friend when they walk in this room.

God, give me a word to speak over my children when I see them this morning.

Give me a word of encouragement.

God, give me a prayer.

May they come to me with a need so that I can labor, as Paul writes about prayer,

I can sweat and labor in prayer over the people which I love.

This is a command over and over and over in the New Testament.

So why do we serve?

Because Christ made an example out of it.

And because we are commanded to over and over and over again.

And the third and final reason is because we see what's possible when we do it.

My favorite book of the Bible is the book of Ruth.

And it is my favorite book of the Bible because about 11 years ago,

I was like, why is the book of Ruth in here?

What a weird book.

Why is there, like, there's all these wars and crazy things happen,

and then there's just a rom-com in the middle of the Old Testament.

And don't get me wrong.

I love a rom-com.

You've got mail all day.

Sleepless in Seattle when Harry met Sally.

Let's go.

I love it because my wife only watches true crime.

Every night before we go to bed, she's like, it's been a stressful day.

Can we just turn on forensic files?

And every night, I'm dreaming I'm being chased or murdered or something like this.

And I'm like, baby, I just want to watch Great British Bake Off.

I want to know if this tart is underbaked.

That's all I want to know.

And you're like, Evan, she's like, I'm just so stressed out.

Let's just watch Unsolved Mysteries.

And I'm like, yeah, that's going to help me fall right to sleep.

So she falls asleep to this, and I turn on whatever rom-com Netflix has my way,

and I'm just like, this makes me happy.

About 11 years ago, I sought to understand.

I was like, why is the Book of Ruth in this Bible?

And I've been studying it for about 11 years, not every day consistently,

but I keep coming back to it.

In fact, the first thing I do in my class when my students come in

is we spend six weeks in the Book of Ruth.

And they're like, what are we going to do in here for a week?

And I'm like, ooh.

And then we get done at six weeks.

They're like, we're already moving on?

A fascinating book that I've come to just love.

Now, it's weird, okay?

It starts with a woman named Naomi, and she's married and has these sons.

And their sons get married to these other women,

and then her sons and her husband die.

And then she's miserable.

She's like, don't call me Naomi anymore.

Call me Mara because my life is bitter.

And everyone's like, why is she like this?

And I'm like, well, because she's lost everything.

Of course she is.

This has been hard.

And then she tells these women, and one is named Orpah.

It's like Oprah but different.

And then Orpah and Ruth, she's like, go.

I don't have any other sons.

I don't have your life.

And she's like, no, I'm going to stay and follow you.

And she's like, go.

Go back to where you're home.

And Orpah leaves.

And then Ruth is like, nope.

I'm going to stay by your side and serve you because that's the vow I made to my husband,

and that's what I'm going to do.

And she's like, you stubborn girl.

And Ruth is like, yep.

And I'm like, I have one of those now.

Ruth decides to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, and serve her.

And then maybe my favorite verse in all the Bible.

Ruth goes and she is gleaning in the fields where she's like trying to make some money for them.

And there's a verse in Ruth 2, verse 3, and it says,

Ruth 2:3

As it turns out, Ruth was gleaning in the field that belonged to a man named Boaz.

Now, this phrase, as it turned out, is about my favorite thing in the Bible

because isn't that the way the Lord works all the time?

Huh.

As it turns out, last night I couldn't sleep, so I put an AirPod in my ear.

And here I am, Refuge Church.

Now, you might be saying, as it turns out, we wish it would have fallen out of the bed of the night.

I don't know how bored you are this morning with me, but as it turns out, here I am.

As it turns out, she was gleaning in the field of Boaz.

Now, why is this a big deal?

People who say the Bible's boring, you're reading a different book than me.

Can I just tell you this?

Because when I began looking at this book, I was like, why is the book of Ruth in here?

Because as I read it, it's a love story.

It's a rom-com in the middle of the Bible.

What's going on here?

But if you zoom out and look at the book of Ruth from 30,000 feet, it's incredible.

You see, because years later, there was a man named Abraham, and he had a family member named Lot.

And they began to clash over where they wanted to go and what their life wanted to be at.

And God had anointed them to be the people of God.

He was going to make his nation out of these people.

And it lasted for one whole chapter.

And in one chapter, God's people get angry with one another, and they split and go their separate ways.

And God's people are broken from this point on until Ruth chapter 2, verse 3.

Ruth 2:3

As it turns out, Ruth from the tribe of Lot is gleaning the field of Boaz from the tribe of Abraham.

So from 30,000 feet, the book of Ruth is actually about God's people reuniting and all things being as they should be.

This is the book of Ruth.

So from 30,000 feet, God is reuniting.

He's been working to draw his people back where? Towards one another.

To serve one another.

And once God's people are reunited, he could do something really cool.

Because what would happen, as it turns out, Ruth from the tribe of Lot and Boaz from the tribe of Abraham,

she begins to glean in his field.

And she decides, I'm going to serve Naomi, so I've got to make money for my mother-in-law.

So she serves her by working, where she meets a man.

And they fall in love. That's what the rest of the book is about.

They fall in love, and it's wonderful.

And they have a child.

And their son's name is Obed, normal name.

And Obed grows up, and he meets a woman.

And they fall in love.

And they have a son.

And their son's name is Jesse.

And Jesse grows up, and he falls in love, and he has a bunch of sons.

And his youngest son is named David.

The David who would slay a giant.

Who would become a king.

And a man after God's own heart.

And from the line of David would come a woman named Mary.

Who would give birth to a son named Jesus.

Who would save the world.

That's what happens when you serve people.

That's the power of saying,

I'm going to set aside my wants and my ambitions.

Because Christ modeled it for me.

Because I've been commanded to do it over and over and over.

And I believe what's possible when we serve.

Because Ruth, as it turns out,

Ruth was in the field that belonged to Boaz.

And because of that, you and I are in this gym this morning.

That's why we're here.

That's the power of serving people.

So it's not 10 minutes out of your day.

It's not an inconvenience.

It's not five less minutes on TikTok or whatever you're spending your time on.

It's the power when Jesus says you will do even greater things than I.

He's not a liar.

He can't lie.

This is who he is.

We're not agenda driven people.

We are passion driven people.

That's who we got to be.

We don't see people as people to serve as an agenda for us to check off the list.

We serve people because it's who we are, church.

May we be a church of people that can't help but serve people.

We serve people because we love our king.

And that's what our king did.

We serve people because our God commands us over and over and over in the New Testament to serve people.

That's why we serve people.

And we serve people because we believe what's possible when we do.

A woman who served her mother-in-law led to Christ changing the world.

What's stopping you, church?

This is what he's called us to be.

People who serve.

And that's not an ambiguous thing.

If you want to know what I mean by serve, I just read you 59 of them.

Who can you love today that needs love?

Who can you love today that needs love?

Can I tell you something?

There's a mother in here who has experienced loss that needs your love today.

There's someone in here that desires to be a mother that needs your love today.

May we be a church that doesn't leave the room without doing what God has commanded us to do.

There's someone in your family whom you love that you need to pray for today.

Not here, out loud.

Speak the word of God in prayer over them.

What could that change in their life if you were to do that?

There's somebody that you know that needs you to encourage them today.

To meet with them today.

To greet them with joy and hospitality today.

Maybe it's the way you change your face when you walk into a room.

Instead of walking in, you smile. You engage people. Why?

59 times we're commanded to do this.

Caleb, you don't understand. My week is really busy. Busier than his was.

He was about to save the world.

Maybe we could slow down for a moment.

Create some space in our life.

And say, who is it

that God has called me to be the hands and the feet of Jesus to this week?

Because he did it.

He called me to do it.

And look what's possible when we do.

What an incredible Bible.

May we be a people that don't serve people because it's an agenda.

Would we be a church

that serves people because it's who we are?

It's a fire in our bones that we can't keep in.

Because we are passionate about being the hands and feet of Jesus.

And then when we tell the world

what Christ has to offer them, they will believe you.

Because they've seen it.

And they will be drawn to the cross.

Where there is redemption and mercy and grace.

And God can change everything about everything for them.

May we not get in the way of that church because of our own agenda.

Would we do things for one another?

And may people be drawn to the grace of Jesus.

And may be changed forever and ever.

Because you and I decided that we would serve one another.

I pray for you, Lord Jesus.

I pray over this church.

God, I pray that we would be a people who serve.

Not because you have to or out of obligation.

But because you modeled it for us.

You commanded it to us.

And we believe what's possible when we do.

Would we be a people that this wouldn't be something that we say, yes, we should do this.

And we walk out of this room exactly the same.

May this be tangible, touchable today, God.

Would we go greet somebody today who needs it?

Would we go pray over somebody that we know needs it?

May we have sympathy, God. Would we meet with people? Why?

Because you called us to do what we believe what's possible to do.

And may the actions of your church today, may us being the hands and feet of Jesus,

would it draw people towards a relationship with you.

That they see what we have here is different.

Not because of us, but because of your grace, Jesus.

Because we aren't doing what we're supposed to.

We're passionate about being who you've called us to be.

So God, may we be the hands and feet of Jesus as a church.

When we walk out of this room a little differently than the way we walked in.

In your name we pray. Amen.