SERVING SACRIFICIALLY
WEEK TEN:
THE HEART OF A SERVANT
INTRODUCTION
This weekend, we came to the final stage of our journey in the Serving Sacrificially series. During this week’s study, we will review some of the key lessons we’ve learned along the way and reflect on the question: What’s next? We will also be exploring how important it is to take these next steps with the right heart—the heart of a servant.
WEEKLY FOCUS
This week we will . . .
• EXPLORE: Galatians 5:13-14
• READ: The Purpose Driven Life: Day 34
• REFLECT: On the lessons we’ve learned in this series and our next steps
EXPLORE
Read Galatians 5:13-14 in the New Living Translation (NLT). (You can find this version on the YouVersion Bible app or at Biblegateway.com.) Then answer the following questions.
• According to this verse, what’s the wrong way to view our “freedom” in Christ? What’s the right way to view it?
• How does this passage apply to what we’ve learned about service in this series?
READ
Read Day 34: “Thinking Like a Servant” in The Purpose Driven Life. As you read, write down thoughts or insights that you’d like to share with your Life Group this week.
REFLECT
1) Although our primary service should flow out of our SHAPE, we still need to be willing to serve at times in areas outside our natural strengths. When these kinds of needs come up, how do you tend to react? Are there any areas of “required service” (in your home, work, ministry, etc.) where God is asking you to change your attitude?
2) This weekend we learned how important it is to have the heart of a servant. In Day 34, Rick identifies five ways that servants think:
• Servants think more about others than themselves.
• Servants think like stewards, not owners.
• Servants think about their work, not what others are doing.
• Servants base their identity in Christ.
• Servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation.
Which of these is most challenging for you, and why?
In what ways (if any) has God been changing your heart in these areas during this study?
3) Spend a moment reviewing your notes from this weekend’s message. What have been some of the most important lessons you’ve learned in this series? How has it impacted the way you think about service as a whole? Have you gained any new insights into how God has “shaped” you to serve in your family, your church and the world? If so, how will this impact the way you serve in the future?
4) As we come to the end of this series, do you sense God calling you to serve specifically in any new ways (e.g. In your home? In the church? In the world? etc.)? If you are not sure, spend some time journaling and asking God to reveal His next steps for you. Share what God reveals to you in your Life Group this week.
5) This week we will be finishing our journey together this session by taking communion in our Life Groups. To prepare for this, read Philippians 2:3-11 in the New International Version. Reflect on the following questions and write down key thoughts or reflections in your journal for discussion.
• What steps did Jesus take to become the “ultimate servant”?
• Why is it important to prepare our hearts BEFORE we serve?
• What was the end result of Jesus’ service?
• What are the lessons we can learn from His example for our lives?