How to Serve
Living to Serve
If you had to come up with a motto to describe a true follower of Christ, a good one would be “living to
serve.” This is the way Jesus lived while He was on this earth. As you go through this study, you will be
challenged to live this way. This is more than the spiritual gift of serving; it is a lifestyle we should all
pursue.
Week 1: Analyze
Ask yourself the following questions and write out your honest replies. Do this as a group. You
can choose to work through it and then come back and go through it, or you can go through it
question by question. Whatever works best for your group.
Think back to yesterday. What kind of things did you do for others? (Describe any situations where
you did something for someone else without be asked or told.)
How did it make the person feel? (Describe the way the person reacted.)
How did it make you feel? (Describe the way you felt after doing it.)
Couldn’t think of anything? Well, that’s okay. Maybe you did think of something, but it took you a
while.
Now think about anything you did for yourself yesterday.
Example: Made myself breakfast, went shopping for new shoes, watched a movie, etc.
List ten things you did for yourself:
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________
6. ______________________________
7. ______________________________
8. ______________________________
9. ______________________________
10. ______________________________
Why it is so much easier to think of ten things you did for yourself? There is a reason…because we live
in a self-centered society. It is instinctive to think about yourself. How YOU feel, what YOU want to do,
what YOU want to eat, where YOU want to go. This is because of sin. The root of all sin is selfishness.
God wants us to defy this mindset and that is why learning how to serve others is so important. This is
about focusing on others and not yourself. A lifestyle of serving others does not happen automatically.
You must decide to change and ask for the Sprit’s help.
Think of five things someone else has done for you. List these below.
Example: One time my friend gave me a gift and it wasn’t even my birthday.
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________
Describe how it made you feel to be served in these situations.
What do you think about the people that served you in these ways?
What does the word serve really mean? Make an attempt to come up with a definition for the word
serve. Do this without the use of a dictionary.
To me, the word serve means…
Look up the following passages and look for what each one reveals about serving.
Matthew 20:26
Philippians 2:7
2 Timothy 2:24
Luke 17:7-10
Matthew 6:24
Colossians 3:24
Ephesians 6:7 Romans 12:9-­14 Philippians 2:14 Colossians 3:17 Colossians 3:2 Philippians 2:3 PRAY
Ask for the Lord to reveal to you what it means to live as a servant.
Pray for opportunities to serve others this week.
Pray for the people in your small group to have servants’ hearts this week.
Ask for the Spirit’s help to serve others in a way that honors the Lord.
Week 2: Three Main Characteristics
Now you will be looking into three characteristics found in a true servant: Availability,
Willingness, and Humility.
#1 Availability
Think about it…are you really available to serve others? Is your life filled up with so much
of what you want that there is no room for the needs of others? Imagine sitting on a street
corner and seeing someone who is hungry. You have the means to help them, because
there is $3 in your pocket. Are you available to help them or are you too busy going to the
next item on your agenda for the day? Choices like this will come up from time to time in
your life and you have to posture yourself to be available to respond when the need
arrives. How do you do this?
Look to Jesus. Read Matthew 9:18-26.
What does this passage say to you about being available?
How can you make yourself available?
What type of things could you be missing out on by not being available?
#2 Willingness
Jesus was willing to serve and help those in need. He was not concerned about popularity,
but was concentrated on people. Willingness requires effort to step into situations God
will bring across your path to serve others. Being willing means you have boldness to act
and not hesitate. Willingness means you take advantage of each opportunity.
Look to Jesus. Read John 4:4-26.
What does this passage say to you about being willing?
How can you make yourself willing?
What are few things you may not be willing to do? What things can you do to be more
willing?
#3 Humility
Jesus was definitely humble. He wasn’t worried about upholding some reputation.
Humility is about lowering oneself in order to minister to others. It is being more
concerned with the needs of others, than with your own. Christ exemplified this in many
ways throughout His ministry on earth. To be humble in today’s society is not normal.
Most people are concerned with getting themselves promoted instead of promoting
others. Humility is the opposite of pride. God is looking for humble people to show His
love by serving others.
Look to Jesus. Read Mark 2:13-17.
What does this passage say to you about being humble?
What areas in in your life do you struggle being humble?
When you know someone is not humble what is your thought of them? How does that
represent Christ well? How can you work on being humble?
3 Ways to Pray
1) Pray together declaring to God that you want to be available to serve others.
2) Pray together declaring to God that you want to be willing to serve others.
3) Pray together declaring your desire to live with humility.