In Sunday School and in the sermon this week, we continued our series on the importance of Sunday School. As a family, review the Sunday School Scripture (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 28-30; Ephesians 4:11-13) and sermon notes and Scripture (1 Peter 4:8-11).
Review the MEMORY VERSE: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:7
DISCUSS: What did you learn this week about the importance of serving one another? In Sunday School this week, we learned about spiritual gifts. What was your spiritual gift? How can you use that gift to minister in the Body of Christ?
Read 2 Timothy 1:9
Why are we saved? According to this passage of Scripture, we are saved by grace for God’s purposes. Pastor Rick Warren writes, “God redeemed you so you could do his holy work. You’re not saved by service, but you are saved for service. In God’s kingdom, you have a place, a purpose, a role, and a function to fulfill. This gives your life great significance and value” (The Purpose Drive Life).
Read 1 Corinthians 12:27
Paul explains that each believer is an important and necessary part of the Body of Christ. YOU are significant and needed in the Body of Christ. Without your contribution, the Body suffers. With your contribution, the Body becomes healthier and glorifies God. So how can YOU contribute?
In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, author and Pastor Rick Warren encourages us to use the acrostic SHAPE to discover the unique ways God has enabled each of us to contribute.
Spiritual Gifts – What spiritual gifts has God given you? How can you use your gift to minister in the church?
Heart – What has God made you passionate about? How can you use your passions to serve others?
Ability – What abilities or talents has God given you? How can you use these to glorify God?
Personality – How are you unique? How can you use your unique personality to contribute?
Experience – What life experiences are part of your testimony? How can your experiences help others?
Take time to really think about your God-given SHAPE. Remember, you are saved and shaped for service! How will you use your SHAPE to serve the Body and glorify God? Make a list of ministries you could become involved in or even start at your local church. Pray and ask God to direct you as you strive to use your SHAPE to contribute. Then, plug into the Body of Christ!!
In Sunday School and in the sermon this week, we continued our series on worship, focusing specifically on worshiping through acts of service. As a family, review the Sunday School and sermon notes and Scripture (Romans 12:1-8).
Review the MEMORY VERSE: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39, NIV
DISCUSS: What did you learn this week about worship?
In this week’s sermon, Pastor Jamey reminded us that we worship with our lives when we:
Read Matthew 5:13
Read this quote by author John Stott from his book The Sermon on the Mount.
“Our Christian habit is to bewail the world’s deteriorating standards with an air of rather self-righteous dismay. We criticize its violence, dishonesty, immorality, disregard for human life, and materialistic greed. ‘The world is going down the drain,’ we say with a shrug. But whose fault is it? Who is to blame?”
“Let me put it like this. If the house is dark when night fall comes, there is no sense in blaming the house, for that is what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is ‘Where is the light?’ If the meat goes bad and becomes inedible, there is no sense blaming the meat, for that is what happens when bacteria are left alone to breed. The question to ask is ‘Where is the salt?’”
“Just so, if society deteriorates and its standards decline, till it becomes like a dark night or stinking fish, there is no sense in blaming society, for that is what happens when fallen men and women are left to themselves, and human selfishness is unchecked. The question to ask is ‘Where is the church? Why are the salt and light of Jesus Christ not permeating and changing our society?’”
“It is sheer hypocrisy on our part to raise our eyebrows, shrug our shoulders or wring our hands. The Lord Jesus told us to be the world’s salt and light”
We are created to serve, and our acts of service, individually and corporately as a church, are to be salt and light to our world. We worship God when we take our salt shaker and light out into the world instead of sitting on the pews with it.