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SERVE

Earlier this week I sent to you and posted something my brother wrote.  I'm gonna follow up by giving you more of Steve's heart and thoughts today.  You will be blessed by reading and digesting this.  Honestly, I am so proud of my dad cause he is an awesome servant.  Then I go to my brother.  He is a servant too.  Guess this kind of stuff runs in the family, and as you have to know that I love to serve people and lead others to get involved in serving.  Over the last 3 years or so I've watched Steve serve pastors (all over the country) and his church in big ways.  Read on and pray for Steve, his church (Lifechurch.tv), our church (The Community) and your church that we could see more and more people served and come to know Jesus!
 

"Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." – Martin Luther King  (Copied from HERE)

 

Craig Groeschel recently returned from sharing at Hillsong Church in Australia and he talks about the culture of servanthood that truly stood out to him, they have a huge number of volunteers that are passionate about serving in all areas.  "Every single person I encountered understood their significance and how they were building the church."  Many positions that may normally be paid positions are fully staffed and led by volunteers.  The comment was made that the volunteers have truly bought into the vision of the church; that what they do, no matter where they are is just as important as what the pastor does on the stage.  Did you catch that, that what the volunteers do is just as important as what the pastor does on the stage. (Huge)  (read about it HERE )

 

What does this say to me?  First, is that when you get individuals to truly buy into the vision of your organization and they serve with a passion, then people are truly committed to what you are doing, they believe in your mission or vision.  Secondly, I believe it says to the volunteers or those serving, that you as their leader are saying I believe in you, I trust you to join with me in fulfilling our mission and vision.  When we are willing to give others opportunities to serve, excel, grow, be a part of; we are saying that I value you and you have great worth to me and our organization.  This is merely an example of what Christ says to us; I value you, you have tremendous worth, I loved you so much that I gave myself up for you.

 

This challenges me to step up my game in this area.  As a leader, whether at home or work; I need to allow others to serve and to grow.  Give them responsibility, value, and worth which gives them the opportunity to succeed and mature.  As a church or the pastor of a church, what can you do to extend this honor to your people?  And in doing so I truly believe this can help you to grow and to move into a greater season and vision of ministry.  Maybe in order for you or your church to grow you need to be doing less.  Just a thought but maybe very true.  Umh!

 

1 Peter 5:5b  … And all of you, serve each other in humility, for "God opposes the proud but favors the humble."

Matthew 23:11   The greatest among you must be a servant.

Luke 22:26   But among you it will different.  Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.

 

I love the 'C'hurch!  No matter where it is, whether it is in Virginia, Florida, Maine, even in California, or across the oceans… I am so thankful to the many who have gone before me who I see that have been faithful to their church, whether small or large it is irrelevant but the important thing is that the Lord calls you and I to love our local church and to be supportive of the 'C'hurch, which includes all individuals who claim to be Christ followers...your church, my church, & their church!!  Through technology and the internet the potential to communicate with, to learn from, to encourage, to pray with others, etc. is really beyond what I think any of us realize.  This is not for everyone and I would venture to say the younger one is the more comfortable they are with this extended means of communication.  The world we live in through and with the use of technology seems much smaller.  Just this week I have had the opportunity to pray with folks from Louisiana, Virginia, and South Carolina as I sat here in Oklahoma.  I received an encouraging word from a pastor in Massachusetts an hour or so ago and hopefully have encouraged others myself this week.  Who have you encouraged?  Who should you maybe send an email to, call, or drop a note to that has had influence in your life?  I attended church online today at noon from my desk at work; was moved by the worship and the Lord spoke to my heart through a message that I had already heard but was oh so good again.  There were individuals watching and leading from South Africa, one looking for answers from India, and I am sure there many anonymously watching from other countries around the world. 

 

Psalm 32:6  Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgement.

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