The Road to Greatness: Following Jesus by Serving Others

Aug 23, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Upside-Down Road to Greatness

True greatness isn’t found in climbing ladders but kneeling low. Jesus redefined power by insisting that leadership begins with serving others first. In a world obsessed with status, the kingdom calls us to embrace humility as our highest calling. The disciples argued over who would sit closest to Jesus’ throne, but He flipped their ambition: true honor comes through pouring yourself out for others. This path mirrors Jesus’ own journey—the King who washed feet, carried crosses, and called us to follow. [10:45]

“But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43–45, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you unknowingly measured “greatness” by worldly standards this week? What ordinary act of service could realign your heart with Jesus’ upside-down kingdom?

Day 2: Foot-Washing as a Way of Life

Jesus didn’t just teach servanthood—He lived it, stripping off His outer garments to kneel before those who called Him Teacher. Serving others isn’t a spiritual checklist item but a daily posture of love. Like the Good Shepherd redirecting wandering sheep, Jesus guides us to see dirty feet as holy opportunities. When we serve, we step into His rhythm—not striving for recognition but finding joy in hidden, messy moments. [13:10]

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” (John 13:14–15, ESV)

Reflection: What “dirty feet” situation have you avoided this month? How might serving there deepen your understanding of Jesus’ heart?

Day 3: High Fives and Holy Encounters

A simple “Welcome home” from a greeter can crack open a heart. Serving isn’t about tasks but creating spaces where people meet Jesus. Like the parking lot team that first welcomed Pastor James, every smile and opened door echoes Christ’s invitation. When we serve, we become living signposts pointing others to the God who sees them. Even small acts carry eternal weight—a saved seat, a warm handshake, a prayer whispered while folding chairs. [16:16]

“Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” (Luke 22:26–27, ESV)

Reflection: When has someone’s simple act of service drawn you closer to Jesus? How could your serving create similar moments for others?

Day 4: Serving Stretches Your Soul

Serving doesn’t shrink your life—it expands it. Like the man who feared live production but found family in the tech booth, saying “yes” to humble tasks unlocks unexpected joy. Proverbs promises that watering others’ lives refreshes our own. Busy schedules and insecurities shrink when we trust Jesus with our time. Every “get to” moment—holding doors, holding babies, holding space—stretches our capacity to love like Him. [24:20]

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:25, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you resisted serving because you felt “too full” or “too empty”? What step could you take to let Jesus expand your heart through serving?

Day 5: Eternal Significance in Earthly Service

Every coffee poured and bulletin handed out echoes in heaven. Jesus said serving “the least” is serving Him directly—the King disguised in hungry mouths and lonely hearts. Our work isn’t about filling church roles but fulfilling eternal purposes. Like the volunteers who unknowingly ministered to Christ through prison visits and kids’ ministry, your ordinary service writes your name in heaven’s story. [36:30]

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:40, ESV)

Reflection: What routine act of service feels insignificant to you? How might Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 reshape that perspective today?

Sermon Summary

Jesus is worth worshiping forever because Jesus is the Messiah, the friend of sinners, the true vine, the good shepherd, the healer, the commander of the Lord’s army, the man of sorrows, the prince of peace, the cornerstone, the living water, the bread of life, and the soon coming king. Jesus is not just a good man or a prophet. Jesus is fully God who came fully man and did what sinners could not do for themselves.

Mark 10 keeps pointing to a higher way. The text shows Jesus correcting shallow thinking about marriage, children, and the rich young ruler, because the kingdom is not something added onto everything else. The kingdom comes first, and everything else takes lesser place. James and John then ask for seats at the right and left hand of Jesus in glory, and their request shows that even close disciples can still think greatness means position, platform, and being seen.

Jesus flips the whole thing upside down. The rulers of the Gentiles lord authority over people, but Jesus says, “It shall not be so among you.” The one who wants to be great must become a servant, and the one who wants to be first must become a bondservant of all. The road to greatness in this life and in the life to come is found through following Jesus’ example in serving others.

Jesus does not merely command service from a distance. Jesus says the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. John 13 gives the picture: the Lord and Teacher takes the towel, washes dirty feet, and says, “As I have done, so you should do.” The God who deserves the parade takes the place of the servant.

Serving connects people to Jesus, reveals Jesus to others, and expands life. The greeting at the door, the usher finding a seat, the kids worker teaching children, the production team making the word clear, and the small group leader making room all become ways of serving Jesus himself. Matthew 25 presses the point home: when the least of these are served, Jesus receives it as service done unto him. The call to serve is not about filling slots or getting free labor. The call to serve is about stepping into discipleship, finding fresh vision, and letting the servant heart of Jesus move through the whole church.

Key Takeaways

1. Greatness starts at the low place. Jesus defines greatness in a way that cuts against every instinct of status and self-protection. The kingdom does not treat authority as a ladder to climb, but as a towel to pick up. The disciple who wants to be “mega” important must first become free from needing to look important. [10:45]
2. Jesus leads with the towel. Jesus does not stand far off and demand humility from others while keeping honor for himself. The Lord and Teacher washes feet and turns that act into the pattern for his people. Service becomes holy because it begins in the character of Christ, not in the pressure of need. [12:11]
3. Serving deepens real discipleship. The call to serve is not just a church staffing need. Serving becomes a doorway into knowing Jesus in a new way because the servant meets Christ on the road Christ already walks. Bored faith often needs not more information, but a place to obey with love. [13:10]
4. Hidden service reveals Jesus clearly. The door held open, the seat found, the child loved, and the sound made clear can become a revelation of Christ to someone walking in alone. People in a “show me” generation often see Jesus before they can explain him. Humble service makes the invisible welcome of God visible in human hands. [22:26]
5. The least are never overlooked. Matthew 25 makes ordinary ministry weighty because Jesus receives care for the least as care for himself. A serve team role is not merely a task to complete, but a meeting place with Christ in disguise. The church does not serve people beneath notice, because Jesus has placed his name on them. [36:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:07] - Preparing to Receive God’s Word
[01:39] - Seeing Jesus All Summer
[06:06] - Living Ready for the Soon Coming King
[07:41] - Jesus Is the Servant of All
[08:51] - Mark 10 and the Higher Way
[10:45] - Greatness Means Becoming a Servant
[13:10] - The Road to Greatness
[16:00] - A First Visit Changed by Servants
[19:11] - Serving Connects People to Jesus
[21:44] - Serving Reveals Jesus to Others
[23:42] - Serving Expands Life
[31:09] - A Story of Life Change Through Serving
[33:35] - Every Living Stone Matters
[36:30] - Serving the Least Is Serving Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 10:35-45
“And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?’ And they said to him, ‘We are able.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’ And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” [08:51]

John 13:12-15
“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, ‘Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.’” [12:11]

Matthew 25:40
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” [36:30]

Observation questions

In Mark 10, what exactly did James and John ask Jesus for, and how did the other ten disciples react when they heard it? [10:45]
What contrast did Jesus make between how Gentile rulers use authority and how his followers are to pursue greatness?
In John 13, what actions did Jesus take before telling the disciples to do as he had done?
What are some ordinary acts of service that were named as ways people can be welcomed, helped, or cared for in the life of the church? [36:30]

Interpretation questions

James and John wanted places of honor near Jesus in glory. What does their request reveal about how easily people can confuse greatness with recognition, position, or status? [10:45]
Jesus said, “It shall not be so among you.” What does that suggest about how different leadership and influence should look among Christians compared with the world?
Jesus did not only teach service; he gave his life as a ransom for many. How does the cross deepen the meaning of serving others beyond simply being helpful or nice? [11:41]
Matthew 25:40 says that serving “the least of these” is service done to Jesus himself. How might that truth change the way a person sees hidden or unglamorous acts of ministry? [36:30]

Application questions

Where is the pull toward recognition strongest right now—work, family, church, friendships, or social media? What would it look like to choose the low place there instead of trying to be seen? [13:10]
Jesus leads with the towel. What is one practical way to serve this week that costs some convenience, comfort, or credit, but reflects his heart? [12:11]
Bored or stagnant faith often needs a place to obey with love. Has there been an area where faith has felt stuck lately? Could serving be one next step that brings fresh life and closeness to Jesus? [14:03]
Small acts of welcome can help people see Jesus before they can explain him. When thinking about a guest, a child, a single parent, or someone walking in alone, what kind of simple act could make the love of God visible to them? [22:26]
Serving expands life, not just schedules. Has there been a time when stepping out to help others actually grew friendships, confidence, joy, or spiritual hunger? What happened? [23:42]
Jesus receives care for the least as care given to him. Who are “the least” or the easily overlooked people in everyday life right now, and what would it mean to treat them as if serving Jesus personally? [36:30]
Greatness in the kingdom begins with becoming a servant of all. What is one specific place where humility needs to become action, not just intention, in this season? [10:45]

Sermon Clips

38s

#JesusServantOfAll

“And that's why it's astonishing, and it's upside down. It's mind boggling. It's, like, perspective shifting. It is paradigm, moving that this same Jesus that we have, especially last week, talked about the soon coming king would show us an aspect of his character that is completely opposite, completely contrary to the ways of our world, the aspirations of people in our world. And that is where we're gonna land the series today, which is this. If you're taking notes, the title is Jesus is the servant of all.”

29s

#PutJesusFirst

“And what happened in this story is this rich young ruler had everything, and he came and wanted to add Jesus on to everything else that he had just by keeping religious rules. But Jesus pointed to a higher way. And he said, no, no. If you really wanna enter into the kingdom and you want to enter into the power of the kingdom, it's not something that you add on to everything else you have. It's something you put first, and everything else is lesser in perspective.”

45s

#JoinTheServeTeam

“You are not just a person to come hold down a chair on a Sunday morning. God has put something in your heart, and he wants to use you, and your life will expand as you step into serving. Here's the real stats. I've asked all of our ministry leaders across our church this week and right now in order to do ministry the way that we wanna do ministry, see our heart is this is that when you're on serve team, attend one serve one. So nobody's just serving, and they never get to be in church. We want sustainable pace for our whole church. And in order to expand into ministries to do things even better than we're able to do them now, we just need more people. And you might think our church is great, but you know how much better it would be if everybody was on serve team? It would be so much more efficient.”

49s

#CalledToServe

“So simply today, we just we want this for everybody in our church. You know, this is not about getting free labor for us. This is literally about watching everybody walk into their fullness of the calling that God has in their life, to experience Jesus, and to really resonate the character and the love of Jesus to the world around us. And, we do need you. I wanna just say that if we were at at Chapel Coffee today and we were, talking and and you said, man, what, you know, what do you need? I would say, we we do need you. In fact, we need because you have a unique gifting and calling on your life. You have passions that are on your life. God says that as the church that we are like living stones being built together. And so if there's stones that are missing in this building, the whole thing suffers. And so I just wanna say today, you're not insignificant.”

52s

#JesusIsComingSoon

“on Jesus, the soon coming king. And we need to live every day with that perspective. The Bible says no one knows the time or the hour, but Jesus is coming soon. And we need to live in light of that, that not only how we live our lives, but the urgency that those around us that don't know Jesus is like we we need to be the light in dark places and share Jesus with everyone. And, you know, when we think about all these characteristics of Jesus that we've looked at, that Jesus is worth worshiping forever. Amen? That Jesus is worth giving everything that we are to. Can I have an amen from all the campuses today? That Jesus, if he were coming into our cities, would be worth a triumphant procession and the parade like no one's ever seen bigger than the America two fifty celebrations. Like, this Jesus will be worth everything.”

56s

#ServeAndRevealJesus

“serving reveals Jesus to others. Yeah. Right? Right? When we serve, it shows people who Jesus is. It makes them realize, man, this guy's real. There's something special, something different about this place that I'm not used to. It allows us to humble ourselves, to be there with others. And I think that one of the cool things is as we serve, people, especially in this day and age, they're really big on show me. We're in the show me generation. We're not in the tell me generation anymore. They wanna see us serving, humbling ourselves. So I mean, that that right there is enough I think to to finish the whole thing. Just stop right there. I'm just gonna back to pastor Joseph. Here we go. But no, for real, like, that's what people need. They need to see you serving. It changes everything.”

42s

#FreshVisionToServe

“the road to greatness is found through following his example into serving. You will come to a new level in your walk with Jesus. And for many of you that are bored or just like, is this all there is? Today, he's calling you to take this step. For many of you, and I'm so grateful we have, you know, we're a big church, and people might think, oh, just everybody around here is on staff. No. I would tell you that 99% or greater of everybody that does anything at this church is volunteering. They are on our serve team. And I I just wanna speak to the serve team today. If you've been serving but you're feeling burnt out, you're feeling tired, today you're gonna get fresh vision, for why you do what you do, and there's gonna be a fresh passion and a fresh fervor in your serving.”

52s

#TimeToServe

“So because my kids see me serve, they serve as well. During the kids ministry, my daughter's gonna be on the worship team here for middle school. They're pumped. They love it. They absolutely love it. Man, okay. So, Solomon had some, great points. Right? We already talked about 11/20, '25, but 11/24 says something very similar. The world of the generous gets larger and larger. Right? We've heard that in reference to finances, but it also applies to our time. Some of us might not have the finances that we wish we had. You may may not be able to, you know, fund an entire building. It's okay, but you can you can serve people, you can humble yourself, you can love people. Your time is so valuable. And I I think that's important to remember and and recognize.”

56s

#ServingMultipliesLife

“Every time I serve, my time multiplies, my energy multiplies, my world grows larger. I'm actually surprised. I get here at 06:20 usually this morning. Hear a little bit later. Sorry, guys. But I got here I usually get here at 06:20 and I leave by 02:20. It's a long day. It's a full day. But I love it. And I might be tired on Saturday, but I'm sure not gonna be tired on Sunday because I get to hug all these people. I get to high five all these people. All my friends, my world has grown larger. My friends groups has grown larger larger. Right? I have so many interactions with people that I love. I love going to the grocery store and seeing friends that I met here at the grocery store. I love that I that I drive by people and we're honking horns at each other and making all kinds of ridiculous faces. I love that. It's special.”

37s

#ServeTheLeast

“he would grab this microphone. He said, thank you for making a place for me in a small group. Thank you for ministering to my kids while I was listening to the word of God. Thank you for enabling me to see and hear the word of God clearly. And thank you for allowing me to worship with excellent music and excellent sound, and thank you for holding the door open for me, and thank you for helping me find a seat. And we would say, Jesus, when did we do that for you? And he would look at us like he looked at his disciples, and he said, when you did this to the least of these, you did it to me.”

40s

#ServeLikeJesus

“And so being on Serve Team is not about just fulfilling a role. It's serving like Jesus. It's following his example and being the light of Jesus to our world. So let's follow his example today because the road to greatness in this life and in the life to come is following his example into serving others. Would you bow your heads, close your eyes with me? Wanna pray over us today, and you don't even need to respond in this moment because your response will be even as after we close, you wanna, again, tap the disc on the seat in front of you or go out to the ministry areas out front. That's your response. But, God, I pray right now over every person under the sound of my voice”

34s

#GreatnessThroughService

“not just by commands. And if the God we looked at all summer would come and say, I've taken the place of a servant as I have done, so you should do. And I wanna give you the main point today of the message if you're taking notes, and it's this. The road to greatness in this life and in the life to come is found through following Jesus' example in serving others. The road to greatness in this life and in the life to come is to follow Jesus' example in serving other people.”

36s

#ServeCloserToJesus

“Serving connects us to Jesus. Connects us to Jesus. I feel like I've been connected to him because it's it's personal. When we serve, it is a personal thing and and Jesus wants us to draw closer to him. And I know that as I serve and I serve the greatest, servant that ever was, I'm impacted. I'm led to do things that I never thought I could do. I didn't know that I could, humble myself like I have as a servant, and I'm grateful for that. It's changed my life forever, and I hope it's changed yours too.”

44s

#ServeAsToJesus

“See, because one of the ways that we when you say, oh, yeah. I serve God. But one of the ways we serve God is through serving others. And as I was preparing for this this week, Matthew 25 is this story where, Jesus is talking to his disciples. And he says, you know, you brought me water when I was thirsty, and you when I was in prison, you came and visited me. And the disciples were like, when did we do that to you, Jesus? And he said, well, when you did this to the least of these, you did it to me. And I was just thinking about this message and what we're doing because, again, this isn't just a timeshare presentation for free labor at the father's house. This is the point of why we're on the planet is to serve others and follow Jesus' example. And if he was here today,”

29s

#WeGetToServe

“On the guest services team, we talk about serving like Jesus, loving like Jesus, being there in a way that, that we can't do on our own strength. And so for us, at every rally that we have, so we have this this meeting before services And what we do is we talk about the privilege of getting to do something. So we come together at the end of our rally. We put our hands in the middle and we say we get to serve like Jesus.”

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