Bible ReadingRomans 12:3-10 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
[54:11]John 13:1-17 “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
Matthew 13:31-32 “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’”
[01:04:00]John 6:1-13 “Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!’ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”
Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
[56:32]Observation questions- In Romans 12:3-10, what instructions are given about how believers should think about themselves, use their gifts, love one another, and honor one another above themselves? [54:11]
- In John 13, what does Jesus do before teaching his disciples, and what reasons does the passage give for why he was able to take that low place?
- What pictures are used to describe humility and honor in relationships, and what effect do those two qualities have on the tone of a relationship? [53:35]
- In the mustard seed and feeding of the five thousand, what small things are placed in view, and what does Jesus do with them? [01:06:32]
Interpretation questions- Romans 12 says to think of oneself with sober judgment. How is that different from both pride and self-hatred, and why does that kind of honest self-understanding matter in relationships? [54:51]
- Philippians 2 and Romans 12 call believers to honor others first. Why is taking the lead in showing honor such a strong witness in a world where many people fight to protect their own place? [55:18]
- Jesus washed feet because he knew who he was, where he came from, and where he was going. What does that suggest about the connection between security in Christ and willingness to serve in humble ways? [01:19:27]
- God’s people are described not as a demolition team but as a renovation team. What does that help clarify about how love and grace should look in a broken world? [01:09:19]
Application questions- Humility often sounds like five hard words: “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” Is there a person right now who may need to hear those words this week, and what makes it hard to say them? [56:40]
- Honor means leading the way in valuing people. Who in daily life may be getting too little honor from you right now—a spouse, parent, child, coworker, church member, or neighbor—and what might taking the first step look like? [01:00:19]
- Kneeling is a physical way of remembering dependence on the Lord. Is there a regular place or habit that helps you come before God humbly, and if not, what might help you build one? [59:02]
- Many people feel like they have very little to offer. What is one “mustard seed” in your life right now—one small gift, conversation, act of service, invitation, or kindness—that could be placed in Jesus’ hands? [01:06:32]
- Love and grace move outward into action. Where has there been a recent nudge to notice someone, encourage someone, or help someone, and was that nudge followed or ignored? What happened? [01:03:30]
- God’s people are called into a work of restoration and reconciliation. Where do you most often drift toward tearing down instead of helping restore—at home, online, at work, or in church—and what would a more Christlike response look like there? [01:09:42]
- Jesus took the towel and chose the lowest place. What would “taking the towel” look like in one specific relationship this week, especially where serving feels inconvenient, unnoticed, or beneath you? [01:20:14]
