Hope Serves Others: The Good Samaritan Model

Aug 16, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Eyes That See Yet Hearts That Walk Away

A man lies bleeding on the Jericho road as religious leaders glance and keep walking. This story exposes the danger of knowing Scripture yet refusing to let it move our hands and feet. True faith isn’t measured by theological expertise but by willingness to enter others’ pain. When we prioritize comfort over compassion, we become traveling priests – close enough to see the need, yet distant enough to avoid the cost. God’s heart beats for those the world walks past. [46:16]

"A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side."
(Luke 10:31-32, ESV)

Reflection: When have you been tempted to “cross to the other side” of someone’s pain to protect your comfort? What practical step could prepare you to stop next time?

Day 2: Closing the Gap Between Seeing and Serving

The Samaritan’s journey shifts when compassion overrides convenience. Where religion calculates risk, faith calculates responsibility. Oil, wine, and bandages transform a theology lesson into a love language. This isn’t random charity – it’s deliberate proximity. Jesus redefines neighborliness not as geographic nearness but as willing nearness. Every gap closed between “I see” and “I serve” echoes God’s incarnation. [52:52]

"But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him."
(Luke 10:33-34, ESV)

Reflection: What “oil and wine” (time, skills, resources) has God placed in your hands today for someone’s healing?

Day 3: The Currency of Compassion: What Serving Costs Us

Two denarii bought more than a bed – they purchased dignity. True service always spends something: the Samaritan’s money, transportation, and reputation. Jesus spent heaven to serve us; we’re called to spend our convenience to serve others. Every serve team shift, every interrupted schedule, every uncomfortable conversation becomes eternal currency. What we cling to collects dust; what we spend multiplies. [55:10]

"The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’"
(Luke 10:35, ESV)

Reflection: What comfort have you released to serve others that later revealed eternal value? What still feels too costly to give?

Day 4: From Attenders to Stewards: The Church’s Serving DNA

Pews fill with recovering priests and transformed Samaritans. “I go to church” becomes “I am the church” when we trade consumer mindsets for stewardship callings. Your hands – whether holding microphones, brooms, or crying babies – become holy utensils. Hope City’s heartbeat isn’t Sunday productions but daily people seeing Jesus through serving rotations. Saved people serve because served people remember their Servant King. [57:40]

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace."
(1 Peter 4:10, ESV)

Reflection: Where has serving others most shaped your understanding of being Christ’s hands rather than just hearing Christ’s words?

Day 5: Neighborhood Redefined: Mercy Without Borders

Jesus’ story ends with a question flip: “Which proved neighbor?” becomes “Will you be neighbor?” Our Jericho roads stretch beyond ethnicity, politics, and comfort zones. The hurting won’t always look like us, but they’ll always matter to Him. When mercy defines our borders, every stranger becomes a neighbor-in-waiting. Hope serves others because Christ’s cross erased every line that separates the served from the servant. [59:27]

"Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise.’"
(Luke 10:36-37, ESV)

Reflection: Who has God placed in your path recently that requires “Samaritan eyes” – seeing through mercy rather than societal categories?

Sermon Summary

Hope serves others stands as the third core value in the founded and grounded convictions, because Jesus finds people, Jesus changes people, and that change turns a heart outward. Mark 10 gives the shape of that change: “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The Son of Man, worthy of all service, came as the Creator serving his creation. That line shows the heart of God, and that heart gets formed in people over time by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 10 presses that point through an expert in the law who comes to test Jesus. His question sounds important: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers with a question, and the law itself answers with Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19: love God with everything, and love the neighbor as oneself. Jesus says the man answered correctly, but the expert wants to justify himself. The question “who is my neighbor?” is not innocent; it is looking for the line, the loophole, the boundary where love can stop.

Jesus’ parable puts a beaten man on the dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho. The road leaves him stripped, robbed, and half dead, with no way to pay anybody back. The priest and the Levite both see him, and both pass by on the other side. The priest and the Levite do not fail because of bad eyesight; they fail because of what they do with what they see. That picture warns that it is possible to know Scripture, come to worship, and still walk past people.

God sees people. Jesus sees Zacchaeus in the tree, blind Bartimaeus by the roadside, the woman at the well, the children pushed away, and the harassed and helpless crowd. Matthew 9 names that sight compassion, “loving pity.” The Samaritan shocks the story because the hated outsider becomes the one who sees rightly. Compassion does not stay sentimental; compassion moves to action.

The phrase “he went to him” carries the whole point. Faith closes the gap; religion separates it. Religion can stand on the side of the road and point out the problem, but faith sees the problem and closes the gap. The Samaritan’s service costs him supplies, transportation, comfort, time, energy, and money, yet service is still worth it. First Peter 4 brings the call to the whole church: each person has received gifts to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace. The contrast between “I go to church” and “I’m a part of the church” exposes a consumer mindset. Saved people serve people, because the more Jesus changes a person’s vision, the more that person begins to see people like Jesus sees people.

Key Takeaways

1. Saved people serve people Jesus does not save a person into a smaller self. Salvation brings a new center of gravity, where “less of me and more of you” becomes more than a song lyric. The heart Jesus forms begins to look outward because the Son of Man himself came not to be served, but to serve. [38:18]
2. Scripture without mercy walks past The priest and Levite knew the law, knew worship, and knew the language of loving God and neighbor. Their failure was not ignorance, but refusal to act on what their eyes had already seen. Knowledge of holy words can become deeply dangerous when the heart stays protected from the wounded person in the road. [46:58]
3. Compassion closes the gap The Samaritan’s compassion had feet. “He went to him” is the beautiful turn in the story because mercy refuses to remain at a safe distance. Faith does not simply notice pain or analyze it; faith crosses the road and moves toward the person who cannot repay. [52:52]
4. Serving always costs something The Samaritan gave supplies, transportation, time, comfort, and money. Service is never weightless, because real love always leaves the realm of intention and enters the realm of sacrifice. The cost does not make service less spiritual; the cost is often where service most closely resembles Jesus. [55:10]
5. Being church beats going church “I go to church” can leave a person as a consumer, measuring everything by what is received. “I’m a part of the church” recognizes that God gives gifts so his people can serve others as stewards of grace. The body of Christ is not built by spectators, but by people whose changed vision becomes changed practice.

## [56:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:01] - Founded And Grounded Core Values
[35:34] - Hope Serves Others
[37:33] - Jesus Came To Serve
[39:08] - The Expert Tests Jesus
[42:19] - Looking For A Loophole
[43:34] - The Road To Jericho
[45:14] - Priest And Levite Pass By
[47:38] - Jesus Sees People
[50:29] - Faith Closes The Gap
[52:52] - The Samaritan Goes To Him
[54:26] - Serving Costs Something
[56:38] - Going To Church Or Being Church
[58:32] - Go And Do Likewise
[62:19] - Where Are You Serving?

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 10:25-37
“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. 'Teacher,' he asked, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?' 'What is written in the Law?' he replied. 'How do you read it?' He answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 'You have answered correctly,' Jesus replied. 'Do this and you will live.' But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' In reply Jesus said: 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' The expert in the law replied, 'The one who had mercy on him.' Jesus told him, 'Go and do likewise.'” [39:08]

Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” [37:33]

1 Peter 4:10
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.” [56:57]

Matthew 9:36
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” [48:20]

Observation questions

In Luke 10, what question does the expert in the law ask first, and what second question does he ask when he wants to justify himself? [42:19]
What do the priest and the Levite both do after seeing the wounded man on the road? [45:14]
What specific actions does the Samaritan take for the wounded man, and what does that show about the kind of mercy he has? [54:04]
According to 1 Peter 4:10, who has received gifts, and what are those gifts meant to be used for? [57:37]

Interpretation questions

The expert in the law asks, “Who is my neighbor?” What does that question reveal about the human tendency to look for limits, loopholes, or safe boundaries for love? [42:32]
The priest and the Levite both saw the wounded man, yet both passed by. What does that suggest about the difference between knowing Scripture and being shaped by it? [46:58]
The turning point in the parable is the simple phrase, “he went to him.” Why does that small movement matter so much, and what does it show about the nature of real compassion? [52:52]
Jesus says he came not to be served but to serve. How does Mark 10:45 help explain why serving others is not a side issue for Christians, but part of becoming like Jesus? [38:18]

Application questions

Saved people serve people. Where has life become mostly inward lately, and what might it look like this week for attention to turn outward toward someone else? [38:22]
It is possible to see people and still pass by. Who might be easy to overlook right now: someone at home, at work, in church, or in the neighborhood? What would “not passing by” look like in that relationship? [47:05]
Compassion closes the gap. Is there a person or situation that has been noticed from a distance, but not moved toward yet? What is one simple next step that would look like “going to him” or “going to her”? [53:10]
Serving always costs something. Which cost feels most real right now: time, comfort, energy, money, or inconvenience? How has that cost been shaping willingness to serve? [55:10]
“I go to church” and “I’m a part of the church” are not the same thing. In what ways has faith drifted toward consuming rather than contributing, and what would a healthier shift look like? [56:38]
Each believer has received gifts to serve others. What gifts, strengths, or experiences has God already placed in hand that could bless someone else right now? [58:20]
Jesus tells the expert in the law, “Go and do likewise.” What is one concrete act of mercy that can actually be done in the next seven days for someone who may not be able to repay it? [59:33]

Sermon Clips

39s

#FaithClosesTheGap

“``See, religion can stand on the side of the road and point out the problem. faith sees the problem and closes the gap. And we're gonna see that in a minute. So Jesus goes on and he's already introduced his first two characters. Right? A priest and a Levite. And then he's gonna shock the expert in the law, this Jewish religious person, and all of the Jewish audience that's gonna hear this story afterwards because he's gonna introduce his third character in the story. And so back to Luke 10, he says, a Samaritan.”

36s

#JesusCameToServe

“``This is one of the reasons why Jesus came into this world. And think about that for a moment. The statement that Jesus is making, that he did not come into this world so that all of mankind could serve him. Although he would be worthy of that service, but know instead the creator of the world came to serve his creation. The one that everybody would be able to serve instead he came so that he could serve everybody else.”

64s

#PartOfTheChurch

“``Listen. There's a mentality in our culture amongst people of faith. So many people of faith have the mindset that I go to church. And I get it. It's so easy just to fall into that mindset of simply I go to church. Maybe some of you here sitting here this morning, you're like, what's wrong with that? That sounds right. I go to church. But the way God established the church was not just by a bunch of group of people going to a place or to a building or to a location. See, there's a big difference between I go to church and I'm a part of the church. You hear me? There's a big difference between saying I go to church and I'm a part of the church.”

68s

#ResembleJesusByServing

“``I'm telling you twelve years ago when we established Hope City, and that was my prayer. God, don't let me create a church of just consumers. God, I don't want a church filled with people who just go to church. God, I want a church filled with people who resemble Jesus. I'm telling you, hopesters. And this is my own opinion. This is my own belief. In the instance where I believe you resemble Jesus the most is when you're serving others. not when you're in your room, in your prayer closet, although that's amazing. It's not when you wake up early and you're in God's word doing your devo, and that's amazing. I truly believe that the single time you look more like Jesus is when you're serving somebody else.”

58s

#KnowledgeWithoutCompassion

“``So these two Jewish religious leaders who would know scripture, who would know what it meant to love God and to love people. They knew Deuteronomy six. They knew they knew Leviticus 19. They knew the greatest commandment to love God, to love people. These two people that represented worship and prayer in the temple, their problem wasn't that they didn't see the man. They both had eyesight. They both saw the man. The problem with both of them is what they did with what they saw. They both ignored the man and crossed over on the other side, which tells us, hope sirs, that it is possible to know scripture and still walk past people. I just want Hello? I just want to remind you that's good.”

57s

#LoveAllPeople

“``Right? He's looking for a loophole. He says, in this commandment of loving God and loving people, let me zero in on what it means to love people. Like, which people? Like, all people? I mean, because it's easy to love people who are like us. It's easy to love people who look like me, dress like me, talk like me, believe like me, vote like me. It's easy to love those people. But you want me to love all people? And, hey, let's be honest. Honest. Sometimes it's hard to love all people. You know what I'm saying? And so this guy's kinda pushing back at Jesus. Like, what? Like, where's the boundary? He wants to know the line. Where where where is it okay? How far do I have to go in loving all people? I wanna know the line.”

54s

#BeLikeTheSamaritan

“``And so this is how the expert of the law responds. The expert in the law replied, the one. He can't even say the word the Samaritan. That's how much in conflict Jews and Samaritans were. He can't even say the Samaritan. Instead, he describes the guy. The one who had mercy, compassion, loving pity. The one who had mercy on him. And Jesus told him, go and do likewise. In other words, be like the Samaritan. Be like the person who saw a need and was moved with compassion that he closed the gap and served him even though it cost him something.”

43s

#ServingIsWorthIt

“``So it costs this man time and energy and comfort and supplies and money. Hopesters, you gotta know this. When you serve, right, serving always costs something. Serving's gonna cost you your time. Serving's gonna cost you your energy. Serving might cost you your resources and your money. Serving might cost you your comfort. But let me tell you, those of us who serve, we know this already. Even though serving cost you something, it's worth it. It's worth it. It's worth it.”

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