Serve As Unto Jesus: Living a Life of Service

We began by declaring trust in God’s steady goodness. Not because life feels simple, but because He sustains, restores, forgives, and arrives right on time. I invited us to repent for the moments we called His faithfulness into question simply because our prayers weren’t answered our way or on our timeline. When pain tempts us to go numb and stop asking, He is not the customer-service line placing us on hold; He responds, and He has not failed. So we will ask again. We will pray, worship, fill up in His Word, and trust Him.

From there, I named how every life runs on values, whether we say them out loud or not. Values are core principles that guide us; they set the standard we measure our choices against. I shared our church’s seven values—refill, refresh, celebrate, authenticity, stewardship, generosity, and serve as unto Jesus—because these create guardrails for joy and faithfulness in real time. Refilling with God’s presence is daily, because life drains us daily. Sabbath is nonnegotiable even in busy seasons. We celebrate wins to keep heart and hope alive. We keep it real, steward everything (because it all belongs to God), give generously “just because,” and we serve as unto Jesus everywhere we go.

Serving is the center of this call. It’s not limited to church roles; it’s the way we live in classrooms, garages, hospitals, kitchens, and checkout lines. Every believer is called to full-time ministry, which means everything we do is done unto the Lord. Jesus is our model. He left heaven, took the form of a servant, washed feet, obeyed unto death, and loved to the point of laying down His life. That shows us serving is humility, obedience, love, and worship. And according to Matthew 25, when we serve the hungry, the sick, the stranger, and the imprisoned, we are serving Jesus Himself.

So we will lift our eyes and slow our pace enough to notice the opportunities right in front of us—like offering prayer to a server, helping someone with a heavy load, or blessing our city through care bags, foster outreach, and caroling. Let’s ask: Lord, how do You want to use me this week—at home, at work, at school? Whatever we do, we will do it as unto Jesus.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Trust God beyond unanswered prayers Trust grows when we name our disappointment and repent for calling God a failure. He sustains in the very spaces we thought He abandoned. Choosing trust is not denial; it is worship in the dark. Ask again—He is not placing you on hold. [37:58]
• 2. Name and live your true values Values are not slogans; they are the core principles that guide decisions when convenience pushes back. Decide what you will measure life against, and let that govern your calendar, budget, and habits. You become what you consistently tolerate—at home and in your heart. [48:17]
• 3. Every vocation is full-time ministry Calling is not confined to pulpits. Your classroom, clinic, counter, or workbench is an altar where God meets people through your work, words, and presence. Do all in Jesus’ name, and expect impact that outlives the moment. [67:27]
• 4. Serving forms humility, obedience, and love Jesus shows the way: He descended, obeyed, and poured Himself out. Pride seeks titles; love takes towels. Serving trains our hearts to choose God’s will over ours and to move toward people, not away, especially when it costs. [74:01]
• 5. Worship God by serving “the least” Heaven measures worship by love expressed toward the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and the imprisoned. Don’t keep score; keep your eyes open. Interruptions often are assignments—opportunities to meet Jesus in hidden places. [86:58]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [28:30] - Declaring trust in God’s goodness
• [43:17] - God is good and on time
• [47:44] - Everyone has values
• [51:35] - Refill: keep your tank full
• [53:42] - Refresh: Sabbath in busy seasons
• [56:28] - Celebrate and honor the moment
• [58:51] - Authenticity: keep it real
• [60:45] - Stewardship and generosity
• [64:52] - Serve as unto Jesus
• [66:12] - Choose whom you will serve (Joshua 24)
• [72:25] - Jesus the servant: Philippians 2
• [84:01] - Serving as worship: Sheep and goats
• [92:23] - Worship without walls in practice
• [107:04] - Serve opportunities and sending

Bible Reading

- Joshua 24:14–15 — Therefore, fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. - Philippians 2:5–11 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Matthew 25:31–40 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and I visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

Observation Questions

1. Read Joshua 24:14–15. What two choices are set before the people, and what practical difference would “serving the LORD in sincerity and truth” make in one’s daily schedule and decisions?
2. Read Philippians 2:5–11. What actions and attitudes of Jesus are named here that show how to serve? Which phrase stands out most to you?
3. The sermon defined values as “core principles that guide you.” Which of the seven values named (refill, refresh, celebrate, authenticity, stewardship, generosity, serve as unto Jesus) felt most obvious in your life this week, and which value felt weakest? ([51:21])
4. Read Matthew 25:31–40. List the specific needs the King identifies. Which of those needs are most visible in your neighborhood or workplace right now?

Interpretation Questions

1. What does the phrase “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” imply about responsibility and daily decision-making in the believer’s life? How might that choice change routine priorities or calendar decisions? ([01:06:00])
2. How does the description of Jesus’ humility and obedience in Philippians 2 reshape the group’s understanding of what “serving” really costs a person (status, convenience, safety, comfort)? ([01:14:01])
3. The teaching urged Christians to treat every vocation as “full-time ministry.” In practical terms, what changes when someone views their job or school as an altar rather than merely a workplace? Consider examples from your own context. ([01:08:14])
4. Serving was said to be humility, obedience, love, and worship. When someone serves mainly for credit, recognition, or resume-hours, how does that alter the spiritual shape of the act? How can one guard against that motive? ([01:21:12])

Application Questions

1. Trust beyond unanswered prayers: Name a prayer request you have allowed discouragement to stop you from asking about. Will you intentionally pray about it again this week? What will you say when you ask? ([45:57])
2. Live your values: Pick one of the seven values and identify one concrete change (in your calendar, budget, or habit) you will make this week to honor that value. Be specific about day/time or amount. ([51:21])
3. Refill and Sabbath: Which single day this coming week will you protect as Sabbath or a refill day? What are two specific activities you will stop doing and two spiritual practices you will do instead? ([53:52])
4. Serve where you already are: Identify one person at work, school, or in your apartment complex who could use a small act of service or prayer. Plan when and how you will reach out (help carry something, offer to pray, bring a small care item). ([01:07:53])
5. Serve the least: Choose one of the needs listed in Matthew 25 (hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, imprisoned). What practical step can you take this week to meet that need in your city (give a care bag, volunteer, visit, donate)? Set a day and plan. ([01:24:01])
6. Generosity “just because”: What is one “just because” gift or gesture you can prepare this week (extra sandwiches, care bag, small gift) that you will hand to a person who will likely never come to church? When will you do it and where? ([01:02:19])
7. Accountability for service: Who will you tell in this group about the service steps you plan to take this week so someone can follow up and encourage you next time you meet?