08 Oct Serving Saves Lives | Part 5 “The Secret of Serving Christ”

Announcements:

ALL LOCATIONS

Fall Alpha Schedule: go to waterschurch.org/alpha

• AB: Monday, Oct 9th
• NA: Monday, Oct 9th
• SC: Thursday, Oct 12th
• WS: Thursday, Oct 12th

NORTH ATTLEBORO: SATURDAY NIGHTS BACK SEPTEMBER 30!  5:00 PM 

NEW ENGLAND ONLY:

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 ALL LOCATIONS: 

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Reminder:  Please check your planning center profiles for requests to join and also remove members from the list that no longer attend as well as add members not listed. Thank you.

LEADERS: WE HAVE CHANGED UP THE DISCOVER CLASS WHICH USED TO BE GROWTH TRACK AND ARE ASKING ALL LEADERS TO RE-TAKE THIS A SOME POINT.  BELOW IS THE CLASS SCHEDULE:

1st Sunday : Discover Waters – after 1st service

2nd Sunday: NO CLASSES

3rd Sunday: Connect Class – after 1st service

4th Sunday: Baptism Class – after 1st service

IMPORTANT***** Please add

Go to your email, add no-reply@churchcenter.com to your contacts (PLEASE ASK ME IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND) THANKS!

no-reply@churchcenter.com to your email contacts so that you do not miss an email from Planning Center and have your members add it as well.  This will ensure you do not miss a member request or any emails that come from the Planning Center site.

All announcements and the Waters Event Calendar can be found at:  waterschurch.org/events)

Location Text Alerts:

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Key Verse: Isaiah 55

Ice Breaker:

Q. What was your first concert and/or first music album you bought?

There are benefits to serving.  As a Christian, it is a joy to serve God.  We are created by God, loved by God, and we need to be changed by God. 

We are made for much more than being saved to ensure we reach Heaven.  God loves us and it is to our benefit we change.

1. Serving Saves Lives because YOUR LIFE matters to God.

We are valuable. 

You grow in Christ when you understand your VALUE in Christ.

Isaiah 55:1-3

There is freedom in Christ.  We can be free to serve, to live, and to die for Him.  We have freedom in Christ even when we serve under dangerous or not-so-pleasurable conditions as Pastor Brandon explained about serving in Guatemala. 

2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1; John 8:36

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (ESV)

God is a promise keeper but he is also a promise maker. 

We grow in Christ when we rest assured that Christ has forgiven us.

Q. How does the concept of freedom in Christ empower us to serve in difficult circumstances? Can you think of a time when you felt the freedom to serve or act because of your faith, even when it wasn’t easy?

2. Serving Saves Lives when we ACT like God’s people.

All God ever wanted was for us to follow Jesus and be His people.  He wants a relationship with us. 

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

As Christians, we need to act like His people by serving His people.   When we serve, we are acting like His people.

We need to be guided by Christ as we serve others.

Q. Why is service so integral to embodying our identity in Christ? Can you share a personal experience where serving others deepened your understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus?

3. Serving Saves Lives when we PROCLAIM that JESUS saves lives.

Luke 19:10 (ESV)

Jesus cares about the lost.

Jesus + HIS BLOOD = Forgiveness

It is very easy to forget the process of salvation.  The human condition is sinful.  Sin is not allowed in God’s presence.  But Christ ransomed himself for us.  There is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood.  He sacrificed His life for ours. Jesus saves lives.

Q. How has serving others been a platform for you to share the Gospel message?

4. Serving Saves Lives when you turn your FEAR of serving into FIRE from His Holy Spirit.

Our biggest problem is fear.  We are afraid because of our pride. 

Maybe we are afraid because we fear what others think of us.

When we serve through our fear God grows us.  He molds us as we continue to serve through our fears.   He is conforming us to Himself.

When we turn our fear into fire we can serve others. 

When we serve through our fear then Christ guides us and leads us, and He turns our fear into fire because of the souls that are coming to Christ through our serving.

Q.  Fear often stems from our pride and concerns about others’ perceptions. In what ways have you experienced this fear in your own life?  Can someone share a time when they felt empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve despite their fears?

John 15:5 (ESV)

5. Serving Saves Lives when you DECREASE and let Christ INCREASE.

We need to get ourselves out of the way and let Christ increase.

John 3:30 (ESV)

1 PETER 2: 4-9 (ESV)

Q. How does the mindset of decreasing and letting Christ increase change our approach to serving others?  What challenges have you faced in trying to live this out, and how did you overcome them?

Sermon in a sentence:

When you realize your life matters to God, you can act like a child of God by serving God because SERVING saves lives.

Challenge: Identify one thing you’ve been avoiding or fearing in terms of serving or sharing Christ with others. Pray about this fear daily, asking God to turn your fear into the fire from His Spirit. By the end of the week, take one step towards facing this fear.