Having house guests can be stressful. Is everything clean? Are there enough groceries stocked for snacks and meals? Maybe the pillows need extra fluffing or a candle should be lit to make the guests feel extra welcome. Is everyone having a good time?? If house guests today sound stressful, can you imagine hosting Jesus, the promised Messiah you’d been hearing about your whole life, in your own home? This week, we explore how the best thing we can do to see a need and meet the need is to remember that service is a matter of the heart!
SERVICE: Seeing a Need and Meeting it Out of a Heart For God
MEMORY VERSE: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many." MARK 10:45 (NLT)__
This Week’s Finish Line: Service is a Matter of the Heart
There’s a familiar story in the bible about some sisters named Mary and Martha. In the midst of her serving, Martha tries to get Jesus to see things from her perspective. “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work?” (Luke 10:40 NLT). Jesus responds by helping Martha see that she is “worried and upset over all these details” and that Mary has discovered what is better (Luke 10:41 NLT). At first glance, this may seem a little backwards. Martha is serving, which is our character trait for the month, after all. However, Jesus could see into Martha’s heart. Perhaps He saw that Martha was serving for herself…serving because she wanted people to like her food, think her house was clean and had cool decorations, or think she was the hostess with the mostess. Jesus cared more about the condition of Martha’s heart than about having a delicious, hot meal prepared for Him, so He lovingly pointed out that she was “worried and upset over all these details” (Luke 10:41 NLT). Service is a matter of the heart, and Martha’s heart needed to shift from serving for herself to serving for God’s glory.
Family Questions:
READ LUKE 10:38-42
- What are some differences you see between the sisters, Martha and Mary? What were they doing? (Martha was busy doing stuff and Mary was listening to Jesus teach. Mary’s heart wanted to honor Jesus but Martha’s heart was worried about everything she had to do.)
- What did Martha tell Jesus to do? (She wanted Him to tell Mary to get up and help her.) Was Martha doing bad things? (No, she was doing a lot of good things to serve others but with the wrong heart.)
- Why do you think Jesus said that what Mary chose to do was better than what Martha was doing? (Mary knew Jesus was the most important thing and wanted to be with Him. Martha was concerned about getting stuff done and what Mary wasn’t doing.)
- Have you ever been like Martha with your brother or sister? Maybe you said something like, “Mom, he’s not helping me!” or “Dad, why don’t you make her do it with me?” How are you serving with the wrong heart in these situations?
Bring it Home Conversations & Activities:
* Check out our vision for parents and how to use these activities each week.
Teacher: Meal Time
Read Matthew 6:1-4 and talk through the following questions as a family.How would you sum up what Jesus is telling us in these verses? When we make sure people know how we are serving, who is getting all the attention and glory? (We are) Who SHOULD be getting the glory? (All glory is God’s) How can you know if you are serving with the right heart? (You can ask yourself questions like: “Will I be okay if no one notices what I did?” or “How is what I’m doing honoring to God and not myself?” or “Why do I want to serve in this way?”)
Friend: Drive Time
There are tons of ways we can serve others, whether it’s in your own home, across the street, or across town! Check out these service opportunities on our External Focus website, hop in the car, and go for it!!
Counselor: Bedtime
Thank God for the people who are examples of godly servants in your life. Ask Him to help you have the right heart when you are serving others. Thank Him for being the reason we serve, worthy of all the glory and honor.
Coach: Anytime
Learn the memory verse as a family. Write it with wipe off markers on your bathroom mirror. Practice “popcorn style,” where each family member says one word until the entire verse is completed. Write it on an index card and keep it in the car or make up your own hand motions.
Prayer
Thank God for the people who are examples of godly servants in your life. Ask Him to help you have the right heart when you are serving others. Thank Him for being the reason we serve, worthy of all the glory and honor.
Looking Ahead
Next weekend is PROMOTION WEEKEND! So be sure to watch those tags when you print them next weekend. You can ask anyone in a bright yellow Watermark Kids shirt for help if you need anything or have any questions!
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