What’s Stopping Me From Growing?

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. – Galatians 6:7–8. 

Have you wondered why you’re not growing spiritually as much as you would like. If you sat down and listed the reasons, you would probably come up with the usual suspects. We blame it on Satan, our busy lives, our careers, children, spouse and even the church we attend. I’m not saying those things aren’t an issue, or that they are not contributing to our lack of growth. But, are they the real reason? To me the real reason is the noise or distractions in our lives. Noise and distractions in our lives can diminish our spiritual growth.

We all have the best intentions. We are excited about God, but because we have become a product of our digital world, we have a diminished ability to think deeply about Him, to truly know Him as He is, and to grow more like Him. It is harder and harder to stop long enough to read. We struggle with the attention needed to study. And we have a tough time finding time for God. Where prayer used to be the first activity of the day, we now begin our daily routine by checking e-mail. Where we used to look through the Bible daily for inspiration and guidance, that time now competes with our voice mail, text messages, e-mails, and the ever-present lure of the Internet. So the distractions are limiting the things that will contribute to our growth.

If you don’t believe me, run a small scale case study on yourself to see how many time you are distracted a day. My guess is you will get so distracted you won’t be able to get the case study done.

Paul prayed for the young church in Colossae: “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”  (Colossians 1: 9-10) This would require them to say no to whatever distracted them from seeking Christ above all else.

Our goal is the same, to not be distracted by anything that pulls us away from what’s supremely important—knowing Christ. God calls us to a life where distractions fade and His voice becomes the One we listen to first and foremost.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What kind of noise do you have in your life? Do you surround yourself with noise intentionally or unintentionally?
  2. Do you wish God’s voice would be louder in your life? Does all the noise in our life make it hard to hear from God?
  3. Does my schedule, my time, my life look like that of a person who wants to spiritually grow? 
  4. What are some things in your daily life you could change to eliminate some of the noise?   

Change For The Better

“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. – Ephesians 3:17-19. 

Have you ever reflected at least for a moment, why God just doesn’t give us the stage cues we need to guide us in the direction we need to go. Or better yet, why doesn’t God just change us? It would make things a whole lot simpler. 

God always makes the right choices. If God made the decisions for me, I would not struggle with the same old problems and continually make the same old mistakes. I wouldn’t be wrong so often. My opinions wouldn’t get in the way of my growth. No more anger, impatience or even worse indifference to what is happening around me. No more hypocrisy. Yes, there would be bumps in the road, but I would not pay them any mind because with God as my GPS, I will always get to where I need to to be. Life would be much simpler.

It would also take a lot less time to grow and to become more like Jesus. In spite of my intentions my path to holiness is pretty slow. Think about it for a second. If God wanted to, He could have made us instantly perfect the moment we accepted Him as Lord and Savior. He could completely deliver us from our clinging sins in the blink of an eye. Life would be simpler.

So why not perform another miracle? Why doesn’t He simply pick me up where I am and turn me into a holier, mature and loving Pastor Marty? It would be simpler, but not better. The truth is God is always changing us bit by imperceptible bit, gradually and patiently. Look back at who you were one year ago, three years ago, ten years ago. Can you see the Lord refining you? If you are still where you are, then maybe you are not taking the steps and accepting the changes needed to grow. Our tendency is to lose motivation if we don’t see results, but we need to remember that God often grows us in silent, subtle intervals.

So take the steps you need to grow. Celebrate the rare times when spiritual development can be measured in miles and takes place overnight, but daily delight in God’s faithfulness in the small steps that we take. Using small, slow and persistent growth to change the entire world is God’s method of change. 2 Peter 3:8 says, “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” So don’t look on spiritual growth, regardless of pace, as being too slow. What we think is God’s slowness is God’s patience, mercy and perfect timing.

God wants me to be holy, but that’s not His only goal for my life. He wants me to learn to treasure my Savior and humbly depend on Him for everything in my life.

Discussion Questions:

  1. God desires that we not only know about Jesus, but that we become like Jesus. What might this look like?
  2. Granted, spiritual growth takes time and one day God will accomplish His objective of making us like Christ. But why does the process have to take so long for change and growth to become a reality?
  3. While God accomplishes all spiritual growth, He uses means. What are some of the means He uses to bring about growth? Which of these do you find most helpful?
  4. What can we do this week to change and grow in Jesus?

All Out Effort

“ In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.” – 2 Peter 1:5-10

God wants us to grow. God wants us to be more like Him. Ephesians 4: 13 says, “This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” 

We want to grow. We want to mature. We want to be like Christ. But spiritual maturity is not automatic. There is no shortcut to spiritual growth. There’s no instant pill that the church or your small group could give you to take today and tomorrow you’re going to be spiritually mature. It takes time. It takes an intentional pursuit. It won’t come automatically or quickly.

That doesn’t stop us from looking for shortcuts. We look for that “aha moment” or some emotional experience. We just need that certain experience, or read that book, or listen to that podcast. Or maybe if I can keep that set of rules, then I will be more Christlike.   

No such luck. Spiritual growth is a continual process. It is a series of proactive steps. Action is always an integral part of spiritual growth. Spiritual growth does not “just happen” to us, it requires a great deal of blood, sweat and tears. Growing as a disciple of Jesus requires hard work and intentionality. It does not happen by accident. It is the result of deliberately organizing your schedule, your habits, and your attention toward the things of God.

1 Timothy 4:7-10 says: ”Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.”

Is physical fitness automatic? No. Neither is spiritual fitness. It takes time and trouble. Just like to be physically fit you’ve got to exercise and develop some basic habits, to spiritually grow we need to develop some good habits.      

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you believe you are making the effort to grow spiritually?
  2. Are you willing to spend time every day pursuing God through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading, or self-examination?
  3. Do you believe that authentic, long-term relationships with other Christians are not merely helpful, but essential to your spiritual well-being?
  4. Do you have a sense of urgency about knowing God and becoming like him?

Go Through The Changes

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Intuitively we know that to be true. But change is only good when it contributes to growth. Ellen Glasgow said, “all change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.” Change for the sake of change isn’t a good thing. It becomes a good thing when change enables us to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

One of the things that can happen to Christians is the idea that I want to grow, but I don’t want to change. That’s like saying I want to lose weight but I am going to eat all three meals at Five Guys. A lot of people hire personal trainers to help them lose weight. But a personal trainer has no miracle solution. They can’t say something inspirational and you lose 50 pounds. The reality is that change and growth won’t happen quickly and it won’t happen at all if we do not take the steps necessary to get us there.   

Those small steps if you want to lose weight are to eat smaller portions, eat healthy foods, and exercise. That makes sense. There are no short cuts. The same is true of our spiritual growth. If you are happy with your spiritual growth, then keep doing what you have been doing. However, if you are unhappy with your rate of growth, change. It actually isn’t much more complicated than that.

If you are struggling with spiritual growth and little life change is occurring, then where is the breakdown?  Are you allowing God to use his tools of the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and circumstances? Are you praying?  Are you engaged with other believers to hold you accountable, challenge, encourage, and support your life change?

What changes will be required for you to grow as a Christian? Maybe you will need to adjust your schedule so you can more consistently spend time reading the Bible and talking with God through prayer. Perhaps you will need to get more actively involved in a particular ministry of the church.  Or it could be something else entirely that God impresses upon you. Whatever it is, you will need to change if you hope to grow.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What event/activity/season of life caused your spiritual life to grow the most?
  2. At what period of your life would you describe as the time when you were closest to God?
  3. What changes/steps would you have to make in your life now in order to grow more spiritually?

Transformation: What’s my next step?

“…throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” – Ephesians 4:22-24.

Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne was known for his motivational locker room speeches. He had the ability to whip his players into a frenzy and the passion generated through those talks was reflected on the football field. As a result, Notre Dame won many games they probably should have lost. The question is whether we as Christians view faith in the same way. Do we need to be motivated? Do we view faith as an inspirational charge that gets us through the day.

Jesus did not give motivational talks to His disciples. In fact, Jesus made people a little uncomfortable on a regular basis. He spoke of shaking people’s foundations. Jesus’ message was about spiritual change, not emotional charge. Another name for spiritual change is transformation, where the old form of life becomes a totally new form of living. Transformation does not happen overnight, it is a series of steps.   

That probably seems pretty obvious. No one would disagree that transformation requires a series of steps. Living the Christian life is a journey and every journey requires a lot of steps. The question is what steps do we need to take and in what order to become more like Jesus.  It varies from person to person, but the Bible gives us a roadmap that we can follow as we work out our faith. Those include salvation, baptism, serving in the church, devotional time, tithing, loving others…well you get the idea. But, I would like to add some slightly less obvious steps we can take to become more like Jesus. 

First, work on simplifying and decluttering your life. In today’s world we have so many choices, so many options because we don’t want to miss out on anything. The answer is to focus our energies and attention on God. God did not put us here to do everything, but to do His specific assignments. Of course, that requires focus. In a world of social media and internet connectivity, we can easily lose focus on growing as a Christian. Growing in Jesus becomes easier when we can block out all the distractions and noise around us.

Finally, be ready for change. Growth requires change. Change requires action. Remember the famous definition of insanity; doing the same thing and expecting a different result. God cannot help someone who refuses to change. It is like driving a car. You cannot steer a car that is sitting still. A car that is moving can be steered. We need to have a “sense” of direction—-know we are to do a thing—-then step out in faith—-trusting God to go with you and showing you what steps you need to take and when. 

There are many kind and helpful things we can do everyday for people that do not need a special “push” from God to do. Part of our Christian living is seeing a need and trying to help.

If you surrender to God and His way of life, He will transform you.  Are you ready to change?

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is change necessary for transformation?
  2. What lessons have you learned through change?
  3. Have you seen good come from a change that seemed bad at the time? If so, how?
  4. How does your faith play a role during change?
  5. What do you need to do to take the next steps in growing more like Jesus?

Serve the Purpose

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. – 1 Peter 4:10-11. 

At Northstar, we stress the importance of serving others, serving the church, and serving the community. Serving others gets us outside ourselves and builds our relationship with God. But what if we believe we are not needed or choose not to serve. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But the good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”  If we choose not to serve, who will it effect and how?

That question can best be answered by looking at 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. This passage is one of the most challenging because God expects every part of the body to grow and do its work. In this passage, Paul uses the human body as a metaphor for the church, with each member serving as a part.

Which body part do you think is most critical to the proper functioning of the body as a whole? Or maybe, said another way, which body part is the most important? What if you had to lose one part of your body or ability, what would it be? These are hypothetical questions because the reality is that we need all of our body parts to work together. The same is true in a church.

Paul tells us just that: “ The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ….we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?”  (1 Corinthians 12:12-16)

So what does that have to do with the church? The Bible makes it clear that every person has special gifts and abilities. We can use those unique elements to come together and do amazing things. But we have to use each other to make it happen. The church allows us to be one part of a whole group that serves Christ. That group is made up of us as individual people, and we all have unique abilities from God that can be used for Him. Even parts of our body that seem insignificant or not as critical can actually be quite important. If you break even your smallest toes, you will know it and it will affect your life. Church goers may not think they have the skills to do the most important work, at least what they view as important. But individually, no matter what your skills or gifts, can never accomplish what we can do collectively. 

Nobody, not even pastors who are sometimes put on a pedestal, can do everything. The reality is we were never meant to even try. God wants us to cooperate and use each other’s talent and ability to make anything possible. Sharing resources, time, and especially our gifts is what makes things work. Sometimes we want to be someone we aren’t. In those moments we need to remember that God chose who He wants us to be. We simply need to have a heart for service and a commitment to use our gifts for His glory.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you ever think think, “they don’t need me!”?
  2.  In the body, what does healthy dependence on each other look like?
  3. Am I insecure in the use of my gifts? How can I seek to be content in the gift(s) God has given me?
  4. Does Jesus washing the disciples feet change your mind about serving in the church?

Betrayal With Clean Feet

“For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” – Mark 14:21.

Jesus washes the disciple’s feet and then predicts His betrayal by Judas. “Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean.The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?” So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.”…So Judas left at once, going out into the night.” (John 13:21-30)

What Judas does with his life is the worst thing he could do with it. There is nothing worse that he could have done in his life than to betray Jesus. This indescribable example of washing of the feet included all of the disciples, even Judas. It is clear that the Lord Jesus knew what was going down with Judas as evidenced by the passage above. Jesus knew that the terrible events and terrible hours that awaited Him would be put into motion by one of those closest to Him. But in spite of that knowledge, Jesus bent down at the feet of all of His disciples, even Judas, and washed their feet.

Think a minute about the scene. Judas is scheming for how and when he will betray Jesus. “They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.” (Mark 14.11) He is considering his options while Jesus is washing his feet. The very hands that will soon be pierced through with nails for the sins of all mankind, are at this moment serving by washing even the feet of the one who will betray Him.

Soon after Jesus would tell Judas to go. “…Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” (John 13.27). And so he went. He went to betray Jesus and he did so after having his feet cleaned by the Son of God and God the Son.

The whole scene engenders all kinds of emotions and reactions. I examine my own heart while marveling at the Savior’s. I know that if it were not for the grace of Christ, where would I be.  I just have to thank my Savior for His arresting, converting, and persevering grace that will not let His people go once they are saved. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to Jesus washing Judas’ feet?
  2. What does this say about Jesus’ love for His disciples?
  3. How does seeing Jesus serve and love His disciples help you to understand how you are called to serve and love people in your life? 
  4. What can we do this week to serve better? 

Basin Theology

“ So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” – Luke 13:4-8.

When I read the foot washing story in the Gospel of John, my shock was similar to Peter’s when his feet were washed by Jesus. “How can he do this!” How can the Son of God and God the Son humble himself in this matter?

When Jesus rose from the table and began to wash the feet of the disciples (John 13:4), He was doing the work of the lowliest of servants. The disciples must have been stunned at this act of humility and condescension. The humility expressed by His act with towel and basin foreshadowed His ultimate act of humility and love on the cross. Jesus’ attitude of servanthood was in direct contrast to that of the disciples, who had recently been arguing among themselves as to which of them was the greatest. (Luke 22:24)

Over 2,000 years later, foot washing is no longer in use. We have shoes and indoor plumbing with showers and…you get the picture. But that does not change the meaning, which is having a servant’s heart. How might we in turn learn to serve one another in the spirit of how Jesus served us? How do we see people in need and lovingly and joyfully give our time and very selves to them? How can we transition to more of a basin theology or a servant approach to our Christian walk? The answer is to get beyond ourselves and learn to serve others as Jesus served others.

The heart of a servant starts with a clear and deep conviction in your heart about what Jesus did in serving you by giving Himself as a ransom to set you free from sin and death. In other words, the only thing that will turn your heart away from looking inward and looking outward is an ever-growing, ever-deepening, ever-expanding understanding of what Jesus did for you on the cross and why it was necessary that He do it. God is far more interested in why you serve others than in how well you serve them. He’s always looking at your heart, serving willingly and eagerly out of love for Jesus and gratitude for all He’s done for you.

God calls people to help fulfill His purposes in the world. In fact, when we identify ourselves as “Christians,” it is one way of saying that we have a basin theology, that we serve others as Jesus did by washing the feet of His disciples.    

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does basin theology mean to you? 
  2. Everybody thinks serving others is a good idea. But why is it sometimes difficult to act on it?
  3. In what ways do you feel like you don’t have what it takes to help other people?
  4. When you serve someone else, how does it help you as much as it helps the people you’re helping?
  5. Identify one step you can take to serve someone this week.

Serving Others Serves Us

“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” – Matthew 25: 35-40.

Albert Schweitzer once said, “The only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve.” He also said, “The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.”

When we look around, we see a world full of needs and there is only so much we can do. It would seem more practical and even more logical to have everyone take care of themselves first. That eliminates the concerns of who best to serve and how best to serve them. There is one problem with that idea. God wants us to serve others.

In fact, serving others accomplishes just about everything God wants in us. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus tells his disciples that, “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.” Because Jesus gave Himself up as the ultimate sacrifice for us, we are also called to serve others.

At Northstar, we believe that the Church does not exist for us. We are the Church and we exist for the world. We have the responsibility and the opportunity to show the love of Christ by serving other people. In other words, saved people serve people so that served people can become saved.

Northstar is not built on the gifts and talents of a few, but on the sacrifice of many. It’s one of the reasons that I love my church – because Saved People Serve People. And it’s never about excluding people, but about including people. Helping people find their fit – what makes them unique – and then fitting them in and helping them find a place of service is one of our top priorities.

I encourage you to serve if you haven’t yet. Ask yourself what it is that you do well. Or what is it you like to do? “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Peter 4:10-11.

The point is we need you. We want you to be a part of God’s body in the way He designed you. You’re here because of Him, and we know He put you here for a reason. Let’s find out together what best suits your passion, personality, and availability.   

Discussion Questions:

  1. Your devotion to God is illustrated, demonstrated, and authenticated by serving others.  Agree or disagree?
  2. What is your definition of servanthood?
  3. What hurdles do you have serving others?
  4. What must you do, beginning today, to acquire an authentic heart of a servant?

Feet First

“Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” – John 13:1-5

John’s account of the last supper begins with Jesus washing the disciple’s feet. The action is simple, yet its significance is revolutionary. Using the most ordinary and humble means, Jesus conveys the most extraordinary love and commands His disciples to do the same. Jesus is the one who takes the initiative and acts on the behalf of His disciples.

In those times, people commonly washed their own feet. When guests arrived with feet covered with dust from the road, a good host would offer them a basin of water. In some cases the host would have a slave wash the feet of the guests. But it was understood that no free person would stoop to wash the feet of another free person. Hospitality meant offering water and perhaps the services of a slave. It did not mean doing the washing.

A free man or woman washing someone’s feet was basically assuming the position of a slave. The only reason someone would do this voluntarily was to show complete devotion to another person. This is what Jesus does here. He assumes the role of a slave to show the depth of his love for His disciples: “…He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.” (John 13:1). Jesus does not act out of weakness, but out of strength. John tells us that Jesus has come from God and is going to God, and that God has put all things into Jesus’ hands. Yet the one who has all things in His hands now uses His hands to wash feet. His power comes to expression in self-giving love and service. 

Remember that the devil is at work. “It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.” (John 13:2)  Yet Jesus apparently washes the feet of all the disciples, including those of Judas. The jaw dropping love that Jesus shows here is beyond our understanding.

Jesus tells the disciples that what He has done is not only a gift, but an example. As He has washed their feet, they are to wash one another’s feet (John 13:12-17). By washing the feet of others, they are called to share the love they have received from Christ.

We believe that our proper response as followers of Jesus is to serve selflessly. We are called to love and influence the world by helping others. Concentrate on serving one person. One task at a time, then another. Psalm 119:105 states “our word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” If it’s at our feet, it won’t illuminate the whole road, but rather, one step at a time. Eventually, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come in being a Christ-like servant.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does Jesus washing the disciples feet mean to you?
  2. What attitude are we to have toward serving others? How did Jesus model it?
  3. How do you feel as you think about what Jesus did to serve you?
  4. What is it about serving others that you find hard to do? What are some things that have prevented you from serving others in the past? What can you do to become more of a servant?