SERVE IN JESUS' NAME

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:10-11
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13
"For they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." 1 Thessalonians 1:9
“Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.” Peter Marshall

Read "Serving God" from The Gospel Coalition. "To serve God is to love him with all that we are, obeying, and enjoying him forever. Serving God is what we were made to do as his creatures, but our service has been corrupted by our sin and rebellion which has rendered us unable to please him. An important part of the Gospel is that in Jesus Christ we can begin to serve God again with the promise of being able to serve him perfectly and forever in the age to come. This Christian service is our privilege and delight."
Listen to "What Does It Mean to Serve God?" by John Piper at Desiring God. "I think this is one of the most important questions a Christian can ask about living the Christian life in a way that glorifies God and does good to other people. It gets at the utterly crucial issue of a right way of serving God that honors Him and blesses people, and a wrong way of serving God that dishonors Him and doesn’t help people. This is not a marginal issue. We’re talking about what it means to be a Christian moment by moment in real life."

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" 2 Corinthians 13:5.
"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24.
Examine your heart when it comes to serving in Jesus' Name, concerns, readiness, and equipment.
When serving the One True God, it is crucially important to do it in Jesus' Name and to verbalize that your service is to honor and serve Jesus Christ as your Lord, Master, and Savior. If we simply serve without clarifying the who and why behind our service, it leaves our motives open to multiple interpretations. Clearly claim Christ to draw others to Him.

"Dear Jesus, We want to serve you willingly because you first served us gladly by your life, death and resurrection. No one will ever out-serve you, Jesus. Even from heaven you continue to serve us, as advocate and intercessor. Even in our life in the new heaven and new earth you will serve us, and lead us to springs of living water (Rev. 7:17). What a wonderful merciful Savior you are. Lord Jesus, continue to free us from doing anything for the approval of people, or out of fear of people, or to gain power over people. Forgive us when we work for appreciation, recognition or congratulation. It’s you we serve, not mere men. Free us for doing all things as unto you: loving our family and friends as unto you; serving in your church and kingdom as unto you; engaging in our vocations as unto you; eating and drinking as unto you (1 Cor. 10:31)… doing all things as unto You, for your praise and glory." (From the Gospel Coalition "A Prayer for Serving Jesus With All Our Hearts).

READY: Now that you have studied Biblically, trained Spiritually, examined your heart, and prayed over this challenge, you are ready to undertake serving in Jesus' Name. You equipped yourself Spiritually, mentally, and physically, so get ready to go girl! This is a tough challenge! If you don't feel ready, trust that God has set you up to succeed!
SET: When God sent Moses with a message, Moses knew it may not be received or go well for him, to the point that in Exodus 4, Moses complained, "I am slow of speech and tongue” and said to the Lord, "Please send someone else". But Moses did go! Moses was later described as being "powerful in speech and action" (Acts 7:22). When it comes to serving in Jesus' Name, you may think, "Please send someone else; I am too overwhelmed or insecure or busy" but God is calling you and will overcome your fears and faults to work through you. When we trust God, our inadequacy becomes our legacy.

In what ways did you serve in Jesus' Name?
How can you serve in Jesus' Name in the future?
What did you learn from serving in Jesus' Name?
How can you make serving in Jesus' Name a lifelong discipline?
Pray to persevere in serving in Jesus' Name.
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

SERVE IN JESUS' NAME: SPEND 16 HOURS SERVING IN JESUS' NAME