SERVING CHANGES LIVES

Those whom you serve are changed through having their needs met, you are changed because God made you to freely give and so a unique true need is also met in you, and in turn your community is changed because the church is fulfilling the Great Commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself” found in Matthew 22:37-40.

It was great to hear of Cardell Brown’s testimony who served in McKinney, Texas with 3e McKinney’s Garage Giveaway:  “I had a super time directing traffic and meeting new friends.  Most of all it was great to be able to pray one on one with the folks who were dropping items off.  We prayed for healing, jobs, homes, children, and a host of other things. I can’t wait to hear the good reports.  It was great having my son here on this day so he could see that we are blessed to be a blessing.”

Andrea Durrett who served with Tampa’s Metropolitan Ministries shared:   “I truly enjoyed working in outreach, I really felt like I made a difference in people’s lives. Thank you for the opportunity!”

Some other testimonies of how serving changes lives:

• “We had a wonderful time helping seniors in their homes. It was a blessing to watch our children share their time with us while serving others.”
• “It was just so amazing to be there and be a part of that experience. I never realized how many people there were in our community that needed help.”
• “It was a great experience for our 14 year old son.  It’s important to learn about giving of your time. I have done this with other children when they were in their teens as well.”

 SERVING PLEASES GOD

^“Our sacrifice is to keep offering praise to God in the name of Jesus.  But don’t forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.”  –Hebrews 13:15-16

Obviously God made us to worship Him, but we tend to think that worship is what we do on Sundays.  Worship is a daily lifestyle of praising God and giving Him glory through our thoughts, words and actions.  What better way is there to show our love for Him in action through serving those in need!

Testimonies of Serving that Pleases God:

• “It was an opportunity to serve God.”
• “It blesses my heart and my family’s to be the hands and feet of God.  I thank the Lord for allowing us to give back to His people and help further His kingdom.
• “It was more than I expected (in a good way).  Thank you for the training to be equipped to serve with prisoners that are being released back into society. What a ministry that I am so blessed to be a part of! No better way to be more like Jesus than visiting those in prison. God use me!”

Next time in “What Does Serving Others Do? Part 2″. We will talk about how serving brings unity in the church and encourages even more serving!  It truly is a “Win-Win” situation!