Table of Contents
PRAYER
Let’s begin by inviting God into our time together, asking Him to reveal His purpose, presence, and power in our lives. Let’s open our hearts to encounter Him and ask that this conversation would draw us closer to each other and to His purpose for us.
Does anyone have prayer requests, or would anyone like to share a moment where you’ve felt God moving in your life recently?
THE DOMINO EFFECT
Dreaming :: Attending :: Serving
THIS WEEK
To Serve or Not to Serve? The question isn’t if we will serve, but who, what, and how we will serve. While the world offers various perspectives on serving, the Bible presents it as more than an action—it’s a relational reflection of God’s nature. Serving is central to who God is, and because humanity is made in His image, it is also central to who we are.
This week’s message unpacked the profound ripple effect of serving when done out of obligation, but out of Jesus’ pure, overflowing, unconditional love. Compelled by Jesus’ love, we decisively step into the messiness of life with grace, mercy, and love, bringing the hope of the Father’s heart through acts of service to those where we live, work, and play.
With this domino effect in mind, consider these questions:
What’s the first word that comes to mind when you hear serve?
What has your experience with serving been—positive or negative?
Do you prefer to serve or be served? If being served feels easy, why is serving hard—and vice versa?
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO NOT SERVE?
1 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 10 shows what happens when we fail to serve as God intended through the story of King Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon.
When the people of Israel pleaded for mercy, Rehoboam faced a critical decision early in his reign. Though he sought wise counsel from elders who had advised his father, he ultimately chose to listen to his “yes” friends. Rather than reducing taxes and easing the people’s burdens, he chose to serve himself, likely to protect his own wealth. As often goes with self-serving motivated decisions, his decision led to rebellion and the division of Israel. Rehoboam’s downfall came from his pride and refusal to listen empathetically.
He missed the truth that true leadership, especially in serving others, fosters unity. This is what it looks like when we fail to serve.
Unlike Rehoboam, how can we practically avoid making decisions based on self-interest?
How does Rehoboam’s failure to listen show the importance of humility in leadership and service?
How do you see the consequences of Rehoboam’s self-serving choice reflected in our lives or society today?
How can we prioritize serving others over our own desires, especially when our choices affect those around us?
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO SERVE?
Long after Rehoboam’s failure to serve, there was another King—Jesus, the Suffering Servant—who also faced the choice to serve or not.
In John 13, just before the Passover, driven by love, Jesus knew it was time to offer salvation to the world. In a powerful act of service, He rose from the Last Supper and washed His disciples’ feet—a task usually reserved for society’s lowest, not the powerful. As the greatest of all, Jesus humbled Himself to serve, fully aware that the cross—His path to bringing salvation—was imminent.
When Jesus stood at the crossroads of To serve or not to serve?, He once more chose to serve, unlike Rehoboam. This decision set off a ripple effect of change that is transforming countless lives today and until the day of His return. Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, serving at the cost of His life, was not a transaction, but one that was relational—the ultimate act of love. It revealed the true nature of relationship—showing us how to relate to God and others.
Jesus calls us to embody that same selfless love. As we serve Him and others, following His example of sacrifice, we align our being and doing with the cross, where He paid for our sins through His broken body and shed blood. Serving from that heart posture leads to blessings.
How does Jesus’ act of washing His disciples’ feet reveal the nature of true humility and love?
How does Jesus’ decision to serve, even knowing the cross was imminent, challenge our understanding of leadership and service?
What does serving from a heart aligned with the cross look like, and how can that shape our relationships with God and others?
How does Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice reshape our understanding of service, especially when it involves personal cost?
How can we embody Jesus’ selfless love daily, and what blessings come from serving others this way?
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF SERVING?
Serving creates a domino effect, bringing blessings through the right relationships with God and others. By rejecting the world’s call to serve ourselves in ways that damage these relationships, we answer God’s kingdom call to serve Him and others, sharing the good news of Jesus and equally meeting their practical needs. Motivated by Jesus’ love, we humbly serve, entering into others’ struggles to help them experience the Father’s love. This decision to serve creates a lasting ripple, passing from generation to generation. It connects us to God and each other, shapes us into Christ’s image, and commits us to a purpose greater than ourselves.
In what ways does rejecting self-serving behaviors open the door to serving God’s kingdom and sharing the good news of Jesus?
How can we humbly enter into others’ struggles and show them the Father’s love through our actions
How does serving others connect us to a purpose greater than ourselves, and how can we keep that focus in our daily lives?
CLOSING THOUGHT
Adapted from the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States:
“And so, my fellow Christians: do not ask what the kingdom of God can do for you—ask what you can do for the kingdom of God. My fellow citizens of the kingdom: do not ask what the kingdom will do for you, but what together we can be and accomplish because of the freedom found in Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and return.” —Pastor Alvin Brown
With all your time, treasures, and talents, how will you decide to serve and commit fully to the Kingdom of God?
Who has God placed on your heart to share your time, treasure, and talent with, so they may experience the Father’s love through Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit?
How can you wisely engage and serve this person with your time, talent, and treasure this week?
Let’s close by praying for Mosaic Church. Thank God for this community, for the people He has gathered here, and for the work we do together to bless Fort Worth. Pray that we would continue to encourage one another in love and good works, always remaining confident and faithful to Jesus’ call to meet and grow together.
Alvin Brown, the Lead Pastor of Mosaic Church Fort Worth, brings over a decade of pastoral ministry experience and more than 20 years of operational and technical leadership expertise. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications Management from DeVry University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. He enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Mallary, and their three children and contributing as a writer to various media outlets.
