Read Philippians 2:12-13 & I John 2:5-6. At times you might find yourself struggling with God over trials, doubts, questions or pain, but you can be still be faithful to God. Paul instructed the Philippian Church to continue to work out their salvation and to let God work God’s will in and through their lives. And if you will also put your faith to work by serving this broken world, God will not only use you to bring the Kingdom to earth, but to renew and restore your life as well.

• Name the times you struggle the most with God or faith in God?
• What do you think it means to “work out your salvation?” How are you doing that?

Read Matthew 6:9-13. In teaching his disciples how to pray, Jesus clearly wants them to see that serving is first of all redemptive. There is nothing in the Lord’s Prayer about getting people into heaven, it’s all about bringing heaven to people. Sometimes you might get caught up in the idea of godforsaken places or godforsaken people, but there are no places that God is not present or working to renew, restore and rebuild God’s Kingdom here on earth. The only question is will you be a part of that redemption story.

• How has God restored or rebuilt your life?
• Name a time God used your service to bring new life or new hope to another person. How has serving brought new life or new hope to you?

Read John 4:34. The second thing Jesus wanted his disciples to know is that serving requires discipline. Jesus teaches that you are to ask God daily for bread, but also that God’s bread, God’s food, is to do God’s will. And doing God’s will also takes daily discipline if you are ever going to get from the right ideas to focused action. Discipline is the bridge between our beliefs and good intentions and acting on God’s will to serve the least of these in the world.

• Are you good at waiting on God? Explain.
• Describe how disciplined action helped you become an expert at something in your life. Do you now teach others how to do that?
• Which spiritual discipline are you faithful at doing? Which would you like to improve?

Not only does disciplined service take you from right ideas to focused action it also empowers those you serve.  Serving is about God’s kingdom, not ours, and empowering service is not about our feeling better, but about lifting others up.  Every act of service can and should be empowering to others, as you bring about God’s redemption, power, love and life to those who need it the most.

• Who has empowered you in your life? Are you empowering others by your disciplined service? Explain.
• What steps are you taking in your life of discipline or service? Do you feel God’s presence?
• How will you become more disciplined in daily serving others?