What Part Do You Believe?

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! This day is sure to be a great one – I believe and declare this to be true!

As I begin this message, I am mindful that a person that does not believe the Bible might struggle with this message. 1 John 4: 6 says, “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” It is o.k. if you don’t like or agree with this message; I respect you and your right to have your opinion. If you ever want to discuss why I believe the Bible, in Jesus, and the reason for the hope I have, I would be honored to have that conversation with you.

I am going to use the introduction from biblestudytools.com, when searching “Bible verses about serving” as my introduction to this message. Here is the introduction:

“Serving God is one of the most important principles of the Christian faith, as believers are expected to help the church with a joyful spirit. “Love one another.” “Care for one another.” “Pray for one another.” “Encourage one another.” “Help one another.” “Counsel one another.” “Support one another.” Scripture repeatedly tells us of our relationship to God and others through service.

The Bible teaches that serving God and others is not about doing great things but about doing small things with great love. We can serve God and others daily by being kind to our neighbors, volunteering our time to help others, and giving to those in need.

We must remember that serving others may not always be easy, but God's grace and strength will help us. Secondly, we must remember that nothing is too small that God will not use it. Nothing we do for God is in vain!”

I now want to share several scriptures:

Matthew 25:35-40 - "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Romans 12:10 - "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

1 Peter 4:10-11 - "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord."

Mark 10:45 - "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Galatians 5:13 - "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

I have told you all before about Pastor Phil Tutor. You knew Pastor Phil was about ready to ring you up good when he would say, “What part of the Bible do you believe?” He would then smile, cackle a little bit and say, “The part you actually live out!” So Friends, the question for all of us this morning is “What part of the Bible do you believe?”

·       Are we giving the hungry something to eat, the thirsty something to drink, are we welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, visiting those that are sick and in prison? What part of the Bible do we believe?

·       Are we honoring one another above ourselves? What part of the Bible do we believe?

·       Are we using whatever gifts we have received to serve others? Are we slothful or fervent? What part of the Bible do we believe?

·       Are we here to serve or to be served? What part of the Bible do we believe?

·       Are we using our freedoms to benefit ourselves or to serve others? What part of the Bible do we believe?

I know, that stings a little…Happy Friday!

I truly believe that we are called to use our time, talents, and treasure to love, care for, and serve others. What do you believe? Let me ask it another way; what are you actually living? It is easy to say the “right thing” or to “give the Sunday school answer.” Unfortunately, lives are not changed and nothing meaningful happens through our words. It is only through the lives that we live, the things that we actually do on a consistent basis, that changes lives and produces meaningful fruit. Are you and I happy with the fruit that is being produced through the lives we are living? If so, I want to encourage you to keep going and never grow weary in doing good! If not, what changes do we need to make to bring our life into alignment with who and what we say we are, and who we want to be?

During this season of giving, I want to encourage us to live a life of giving. Not only will it positively impact every precious soul that crosses our path, it will also bless our souls in indescribable ways and it will lead to a joyful, fulfilling, life.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev