A SPECIAL NOTE FROM DAVE ABOUT SERVE YOUR CITY:  

This week’s Life Group questions play an integral role in preparing all who are participating in Serve Your City to have an attitude of service and flexibility. It’s this kind of attitude that will make this a week of impact, not just service projects. Make sure you take the time to dig into the homework.  

Also, on the note of flexibility, make sure your people are aware of the following:  

• Stay alert on any changing project needs during the weekend and check your email regularly.    
• If there are any changes, your leadership and influence in helping smooth the way will help make Serve Week great!  

Thanks,  

Dave  

1. Prep for Serve Your City – This is an important week to get ready for Serve Your City. (See Final Notes & Reminders at the end of the homework)
2. Your Meeting Next Week – Next week while there are no in-person services, there will still be a message posted online along with Life Group study questions for your group to discuss. There will be questions based on the sermon as well as questions to guide you in reflecting on your time serving, for those who did projects. If you will focus on the sermon-based questions in your discussion, you may want to remind your group to watch the message online and prep for your group time by answering the questions.  

Special note about this week’s Life Group discussion: This week we get to put John 7:38 into practice and be vessels for living water to flow into our community as we participate in our churchwide Serve Your City campaign. For our Life Group discussion, we are using the sermon to propel us into our weekend of serving. 

Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or something that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you? 

1. As we prepare to go and serve our city this week, what reason do you give family, friends, and coworkers when asked the question, “Why are you serving?”

Hopefully you are all serving somewhere, so have fun with answering this. You may even want to encourage your group to pray that they would be asked this question and have the chance to share about their service project before and after the weekend. SYC is a great way to share with others about our church and what we value. If you have group members that are not participating in SYC be aware if you ask this question.

2. In the sermon, we learned more about the joyful celebration on the last day of the feast. Can you think of a time when you were full of joy celebrating something? What was the reason for the celebration? Who was there? What types of things did you do to celebrate? In what ways did you document or archive the memories?

This could be a fun question and the answers should give some great insight into what people in your group celebrate. Graduations, anniversaries, birthdays, births, gender reveals, races, sporting events, etc. Maybe see if there are photos that people may want to share.

1. From this weekend’s passage, Jesus again calls those who are thirsty to come to Him for a drink of living water. Once we have had our thirst quenched by the source of living water, our response is to live in a way that impacts others through our actions and life choices. As we prepare to go out and serve our city, read through the following verses as your “hype music” to get you fueled and ready to unleash compassion in our community.

These verses are like your workout or cleaning playlist that you play when you need a little extra pep in your step or some motivation to work hard and hustle. They are especially helpful when we would rather not serve or sacrifice.

2 Corinthians 5:14 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.              

Galatians 5:13-14 New International Version (NIV)

¹³ 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. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 Samuel 12:24 New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.                   

Hebrews 13:16 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Galatians 6:9 New International Version (NIV)  

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.                                     

1 John 4:19 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.

Which of the above verses do you find the most compelling? Why?

These verses are great as answers (either verbatim or paraphrased) when answering the first question in the MY STORY section as to the reason we serve. It should be insightful to hear which verses are more compelling to each person.

Additional Question: Did one or more verse seem like it would be difficult to live out?

If you could only choose one, which verse would best describe how you want to be known?

Try and force people to choose just one. They are all so good, so this is hard, but a good exercise.

Additional Question: This may be an opportunity to ask if anyone had another verse come to mind that they want to be known for, though be careful you don’t go too off topic.

Take a minute to rewrite the verse in your own words. How do you see this impacting your relationships and how could you put it into practice in your daily life?

People may have done this ahead of time, but if not, give them some time to do it during group. If you plan to use this question, maybe communicate that ahead of time so people know, and mention that you will be asking for folks to share their rewrites.

Additional Questions: Is there someone in your life where you really need these verses to love and serve them better? Did any of these first give you a sense of conviction that there’s someone in your life you need to adjust your approach with?

2. Through participating in Serve Your City, we have the opportunity to allow rivers of living water to flow through us. Our posture and attitude in our service will speak loudly wherever we serve. Read Colossians 3:22-24 and Ephesians 6:5-8, where Paul talks about the relationship and posture of service between slaves and their masters.

Colossians 3:22-24 New International Version (NIV)

²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Ephesians 6:5-8 New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶ Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷ Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, ⁸ because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

What are some indicators that would make it obvious that someone is serving or working wholeheartedly? Can you think of someone you know who exemplifies this trait/work ethic? How does it impact their work? How does it impact their reputation?

Spinning it the other way, can you think of what it looks like when someone’s work ethic or habits are dependent on whether the boss is present or absent?

Additional Question: Why does our attitude, effort, or posture change when we shift our mindset towards serving The Lord versus man?

Did reading these two passages give you any new insight or encouragement as you go into serving this weekend?

If your group is serving together on a project, maybe choose one of these, or one verse from question #1 above, to keep at the forefront of your minds as you serve. Maybe your group works on memorizing the verse during the week/days leading up to your project day?

This week, thousands of North Coasters will be heading out into the community to serve our cities in the name of Jesus! Take some time at the end of your group meeting to pray for Serve Your City.

Please pray:

• That everyone serving will catch the joy of serving and serve wholeheartedly at every site!
• That even this week, more will volunteer to fill any openings we may have at projects in need of labor.
• For a fun and safe time serving alongside one another in unity of purpose to meet real needs in our community.
• For a job well done at each site, meeting or exceeding the expectations and needs of each organization.
• That those we’re serving will see the love of Jesus in us in words, actions, and attitude.

AMEN.

• Last-minute sign-ups – We have projects that can still use help. If you know someone still wanting to serve, have them sign up! Register online by going to com and clicking on “Serve Your City.”
• Where to meet for projects – Go directly to your project location. You will receive an email one day before your project begins with details.
• If you are participating in one of our larger projects…
  • How to find your Project Manager – All Project Managers will be wearing grey-colored Serve Your City T-shirts.
     
  • What to bring – Your own water, Serve Your City T-shirt or clothes you can get dirty, sunblock, a ready-to-serve attitude, and anything else that would be useful on your project such as gardening tools, paint supplies, brushes and rollers, cleaning supplies, buckets, brooms, tools, electrical cords, etc. Mark everything with your name so you can take it home with you!
• Need a Serve Your City T-shirt? – Get your Serve Your City T-shirt for $10 at your campus during the Canned Food & Toiletry Drives Saturday on all campuses (while supplies last).
• Questions? Email [email protected]
• Social Media – We’d love to see pictures and posts about your Serve Your City experience! Share them with us by tagging @nccommunityservice, @northcoastchurch and your campus.