A SPECIAL NOTE FROM DAVE ABOUT SERVE YOUR CITY:

High Need Projects – If anyone has not signed up or is wanting to sign up for another project, please check the website for high need projects.

This week’s Life Group questions play an integral role in preparing all who are participating in SERVE WEEK 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:

• We may be moving some people to different projects if our needs change. Thanks for being flexible. Please be checking your email regularly.
• Some projects will go faster than planned, others will go slower than planned. On Saturday night, we will evaluate our progress and may move people to different projects on Sunday. Again, please be checking your email.

We know change is not easy for everyone – your leadership and influence in helping smooth the way when you encounter these changes will help make Serve Week great!

Thanks,

Dave

Special Note to Leaders:

• Prep for Serve Your City – This is an important week to get ready for Serve Your City. (See Final Notes & Reminders below)
• Your Meeting Next Week – Though we aren’t meeting in person next week, there will be an online sermon and Life Group questions for our final week of Serve Your City, which will be called “Love Week.” The focus will be on how we show God’s love to those He has brought into our lives in a variety of ways! Remind your group to watch the message online and prep for your group time by answering the questions.

Next Week’s Sermon and Life Group Study Questions – Next weekend’s in-person services on all campuses have been cancelled so we can accomplish all we want to during this Serve Week. Whether you are serving on a project this weekend or have already served, we want to show our community God’s love in very practical ways and pray that our projects, attitudes and words will have a great impact. There will still be a message posted online next week along with Life Group Study Questions for your group to discuss during Love Week of Serve Your City.

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. In light of Larry’s sermon, how would you answer someone who asked you this week, “Why are you serving?”

Facilitation Tip: You could break into pairs and have people role-play answering this question. The answer they come up with can also be used when people ask you what you did this past weekend.

2. Larry said that the Gospel is both words and music. What has been your experience with sharing words? With sharing the music?

Note: Many people may not have had any experience sharing the words of the Gospel. This is not a time to make them feel bad or guilty. An easy way for people to share the Gospel is using the Romans Road. Reading through these verses with a little explanation can help people understand the Gospel. People can write these verses in the flyleaf of their Bible to remember them.

Romans 1:19-20

Romans 3:23

Romans 5:8

Romans 6:23

Romans 10:9-11

Romans 12:1-2

3. Check any of the statements below that describe what typically motivates you to help others who are in need.

Good question to have everyone answer.

• Just seeing a need
• Obeying God’s call
• Feeling a tug on your heart
• Feelings of obligation
• Bringing someone to faith
• Being asked to help
• Relating with the need
• Rewards in Heaven
• Getting something in return
• Other:________________

1. Our desire is to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community— to intentionally love and serve people so they will see who Jesus is through our actions and words and then be drawn to Him. As you read the following verses, list any guidelines or tips that could influence our effectiveness in serving in this week’s projects or in serving others in general.

Colossians 3:12,17 New International Version (NIV)
¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Ephesians 6:7 New International Version (NIV)
⁷ Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,

What does it look like to “do it all in the name of Jesus” when we’re serving others?

To do something in the name of Jesus is to do it as His representative. This would include doing it for the reasons Jesus would do it and in the way He would do it. In a sense, it’s doing things after asking the WWJD question, “What would Jesus do?”

Additional Question: How does 1 Corinthians 10:31 (“do it all for the glory of God”) help us understand doing something in the name of Jesus?

In what ways might your motivation or perspective change if your work or service was consistently viewed as serving Jesus and not just other people?

Matthew 5:13-16 New International Version (NIV)
¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus calls us to be salt and light. Salt is a seasoning used to preserve and improve the taste of food, and light allows us to see in the darkness. What do you think Jesus meant when He called us salt and light?

What possible things might keep us from more consistently living as salt and light to those around us?

 Additional Question: What things help you to consistently live as salt and light?

Being salt and light is about representing Jesus well. Looking back at this weekend’s message, which of the four points about representing Jesus well comes most easily for you? Which is most challenging?

Additional Question: How would you describe work that causes a tilt for the good in the way people see Christians and the Church?

Note: More important than what we do will be how we do it – the attitude we have while we’re serving. We’re there to serve and love, not to preach and evangelize. We hope people come to Jesus because they see Him in us and how we related to them and to each other.

2. Our hope for our service is to spread the good news of God’s love through our loving attitudes and servant hearts. Paul revealed his strategy to do this in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. How could this passage impact the way we minister to others and serve during both Serve Your City and our normal lives?

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 New International Version (NIV)
¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Paul had a mission – to see as many people come to know, obey and follow Jesus as possible. He was willing to become culturally relevant to accomplish this mission by embracing things he normally wouldn’t have done. We see a great example of this in Acts 10 where Peter learns in a dream that he needs to let go of his cultural laws and go to a Gentile’s house to meet the recently converted Paul.

What might it look like in your life to be a “slave to everyone, to win as many as possible?”

A slave serves with no expectation of getting anything in return. Serving is their job. Serving is one of the best ways for others to see Christ through us. See Philippians 2:5-8.

Additional Question: How realistic is it to think someone could consistently live like this?

What risks, if any, do you see in Paul’s strategy?

Becoming culturally relevant is not a license to sin in order to reach others.

Additional Question: What would it look like to take Paul’s strategy to an extreme?

In addition to spending time praying for the needs of your group members, please also spend time praying for the following prayer requests for Serve Your City.

This week we have the incredible opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. Take some time at the end of your group meeting to pray for Serve Your City:

• That everyone serving will catch the joy of serving and be flexible with servants’ hearts.
• That we can fill the final spots needed to complete all of the projects.
• For a job well done, timely completion of the projects along with physical safety of each individual and good judgment in the use of the many tools used.
• That those we’re serving will see the love of Jesus in us in words, actions and attitude.

Final Notes & Reminders for Serve Your City

• 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 northcoastchurch.com and clicking on “Serve Your City.”
• Where to meet for projects – Go directly to your project location. Find the details for your project in your confirmation email or on our website northcoastcommunityservice.org/serve-your-city/
• If you are participating in one of our larger projects…
  • How to find your Project Manager – All Project Managers will be wearing rust-colored Serve Your City T-shirts.
• • What to bring – Your own water, Serve Your City T-shirt or clothes you can get dirty, 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 our Drives Saturday 9-11am 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.