devotional

devotional

Choir Camp Theme - The Nerve to SERVE (May 2003)

Hey guys. Just a reminder about what we learned this past weekend at choir camp. Having a servant's attitude. Here's a recap of saturday morning's quiet time...

"I just love singing at choir outreaches. It makes me feel so good afterward!"

"Why did I help clean up after lunch at choir camp? To feel appreciated by others...plus Bonnie said so."

"I'm so glad to have been a part of the choir rummage sale and to have raised money for our trip to brazil. It's something I can be really proud of."

What's wrong with these statements? Where's the focus? So often we serve others to make ourselves feel good. To alleviate guilt. To fulfill our duty. To make ourselves proud. These reasons may sound good, but they're not. They take the focus off God and put it on us and our love for ourselves. Ask yourself...do I feel motivated to serve others? If you don't, be honest. What do you feel and why? Think of a time you served someone else, but didn't feel appreciated. Did it upset you? What does this reveal about your motivations to serve?

Remember the list you made of all the things that motivate you to serve? Keep it as a reminder of where your heart is at when you serve. Perhaps you can make another list a few months later to see if your motivations have changed to being more God-focused and less me-focused.

Remember the snack break we had? Garrett and Paige each served us cookies and drinks. Who made the better server? Why? What was different about each person? ...attitude is KEY when serving...

Ephesians 6:7

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men."

How do I become a servant? Read John 13: 1-17. Nazuki shared about how Jesus was the ultimate example of servanthood, as He washed his disciples' feet. Are you willing to humble yourself, placing others above you? Will you do the dirty work for the Lord? It's not easy, but you can do it with God's help. Ask him to give you a servant's heart. Others may not see or appreciate your deeds...but God knows and He sees.

Choir Camp Theme - Gifted For A Purpose

What's your inside S*H*A*P*E??

S - Spiritual Gift
H - Heart
A - Abilities
P - Personality
E - Experiences

hey guys...just a reminder about what we learned about at choir camp. Remember the feather. What happened when you blew on it? So much of nature responds by "giving" - leaves rustle, stems bow, branches move however the wind directs. They don't all respond in the same way, but they are all affected by the wind. Just as nature responds in different ways to the wind, we are all asked to use our unique spiritual gifts to do different things as a response to the power of God's spirit in our lives. We should all respond to God by giving in to His direction for us. Our gifts may be different, but they all come from the same God. What is your response to the gift God has given you?

- taken from Go Deeper Retreats

Remember the games we played...

"Best Gift" charades: What is the best gift you've ever received? How did that make you feel? How do you think the giver of that gift felt? Or more importantly, what if you did not use the gift given to you? God gives us unique spiritual gifts and we should use them, not hide them!!

Puzzle Relay Race: Each of us are like pieces of a puzzle. No two individuals are alike, no one is better than anyone else, and most importantly, all the pieces are needed to complete the puzzle. We each contribute our own unique gifts to this choir and together we complete the body of Christ.

The Ripple Effect: Remember how we wrote down our spiritual gifts on a piece of paper and dropped it into the water? What happened? The water began to ripple, spreading further and further...until it affected the whole pool of water. We should use our spiritual gifts in the same way, affecting everyone we come into contact with.

A Challenge For You...

i know a lot of us are still wondering about what our spiritual gift may be. Pray about it and ask God to help you discover what your gift may be. Listen carefully, God often speaks in a whisper.