Fri/Sat/Sun—August 11–13•Reach Out Through Service Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (Romans 12:9–13) I encourage you to be practical and prepared to “share with the Lord’s people who are in need” and to “practice hospitality.” You have things that other people need. It might be your time, or your energy, or your pick-up truck for hauling mulch. Be ready to serve. Several years ago, I found one of my employees still sitting in the office at about 5:30. Everyone else was gone, so I kidded him a bit. “When are you going to go home?” He replied, “My car is broken down, and I missed the 5 o’clock bus, so I figured I’d wait here and catch the one that comes at 6.” He resisted when I offered a ride, but finally he agreed. For two weeks I provided transportation each evening, till he got his car fixed. The first week was stiff. I was his boss, after all. He knew about my faith, and he was very open that his lifestyle didn’t honor Christ. But he learned he could trust me. He discovered I wouldn’t beat him over the head with my Bible. And in that second week, when he started really opening up to me, I found that all the barriers between us had collapsed. An act of service created an opportunity FOR YOUR SMALL GROUP August 7–13 Who are you serving in an intentional effort to mentor them in their relationship with Jesus? ■ Who are you giving to in an intentional effort to mentor them in their relationship with Jesus? ■ Who are you praying for in an intentional effort to mentor them in their relationship with Jesus? for this man to encounter God’s grace in a new way. MIMBS 4 Who among your acquaintances and friends could really use an act of service? Daily Reading: Nehemiah 1:1–7:73, 1 Corinthians 7:1–8:13, Psalm 31:19–33:11, Proverbs 21:4–10 36
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