From what I heard, Student Quest was great yesterday – I was over in the sanctuary preaching it up so I missed out.  They were in week four of a five week series working through the five purposes behind our student ministry purpose statement.  We’re using a series from the Live Curriculum from Simply Youth Ministry called ‘A Well Rounded Faith’ as a launching point for the series.  These purposes are specifically tied to our student ministry purpose state, ‘we are a real people in love with a real God, making a real difference in the world.’  This week’s lesson on serving specifically dealt with how we are making a real difference in the world.  For parents who want to follow up with your kids (at dinner, in the car, whenever), here’s a recap and some questions you can ask:

Jeff M taught the high school group while Sean M taught the middle school group.  They explored two different passages of Scripture to understand the power and importance of serving. First, in Philippians 2:5-11, Paul reflects on the life and ministry of Jesus. He challenges Christ’s followers to imitate the attitude Jesus had when serving others. The second passage came from John 13:12-17, in which we see Jesus teaching his disciples about service with words and actions.

They used these passages to understand that when we serve others with humility and an attitude of availability, we follow in the example of Jesus. Paul encourages us to copy and become like Christ in service.

When the opportunity presents itself this week, talk with your teenager about service and ministry. Here are some questions you could include in your conversation:

• Think back to your life a year ago. Is it easier or tougher for you to serve people today than it was then? Why?
• What does it mean for you to have the same attitude as Christ? How do you recognize someone who has a Christ-like attitude toward serving others?
• What are some wrong reasons for serving, and why are they wrong?

As you talk with your student, acknowledge some of the reasons people don’t serve, and talk about how we can allow ourselves to remain open and available to all the opportunities that arise. Maybe share a time in your life where you saw God’s glory revealed to others because you or someone you knew was willing to serve. Have an awesome day!