Chapter 6 of Serve: How to Love Your Church with Your Heart, Time and Gifts by Steve Robinson focuses on equipping and encouraging church members to use their time, talents, and gifts in service to their local church. Specifically, on how believers can effectively serve within their current circumstances and church community.
The chapter outlines several key points:
- Unique Gifts: Every believer is gifted in a way that can contribute to the church. These gifts—whether they are teaching, administration, hospitality, or others—are meant to be used for the good of the body of Christ.
- Service as Worship: Serving the church isn’t just a task; it's an act of worship and gratitude to God for His grace. Through service, you reflect Christ’s love to others and become more Christ-like yourself.
- The Importance of Time: The chapter stresses that serving takes time and prioritization. It encourages readers to thoughtfully consider how they can make time to serve, even amidst busy schedules.
- Serving with Joy: The heart behind service matters. The book encourages serving with joy and passion, rather than out of obligation. This makes service life-giving both to the individual and to the church.
- Building Community: The chapter also discusses how serving strengthens the bonds within the church community. As individuals work together, relationships grow deeper, and the church functions more effectively as the body of Christ.
In essence, this chapter calls us to identify our gifts, commit time, and serve with enthusiasm as a means of both personal spiritual growth and building up the church.
Chapter 6 includes several scripture references to support the key points about serving where God has placed us. Here are the scripture references used in the chapter:
- Ecclesiastes 7:10 encourages us to avoid longing for the past and trust in God's wisdom for placing us in the present.
- Titus 1:10-11 emphasizes the importance of confronting false teachings and protecting the integrity of the faith, reminding us to uphold truth and guard God's people where we serve.
- Titus 2:1-4 highlights the call to teach sound doctrine and model godly behavior, guiding others in faithfulness and maturity in the roles where God has placed us.
- Titus 2:15 urges us to speak, encourage, and correct with authority, faithfully fulfilling our responsibilities with confidence where God has placed us.
- 1 Timothy 4:12 encourages us to set an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, regardless of age, faithfully serving and leading where God places us.
- Luke 19:17 emphasizes that faithful service in small responsibilities leads to greater opportunities, encouraging us to diligently serve where God has placed us.
- 1 Corinthians 12:7, 12-13 teaches that each believer is uniquely gifted by the Spirit for the common good, emphasizing unity and the importance of serving as part of Christ's body where God places us.
- commands us to make disciples of all nations, reminding us that our service wherever God places us is part of fulfilling His Great Commission with His promised presence and authority. commands us to make disciples of all nations, reminding us that our service wherever God places us is part of fulfilling His Great Commission with His promised presence and authority.
- Colossians 1:28-29 calls us to proclaim Christ and teach with wisdom, striving with God's strength to help others grow in maturity, faithfully serving where He has placed us.
These passages touch on using spiritual gifts, the value of small acts of service, faithfulness, and reliance on God’s strength, which align well with the message of this chapter.