Develop the habit of serving

Gazelles

AKA: Bono: Paul Hewson; Mark Twain: Samuel Langhorne Clemens; Whoopi Goldberg: Caryn Johnson

Tabitha AKA Dorcas AKA Gazelle

Jewish and Gentile before Paul - Translation important - not chinese guy

FACT 2: Gazelles are Agile: the power of moving quickly

devoted disciple

rare title for a woman in the New Testament - only woman who bears it - become like: habits and behaviour

Luke 6:40

People could tell; disciple of Nanon. Highest compliment, you are the mirror image of Rabbi so and so.

Jesus didn’t just go around “preaching”. He was full of good works.

Intro

A BMW ad - could-have-beens

I John 3:16-18 NIV

Jesus never missed an opportunity to serve.

more than I want to admit I miss oppertunities

Why would John have to explicitly tell the people - serving natural - kids - responsibilities

Does anyone recognize this? not all: Who can’t help but help. I don’t.

Today you’ll discover three important keys through the life of an Unsung Hero that will help you help, whether you have a gift for it or not.

Our unsung hero for today is in
Acts 9:36 ESV

Tabitha was “full of” good works and charity. ESV: habitually.

It was a HABIT in her life. Poured out. Lifestyle natural. just did it. Christ was in her. You don't think about it. Natural as breathing.

1 Corinthians 16:15 KJV

Addiction: habitually occupied with or involved in something. They didn’t BECOME addicted. They addicted themselves to it. It was a CHOICE.

determining the order of importance of something and arranging your life to reflect this.

HEMA punten

FACT 1: Gazelles are aware


We have to make it a habit in our lives.

  1. We have to learn to be in the moment

Driving in the car auto pilot. Not listening to someone thoughts off somewhere

Aandachtig leven | brushing teeth attentively

Child observe. Ask HS to bring that beautiful art back in me.

Dorcas was aware of her surroundings. Roman Empire - Peace no social welfare. Take care of yourself. People fell though cracks. Died of starvation, lack of medical care. Begged, prostitution. Tabitha was present and saw this.

Andy Stanley “We don’t need to pray for more Miracles, we just need to be more Sensitive to the opportunities that God brings our way.”

If we are not present and aware of our surroundings we will never meet a need because we won’t see it.

Gazelles Don't Outrun Cheetahs – They Outmaneuver Them. change its direction without losing momentum.

Scrum master: Agile working: Speed; Agility ability to change direction quickly

Margin in my life. Space for the HS. Agile and change direction if needed.

  1. We need to have margin in our lives
  1. We have to choose to go to the place of “moeite”

Not just pity - did something. Greek or Jew. Looking at cloth. Putting in action. She did something about it.

plek der moeite (explain) effort & struggle

Erkenning

Struggle with message prep | Manuela | Emmanuel, He is still with us

You CANNOT give anything you have not first received. If you feel you have nothing to give you NEED to go to God to receive first.

Reflection moment: If your thoughts keep wandering, simply notice your thoughts as passing events and bring your attention back to the here and now in a gentle way.

Afsluiting

Maybe you are thinking right now, but Judith, my life is so full of my struggles I don’t know how I can add someone else’s struggle to that. I get that. That’s a totally normal feeling to have.

Sharing Jesus in practical ways: meal, words, prayer, listening, babysitting, is a call to go to the place of “moeite”. Yet we need to always remember why we have to go to the place of “moeite”. Because Jesus was present in every single moment of His life and went to the place of “moeite”. He empowers us to be His disciples like Tabitha Dorcas Gazelle and do the same.

Story lady AH glutenvrij

Don’t let opportunities pass you by. No one can do everything ... but everyone ... can do something. We never fully know what small act of kindness will touch and transform a life. If we are willing to make serving a habit, an addiction in our lives. To be IN the moment to see the need, create margin in our world and then go to the place “moeite”, make an effort to meet those that are struggling in their “moeite”.

By its very nature, you can’t program servanthood because it’s an attitude and a way of life.

Salvation altar call: He went to the place of “moeite” for you. He made an effort to meet you in your struggles. We receive eternal life not by what we do, but by what Christ has done for us. He died for us. He gives us life eternal. But it cost Him EVERYTHING to give you EVERYTHING.