A La Carte Christianity — Monday
1 Peter 4:10
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (NLT)
Each and every Sunday morning, there is a team of volunteers here at Southland who stand outside in green shirts and welcome folks who are new to our church. They aren’t formal about it or overbearing. They simply smile, say good morning, and make sure anyone who might be entering our doors for the first time feels like they’re welcome before they ever step foot inside.
Each Sunday morning, there is a team of volunteers who arrive well before 6am at our Richmond Campus to load in everything needed to hold church services at Madison Central High School. They show up early and work hard to load in production gear, band equipment, signs, and things for the lobby before the doors ever open.
I could go on and on about the ways folks who call Southland home serve—from filling backpacks for kids, to loving on teachers, to praying for the church, and everything in between. These teams don’t receive public recognition or praise, and they don’t come in expecting to be acknowledged. Instead, they serve with humble hearts, and they model Jesus’ character in doing so.
Jesus focused His ministry on Earth by serving with humility. He washed His disciples’ feet. He shared meals and conversations with those who were marginalized. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, invested in the lives of those who met Him, offered comfort to the hurting, and taught people about the heart of God and how to love one another. His love was selfless, and He commissioned us to do the same.
If you’ve been around Southland for any amount of time, you’ve heard us talk about how we believe it is biblical and vital to live with Jesus, in community, and on mission—something we refer to as “The Triangle.” Serving is the on mission part of that statement, and it’s open to everyone here. No matter what your relationship with Jesus looks like, no matter how new or seasoned you are, no matter your age or your physical ability, there is a place for you here to get involved, and we’d love to help you do that. It will bless you—believe me. It will bless the folks you serve. And it will help you grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus.
Monday’s Reflection
Pray for the Lord to show you how you can serve others with humility. Then head to southland.church/volunteer to start living on mission with Southland. “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).