CreekKids Parent Letter
November 2015
The Big Picture for November
As God’s Son, Jesus deserved a palace with a throne, complete with servants waiting on His every need or desire. Yet for Jesus, it wasn’t about the lap of luxury or the fame. Jesus came for a different reason. He came to save us, and He focused His attention on serving, not being served.
Mark records it this way—Jesus said, “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free” (Mark 10:45, NIrV).
For us, we often think of service in terms of our experience with a waiter at a restaurant or the phone call we make for technical support. But as we lean into God’s heart and discover what it means to reflect His character to the world around us, we soon discover something more about service. It’s not just what people do for us, but rather what we need to be doing for the people around us.
Week 1
We kick off the month with an interaction that Jesus had with His disciples. They had been known to argue about who would be the greatest. In Mark 10:32-45, we see that even James and John ask Jesus if they can sit at the places of honor in His kingdom. Jesus reminds them that He came to serve and give His life for everyone. He taught them that if they wanted to be great, they needed be the servants of all.
Bottom Line: Serve others because of what Jesus did for us. Jesus is the ultimate example of service. We’d love for kids and families to understand that serving others is part of what it means to follow Jesus. Because He loved and served us first, we should love and serve others.
Week 2
We’ll head to the Old Testament and discover a principle from the book of Deuteronomy. Serving others has always been part of what it means to follow God, and Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 10 remind us that it’s not just the act of serving that’s important; it’s also important that we serve others with the right attitude.
Bottom Line: Have a good attitude when you lend a hand. We want kids to learn they should give to others freely. Rather than complain when we serve others, we should joyfully serve those in need.
Week 3
For week three, we look at a familiar story in John 6:1-13. Jesus had been talking to a crowd of over 5,000 people. Now it was late in the day, and they were starting to get restless and hungry. Jesus sent the disciples to figure out how to feed them all. A boy offered what he had for them to use: five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus used that boy’s small offering and turned it into more than enough food for everyone.
Bottom Line: Use what you have to lend a hand. Kids may not think they have much to give, but God can use what they do have to accomplish something great. We pray kids walk away from this week encouraged to use what they have to lend a hand.
Week 4
We help kids discover a story they may not know very well, but we think it’s a great example of lending a hand. In 1 Kings 17, we learn that Elijah asked a poor widow for water and bread, but because of the severe drought in the country, the woman had only enough for one meal for her and her son. Elijah told her that God would provide flour and oil until the next time it rained. God did just that—and none of them went hungry.
Bottom Line: Ask God for what you need to lend a hand. There will be times when you’re not sure you have what it takes to serve others. In those moments, we want kids to remember that they can ask God to help them. God is able to come through for them and give them what they need to help others.
Week 5
We end the month with a passage that Jesus spoke during the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus explains that when we serve or give it shouldn’t be in a way that is showy and puts all of the attention on ourselves. In fact, He even says to give to others in secret.
Bottom Line: Lend a hand without looking for applause. This week, we want kids to walk away knowing that helping others shouldn't be about getting thanked. Often the best way to serve is to surprise someone and help them without getting any recognition at all.