Gospel and Serving

Jesus motivated His disciples to serve people by connecting His challenge for them to serve with the reality that He served them first. At the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and said to them:

So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you. (John 13:14–15)

Viewing discipleship through the lens of the gospel impacts how church leaders communicate the value of serving to the people they lead. Instead of promoting volunteer opportunities as opportunities to “do good,” which can drift into moralistic attempts to earn God’s favor, people are reminded of the gospel and challenged to “serve because Christ has served you.”


Adapted from Transformational Discipleship (B&H Publishing Group, 2012)