Middle School Week 4: Service

The Main Thing:

Spending time with Jesus through service changes me.

Start Talking (Conversation Starter):

You can have someone else do one of your chores for you for the rest of your life. Which chore are you picking?

Need some movement-based icebreakers for your group? Find some options here!

Explore the Scripture:

Read John 13:1-17 as a group. Help students start talking about it together. What stands out? What doesn’t make sense? Are there things that confuse them or words they don’t understand?

Unpack It:

Discuss what you read and what you heard.

• Washing someone’s feet was a servant’s job. Why do you think the disciples might have been surprised when Jesus chose to do it?

• What does Jesus’ willingness to serve His disciples show you about who He is?

• Look at verses 14-17. What does Jesus tell His disciples to do after He serves them? Why do you think He wants them to follow His example?

• Think back to the message you heard. What takeaways did you have?

Own It:

Make the Scripture personal.

• When you hear “serving others,” what do you picture? What are some things that can make serving feel difficult?

• Serving can become something we think we’re supposed to do FOR Jesus instead of WITH Him. How could knowing you’re spending time with Jesus change the way you see and serve the people around you?

• Who is someone you see regularly whose needs might be easy to overlook? (e.g., someone sitting alone, a sibling, a teacher, a new student, someone outside your friend group, etc.) What can you do to serve them?

• How could serving someone change you and not just the person you’re helping?

Live It:

Take action to apply what you learned.

• In your Leader Overview are three ways students can spend time with Jesus through service. Talk about each one, and challenge your group to do one of them.

Prayer:

End your meeting by thanking Jesus for showing us what it looks like to serve. Ask Him to help your group notice people who need love, to serve them with humility, and to allow time with Him to change the way they see and care for others.