Family Worship (Aug 24)

Have you ever played a game where you had to give something up to help your team win? Maybe you passed the ball instead of taking the shot yourself. Maybe you let someone else go first, even though you wanted to. At first, it feels hard to give something up, but when the team wins, it feels amazing!
In the Bible, Paul says that following Jesus is kind of like that. He calls it “becoming a servant to all.” Instead of always holding on to our own rights, our comfort, or our reputation, we learn to let them go so that others can see the love of Jesus. Paul says he became “all things to all people” so that people from every background could come to know God. That’s what we call The Cross Culture—living like Jesus, who gave up everything for us on the cross so we could be part of His family.

1 Corinthians 9:22–23 (NIV)
“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Paul was willing to give things up so that others could know Jesus?
2. Can you think of a time when you gave something up to help someone else? How did it feel?
3. What are some ways our family can “become servants” and show the love of Jesus to people who are different from us?

Activity: “Give It Up to Win” Challenge
Put a plate of cookies (or another snack) in the middle of the table.
Tell everyone they can only eat if they give their cookie to someone else first.
After everyone shares, talk about how it felt to give something up and how it felt to receive from someone else.
Connect it back: Following Jesus means we sometimes give up our rights, comfort, or reputation so that others can experience His love. That’s what Paul did, and that’s what Jesus did for us on the cross!

Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving up everything for us on the cross so that we can be part of Your family. Help us to live the “Cross Culture” by serving others, even when it means giving something up. Teach our family to love people who are different from us, so they can see how good You are. Amen.

Memory Work

New City Catechism
34. Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through Christ alone, must we still do good works and obey God’s Word?
Yes, because Christ, having redeemed us by his blood, also renews us by his Spirit; so that our lives may show love and gratitude to God; so that we may be assured of our faith by the fruits; and so that by our godly behavior others may be won to Christ

Memory Verse
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."