Family Worship (Jan 18)

Have you ever played a game of "Follow the Leader"? Usually, the leader is the person who gets to go first, pick the funniest moves, and have everyone else do exactly what they say. In the world, being a "leader" usually means being the boss. It means you have the most power, the best seat at the table, and everyone serves you. But did you know that Jesus has a "Greatest Secret" about leadership? He says that in His Kingdom, things are totally upside down!

To Jesus, the greatest leader isn't the one wearing a crown and sitting on a throne—it’s the one who picks up a mop, grabs a towel, and looks for someone to help. Jesus calls this being a "servant." In the church, we have special leaders called Deacons who show us exactly what this looks like. They don't lead by telling people what to do; they lead by being the first ones to notice when someone is sad, hungry, or needs a hand.

Acts 6:1–4 (NIV)
"In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, 'It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.'"

Discussion Questions

1. In the story, why were some of the people complaining? What does it feel like when you feel "overlooked" or left out?
2. The Apostles said the new leaders (the deacons) needed to be "full of the Spirit and wisdom." Why do you think you need God’s Spirit just to help people or "wait on tables"?
3. How does seeing someone serve others help us understand how much Jesus loves us?

Activity: "The Secret Servant"
To practice being like Jesus and church deacons, we are going to play a game called The Secret Servant for the next 24 hours.

The Mission: Every person in the family has to find one "nitty-gritty" chore or helpful task to do for someone else in the house without being asked and without being caught.
Examples: Clearing someone else's plate, picking up toys in the living room, making a sibling's bed, or putting away shoes.
The Reveal: At dinner tomorrow night, everyone can try to guess who their "Secret Servant" was.
The Lesson: Talk about how it felt to look for ways to serve instead of waiting to be served. Remind the kids that deacons do this for the whole church family every single week!

Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the King who served us first. Thank You for our deacons and leaders who show us Your love by taking care of our church. Help our family to have "eyes that see" when someone is hurting or left out. Give us hearts like Yours—hearts that are happy to pick up a mop and serve others with a smile. Amen.

Memory Work

New City Catechism
3. How many persons are there in God?
There are three persons in one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Memory Verse
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV)
"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”