How to Serve God Today

There are endless possibilities as to how you might serve God today.  Serving God is all about serving others.  Chances are you’re probably doing quite a lot already within your family and with those close to you. Consider expanding your service to God by working on service projects in your church small group.  Go even further and get your whole church involved.

Serving God Individually – With a Small Group – With Your Church

Helping others just feels good and there’s a reason for that:  Helping others connects you directly to the power of God.  I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t experienced an overwhelming sense of peace and satisfaction after providing a friend or family member with loving assistance. When you act out of love for others, you are allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you – and there’s is no question you will feel God’s presence.  If you’re a member of a small group at church, you may have worked together on a service project that gave you that same sense of joy.  Most church members have experienced some kind of missionary effort or large outreach project sponsored by the entire congregation.  Great things can be accomplished when an entire church body works together.

Matthew 25:35-36 (NASB)

“I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.”

Matthew 25:40 (NASB)

“Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”

Identifying Your Opportunities to Serve God

God presents us with opportunities to Serve Him on a daily basis.  Most of these opportunities don’t go unnoticed – we take care of our family, assist our friends, and reach out to those in need around us.  Unfortunately, we sometimes get lazy and miss obvious opportunities.  I’ve compiled a long list below to help you get focused on serving God as an individual, in a small group, and along with your entire church.  Many of these ideas are only generally stated and can be expanded in many different directions.  Use this list to develop your own very specific list of ways you can personally serve God today and every day that follows.  You can be certain that God will take note of your actions and honor your effort.

John 12:26 (NASB)

“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

Serving God individually is your most intimate connection to others and with God.

Individually:  Love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Small Group:  Seek the will of God through group Bible study.

Your Church:  Develop an ongoing effort to feed and care for the homeless.

Individually:  Hug someone you love and let them know how much you love them.

Small Group:  Pray for each other and those around you.

Your Church:  Put together a group willing to regularly do yard work for the elderly.

Individually:  Use your God-given talent to mentor someone.

Small Group:  Make sack lunches and pass them out to the homeless.

Your Church:  Put together a group willing to regularly do housecleaning for the elderly.

Individually:  Volunteer at church.

Small Group:  Designate at least one day a month to serving others as a group.

Your Church:  Develop a seeker-friendly meeting night to minister to those who have not yet found Jesus.

Individually:  Search for a humanitarian organization where you can volunteer.

Small Group:  Work together cleaning up someone’s yard.

Your Church:  Partner with other churches to plan a large Christian community festival.

Individually:  Do something unexpectedly helpful for someone close to you.

Small Group:  Work together painting someone’s house.

Your Church:  Plan a free day of fun activities for kids and their families and invite the whole community.

Individually:  Start a neighborhood watch program so you can meet your neighbors and find out how you might be able to help them.

Small Group:  Work together helping someone move.

Your Church:  Find a resource for families in need in your area and develop an ongoing program to help them.

Individually:  Invite a friend or relative to church.

Small Group:  Ask your church for a work project you can do together.

Your Church:  Create a database of things church members have in their garage, attic, or basement that they are willing to give away and find people in need who can use those items.

Individually:  Do the household chores another family member usually does.

Small Group:  Have a group garage sale and give the money to a good cause.

Your Church:  Document the talents of church members along with the amount of time they are willing to donate and connect them with people in need.

Individually:  Offer to provide a ride to someone who doesn’t have transportation.

Small Group:  Sign up to work as a team at a homeless shelter.

Your Church:  Develop a sports ministry for kids – soccer, baseball, flag football, etc.

Individually:  Visit with elderly relatives or neighbors who are lonely.

Serving God in a small group expands your power and develops deep relationships.

Small Group:  Brainstorm ways to use the talents of your group members helping others.

Your Church:  Organize a free outdoor concert for the whole community.

Individually:  Cook for elderly relatives or neighbors.

Small Group:  Work together to organize a childcare night at church to give parents a night out.

Your Church:  Create a Bible study class for non-believers.

Individually:  Visit and help those suffering from an illness.

Small Group:  Have a bake sale and give the money to a good cause.

Your Church:  Develop a video story-telling ministry that documents the great things happening in your church.

Individually:  Make a new friend.

Small Group:  Cook and serve a thank you meal to the church staff.

Your Church:  Partner with the local community government to develop large scale service projects.

Individually:  Be a surrogate parent for a child who is missing a parent.

Small Group:  Cook and serve meals to the homeless once a month.

Your Church:  Partner with other churches to develop large scale ongoing service projects like helping the homeless, and low income families in your community.

Individually:  Visit a friend or relative who is in jail.

Small Group:  Create a community garden.

Your Church:  Provide Christmas and/or Thanksgiving meals for families in need.

Individually:  Listen for hints people give that indicate you may be able to help.

Small Group:  Adopt a highway near your church.

Your Church:  Provide free job training classes.

Individually:  Help someone study the Bible.

Small Group:  Put together a free carwash.

Your Church:  Ask everyone in the church to post something they need (other than money) and see how many needs are fulfilled by other church members.

Individually:  Tell people what God is doing in your life.

Small Group:  Organize a class to teach computer skills to the elderly.

Your Church:  Regularly recognize volunteers and thank them in some way for the work they do.

Individually:  Donate money to a good cause.

Small Group:  Work together to clean up a public space that’s been neglected.

Your Church:    Plan events specifically designed for church members to bring their unchurched friends.

Individually:  Donate your old clothes.

Small Group:  Host an animal adoption event.

Serving God with your entire church has limitless possibilities.

Your Church:  Put together a health seminar with doctors, dietitians, and fitness trainers to encourage a healthy lifestyle for church members.

Individually:  Donate your unused household items.

Small Group:  Find out what local nursing home residents need and help them.

Your Church:  Develop an ongoing fitness program for all ages.

Individually:  Start a small group at church.

Small Group:  Contact Habitat for Humanity to see how you can support them in your community.

Your Church:  Invite representatives from major charities and service organizations to speak to the congregation.

Individually:  Take the time to listen to someone without any agenda of your own.

Small Group:  Participate together in a blood drive.

Your Church:  Look for ways to use the church facilities for community outreach.

Individually:  When you’re out in public, look for opportunities to help others.

Small Group:  Help maintain a trail at a nature center, park, or wilderness area.

Your Church:  Support missionaries around the world.

Individually:  Find a special way to thank your church pastor and staff.

Small Group:  Spread the word that your group is ready to serve when many hands are needed.

Your Church:  Support those doing God’s work outside the church in the local community.

Individually:  Become a foster parent.

Small Group:  Take a group of nursing home seniors on an outing.

Your Church:  Put together a group of tradesman who are willing to help others with home repairs.

Individually:  Adopt a child.

Small Group:  Pass out fast-food gift cards to the homeless.

Your Church:  Develop an ongoing strategy to seek and save the lost.

Individually:  Do childcare so a friend or family member can have a night out.

Small Group:  Set up a booth of some kind at a local festival or fair.

Your Church:  Open a food bank to help feed those in need.

Individually:  Give someone extra help at work.

Small Group:  Pass out free flowers at a local cemetery.

Your Church:  Develop a discipleship program to help church members move closer to God.

Individually:  Help someone with their school homework.

Small Group:  Pass out cold bottles of water on a hot day.

Your Church:  Develop a resource to connect those in need with those who can help.

Individually:  Sign up for a mission trip.

Small Group:  Work together with a small group from another church on a community service project.

Your Church:  Put together a group of auto mechanics who are willing to share their skills with others.

Individually:  Search the Internet for ways to serve God.

Small Group:  Work together cleaning someone’s house.

Your Church:  Dedicate your church to serving God rather than gaining new members.

Stories of Service to God by Serving Others

How to Make a Difference in the World

Ways to Serve God