Say THANKS to a Faithful Servant

Think together of faithful people who serve–fire fighters, police officers, mail carriers, trash collectors, library workers, etc. Together think of a simple way to thank them. For example: Leave a bottle of cold water for the mail carrier and a short note thanking him for bringing your mail every day. Buy and take a box of snacks or fruit by the firehouse with a short note of thanks.

Play Secret Servants

Write the name of every person in the family on a slip of paper and put them in a bag. Let each family member draw out a name, but tell them to keep it a secret. Each person will try to find small ways to serve that person during the week (Monday to Friday) secretly– without others finding out. Offer some suggestions: Make their bed, do one of their chores, draw them a picture, give them a small gift, etc.

Go out for ice cream on Saturday and reveal who each person’s secret servant was. Talk about how it felt to have others serve you and do nice things for you. 

The 2008 Olympics

The 2008 Olympics will be starting soon (August, 2008) in Beijing, China. The athletes who compete sometimes practice 6-8 hours a day every day. They are faithful and diligent in order to win a prize –hopefully a gold medal.

Sanya Richards will be competing in track and field in this year’s Olympics. Some have said that she may be the fastest female runner in the world. Sanya says, "My faith keeps me grounded. People always ask me how come I'm so good, and I always think to myself, how come God is so good. My faith also encourages me to give my best. I know that my talent is God's gift to me, and how I use it is my gift to him."

Other Christian athletes you might want to Google to find more about:  Laura Wilkinson (platform diving); Donny Robinson (BMX); Allyson Felix (track and field).

Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Paul compares living the Christian life to running a race. He says those who run in a race do it to win a prize that will fade away–a gold medal will not last forever. He challenges Christians to run the Christian life faithfully, doing their best for God.