Serving Challenge Kids: An 11-Day Adventure to Serve Like JesusSample

What Did Jesus Do by Serving?

In cold climates, maple syrup comes from tree sap and is collected from maple trees. When the air begins to warm in the spring, these trees shoot their sap up through their bark to make new leaves. As the sap flows upward, people collect it by sinking short wooden straws—called “taps”—in the side of the tree.

After collecting a full bucket, the sap is boiled down, leaving the sugary sauce that we call maple syrup—a sweet part of breakfast!

Although no one knows for sure how it works, this amazing event happens every spring—people tap the sap to create syrup. Sap is stored in a tree’s roots under the ground to help the tree survive the bitter winter. But that sap suddenly flows upward when warm weather arrives in the spring.

This mystery reflects an even greater mystery. When Jesus died, He was buried in the ground. Like a tree in the dead of winter, all life seemed gone. But then came the springtime resurrection when Jesus rose from the grave.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11

After Jesus died and all seemed lost, He rose to the highest place, higher than the tip-top of a maple tree. As a result, the Bible tells us someday every knee will bow, and every mouth will say that Jesus is Lord.

Jesus serves us so that everyone will know He is God one day. Jesus served us to save us.

When we hear this good news, it bubbles up inside of us, and we’re inspired to serve one another. God is glorified through our serving.

In other words, being a servant is sweet. It’s sweeter than syrup.

Challenge:

Serve your family by taking the dog for a walk or playing with your siblings at a park. While you do this, go on a nature walk and put your ear up to a tree trunk. You may hear the rushing of the tree sap if it is very quiet. Better yet, use a stethoscope to listen to a tree.