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

Why Did Jesus Serve?

In the magazine Highlights for Children, you’ll find a long-running comic strip about two boys named Goofus and Gallant. Gallant is always happy, kind, and respectful. Goofus is the opposite. He is selfish and rude.

Below, can you pick which description is about Goofus and which is about Gallant?

____________ turns on the television when there are guests.

Whenever guests arrive, ____________ turns off his screen.

____________ stays in the kitchen to eat his snack.

____________ eats snacks on the living room carpet.

____________ is happy to pray and is thankful for what he has.

____________ wants to skip prayer at mealtime to hurry up and eat.

____________ gets up and lets his grandpa have the La-Z-Boy.

____________ rushes to find the best seat for himself.

____________ sets a timer so he knows when screen time is over.

____________ hides in the closet, so his mom won’t know how much time he uses his iPad.

The editor of Highlights for Children once said, “Kids see parts of themselves in both characters. No one is as good as Gallant, and no one is as bad as Goofus. But being more like Gallant is something to strive for.”

The editor was right. It is important to try to make good choices like Gallant. But the Bible tells us about someone way better at good choices than Gallant. Jesus didn’t just make good choices. He was perfect. As we follow Jesus, we need to copy how He did things. We need to copy His mindset or attitude.

Jesus served us with a humble and correct attitude. When you look at Jesus’s attitude, you see that:

• He loves the world. He sees it as a beautiful place that needs to be taken care of.
• He considers each person as worthwhile. No one is useless. Ever.
• No matter where you live, how healthy you are, or what you have, we are all broken and need fixing.

Believing these things starts you on the journey of being a servant. Your attitude is like the seed where a plant begins its life. If your attitude isn't in the right place, then serving will never happen. Because Jesus died for your goof-ups, you can follow your brave and gallant leader, Jesus!

Challenge:

Take care of your world today. Pick up trash at a local park or on the side of the road.