Theme Verse: Matthew 10:42 (NLT)

“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

Service Project

Life isn’t easy for anyone. There are countless ways it can knock a person down. But if we follow our Lord’s example and lift one another up, we can make this world a kinder, better place. Today, we may be the ones standing strong and doing the heavy lifting. Tomorrow, we may be the ones who need the lift and those we once lifted will lift us. This program is designed so that the group will have the opportunity to do the “heavy lifting” by going into the community and offering donuts, prayer and encouragement to the homeless population.

Refreshments

Set up a hot chocolate/coffee bar from which to serve a variety of donuts, assorted K–Cups, creamers, hot chocolate, marshmallows and peppermint sticks.

Game

Dangling Donuts

Attach long bits of string to a donut. Hang the donuts from a clothesline, so they reach chin level. The players must bite the dangling donut. The one who consumes it in the quickest time is the winner. Award prizes of small donut related items.

Activity

Notes of Encouragement

Provide note cards, assorted stickers, colored pens and markers. Ask the women to write notes of encouragement, including scripture verses. These will be handed out with the donuts.

Activity

Packaging Donuts

Invite the women to package the donuts that will be handed out to the homeless. Include Salvation Army contact stickers on each box.

 

A Fresh Relationship With Jesus

Have you seen donuts in the grocery store that have been marked down because they are coming near their expiration date or because the package is slightly damaged? Although they have been marked down, we tend to bypass them and head for the aisle with the fresh donuts that are not damaged, or the expiration date is a long way off. I think about how we tend to bypass spending time with Jesus, and how our relationship with Him can sometimes not be as “fresh” as it should be. There are so many things that happen in our lives that demand our time and attention that sometimes our relationship with Jesus is the last thing that we think about during a long day.

We find ourselves going about our daily routine and we forget all about the quality time that we should be spending with Jesus. We don’t take time to pick up our Bibles. We don’t take the time to pray. We don’t take time to rest in the assurance of Jesus’ love. Keeping a fresh relationship with Jesus is so important, because it powers us up for daily living. Our daily routines can drain us, but our relationship with Jesus will strengthen us so that we can live a full life every day. When we place a higher priority on other things, we give away all that we have, including our time, attention and energy. When we keep our relationship with Jesus fresh, we receive more than we can ever give to Him.

So the next time you are in the grocery store and you bypass the donuts that are marked down, stop and ask yourself if you have spent some quality time with Jesus. Is your relationship fresh? Are you allowing other things to compete for your attention? Like any relationship, our relationship with Jesus requires work. In order to feel close to Him, we have to know Him. In order to know Jesus, we must spend time with Him.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray today that my spirit may be yielded to You completely and that throughout the day my focus will remain on You. Thank you that in You I have the strength I need to face the day, the wisdom I need to make the right decisions, and the grace I need to live a godly life, no matter what difficulties or problems may arise. Lord, I know that without You I can do nothing, but I praise Your name and I thank You that I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength. Lord, I desire to grow in grace and mature in the faith. Help me not to lose heart or to grow weary. Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus to be my Savior. May I never lose focus of the amazing grace that caused Christ to die for my sins on the cross. Heavenly Father, may I never get tired of sharing this beautiful truth with whomever You place in my path. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen