It’s a Never-Ending Quest

If you lead a church (or any nonprofit), you know this: you always need more volunteers.

Not only do you need more people to serve, but serving is also vital to discipleship. It’s part of a healthy pathway for spiritual growth.

As 2025 approaches, you’re probably planning a sermon or message about the importance of serving. If you’re looking for a fresh take, here’s an idea I’ve been pondering—thanks to my wife, Chantel Adams, who first shared this insight with me.

A Fresh Angle on a Familiar Passage

If you’re a pastor or ministry leader, chances are you’ve preached on The Woman at the Well from John 4. There’s so much to explore in this story, but one particular insight could solve a deeper problem in your church—and it ties directly to volunteering.

Let’s pick up the story in John 4:28–34:

“28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?’ 29 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’
32 But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’
33 Then his disciples said to each other, ‘Could someone have brought him food?’
34 ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.'”

Preaching This Angle

How often have you heard people say, “I’m not being fed by this church”?

Jesus’ response in John 4 speaks directly to this tension. When asked about food, Jesus essentially says, “Doing the will of God is my food.”

He equates loving and serving others with spiritual nourishment.

Here’s the bottom line: Feeding others fills you.

Or put another way: Feeding others fulfills you.

Quick Sermon Outline: Growing Through Service

Message Title: Growing Through Service

• Connection Idea: Share a personal story or a relatable anecdote about someone who found fulfillment and growth through serving others. Follow up with a story about people who never seem satisfied with their church or similar organizational experiences.
• Transition: Transition by highlighting how Jesus exemplified this principle in His ministry.

• Tension Idea: Discuss the common misconception that spiritual growth comes from being served or “fed” by the church, rather than through active service.
• Additional Ideas: Share statistics or stories about churches that struggle with engagement because members expect to be served rather than to serve.
• Transition: Transition by introducing John 4:34 and how Jesus’ words challenge this misconception.

• Truth Idea: John 4:34 – “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” Explain how Jesus found sustenance and growth in doing God’s will and serving others.
• Additional Ideas: Reference Philippians 2:3-5 to further illustrate the mindset of Christ in serving others.
• Transition: Transition by connecting the truth of Jesus’ example to practical steps we can take in our own lives.

• Application Idea: Encourage the congregation to find ways to serve within the church and the community, emphasizing that true growth comes from these acts of service.
• Additional Ideas: Share practical examples of service opportunities and testimonies from individuals who have experienced growth through serving.
• Create a transition from this section to the next.

• Landing Idea: Conclude with a powerful story or quote that inspires the congregation to take immediate action in serving others. Imagine what could happen in their lives and the lives of others if we all believed feeding was better than being fed.
• Additional Ideas: Remind the congregation that by serving others, they are following Jesus’ example and fulfilling God’s will, which leads to true spiritual growth.

Wrapping Up

Finding fresh angles to inspire engagement is the key to motivating your congregation. Use this sermon idea to encourage people sitting in rows to take their next step into serving.

Call to Action:

Ready to inspire your church to action? Preach this sermon, then offer clear next steps for getting involved.

Quotes for Inspiration:

• “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” —John 4:34
• “You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give.” —Winston Churchill

Resources for Further Learning:

• The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
• Volunteering That Inspires by Reggie McNeal