Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our Reading titled, Serving God for Good, was written by

Ancetus. Brad moved to a new city and quickly found a church where he could worship. He went to services for a few weeks, and then one Sunday he talked to the pastor afterward

about his desire to serve in any way needed.

He said, I just want to reach for the broom.

He started by helping set up chairs for the services and cleaning the restrooms.

The church family found out later that Brad's giftedness was in teaching, but he was willing

to do anything. In Matthew chapter 20, Jesus taught two of his disciples, James and John,

and their mother a lesson in servanthood.

Their mother requested that her sons have a place of honor on each side of Christ

when he came into his kingdom.

The other disciples heard about this and grew angry with them.

Perhaps they wanted those positions for themselves.

Jesus told them that exercising authority over others wasn't the way to live,

but instead serving was most important,

saying, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.

Brad's words, reach for the broom, are a practical picture for what each of us can do in our communities and churches to serve Christ.

Brad described his life's passion for God in this way.

I want to serve for the glory of God, for the good of the world, and for my own joy.

How will you and I reach for the broom as God leads us?

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Matthew chapter 20, verses 20 through 28 28 then the mother of Zebedee's sons

came to Jesus with her sons and kneeling down asked a favor of him what is it you want he

asked she said grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom you don't know what you are asking jesus said to them can you drink the cup i am going to drink we can they answered jesus said to them

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