For some time my wife and I have made it a habit of praying for our neighbors as we walk the streets surrounding our home. Our prayer is that Christ’s love will reach every home and that everyone in our neighborhood who isn’t a Christian will receive his love.

Occasionally we have had opportunities to live out our prayers. God has opened doors for us to serve our neighbors; by raking their leaves, mowing their grass, shoveling their walk or watching a pet, we have been able to be Jesus with skin on.

We have discovered that as we live the gospel, God gives us the privilege to share the gospel by serving others. It is said that Mother Teresa, when invited to speak in a community, would go to the orphanage or hospital and clean the toilets. It is said that she did this to earn the right to speak into the lives of those in the community.

Living the gospel involves serving others. You cannot separate the two of them. Jesus came not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28). As we do our best to follow Christ’s example, we should do our best to acquire this attitude – if we are truly living the gospel, we will serve.

How do we as youth leaders get our students to live the gospel by serving? Great question, I’m glad you asked it. Here are a few thoughts.

1. Model the behavior that you wish to see displayed in your students.

Many youth leaders are good at challenging their students to live the gospel and serve others. How are we at modeling it? Please understand that I’m not suggesting youth leaders aren’t serving; however, some aren’t modeling it for their students to see.

Do students see us serve? Do students see us living your faith in the world around us? Most of our students only see us in church. The problem is that they don’t get a chance to see our faith in action…on the streets, so to speak.

Why not take them with you to run errands, help someone move or go on a hospital visit?

Remember that we are to let our light shine for others to see. (Matthew 5.14-16)

2. Speak the behavior you want to see displayed in your students.

I love the expression “catch someone doing something right.”

Brag on those students in your youth ministry who live the gospel and serve others, even when they do it outside your youth ministry. Did a student share their testimony in a class, lead a campus club, help a janitor pick up trash around the school, help at a school event? Take time to honor them in front of their peers. Students become what you speak into them.

In your church bulletin or newsletter, list the ways your students have lived out their faith and/or served others in the community. E-mail their parents to let them know that you noticed how their son or daughter put feet to the gospel.

Put together a list of ways you and your students can serve on the campus, in your church, at home or in your community. See pages 2275-2277 in the FIRE BIBLE Student Edition (FBSE) for some ideas. Visit the FBSE website (http://youth.ag.org/fbse/) for other info regarding this new resource.

3. Pray that your students will serve God and live their faith.

Jesus prayed a similar prayer in John 17. Pray that your students will be able to live out their faith in the midst of temptation and will have the heart of Christ when it comes to reaching the lost. Pray that your students will love God and love people.

You may want to enlist the prayers of others for your students. Go to www.prayerzonepartners.com to find out how adults can pray for the students in your community.