“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” -- James, the brother of Jesus
“Knowledge that is not put into practice is like food that is not digested.” -- Sathya Sai Baba
Experiencing the full life that Jesus came to bring isn’t just an intellectual exercise—it impacts what we do and how we interact with the world around us.
The outward everyday steps—simplicity, solitude, submission, and service—are four specific ways we can orient our behavior toward new life in Jesus. By consistently engaging in these practices, our hearts are changed and reshaped.
Simplicity refers to any action that shows that we are not ruled by our possessions. We are free to be generous with the resources God has given us.
The practice of solitude shows that we are not ruled by expectations of performance and production, but that the fuel for our lives comes from our connection with our Creator.
Submission is shown in any action which demonstrates that we are not ruled by the desire for power. When we give up our way, being considerate of others and placing their needs before our own, we take a step deeper into the life of Jesus.
Simplicity, solitude, and submission can all have a significant impact on our experience of the full life. We don’t have time to talk about each of those in-depth, but let’s spend a little more time on the fourth outward practice: service.
Service is one of the most powerful outward everyday steps. When we engage in service—using our abilities and our time to help others—we tap into the core of the full life of Jesus. We were not created to live for ourselves … we were created to serve those around us.
By engaging on a regular basis in acts of service—everything from random kindness to people we meet everyday to serving in a ministry of the church or community organization to focused times of service such as mission trips—we align our hearts with the heart of God.
God’s heart, His love, is directed toward everyone. Over and over in the life of Jesus, we see Him taking time to heal the sick, encourage the weak, and spend time with the marginalized and forgotten.
By serving, we align our hearts and our behaviors with the underlying flow of the life and love of God that is already active in the world. The consistent practice of serving has been a foundational part of the life of those who follow Jesus from the very beginning, thousands of years ago.
What are some ways you can take steps to serve, tapping into this aspect of the full life of God?
- Go through your day with your eyes open, always looking for little opportunities to help the people around you. When you see a chance to serve … jump in and do it!
- Find a place to serve at Eastern Hills. There are plenty of great opportunities for you to serve in our different ministries, including with our kids, students, hospitality and greeting teams, care teams, and more. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit the serve with us page here.
- Get connected with a community service organization. The Denver metro area has plenty of great organizations that are making a difference in people's lives. You could contact Debby Tepielow, Missions Pastor, at to find out more about the organizations that we partner with as a good place to start.
- Consider a week-long service opportunity for this summer. Maybe you can serve in one of our kids or students summer camps. Maybe there’s a mission trip you could be a part of. How could you leverage some of your time this summer to serve people who are in need?
However you serve, just take a step. It doesn’t have to be a huge, life-altering step … just a next step. Pray and ask God to lead you in discovering the place for you to serve.
As you serve, remember that the action you’re taking comes from a desire to experience the life of God right here, right now. You may be surprised at how full your heart is after you’ve spent time giving.