Scripture: Mark 10:42a, 43b-45; John 10:11b, 14-15; Psalm 100:1-3; Joshua 24:13-15; 1 Kings 19:8b-10, 15a-16,19-21; 2 Kings 2:1, 4b-15, 19-22; 1 Peter 4:10-11

Mark 10:42a And calling them (His disciples) to Himself, Jesus said to them,… 43b "… whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

John 10:11b "… The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… 14 "I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep.

Psalm 100:1 A psalm of thanksgiving. Shout triumphantly to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. 3 Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. He made us, and we are His-- His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Joshua 24:13 I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.' 14 "Therefore, fear (revere) the LORD and worship (serve/work for) Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped (served/worked for) beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship (serve/work for) Yahweh. 15 But if it doesn't please you to worship (serve/work for) Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship (serve/work for): the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship (serve/work for) Yahweh.

1 Kings 19:8b(Elijah) he walked 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 He entered a cave there and spent the night. Then the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of Hosts, but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life." … 15a Then the LORD said to him, "Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, …16 You are to anoint … Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place… 19 Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him. 20 Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you." "Go on back," he replied, "for what have I done to you?" 21 So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen's wooden yoke and plow, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.

2 Kings 2:1 The time had come for the LORD to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal, … 4b … So they went to Jericho. 5 Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came up to Elisha and said, "Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?" He said, "Yes, I know. Be quiet." 6 Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD is sending me to the Jordan." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood facing them from a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you." So Elisha answered, "Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit." 10 Elijah replied, "You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won't." 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind. 12 As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, "My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!" Then he never saw Elijah again. He took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 Elisha picked up the mantle that had fallen off Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle Elijah had dropped and struck the waters. "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" he asked. He struck the waters himself, and they parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over. 15 When the sons of the prophets from Jericho who were facing him saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground in front of him… 19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Even though our lord can see that the city's location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful." 20 He replied, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it." After they had brought him one, 21 Elisha went out to the spring of water, threw salt in it, and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.'" 22 Therefore, the water remains healthy to this very day according to the word that Elisha spoke.

1 Peter 4:10 Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God's words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.