Hey, carpool crew. I'm Pastor Justin, and I'm so glad you're riding with me today. This month we've been exploring real questions that people ask Jesus, and today's question comes from two of Jesus's closest friends, James and John. They were two of the disciples. These guys had been following Jesus everywhere, listening to his teachings and watching him do amazing things. One day they came to him with a bold request. Here's what it says in Mark chapter 10, verse 37. Can you make us sit at your right and left hand in your kingdom? That might not make a lot of sense, so let me break it down. What does it even mean? They weren't asking for chairs. We know that for sure. So in Bible times, sitting at a king's right and left meant you were the most important people after the king himself. It was like saying, can we be your top two leaders when you become king? We wanna be first. We want to be seen. We want to be important. They thought being great meant having power and being noticed. But Jesus didn't get mad. Instead, he taught them, and us, something powerful. Here's the one thing I want you to remember for this ride: serving others is how we become great in God's eyes. See, Jesus told them in Mark chapter 10, verse 43, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. See, in God's kingdom, greatness isn't about being first. It's about putting others first. Let's pause and talk about greatness for just a second. What does the world usually say greatness is? Being first, being famous on a sports team or on a YouTube channel, having lots of stuff. Yeah, the world would say that's pretty great. Definitely getting noticed, that's really great. Or having trophies on your walls. That is what the world would say is great, probably, right? That's what James and John thought too. But what does Jesus say greatness is? He says it's loving others, the people around you at school, at home, and in your neighborhood. Helping without expecting rewards. You're just doing it because you know it's the right thing to do, not because you're gonna get something in return. Putting others first, looking at their needs and wanting to serve them, and serving even when no one notices. You do it because you know it's right. And Jesus didn't just talk about it. He lived it. He washed his disciples' feet, which only the lowest servants usually did. He helped the sick and poor. He gave his life for all of us. The King of Kings became the servant of all. Let me tell you about Angela. As she was walking out of school headed home, she saw someone in front of her accidentally drop their wallet. It wasn't a big deal. You know, she probably could have just walked by. She maybe could have taken it for herself. Instead, she ran up ahead, grabbed the wallet and chased this person down to give it to them. The person said thank you and moved on. Nobody clapped. Nobody gave her a trophy. Most people didn't even know it. But guess what? In God's eyes, that was greatness, because she chose to serve. I want you to remember this, that serving others is how we become great in God's eyes. We don't need to be in charge. We don't need to be the loudest. We just need to help and lift others up, just like Jesus did. I hope you learned a little bit more about what real greatness looks like and find ways to start doing it today. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Let's wrap up today with our short Friday prayer. God, thank you for this week. Help us finish strong today and bless our weekend with joy and rest. Amen. Parents, if you liked today's podcast, share the podcast with another family you see at church or at your kids' game so they can have faith-filled moments too. Before you go, answer this question together: what's one way I can serve someone today, even if no one notices? I'll catch you next time. I'm carpooling with Jesus.
