Lesson for September 15, 2013 Serving in the Church

Lesson for September 15, 2013 Sister Amy Fehlburg gave the lesson on Chapter 18 Church Leadership and Selfless Service. Why do we have jobs in the Church? The answers were that because it is so much fun that no one person should have all the fun. It is also to help us learn and it is to make sure that all the members are taken care of. We read the scripture where Jesus said that if we serve even the least of his children, we serve Him. Why is it important that we fulfill our callings? Because the Lord has given us everything and we can give a small portion back. If we do it only half way, we show that we are not committed to the Lord. Sometimes we get busy and don’t do things as well as we can or we forget. Sometimes we think that our callings are not that important, so it doesn’t seem important to do our callings to the best of our ability. Sister Fehlberg said we don’t need fifty bishops. We need everyone to do their callings. The lesson manual says to be content and satisfied doing small things. We should never feel too lofty to be cut down to fit into the place we need to be. Amy Young said she now feels that the most important calling in the church is home teaching and visiting teaching and she needs us to do our visiting teaching so we watch out for everyone and receive the blessings we get by doing what we are called to do. President Snow went to a ward where the bishop was taking all the credit for himself and the feeling in that ward was not good. We need to be humble and we need to pray for our Heavenly Father’s help in our callings and in our family duties. If we have that attitude that we can do anything with Heavenly Father’s help, we will be able to do things we may not have been able to do. We are here to help lift each other up. In John 21:15-17 it tells when Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, three times, and three times Peter was told to feed His sheep. Jesus loves his sheep/children and he wants us to be taken care of and we need to do Jesus’ work. President Snow said that we should go forth with our whole heart and take care of the people. Do not think that you can make too great a sacrifice in helping others. Sister Fehlberg said that while she was single, she was pretty self-centered. Then she married and had a child and she learned what it is to be selfless. Selfless people are those who put themselves out to help others. One sister said that Paige Gibson came over and sat next to her and became her friend and she thought that Church was wonderful after that. Sister Lopez said that her husband ran into a guy he knew from Mexico after 37 years who he had taught in Primary and this man fondly remembered him as his Primary teacher. If we do our callings with our hearts, then we do good. We thought about leaders who stood out. The ones who made an effort to make people feel welcome stand out. One sister remembered her early morning seminary teacher who had been Mrs. America and had ten children. This woman was so sincere and loved each student. Sister Harker told about Mark Jones and how much he loved all the boys in the ward and even gave her son his shoes to wear when the boy wanted to go to a stake dance, which ruined the shoes. Shanacy Critchfield told about Sister Laycock and how she impacted the children in Primary as she taught the children music and how that was the best part of church for her children. The lesson says that we should be humble and committed as we serve. Brother Gibbons was remembered as someone who practiced service with humility and good cheer. Sister Fehlberg also told of Jesus Christ who washed his disciples’s feet and how, like Peter, do not accept His service, we cannot partake of the blessings.