Serving cartoons - Service not Serve Us

If we truly love God, service will be part of our lives, both in our prayers and in our actions. These Serving Cartoons are based on our Christian Faith to express our hearts resembling the heart of God. When others hurt, we hurt too. And when others rejoice, we join in to rejoice with them. A heart of serving is realizing this life is NOT ALL ABOUT ME.

Mt 22:36-40  “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”,

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

John 17:4. I have brought you glory on Earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

Now the Parable of the Talents is a story told by Jesus in the Bible, found in Matthew 25:14-30. It’s about a master who entrusts his servants with different amounts of "talents" (maybe $$) before going on a journey. The point isn’t just about money, though—it’s a metaphor for using what you’re given in life.

The master gives one servant five talents, another two, and a third just one, based on their abilities. The first two servants invest what they’re given and double their amounts—five becomes ten, two becomes four. The third servant, afraid of losing what he has, buries his single talent and does nothing with it. When the master returns, he praises the first two for their initiative and rewards them with more responsibility. The third gets chewed out for being lazy and wasteful, and his talent is taken away and given to the one who made ten.

The core idea is about stewardship and action. "Talents" represent whatever you’ve got—skills, resources, opportunities—and the story suggests you’re supposed to use them, take risks, and make something of them, not just sit on them out of fear. The master isn’t mad about failure; he’s mad about inaction. It’s less about the return on investment and more about the effort.

Some read it as a spiritual lesson—grow what God gives you, like faith or gifts, and don’t waste it. Others see a practical angle: don’t let fear stop you from taking responsibility for what you can do. Either way, it’s a call to be proactive, not passive, with what’s in your hands.

Of course, in The Back Pew, I have the servant with the one talent buying a GUMBALL, or PLAYING A VIDEO GAME, or taking his chances with a SLOT MACHINE… I should maybe add someone buying a LOTTERY TICKET. Anyways, the point we are called to be good stewards with the TALENTS and RESOURCES God has blessed each of us with.

Finally, note this life is LIKE A MAZE, be careful and purposeful in the paths you choose. Be good stewards and servants to our God and others as God commands. Do it all in love, amen.

Of course, we live in a very ME-centric society, and the idea of putting others ahead of our own needs and wants is somewhat foreign, but it is the better way. And to be honest, I don’t believe the Bible teaches a PROSPERITY GOSPEL. God will indeed bless others in their generosity, but that should not become the prosperity-pyramid-scheme we see with the likes of Benny Hinn or Kenneth Copeland.

In contrast, the New Testament is filled with examples of true service intended to bless others, with no consideration of financial reward. In the Bible, examples of selfless serving are John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, and, of course, Jesus. Jesus building His kingdom had NOTHING to do with possessions, or even a cool Jesus-is-the-Way Megachurch Worship Center. So let’s follow the example of Jesus, John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, Mother Theresa, and the many missionaries serving God for the sake of others' lives and souls. May God bless us as we engage in Christian service, not to be confused with Christians who serve us.