Hank Smith: 00:02 Hello, my friends. Welcome to another FollowHIM Favorites. My name is Hank Smith. I’m here with the amazing John Bytheway. Welcome, John.

John Bytheway: 00:09 Thank you, Hank.

Hank Smith: 00:10 John, you know the routine. We are going to take on a question from this week’s lesson, which is in First and Second Thessalonians. Our question this week, John, is how can I come to love service? It might not come natural to some of us. I know it comes natural to you, John, but to me, I don’t know if service is the first thing I’m thinking of every morning. So how have you come to love it?

John Bytheway: 00:35 It always gets better once you just show up, don’t you think?

Hank Smith: 00:38 Yeah, I think so.

John Bytheway: 00:39 And I just feel like you learn a lot at a service project. I like to ask the kids, “So did you look around at the service project? Were you working hard or hardly working? And did you see people who are doing a job and were happy about it and were laughing and were having a good time?” It’s different because a lot of it is an exercise of attitude, isn’t it? when you go to a service project? It’s one of those where when you get home you’re always, “Okay. That was good. Okay, I’m glad I went. We had fun.”

Hank Smith: 01:07 I’m glad I went.

John Bytheway: 01:07 Somebody was helped.

Hank Smith: 01:09 Yeah. Paul says to the Thessalonians, “Be an example to all that believe.” And then he says later in chapter three, “Increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men.” That sounds like motivation to serve, to be an example, to increase and abound in love one to another. John, I love a good service project announcement. Make sure you come to Young Men’s and Young women’s this week. It’s going to be so fun.

John Bytheway: 01:38 But we’re not telling you what it is.

Hank Smith: 01:40 Yeah.

John Bytheway: 01:41 And I think another way maybe that’s motivating to me now in my old age is, because I have been given much, I too must give. The way that the Lord has given such service to us, this is not that hard. I can do this. I’m not being asked to pull a hand cart across 1,000 miles of prairie. Maybe I can do this.

Hank Smith: 02:00 Yeah, maybe I can do this. Paul says in Thessalonians 4:9, “You yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” Remember what the Lord said to Peter. “If you love me, feed my sheep, feed my lambs.” And that’s all about service. And you don’t have to go very far, John, I’ve noticed. Service can be in your own home.

John Bytheway: 02:25 Right.

Hank Smith: 02:25 Serving your siblings. Serving your parents. Serving your children.

John Bytheway: 02:30 The new Aaronic priesthood theme, I’ll use my priesthood to serve others beginning in my own home. Not ending there, starting in my own home, which is a good reminder that love your neighbor isn’t just the guy across the street. It might mean your little sister and your little brother.

Hank Smith: 02:47 Perfect. We hope you’ll join us on our full podcast. It’s called FollowHIM. You can get it wherever you get your podcast. We’re with Dale Sturm this week and we think you’ll love what he does with these chapters. 

John Bytheway: 03:02 Yeah, it’s really good. And right now, this is the calm before the Sturm, but it’s coming. It’s forecasted.

Hank Smith: 03:10 It’s coming, Dale Sturm. And then come back here next week and join us for another FollowHIM Favorites.