This video does a great job showing group leaders what not to do.
(HT: Ron Edmondson)
What have you experienced that “kills” community?
Author: Ben Reed (page 70 of 86)
Looking back over my spiritual growth, I can definitely notice ups and down. I have had periods of no growth and periods of slow growth. I’ve also had a few times when I’ve grown rapidly.
The most memorable time of spiritual growth for me was when I was in late high school. Every Friday night, I met with a group of my friends (about 10-12 guys) to study the Bible and talk about life. We chose various curriculums to guide us, but it was the relationships that were formed in that group that really helped me to grow in my walk with the Lord. They helped me to see the possibilities God had for me, pointed out areas of my life that needed to change, prayed for me, and helped my walk with the Lord to expand and prepare me for what God had next. Little did I know that those Friday nights would be a training ground for the call to full-time ministry that God would call me to 5 years later.
Andy Stanley says that there are 5 things God uses to grow our faith:
1. Practical Teaching
2. Providential Relationships
3. Private Disciplines
4. Personal Ministry
5. Pivotal Circumstances
I see small groups as the place where each of these is realized. Fleshed out. Nourished. Given the chance to succeed.
Looking back over my life, I can see how God has used small groups to shape me and help define the calling God placed on my life.
Have you had a similar experience? Leave a comment and brag on what God has done in your life through small groups.
God has used small groups to change my life. Have groups changed yours?
Never heard of Sam or Colt?
Sam Bradford, quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, was the winner of the 2008 Heisman Trophy.
Colt McCoy was the quarterback at the University of Texas, 2008 Heisman Trophy runner-up, and led his team to the National Championship game in the 2009 season.
I won’t get into who your favorite college football team is…or your favorite conference. Because I don’t care if you’re a Pac-10 guy, an Ohio State fan, or a Vol through and through…you have to respect the skill of Sam and Colt. They’ve got some unbelievable talent.
But neither of these guys got caught up in the hype. They have committed their lives, first and foremost, to following Jesus Christ…not to their respective college teams, not to their future NFL teams, and not to their continual improvement as athletes.
They have voluntarily placed themselves second.
To see more “I Am Second” videos, here’s the SITE.
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Whether you’re a professional or not, you can operate like one.
I meet with people a lot. A whole lot!
Invariably, lots of folks have to reschedule. And I love it when they let me know beforehand.
I was supposed to meet with Rick Howerton today in Nashville (about a 45 minute drive from Clarksville, where I live). It’s well worth the drive to meet with Rick…except if he’s sick, and can’t make the meeting.
So Rick cancelled on me…two hours before we were supposed to meet.
Rick, being the pro of all pros, went to extraordinary lengths to get me the message.
- At 6:25, I got a Twitter Direct Message from him.
- Just a few minutes later, I had a Facebook message from him.
- Followed by an email.
- Then I got an email from Karen, a staff member here at Grace, saying Rick had emailed the church office to let me know he couldn’t make it.
- Then I got a text from Karen, saying the same thing.
- The I get a call from my mom, saying that this guy, Rick, had called the house (not sure how he got my parent’s house number, but I guess ninjas have their secrets), and that he can’t make the meeting with me this morning.
- Then I notice that Rick’s put out a blast to everybody on Twitter asking if anybody knows how to get in touch with me.
So, to sum it all up…I got the message. Thanks Rick.
You may not be a “professional,” but you can operate like one…and we, as followers of Christ, should be careful to do just that. I firmly believe that not keeping our commitments, and being flippant with our responsibilities, is dishonoring to God and is a violation of the 9th commandment:
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)
If you’ve got to cancel a meeting, that’s fine. Do it the professional way.
Do it the “Rick Howerton way.”
Some (including my wife) call me a coffee snob. I just say that I like my coffee.
Hey, if I’m going to buy my own coffee, I’m going to get the good stuff! Bad coffee isn’t worth the bag it’s packaged in.
Regardless whether you get your coffee from a local microbrewery, a national chain, Wal-Mart, or the fields of Africa, you need to know that coffee has an expiration date. The countdown to coffee’s “death” starts when the coffee is roasted. Why, might very, very few of you ask?
When coffee is roasted in its green bean form, the natural oils from inside of the bean make their way to the surface. These oils are the flavor of the coffee (nutty, winey, citrus-y, etc…not flavors often added later, such as hazelnut, French Vanilla, etc.). So if you were to pick up a freshly roasted coffee bean, you’d notice that it is quite glossy. In fact, that oil transfers to your cup of coffee, too…next time you get a cup from a reputable coffee shop, look at the top layer of coffee, and make sure you see a bit of oil there. That’s a mark of a good cup of coffee!
That all to say: even the best coffee has an expiration date. The oils on the surface of the bean evaporate. Or go rancid. (I was going to say that you’ll never notice oil on grocery-store coffee beans because by the time they make it to the shelves, the oil’s gone…but I won’t say that). And the coffee loses its flavor.
And isn’t it the same with our faith? Left in the bag, it loses its flavor. The freshness dries up. The passion we once had for pursuing Christ evaporates, leaving us dry and weary.
The oils can’t be added back to the coffee bean. But they can be added back to your faith. You just need to ask.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12)
Copyright, http://www.BoltonMuseums.org.uk
You’ve heard of Noah, right?
In Genesis 6, God “was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” (Genesis 6:6). So He “determined to make an end of all flesh.” All flesh! Gone. Washed away (pun intended). Except for Noah and his family.
So, God was going to destroy everything and start all over…but decided to let Noah “ride it out.” (pun intended again…sorry, I’ll stop now) Of all the people on the earth, all the animals, all plants…every living thing, God chose Noah to live. What was so special about Noah? “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord…Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:8-9)
So Noah, our great, great, great (x200) grandfather survived the worst rain storm ever. Thankfully, God saw fit to save him.
But that’s not the only thing I’m thankful for when it comes to Noah. Read this little doozie:
“Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.” Then it goes on to say that Noah’s youngest son, Ham (who has an awesome name, by the way), stumbled upon his naked, drunk father, and instead of honoring him by covering him up, Ham made a spectacle of the whole ordeal, going outside and making fun of his dad to his two brothers, Shem and Japheth. (see Genesis 9:20-24) Way to go, Ham. Way to go, Noah.
So Noah didn’t hold his alcohol all that well. And Ham didn’t hold his tongue all that well.
Welcome to life after the flood.
But even though Noah had this indiscretion (to put it mildly), God chose to use him. Why? Because…
God uses imperfect, messed up people.
God uses messy families.
God uses people who make stupid decisions.
God uses people who have brought shame on themselves and their family.
God uses people who have returned to the same sins they struggled with in the past.
God uses people who aren’t perfect parents.
If God can use you and me, even though we’re messed up, just like He used Noah.
How have you let your past failures determine what you think God can use you to do in the future?
How has the fear of future failure paralyzed you from doing what God is calling you to do right now?
I’m reading through the Bible in a year, using the Chronological Plan. Care to join me?
I’m reading through the Bible in a year. I’ve done this before. Started a “Read Through the Bible in a Year” plan, only to make it to the first part of February.
It’s not that I quit reading my Bible. I just quit the plan.
So I’ve started with The Chronological Plan. I wanted a plan that didn’t jump all over the Bible (giving readings from various sections of the Bible/day), and this keeps me in one book at a time. In addition, my readings sync with my computer and my phone, making it even more convenient (and not allowing me to use the excuse, “I couldn’t find my Bible…”).
Throughout 2010, in order to keep myself accountable, I’m going to write a blog post each week on a portion of Scripture from that week’s reading. I am convinced that Scripture was written to be applied, and so to keep me focused on application, each week I’ll write a devotional post.
I’m choosing to build in this accountability.
What are you doing to keep yourself on track with the Lord in 2010?
I thought I’d share the our Christmas card (that my wife designed!) with you this year. Since the physical ones went out a little late, it’s fitting that it would be posted to my blog after Christmas. Have a happy New Year!
p.s. This year, we’re going to pray, by name, for everybody who sent us a card. We’d love to pray for you, too. Let me know how my wife and I can be praying for you as we enter 2010. Send me a Twitter direct message or a Facebook message (for privacy’s sake).
Love you all.
Here are Life and Theology’s top 10 posts of 2009
10. Did God Do That?
8. You Should Not Be In a Small Group If…
6. Gospel-Focused Small Groups
1. My Son, Dog Food, and Satisfaction
Have you ever been “Cc’d” in an email? Not even sure what I’m talking about? Let me enlighten you.
Here’s a normal email field:
See the “Cc:” line below the “To:” field?
Cc stands for Carbon Copy. You know those forms you have to fill out that have multiple copies where, if you press down hard enough, the image is stamped on all of the subsequent attached copies? The first one’s white…the second is yellow…the third, pink…the last page is black. Follow?
Carbon copies are a way of sharing multiple copies of the exact same information with people.
The same holds true with emails.
If I send an email to you, and Cc Joe, it means that I want Joe to have the same information that you have. It’s not directly addressed to him, but he needs to be included in the conversation.
There’s one more thing you need to know about: “Reply All.”
If you “reply” to said email, I will get your reply. But Joe won’t.
If you “reply all” to said email, I will get your reply, and so will Joe.
Here’s my point: I included Joe for a reason. I wanted him to be included in the conversation. I want him to know what we’re talking about. And for him to know what we’re talking about, you have to “reply all.”
It would be the same if I am having a conversation with you and Joe about an upcoming event that you will be leading. I say, “Hey, do you know who else will be coming to the event?” And you whisper back to me, “Yes, Don will be there, too.” Then Joe says back (to both of us), “I don’t know anybody else who will be there.” Then I have to say (to both of you), “Sorry, Joe, _____ whispered to me, but he should have said it out loud. Don will be there.” Then you whisper (to me), “Can’t wait to see you both there!” Then I have to tell Joe what you just told me.
Confused?
If I send you an email, and Cc somebody else, please, please, please “reply all.” There’s a reason I sent them a Cc. I want them to be in on the conversation!
Email can be a conversation…if you know how to use the Cc. The same principle can hold true in a small group, too.
If I’m leading a small group, and consistently find myself talking with the same one or two people, that’s not a small group…that’s a clique.
A good small group leader involves everybody in the discussion. They’re listening to what Joe says…and connecting it with what Sean says…and the prayer request that Debbie shared last week…and the fact that I know John lost his job. Because they, as the good small group leader, are convinced that everybody’s story matters. And they are convinced that, though Rose is quiet in the back, she’s dealing with real life issues. And, even though everybody rolls their eyes when Chris starts to talk because he dominates the conversation, Chris is a vital part of the growth of the group (because learning how to interact with Chris teaches the group patience, love, and grace).
Sure, it would be more fun to talk with “that couple” that you’ve been friends with for years. Or that girl that you think you may have a chance with. But the role of a small group leader is to pastor the whole group, which means learning to help the whole group have a conversation.
Learn to listen well. In email. And in small groups.
What kinds of things have you done in your small groups to help elicit discussion out of the whole group?
My Book
Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint
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