OVERWHELMED – WEEK 7
“The Gratitude Factor”
Group Leader Guide for use March 25-31, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
SERMON RECAP:
In today's world, it is easy to become overwhelmed. We find ourselves in stressful circumstances that we wish we could change, but sometimes our circumstances are just tough. Again, it is important that we get our attention off of our circumstances and onto our God, because only then can we truly be grateful to the Lord and show Him our gratitude. In fact, your relationship with God will always be lacking unless you learn to incorporate what Pastor Furtick calls "the Gratitude Factor."
Being grateful and thankful does not always come naturally to us. Sometimes we have to praise God even we do not feel like it; being grateful is not optional, but is rather an integral part of a growing, thriving relationship with Him. A few observations on gratitude should relate to each of us, and should compel us to grow in that area:
ICEBREAKER:
Has anyone here ever heard of "Tebowing"?
Chances are that someone in your group has heard of this craze inspired by former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. (If so, give them the chance to explain it.) Tebow is a professional football player who is a professed Christian, and he has a trademark position that he assumes (down on one knee, head bowed and resting on one hand) as he says a quick prayer of thanks after a touchdown play. Since Tebow's initial success, many people around the country have begun assuming the pose themselves in various locations as photo opportunities, and the term has become very popular.
What part of Tebow's success do you think should be attributed to God, and what part should be attributed to hard work (remember his Gatorade commercial)?
A pretty safe bet is to be grateful to God for everything. It surely wouldn't hurt any of us to be more faithful with quick prayers of gratitude!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.
Q: Is it more important to be grateful for what God does, or for who He is?
A: James 1:16-18; Malachi 3:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Our gratefulness should ultimately be a response to who God is, because even His generosity and provision (the things He does) reflect His character. Though circumstances will always change, God never will, and that is why the Bible instructs to joyfully praise and thank Him in all situations. He is good and He deserves our utmost praise when things are going well, and He is just as good and deserving of our utmost praise when our circumstances are tough.
Q: Why do you think so many Christians have difficulty living lives of gratefulness and joy? What is the underlying problem?
A: I Thessalonians 5:16-18; Philippians 4:4-6; 1 Timothy 6:6-7; Daniel 6:10
Many people might say their problem is always wanting more, never being content, difficult past experiences, or focusing on circumstances or self rather than on God’s purposes for their lives. While these explanations may be true, the short (yet not so sweet) answer is sin. Sin and disobedience to God’s Word is their basic problem. God tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” He also says in Philippians 4:6 to “Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done.” Christians must make a decision (i.e., choose) to obey God by thanking Him, no matter what the circumstances, just as Daniel did in Daniel 6:10. They must confess to God their lack of thankfulness, turn away from it, and practice speaking thankfulness, as a spiritual discipline. As they commit to live anew and practice gratefulness, the Holy Spirit will change them into a more thankful child of God.
Q. How can a negative person who sees the glass half empty become a positive person who sees the glass half full? In other words, how can you change from having a negative perspective on life to having a more positive and thankful perspective?
A. Colossians 2:6-7; Colossians 3:12-16
According to the Bible, growing up in Jesus will take care of a negative, down-in-the-mouth view of life and transform you into a thankful person of faith. Colossians 2:6-7 says to “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” A mature Christian will be a thankful and joyful servant. Colossians 3:16-17 expounds on this concept of maturing in Christ and representing Him, as it says, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” So, if you want to become a more positive and thankful person, pursue growth in Christ and serve Him, and the thankfulness will come.
Q: How can you show gratefulness even when things don’t seem to ever be going your way?
A: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Psalm 100:4
We have all been in a situation in our lives where we feel broken, lost, and abandoned. We move our focus from Jesus to the helplessness of our situation, and we forget that God is always in control. In those times, we just don’t feel like being grateful because we have forgotten all there is to be grateful for. The Bible tells us, however, to rejoice always, pray continuously, and give thanks in all circumstances, and these are things we can do no matter what our situation is. Thanking God is a way to praise Him and show that we have no doubt that our God has, can, and will overcome any situation. Remember, gratefulness should not just reflect what God does, but rather who He is. He never changes, so there is never a reason to be ungrateful.
LEADS APPLICATION:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym L.E.A.D.S.:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
Devote ourselves to generosity.
It may seem almost counterintuitive to talk about giving things away when the focus of the sermon was being thankful for what you have.
Discuss this idea with your group: when we have grateful hearts, how does that change our actions?
When we truly see and understand God's generosity, we will be grateful and we will want to be generous ourselves. After all, our gratefulness is not intended to terminate on ourselves (e.g. being thankful only for the things He has blessed us with). It is meant to glorify Him! And what better way to do that than to trust Him to use us as instruments to bless other people.
Maybe as a group you need to collectively pray, "God, bless us so that we can bless others." Maybe you need to pray that God would give you something for the sole purpose of you giving it to someone else. That kind of thing changes your perspective on generosity and gratefulness.
OVERWHELMED – WEEK 4
“How to Overcome Stress and Anxiety”
Group Leader Guide for use March 4-10, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
SERMON RECAP:
All of our lives are full of "little" things that continuously bring on small amounts of stress and anxiety. Each of those little things may not be terrible on its own, but when you combine all the different stressful factors in our lives it becomes easy to feel overwhelmed. Once again, our goal has to be to get our focus off of our circumstances and onto our God; we can glean some helpful advice on doing this from studying Jesus' teaching and pairing it with our continued study of the book of Daniel. In order to stop allowing circumstances to dictate our lives, we must:
Just like in the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Jesus promises to be with us through the fire. We just have to be willing to trust Him.
ICEBREAKER:
What is your favorite way to "de-stress" after a particularly trying day or week?
Answers will vary. Some people have a particular activity they enjoy doing, others like to be alone, and others prefer to decompress around their friends. Some like to stay home, and some like to go out. Everyone recharges in a different way, and it is helpful to know your style so that you can intentionally make time to do it.
It seems like everywhere you go, though, someone is advertising something to help you relax - aroma therapy, massages, furniture, new lighting, food, etc. Why do you think so much effort and money are put into buying and selling quick fixes for rest and relaxation?
We live in a society of instant gratification. People want to be immediately fixed, but they don’t often realize that any earthly “fix” is only temporary. We are all searching for something to bring peace and rest to our lives, so a quick physical change to our surroundings or schedules seems to be worth the money. In reality, the only thing that is going to bring lasting and true peace is a consistent and genuine relationship with Jesus.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.
Q: What do you believe is the true root of stress and anxiety in our lives? Is it always our circumstances, or is there something bigger that needs to be addressed?
A: Ephesians 1:11-12; Matthew 6:25-33; Romans 8:28
The root of stress and anxiety in our lives is unbelief and doubt that God is in control or the inability on our part to allow God to take complete control of our lives. We often become most afraid when we feel our grip on things loosening. When a situation is beyond what we can handle, the stress and anxiety rise. In reality, it’s when we know we can’t handle something that we should be most comforted because we have a Savior who has shown that He can overcome any situation we could ever be faced with. He will never abandon us in a time of need. Instead, He will comfort and guide us, eliminating any need for us to be anxious, and making all things work together for our good.
Q: Have you ever felt anxious or restless even when your circumstances were not "stressful"? What causes this and what can you do to avoid it?
A: Psalm 34:14-15; Isaiah 26:3-4; Philippians 4:5-7
It’s true that our hearts and minds can become stressed and anxious when life gets hard. But it’s also true that sometimes we can feel anxiety and a lack of peace when things in our lives are going smoothly. Anxiety can result from the absence of pursuing Christ, just as much as it can result from the presence of crisis in our lives. In Psalm 34, the Bible actually instructs us to pursue peace. Peace doesn’t just come to us when life is easy; we must seek it. That same passage instructs us to turn away from our sinful desires and do good. This is essentially repentance, and keeping our hearts in a continuous state of repentance will enable us to seek peace in our lives. Another way God desires for us to pursue peace is through keeping our minds focused on Him. Meditating in the Spirit throughout the day helps us to remain in His presence and brings us peace. Paul tell us in Philippians that prayer will develop peace in our lives as we spend time with Him and learn to trust Him more. As we continually repent, meditate, and pray, our minds will become overwhelmed by God’s peace regardless of positive or negative circumstances in our life. Remember, God works on the inside just as much as He works on the outside.
Q: Should Christians live expecting stress and anxiety as a normal part of life, or should Christians live expecting smooth sailing and good days from God’s hand? (If a Christian lives expecting bad things to happen, does that outlook demonstrate negativity and a lack of faith on his part?)
A: John 16:1-4, 33; Romans 8: 35-38
Christians should live with a biblical outlook that puts God in His proper place of authority, love and amazing grace over our lives and what happens to us. The Bible speaks truth in telling us that we will have troubles and sorrows in this world, but it also shoots straight in saying that Jesus has overcome the world and every kind of trial that we will face. Jesus prepared His disciples for difficulties, not so they would live negative, hardened lives, but so their faith would remain strong and positive through the troubles. Jesus didn’t want them to expect an always sunny-and-breezy reality and be blown away or shaken by periodic storms. He wanted His disciples to see themselves as able, in His Spirit, to handle victoriously everything that came their way. And He wanted them to depend on His strength, not theirs. Our faith outlook should be that God is good, we are His beloved children, and He’s always up to something good for us, including in trials and difficulties. When troubles come, God’s plan and purpose is to give us peace, bring us through them by His grace, and to develop in us a stronger and more positive faith than before.
Q: It’s been said that most of our stress comes from trying to control our lives and others’ lives.
A: Ephesians 1: 19-21; Psalm 103: 15-19; Proverbs 3: 5-6
Jesus can not be Lord of something if we control it, so many times our human desire to control things is SIN. It’s pride because we’re elevating ourselves to God’s place, and He will have no rivals. It’s a lack of trust, or fear, because we think if we don’t step in, things won’t turn out right. We have to stop justifying our actions with dismissive attitudes like “I’m just trying to help,” and call our controlling spirit what it is: sin. We have to ask God to convict us every time this flesh desire begins to set itself in motion. We must confess it, turn away from it, back out and back off! We have to say to God, “Forgive me for relegating You in my mind to someone who doesn’t care or won’t do the right thing. Instead, I believe now that You are in control, and You do all things well for Your glory and, out of love, for your children.” If we can truly begin to visualize, in faith, God working on behalf of us and our prayers, and our resting completely in Him, then we will not want to try to control things. We will be free.
LEADS APPLICATION:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym L.E.A.D.S.:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
Send people out to start new groups.
Remember that this is not just a suggestion that will hopefully inspire someone, but it's a core value of our groups ministry at NewSpring Church! Leaders, you have probably been contacted at some point (if not, you will be soon) about members of your groups who may be gearing up to start their own groups in the next semester, so make sure that your group members understand the vision behind taking that next step. We want you to have some dynamite community with each other, but we also want God to be able to use each of you to continue to take those steps in making disciples who make disciples.
If there is anyone in your group who is just hungry to grow in his or her leadership, there are lots of resources to be handed out, conversations to be had, and dinners to be shared that will help them to evolve as a leader. Don't wait until the end of the semester to start training up the next round of leaders... let's get a head start! Your Area Leader, Groups Director, and many other leaders are available to assist in this process - just pass the word up if we can help you develop these future leaders and uphold this vital core value.
OVERWHELMED - WEEK 1
“How to Overcome Being Overwhelmed”
Group Leader Guide for use February 12-18, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
SERMON RECAP:
There is a lot going on in this day and time to put pressure on us. We are each individually stressed by any number of different factors, not to mention the economy and other corporate stressors that end up affecting all of us. Life is hard. Money is tight. Problems happen. And as a result of it all, it is easy to be overwhelmed.
The solution we must all work toward is to get our attention off of our circumstances and onto our God. Ultimately, what gets our attention will determine our direction, so we've got to start by realizing that:
By looking at the story of Daniel, we can begin to see what those two things really mean.
ICEBREAKER:
Why do you think that "Overwhelmed" is a 7-week-long sermon series instead of just a 45-minute sermon?
There are many people who are facing overwhelming circumstances right this minute - more than we might think at first. There are many factors that contribute to this problem, and it would be nearly impossible to address them all within the span of one group meeting. We will spend the next six weeks discussing several specific contributors and we will definitely see fruit from taking the time to deal with them individually and practically. Healing is a process, and the job market, housing market, and economy are not likely to be fixed overnight, so it takes time to deal with issues that hurt.
Why are people often reluctant to admit that they are overwhelmed? What is the benefit of being open and honest about the state of things in your own life before we get too far into the discussion?
In today's world it seems like the mark of a responsible adult is to do it all, to go everywhere, to give everyone a ride, to pay all the bills, and to be joyful about every minute of it. To admit being overwhelmed seems like admitting weakness. Sometimes, though, it just isn't easy. The fact is that you have no idea what kind of pressure is on the person sitting right beside you. Get ready to spend this series being transparent with your group and seeing fruit! (Leaders, get ready for big things to happen in this series! Lead the charge in being transparent, but protect the group environment by not allowing trash-talk or an abundance of complaining. Let's be careful to honor the Lord with our talk because, even though it is hard to talk about, we're not focusing on how bad our problems are. We're talking about how great our God is!)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.
Q: Is it wrong to feel overwhelmed? Are you more likely to feel overwhelmed by things you can help, or by things you can not help?
A: Matthew 26:36-42; Psalm 22:6-21; Job 6:1-23; 1 Kings 19:1-5
Let's agree up front that it is not wrong to be overwhelmed, but it is wrong to stay overwhelmed. It is wrong to realize that we have too much on our plates but refuse to do anything about it. It is wrong to admit that God does not have control of our lives, yet not surrender to Him. We see in the Bible that Job, David, Elijah, and even Jesus had times when they felt overwhelmed by the circumstances they were facing, but all of their stories involve fully surrendering to God and realizing that He is their sustenance. If you are overwhelmed, you can admit it, but you have to be ready to work on it as well.
Q: Point #1 from the sermon stated that "God is great." How can you realize that more in your life? What happens when we see an example of how great God is?
A: Isaiah 6:1-5; Luke 13:10-13; Acts 9:1-8, 17-22
Point #2 from the sermon said that "God is able." When you realize that God is great, you naturally are more apt to believe that He is able. How do you realize that God is great? Read His Word and trust what it says in a new way. When you trust Him in a new way, you must obey Him and depend on Him in a new way. That is the definition of taking a next step, and that is what we have to devote ourselves to doing. Often we feel stuck in our spiritual walks, and that is a good indicator that it has been a while since we have taken a new step of obedience to Him. When we do that we see Him in a new way, and the Bible is full of examples of people who saw God's glory and had no other response but worship. When we see God's majesty, our lives become more worshipful and we reflect how amazing He is.
Q: Why is it so hard to live like God is bigger than our individual overwhelming problems (e.g. cancer, sexual sin, divorce, failure, regret)?
A: Luke 9:57-62; Colossians 3:1-4
When you are focused on God, you can not focus on yourself. That is hard, though, because despair really serves to magnify negativity in our lives; being overwhelmed always makes things seem even harder. Many of us are facing something that seems beyond help, and we will probably address it at some point in this series. Remember that the first step will be to understand how great God is and to get a grasp on the fact that He is also God over cancer, He is greater than sin, and He is incapable of failure. We have to be pursuing a deepening understanding of who God is and what He wants to do in our lives. If we can get a handle on that, it will help us greatly in the coming weeks. We are to set our hearts and our minds on Him and not let anything be a cause for us to hold back in following Him.
L.E.A.D.S. Application:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
Learn the Bible together.
A big focus of this week's sermon is to better see who God is, and the way that we can do that together is by studying the Bible. The Bible is not just a list of rules to follow and it's not just "the road map of life;" it is the Word of God and it tells the eternal story of who He is and what His character is like. Studying the Bible does not always tell us something about ourselves, but instead we might more often find out something about God first. Every story in the Bible happened for His glory, so there is plenty to learn about what He sees as important!
Push each other to seek out God's character. As we see truer and truer who our God really is, we can worship Him and trust Him all the more fully.
ALL IN - WEEK 5
“Aftermath”
Group Leader Guide for use February 5-11, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
SERMON RECAP:
In this series, we have learned that a growing relationship with God is intentional, not accidental. This means that God is always ready and available to bless us and to help us grow, but it is our responsibility to dedicate ourselves to obeying Him. It is our responsibility to go all in.
Looking back to Mark 12:30, we are talking about how to love God with all our souls. As we celebrate some stories of changed lives, we see two facts about Jesus that impact us:
ICEBREAKER:
What is your favorite movie of all time? Who was your favorite character in that movie?
(Leaders, don't feel like you have to rush this part of the discussion. People love talking about movies and using those conversations to connect with each other. That's the purpose of this icebreaker!)
Don't be afraid to sound dorky when answering that question; there's nothing wrong with really loving a good story.
Have you ever wondered why you love that movie so much?
Without being too over-analytical, there are some obvious factors that cause us to love a story/movie: the plot is relevant to us, it holds our attention, and a character becomes a hero. It's really cool that we all have personal stories, and there's a common Hero in all of them. This definitely calls for continued celebration, but it also requires us to stay focused on the one thing that really matters, and we'll spend today's meeting talking about that in a little more depth.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.
Q: We often see the apostle Paul preach the Gospel to the Church in his letters to them. Why did he do that? Why is it important for believers to talk about the Gospel?
A: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Colossians 2:6-7; Hebrews 12:1-3; Titus 3:1-8
The churches that received Paul's letters were full of people who already believed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul knew, though, that the Gospel is not just a ticket to Heaven. The Gospel saves us, but it also sustains us and sanctifies us. Faith in Jesus is what will keep us growing and pressing forward. Paul preaches the Gospel to believers for the same reason that you have meetings at work: to remind them of what is important. Without the message of Jesus Christ, there is no point in reading our Bibles, going to church, or praying; He is the reason for and the faith behind doing those things! It is always valuable to be reminded of the main thing.
Q: How would you explain to a nonbeliever how "Jesus is here"? If Jesus died 2,000 years ago it may be hard for some people to understand.
A: Mark 16:1-8; Acts 1:8, 13:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6
When Jesus left the earth 2,000 years ago, He left us with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was God, and the Spirit is also God. The sacrifice that Jesus made and the Spirit that now dwells in us are actively changing us just as much today as ever.
Q: Is it possible to share the Gospel with someone without mentioning Jesus?
A: Ephesians 2:4-9; Romans 5:6-8
No. The Gospel is the story of Jesus' life, death, burial, and resurrection and how He overcame death so that we might be justified before God. We are sinful, so logically we should not have God's favor, but thankfully God is not confined by logic. He gave up His son Jesus for us anyway, and that is what the Gospel is all about. Jesus did not just come to be a friend to sinners; ultimately His mission was to be their Savior.
Q: What is the most important element of your personal story?
A: 1 Corinthians 5:17-21; John 13:34-35
The most important element of your personal story is the fact that Jesus loved you and redeemed you, even though you were a sinner. The Gospel is the most important part of your story. When you share your testimony, you are explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ - HE is the hero in all of our stories. Notice that God doesn't advertise with marketing ploys and schemes; He works through our lives to show His power. Therein lies the value of telling your story.
Q: The topic of this entire series has been, "What Happens When a Group of People Go All In." So... what happens? What really happens if your home group goes all in?
A: The book of Acts (e.g. 2:42-47, 4:8-22)
In the book of Acts, the early Church radically changed the culture of the world they lived in. They saw many people saved and many lives changed, while at the same time much of their community seemed to be in an uproar about these people. Some people really believed the message of Jesus Christ, and some people really opposed it, but it is not likely that many people were unaware of their cause. When that group of people went all in, things happened that had never happened before. That is how God operates - He is not confined by what has already happened. He is not confined by anything! Why wouldn't we go all in for that?
L.E.A.D.S. Application:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
Assist one another.
We have talked a lot in this series about taking your "next step." For some people that step may have been salvation, and for others it may have been to start volunteering, but whatever your next step is, you shouldn't do it alone. Just like we can't do life alone, we can't always just take our next steps alone either!
Share your next step with your group! Chances are that someone in your group has a little wisdom, has had some experience, or can provide a little accountability that can help you in taking that step. Spend a few minutes going over those next steps and assisting one another in making a plan to carry them out.
ALL IN - WEEK 4
“New”
Group Leader Guide for use January 29- February 4, 2012
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
SERMON RECAP:
In this series, we are learning that a growing relationship with God is intentional, not accidental. This means that God is always ready and available to bless us and to help us grow, but it is our responsibility to dedicate ourselves to obeying Him. It is our responsibility to go all in.
When we are truly all-in for God, then we are willing to go all-out in our pursuit of seeing the world changed for Him. As believers, we have a responsibility to learn and grow individually, as well as a commission to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Regarding Mark 12:30, that is how we love the Lord with all our souls.
Obviously this requires significant action on our parts, and three things that will propel us to take action are belief, behavior, and boldness. All throughout the book of Acts, we see how the Word of God spreads and how the early Church experiences tremendous growth when people begin to devote themselves to evangelism. Today is no different; the Good News is powerful and timeless, and it is our charge to carry it to the world. Jesus promised that He would build His Church, and He is. He’s using us to do it.
ICEBREAKER:
If you could enjoy a free meal at any restaurant in the United States, which place would you choose? What would you order?
The answers to this question will probably fall into two categories:
Clearly, we have all listed things that we enjoy, or at least things that we think we would enjoy. We are passionate about things that bring us joy, and we don’t think twice about sharing or receiving advice about restaurants that we believe in. Let’s face it: a restaurant with a good product gains a lot of believers really quickly, but that doesn’t seem to always be the case with spreading the word about Jesus.
Why do you think that it sometimes feels awkward to share your faith in God’s work, but it never feels awkward to share your faith in a chef’s work?
We all agree that it’s not always easy, so let’s buckle down and talk about what it takes to be obedient in this area, even though it is difficult.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living.
Q: In all honesty, is it your responsibility or your pastor’s responsibility to tell people about Jesus?
A: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Ephesians 3:8-11; John 1:40-42
Both! Your personal relationship with someone gives you access to his life in a way that your pastor does not get. This means that you have equity with that person; not only is your personal relationship with him a great platform to share your own story, but it is also a great platform for inviting him to join you in enjoying a church and a message that you are passionate about. You fill the House with hungry people, and your pastor is charged with sharing the Gospel and showing them how to be fed.
Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of surrounding yourself exclusively with Christians?
A: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Hebrews 10:24-25; Matthew 9:9-13
If you surround yourself with only believers, you will do a good job of protecting yourself from people, but you will do a bad job of reaching them. Again, look at the examples of Jesus and Paul: they intentionally spent time with “sinners” for the purpose of seeing them come to God. Of course, it is very important to purposely engage in community and worship with other believers, but God didn’t just extend the offer of grace to you. That offer is for everyone, and we are instructed to “go and make disciples” as ministers of the Good News. If we are not actively seeking relationships with non-believers, then we cannot expect to be effective in ministry at all. Our company should be comprised of a good mix of Christians and non-Christians.
Q: Do you think that your actions or your words will go further in reaching people? Why or why not? Can anyone share a personal example?
A: Colossians 4:5-6; James 2:14-26; John 13:34-35
The Bible is very clear that the way you love people reflects the way you love God. The way you treat people, in turn, reflects how you love them. Colossians 4 (and other passages) says to be wise in seizing opportunities to act in love toward unbelievers, and words are just one of the ways to act in love. If your lips preach love and grace but your life does not extend them, then people may be inclined to draw the conclusion that your faith is not real because it hasn’t changed you. We should all be careful, because it is much more effective to tell people about obeying Jesus when they can see that we are indeed doing what He taught.
Q: How does your personal walk with Jesus influence your public outreach?
A: Colossians 3:5-14; Galatians 5:16-26
As Christians we see sanctification happen in our lives over time (Sanctification is the process by which we become more like God) as He works and produces fruit in us. As we see in Colossians 3 and Galatians 5, that fruit is largely intended for use in relating to other people, but those same passages list sinful tendencies that must be addressed in our private lives before that fruit will grow. If you are not willing to address obedience in your own heart, you are not likely to see God using you progressively more to reach other people.
L.E.A.D.S. Application:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
Send people out to start new groups.
Whoa! The semester just started, right?
Don’t forget that our ultimate goal is not to create little clusters of super-smart Christians. Sure, we are excited about the community and individual growth we will see from joining together in groups, and we will never forget how important that is. We just can’t lose sight of how great it is when Christians (and home groups) grow and multiply.
The past few weeks has seen a lot of emphasis placed on the book of Acts, and by now we have all gotten a handle on how the Church was so effective back then: they reached out! The early believers were outwardly focused, and we have to be as well. Remind your group to start praying about who among them should branch out and be leaders next semester. The upcoming months will be a time of awesome growth for each member in your group, and some of them would likely make very impactful group leaders themselves.
(Leaders, it’s never too early to begin identifying that potential in your group and encouraging them to embrace it!)