n your hectic schedule, do you ever feel like the most important relationships get the least amount of time? We only have so many hours in a day, and many of us are so burdened by tasks that we miss the relationships for which we are called to invest.
The more that our society progresses, our souls seem to regress all the more. Our technological dependence forces us to stare at screens and avoid personal interactions. Our environments are caged in keeping us away from evidence of God’s Creation.
One of the greatest blessings is when a small group begins to feel like a family, but that is also one of the greatest dangers as well if it prohibits others from experiencing the same thing. Are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of others?
Christians should know better than anybody that no one is too far gone. We serve a God who has done the impossible time and time again. So when people come to church in dire situations, do you still believe that there is hope?
As your small group gathers, your lesson plan can include robust theology, interactive questions, thought-provoking activities, and memorable illustrations, but if it doesn’t translate to application, you are missing out. It’s time to go the second mile in experiencing intentional accountability.
Within the church, we understand that we can’t have perfect leaders, but somewhere along the way, we’ve grown to accept pathetic leaders. What happens when we water down the requirements for leaders? The whole church drowns. It’s time to go the second mile with demanding for more than burdensome leaders.
We live in a time when the world is biblically illiterate. Why has this happened? It might be because the church has diminished its confidence in the knowledge and application of God’s Word. We need more than spiritual intentions, we need biblical truth. It’s time to go the second mile with your small group.
If you grow up going to church, you know that the most typical Bible study scenario is one where the teacher reads a verse and then asks the group, “What does that mean to you?” More than what it means to you, we need to know what it means to God. It’s time to go the second mile in discerning subjective truth.
Christians need to ground themselves in relationships that foster consistent community. When it comes to the content guiding small groups, the possibilities are endless. What if the numerous options for curriculum are actually stifling us? It’s time to go the second mile in discerning spiritual studies.
As the state of the world lengthens the timing of social distancing and normalizes our acceptance of it, we are in danger of becoming used to isolation. Loneliness is a standard emotion for many people and the consequences are devastating.