I've a new Bible hero of late: Lazarus. Not Luke's scabrous beggar, but Mary and Martha's ill-begotten brother. Most of his story is told in John 11—Lazarus's sickness, Jesus' reposeful delay, Lazarus's death, Mary's and Martha's upset with Jesus, Jesus' own upset ...
Here are five tips to help re-educate your church and group members.
Paul Anderson
Trying to convince computer-age people to practice spiritual disciplines—such as regular prayer, Bible study, and giving—is like trying to sell hair restorer to a bald man. He might accept that he needs the stuff, but he's not convinced your product can deliver. In response to an article I'd written on fasting, a lady wrote, "You don't really believe we're supposed to do that in the twentieth ...
As a part of your worship, take communion together. Taking the Lord's supper as a group is a beautiful and touching experience. Go into this activity with lots of prayer that your group will be ministered to by the Holy Spirit. (In Acts 2 we read of the early church breaking bread together. We follow their example by meeting in homes to worship, pray and take the Lord's Supper together)
When Jesus inhabits the space that believers occupy together in His Name, the space changes and so do we.
Reid Smith
Jesus was the ultimate storyteller. He did more than communicate with words; He communicated His heart. He used stories like The Prodigal Son to express God's love for people and to invite them into relationship with Himself. Jesus used storytelling to create a meeting space between God and people. Small groups recreate such meeting spaces. They form the relational intersections of the life of God ...
Three practical cures for a common small-group ailment
Mark Whelchel
Acommon frustration among small group leaders is getting groups started on time. It is not unusual to be five or ten minutes past the scheduled starting time while the leader stalls waiting for the arrival of the last few members.
The leader is left in limbo: he doesn't want to waste the time of the people who have already arrived, but he also doesn't want to be in the middle of prayer or study when ...
"Worship Him and then serve Him only" said Jesus (Mt. 4:10). With that short phrase, Jesus forever established Christian priorities: Worship first and service second.If you're like me, I have the tendency toreverse that order. I want to do, to accomplish, to perform. Yet, Jesus gently reminds me that He's not impressed by my actions as much as my communion with Him. He reminds me that the Father is ...
Some prayer-evangelism tools you can use before your next service project
Karen Hurston
The greatest way to prepare for service-based outreach to our lost friends and neighbors is to pray. Before you plan the next service project, consider trying one or more of the following prayer-evangelism tools:
The "empty chair" prayer — Leave one chair empty during each group meeting to represent one or more lost friends. Ask your group members to gather around the chair and pray for the salvation ...
Discipline is just about my least favorite word in the dictionary. The word reminds me of doing homework, going to the gym regularly, or saving money for retirement. None of these things are much fun today, but each one has a huge payback tomorrow, doesn't it?
We each have private spiritual disciplines we should practice (simplicity, meditation, solitude, prayer, service, fasting, study, stewardship, ...
A collection of resources to help you practice spiritual disciplines individually and as part of a group
"Small Groups in Depth" collections are assembled by the editors of SmallGroups.com as a method of continuing education for people participating in small-groups ministry. Each collection offers step-by-step training on a specific ministry skill or practice. Individuals may read through each resource on their own as a method of self improvement, or may customize the articles, discussion questions, ...
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