Here are 11 Core Values that make Peace Chapel unique. These values are non negotiables for those who make up the core of our church.
People matter to God and they matter to us. (John 3:16) says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Everyone has a purpose (Col 1:16) says “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”
Always ready to help (Rom 12:13) says “Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Caring for people is important to us (James 1:27) says “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Every member is a minister (2 Cor 5:17-19) says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the” message of reconciliation.
Christ is the head (Col 1:18) says “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”
Holding each other up (Rom 15:1) says “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.”
Atmosphere of acceptance (Rom 15:7) says “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
Providing for one another (Phil 2:4;) says “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Titus 3:14 says ” Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.”
Enduring the tough times together (Gal 6:1-2) says “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Loving God and Loving People (Luke 10:27) says “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Does todays preachers lack the passion and conviction of yesterdays preachers?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
The great preachers of yesterday ushered in nationwide revival because they preached with passion, purpose and conviction. They preached the gospel.
Does todays preachers lack the passion and conviction of yesterdays preachers?
Listen and see.
Woe to me if I preach not the gospel! 1 Cor 9:16
The great preachers of yesterday ushered in nationwide revival because they preached with passion, purpose and conviction. They preached the gospel.
Does todays preachers lack the passion and conviction of yesterdays preachers?
Listen and see.
Woe to me if I preach not the gospel! 1 Cor 9:16
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Five Stages of a Healthy Small Group
FIVE STAGES OF A HEALTHY SMALL GROUP
WRITTEN BY DeAntwan Fitts
EDITED BY Nicky Pittman, Jeremy Wight & Richard Jarman
Healthy small groups do not just happen. They are the result of the leader being INTENTIONAL about moving the group through the four important stages of a healthy small group. Prayer and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit are essential to you developing a healthy small group.
We are exited about having a small group ministry at Peace Chapel, because healthy small groups play an integral role in the overall goal of producing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. It takes more than Bible study to help a person become like Christ. People need to be engaging in community with others who are traveling in the same direction as they are. Small groups are a place were people can develop friendships, be transparent, cultivate community and become more like Christ. The key to a healthy life changing small group, is being INTENTIONAL. Below are healthy stages of a small group and intentional approaches to moving people to the next stage.
STAGE 1
“THE FRIENDLY STAGE”
The friendly stage is generally what will happen when the group first starts meeting. During the first two to three meetings, you will notice for the most part people will be friendly with one another. This means your group is off to a good start. Your group must move from being friendly to developing friendships.
Groups that never get past the friendly stage will not cause transformation and will eventually die off.
There are a few intentional approaches for moving your group to the next stage of friendship.
1. Encourage prayer partners (female with female & male with male),
2. Partner assignments such as two group members meeting to pick up supplies for the group.
3. Friendships can also develop by encouraging group members to find an accountability partner within the group that they meet with over the phone or in person once a week (female with female & male with male).
STAGE 2
“THE FRIENDSHIP STAGE”
Not everyone in your group will find a close friend but with an INTENTIONAL approach you should see some friendships developing between the fourth and fifth small group meeting. This is confirmation that your group is moving along well. Your group must continue to move towards community by moving from making friends in your group to being transparent.
Transparency is not easy, but it is necessary if you want to have a healthy small group. This is undoubtedly the toughest obstacle to a healthy Small group because this does not happen unless people take risk. This means letting people see the real you. This is the stage where a good small group leader is very important. The small group leader must must must create an environment where people are safe to open up. It is equally important that the leader first model this attitude of authenticity and transparency. If you as a leader are not open, you cannot expect it from those who are in your group.
The intentional approach for this stage is for you as the leader to give honest and open testimonies. You must be honest about your own frailties. Be open with your group about things that you struggle with. Being honest about our issues is extremely important in getting past our issues.
One point of caution with transparency: being transparent does not mean being graphic. You can open up about your struggles without giving all of the details of your struggles.
Below are some intentional things that can promote transparency in your small group
1. Go over Small group guidelines before every group meeting stressing the importance of confidentiality
2. During prayer time, ask them to pray for you in the area of your struggle.
3. During prayer time ask them is there anything that you can pray for them about
4. Break the group up into groups of two during prayer time.
5. Get help from others in the group who are comfortable with opening up and ask them to give testimonies (ask them prior to the group meeting).
STAGE 3
“THE TRANSPARENCY STAGE”
Once your group makes it to this stage, you should start to see life-transformation taking place. Many groups never make it to this stage because of the challenges associated with being authentic. If your group makes it to this stage, that means they are ready for the very important stage of maturity or discipleship.
Small Group Discipleship happens when the members of your group start to take on more of the character and qualities of Jesus Christ and grow in intimacy with Him. This is an important step towards the overall goal at Peace Chapel, which is to develop fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
The intentional approach for this stage is:
1. A group mission project, where you take the principles you are learning and put them into practice
2. Provide your group members with a daily devotional plan such as the “Daily Bread”, one from the small group study or one that you put together based on the subject matter of the lesson.
3. Give out homework assignments that require a study partner for accountability
4. Have all group members set discipleship goals such as reading through the Bible in a year, praying and daily quiet time with God.
5. Set a goal as a group for each member to spend 15 min alone with God everyday and share the impact with the group.
6. Share prayer request
7. Recognizing a need the group can fulfill and doing it as a team
8. Helping people to find there place to serve
9. Encourage volunteering at the church
10. Encourage accountability partners
11. Regularly pass out study tools and study guides at your small group meetings
12. Memorizing versus of the Bible as a group
STAGE 4
“THE MATURITY STAGE”
When Discipleship is taking place within your small group that means that lives are being transformed. If you get your group to this stage, you have a mature group of believers that is now ready to reproduce transformation. This is where it is important for you as a leader to stress the importance of reaching out.
Stage 5
“Building Community”
Now that you have established an environment that is intentional about producing growth, it is time to bring others in to experience the power of community and send others out to reproduce community.
The intentional approach for building community is:
1. State the goal of the group often
2. Encourage group members to invite people to your small group
3. Encourage acceptance
4. Expect people to serve within the Small group (including the opportunity to host the group from time to time)
5. Develop a group mission statement that includes outreach
Unless you have an INTENTIONAL approach for moving members through the above-mentioned stages, you should not expect to see growth as individuals or as a group. There are tons of small groups meeting but not all groups are healthy groups. You can have a healthy small group, but it will not happen by accident. Remember the key word is INTENTIONAL. You must be intentional about moving your small group towards healthy community.
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” Colossians 1:28
WRITTEN BY DeAntwan Fitts
EDITED BY Nicky Pittman, Jeremy Wight & Richard Jarman
Healthy small groups do not just happen. They are the result of the leader being INTENTIONAL about moving the group through the four important stages of a healthy small group. Prayer and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit are essential to you developing a healthy small group.
We are exited about having a small group ministry at Peace Chapel, because healthy small groups play an integral role in the overall goal of producing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. It takes more than Bible study to help a person become like Christ. People need to be engaging in community with others who are traveling in the same direction as they are. Small groups are a place were people can develop friendships, be transparent, cultivate community and become more like Christ. The key to a healthy life changing small group, is being INTENTIONAL. Below are healthy stages of a small group and intentional approaches to moving people to the next stage.
STAGE 1
“THE FRIENDLY STAGE”
The friendly stage is generally what will happen when the group first starts meeting. During the first two to three meetings, you will notice for the most part people will be friendly with one another. This means your group is off to a good start. Your group must move from being friendly to developing friendships.
Groups that never get past the friendly stage will not cause transformation and will eventually die off.
There are a few intentional approaches for moving your group to the next stage of friendship.
1. Encourage prayer partners (female with female & male with male),
2. Partner assignments such as two group members meeting to pick up supplies for the group.
3. Friendships can also develop by encouraging group members to find an accountability partner within the group that they meet with over the phone or in person once a week (female with female & male with male).
STAGE 2
“THE FRIENDSHIP STAGE”
Not everyone in your group will find a close friend but with an INTENTIONAL approach you should see some friendships developing between the fourth and fifth small group meeting. This is confirmation that your group is moving along well. Your group must continue to move towards community by moving from making friends in your group to being transparent.
Transparency is not easy, but it is necessary if you want to have a healthy small group. This is undoubtedly the toughest obstacle to a healthy Small group because this does not happen unless people take risk. This means letting people see the real you. This is the stage where a good small group leader is very important. The small group leader must must must create an environment where people are safe to open up. It is equally important that the leader first model this attitude of authenticity and transparency. If you as a leader are not open, you cannot expect it from those who are in your group.
The intentional approach for this stage is for you as the leader to give honest and open testimonies. You must be honest about your own frailties. Be open with your group about things that you struggle with. Being honest about our issues is extremely important in getting past our issues.
One point of caution with transparency: being transparent does not mean being graphic. You can open up about your struggles without giving all of the details of your struggles.
Below are some intentional things that can promote transparency in your small group
1. Go over Small group guidelines before every group meeting stressing the importance of confidentiality
2. During prayer time, ask them to pray for you in the area of your struggle.
3. During prayer time ask them is there anything that you can pray for them about
4. Break the group up into groups of two during prayer time.
5. Get help from others in the group who are comfortable with opening up and ask them to give testimonies (ask them prior to the group meeting).
STAGE 3
“THE TRANSPARENCY STAGE”
Once your group makes it to this stage, you should start to see life-transformation taking place. Many groups never make it to this stage because of the challenges associated with being authentic. If your group makes it to this stage, that means they are ready for the very important stage of maturity or discipleship.
Small Group Discipleship happens when the members of your group start to take on more of the character and qualities of Jesus Christ and grow in intimacy with Him. This is an important step towards the overall goal at Peace Chapel, which is to develop fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
The intentional approach for this stage is:
1. A group mission project, where you take the principles you are learning and put them into practice
2. Provide your group members with a daily devotional plan such as the “Daily Bread”, one from the small group study or one that you put together based on the subject matter of the lesson.
3. Give out homework assignments that require a study partner for accountability
4. Have all group members set discipleship goals such as reading through the Bible in a year, praying and daily quiet time with God.
5. Set a goal as a group for each member to spend 15 min alone with God everyday and share the impact with the group.
6. Share prayer request
7. Recognizing a need the group can fulfill and doing it as a team
8. Helping people to find there place to serve
9. Encourage volunteering at the church
10. Encourage accountability partners
11. Regularly pass out study tools and study guides at your small group meetings
12. Memorizing versus of the Bible as a group
STAGE 4
“THE MATURITY STAGE”
When Discipleship is taking place within your small group that means that lives are being transformed. If you get your group to this stage, you have a mature group of believers that is now ready to reproduce transformation. This is where it is important for you as a leader to stress the importance of reaching out.
Stage 5
“Building Community”
Now that you have established an environment that is intentional about producing growth, it is time to bring others in to experience the power of community and send others out to reproduce community.
The intentional approach for building community is:
1. State the goal of the group often
2. Encourage group members to invite people to your small group
3. Encourage acceptance
4. Expect people to serve within the Small group (including the opportunity to host the group from time to time)
5. Develop a group mission statement that includes outreach
Unless you have an INTENTIONAL approach for moving members through the above-mentioned stages, you should not expect to see growth as individuals or as a group. There are tons of small groups meeting but not all groups are healthy groups. You can have a healthy small group, but it will not happen by accident. Remember the key word is INTENTIONAL. You must be intentional about moving your small group towards healthy community.
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” Colossians 1:28
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
FAITH BEYOND LIP SERVICE
DeAntwan Fitts
James 2:14-26
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” James 2:14 NLT
FAITH beyond lip service is more than religious expressions
“Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything?”
James 2:14 MES
“A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or food.16 If you say to that person, "God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat," but you do not give what that person needs, your words are worth nothing.” James 2:15-16 NCV
FAITH beyond lip service is more than correct theology
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” (vs. 19)
He (the demon) shouted, "Jesus, Son of God in heaven, what do you want with me? Promise me in God's name that you won't torture me!" Mark 5:7 CEV
FAITH beyond lip service produces righteousness
Examples:
Abraham (21-24)
Rahab the prostitute (25-26)
How to use my Faith Beyond Lip Service to defeat the giants in my life:
F-Focus on God, not the Giants
“The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
1 Samuel 17:37 NIV
A-Act on biblical principles, not my feelings
“David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty” 1 Samuel 17:45a NIV
“These people are no better than senseless animals that live by their feelings and are born to be caught and killed.”
2 Pet 2:12 CEV
C-Confront the Giant, don’t run away
“As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.” 1 Samuel 17:48 NIV
E-Expect God to work for His glory and my good
“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:47
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:28 NIV
James 2:14-26
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” James 2:14 NLT
FAITH beyond lip service is more than religious expressions
“Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything?”
James 2:14 MES
“A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or food.16 If you say to that person, "God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat," but you do not give what that person needs, your words are worth nothing.” James 2:15-16 NCV
FAITH beyond lip service is more than correct theology
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” (vs. 19)
He (the demon) shouted, "Jesus, Son of God in heaven, what do you want with me? Promise me in God's name that you won't torture me!" Mark 5:7 CEV
FAITH beyond lip service produces righteousness
Examples:
Abraham (21-24)
Rahab the prostitute (25-26)
How to use my Faith Beyond Lip Service to defeat the giants in my life:
F-Focus on God, not the Giants
“The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
1 Samuel 17:37 NIV
A-Act on biblical principles, not my feelings
“David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty” 1 Samuel 17:45a NIV
“These people are no better than senseless animals that live by their feelings and are born to be caught and killed.”
2 Pet 2:12 CEV
C-Confront the Giant, don’t run away
“As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.” 1 Samuel 17:48 NIV
E-Expect God to work for His glory and my good
“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:47
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:28 NIV
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Twisted Body
Guest post by Tiffany (Sage) Wilson endoresed by DeAntwan Fitts
The twisted body And the need for a spiritual realignment
Article written by tiffany Denise Wilson
There is a growing problem within “churches” today in which there is an unwillingness to embrace change. It seems as if upholding Tradition has become the main focus while neglecting to support new ministries that minister to the needs of the community. While there is nothing wrong with tradition in and of itself it can pose a problem to the younger generations who are full of new and innovative ideas and are eager to use the gifts and talents to serve the body and bring glory to God. When we allow tradition to cause division it presents two fundamental problems:
1. There is a refusal to obey Gods written word and commands
2. There is a lack of empathy and love for one another
1 Corinthians 12: 12-13 says that the body is a unit made up of many members and though the members are many they form one body so it is with Christ for we are all baptized into one body and we are all given the one spirit to drink whether Jews or Greeks slave or free. It is interesting to note that separatism wasn’t the goal rather unity in the spirit. Paul the author went on to say in verses 25 and 26 that there should be no division in the church but that each part should have equal concern for one another. How awesome! Is that? The greater blessing comes when we exercise togetherness and line up with the word of God.
I sincerely believe that when Paul said whether Jew or Greek slave or free that he expected us to get the bigger picture and if I were the author I would include young or old, old or new. It is going to take much more than a hymn and tambourines to reach the lost and keep the youth. It’s going to take the Spirit of God empowering the word of God and the acceptance of young and old alike.
Jesus made it clear in Mark 10:13-14 when He said to His disciples suffer not the little ones to come unto him for such is the kingdom of God. There is more than one-way to praise the Lord but nothing compares to praising him as a unit.
Here is the conclusion let the older women teach the younger women and the elders lead the younger men not judging them but loving them unconditionally remembering that as the generations pass so will the way the people relate. As long as we allow the enemy to cripple us we wont be productive for the kingdom. So lets stretch out our twisted hands and feet in faith and let the Master chiropractor realign our spirits that our body will become whole!
The twisted body And the need for a spiritual realignment
Article written by tiffany Denise Wilson
There is a growing problem within “churches” today in which there is an unwillingness to embrace change. It seems as if upholding Tradition has become the main focus while neglecting to support new ministries that minister to the needs of the community. While there is nothing wrong with tradition in and of itself it can pose a problem to the younger generations who are full of new and innovative ideas and are eager to use the gifts and talents to serve the body and bring glory to God. When we allow tradition to cause division it presents two fundamental problems:
1. There is a refusal to obey Gods written word and commands
2. There is a lack of empathy and love for one another
1 Corinthians 12: 12-13 says that the body is a unit made up of many members and though the members are many they form one body so it is with Christ for we are all baptized into one body and we are all given the one spirit to drink whether Jews or Greeks slave or free. It is interesting to note that separatism wasn’t the goal rather unity in the spirit. Paul the author went on to say in verses 25 and 26 that there should be no division in the church but that each part should have equal concern for one another. How awesome! Is that? The greater blessing comes when we exercise togetherness and line up with the word of God.
I sincerely believe that when Paul said whether Jew or Greek slave or free that he expected us to get the bigger picture and if I were the author I would include young or old, old or new. It is going to take much more than a hymn and tambourines to reach the lost and keep the youth. It’s going to take the Spirit of God empowering the word of God and the acceptance of young and old alike.
Jesus made it clear in Mark 10:13-14 when He said to His disciples suffer not the little ones to come unto him for such is the kingdom of God. There is more than one-way to praise the Lord but nothing compares to praising him as a unit.
Here is the conclusion let the older women teach the younger women and the elders lead the younger men not judging them but loving them unconditionally remembering that as the generations pass so will the way the people relate. As long as we allow the enemy to cripple us we wont be productive for the kingdom. So lets stretch out our twisted hands and feet in faith and let the Master chiropractor realign our spirits that our body will become whole!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Do You Have a Vision Problem?
The following is a guest post from my twitter brother @benreed. I commend Ben Reed for drawing attention to this disturbing behavior that is prevalent in a lot of churches (particularly churches that are stagnant and/or have platoed). Studies show that 85% of Southern Baptist churches are dying or have platoed and I believe that Ben' post shed's light on a very likely reason. If we want to reach people for Jesus, we must be both internally and externally focused.
I pray that God will minister to you through the wisdom of this young leader in the Christian community.
Do You Have a Vision Problem
Ben Reed
I visited a church recently, and found it to be less than friendly. In fact, we felt like we were outsiders.
They used lots of “insider” language, barely acknowledged that visitors were even present, and talked about situations that one would only know about if he or she were a regular attender.
The problem, as I saw it, wasn’t a lack of volunteers. It wasn’t even a lack of skilled volunteers. There were plenty of capable folks who could have made us feel warm and welcomed.
The problem wasn’t that the pastor and leaders couldn’t communicate in such a way that first-timers could get it.
The problem wasn’t a lack of organization on the part of the leadership and the “welcome” committee.
The problem is that they didn’t want to.
By not communicating the importance of welcoming outsiders, they had structured their service in such a way that those who are new felt awkward, unwelcomed, and ultimately unwanted.
People want to be led. They’ll be led where the leader takes them.
If there’s a problem with vitally important tasks consistently not being carried out, maybe the finger needs to be pointed at you, the leader.
Are you regularly casting vision for those things that are most important? Where are you taking those you’re leading?
Visit Ben Reed' Blog at www.benreed.net or follow him on twitter www.twitter/benreed
I pray that God will minister to you through the wisdom of this young leader in the Christian community.
Do You Have a Vision Problem
Ben Reed
I visited a church recently, and found it to be less than friendly. In fact, we felt like we were outsiders.They used lots of “insider” language, barely acknowledged that visitors were even present, and talked about situations that one would only know about if he or she were a regular attender.
The problem, as I saw it, wasn’t a lack of volunteers. It wasn’t even a lack of skilled volunteers. There were plenty of capable folks who could have made us feel warm and welcomed.
The problem wasn’t that the pastor and leaders couldn’t communicate in such a way that first-timers could get it.
The problem wasn’t a lack of organization on the part of the leadership and the “welcome” committee.
The problem is that they didn’t want to.
By not communicating the importance of welcoming outsiders, they had structured their service in such a way that those who are new felt awkward, unwelcomed, and ultimately unwanted.
People want to be led. They’ll be led where the leader takes them.
If there’s a problem with vitally important tasks consistently not being carried out, maybe the finger needs to be pointed at you, the leader.
Are you regularly casting vision for those things that are most important? Where are you taking those you’re leading?
Visit Ben Reed' Blog at www.benreed.net or follow him on twitter www.twitter/benreed
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
How to Prepare for your Small Group or Bible Study Class
I in no way consider myself an expert when it comes to small groups but I have taken a strong interest as of late and I have gone to great length to learn as much as I can.
Below are some disciplines for preparing for your Small Group and/or Bible study. I have used these disciplines in the area of Bible study for years and now I am applying them to a new passion that I have for Small group ministry. I hope they are helpful for you as you take on the awesome task of transformation in the lives of God’s people.
Preparing For your Group
Pray
Your job as group leader is to prepare first in prayer. Open your heart by asking: “What is the burden of the Lord for this particular upcoming meeting?” and “What does God want to see happen because Christians have been exposed to fellow believers and to Holy Scripture?”
Reflect
Read and meditate on the main text of the session. What does God want the people in your group to start doing? Stop doing? Or Continue doing? What promises does He want them to claim?
Read the main text several times. Perhaps use several different translations to take advantage of the work of many Bible scholars.
Expand
Expand your understanding of the main text by reading related commentary on the text. Also, expand your understanding of the point of the lesson by looking through all the lesson material prior to your group meeting.
Apply
Ask “so what? Questions. What is the application for my life? What does God want me to do or stop doing as a result of this lesson? What am I going to do about it? What can my group do about it? Is there a sin I need to confess? Is there an attitude I need to adjust? Is there a promise I need to claim?
Sometimes the Spirit will convict you in an area of your own life. If He does you must bow in obedience as to model the behavior that everyone in your group will need in order to grow spiritually.
Feel free to comment with disciplines that have helped you out.
Below are some disciplines for preparing for your Small Group and/or Bible study. I have used these disciplines in the area of Bible study for years and now I am applying them to a new passion that I have for Small group ministry. I hope they are helpful for you as you take on the awesome task of transformation in the lives of God’s people.
Preparing For your Group
Pray
Your job as group leader is to prepare first in prayer. Open your heart by asking: “What is the burden of the Lord for this particular upcoming meeting?” and “What does God want to see happen because Christians have been exposed to fellow believers and to Holy Scripture?”
Reflect
Read and meditate on the main text of the session. What does God want the people in your group to start doing? Stop doing? Or Continue doing? What promises does He want them to claim?
Read the main text several times. Perhaps use several different translations to take advantage of the work of many Bible scholars.
Expand
Expand your understanding of the main text by reading related commentary on the text. Also, expand your understanding of the point of the lesson by looking through all the lesson material prior to your group meeting.
Apply
Ask “so what? Questions. What is the application for my life? What does God want me to do or stop doing as a result of this lesson? What am I going to do about it? What can my group do about it? Is there a sin I need to confess? Is there an attitude I need to adjust? Is there a promise I need to claim?
Sometimes the Spirit will convict you in an area of your own life. If He does you must bow in obedience as to model the behavior that everyone in your group will need in order to grow spiritually.
Feel free to comment with disciplines that have helped you out.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Lifestyle Worship
I have been away from blogspear for over 5 months but not completely. I have been checking in on post from some of my blog brothers and of course Mother P. I have been using the past 5 months to focus on my role as a pastor. My preaching role came natural, but I really felt the need to give more attention to my role as pastor.
Over the last 5 months God has revealed some wonderful things to me that I hope to share with the blog community soon.
For right now I feel led to post a few things from a series that I started a few weeks ago that I am calling Lifestyle Worship. I did a series on worship about a year ago where I focused on the essence of worship. This year I wanted to deal with the how to of worship.
There is nothing more foundational in the life of the believer than worship. God saved us for that purpose. The sad reality is that there are many today who attend church every Sunday and even through the week who do not worship God. The biggest reason for this is the misunderstandings that people have about worship. Most people think that worship is limited to singing and shouting on Sunday' or at a church service. Sunday's should be the climax of our worship as we come together as God's living stones to celebrate His presence, but worship should be a way of life for the believer.
It is the pursuit of God, that we will spend the rest of our lives consumed with. Buddy Owens says it like this in his book The Way of a Worshiper "The pursuit of God is the chase of a lifetime-- in fact it's been going on since the day you were born. The question is, have you been the hunter or the prey?"
I have a longing to know God more and more. My hearts desire is to know that He is really there-- not just in theory, not just in feelings, but rather in moment by moment, living, breathing, present, absolute certainty. A certainty that is higher than intellect and deeper than emotions. I long to know Him as my God. To know Him as my Father. This is something that I will spend the rest of my life in pursuit of.
That is why I exist; To know Him and to make Him known.
I will share more soon.
DeAntwan Fitts
Over the last 5 months God has revealed some wonderful things to me that I hope to share with the blog community soon.
For right now I feel led to post a few things from a series that I started a few weeks ago that I am calling Lifestyle Worship. I did a series on worship about a year ago where I focused on the essence of worship. This year I wanted to deal with the how to of worship.
There is nothing more foundational in the life of the believer than worship. God saved us for that purpose. The sad reality is that there are many today who attend church every Sunday and even through the week who do not worship God. The biggest reason for this is the misunderstandings that people have about worship. Most people think that worship is limited to singing and shouting on Sunday' or at a church service. Sunday's should be the climax of our worship as we come together as God's living stones to celebrate His presence, but worship should be a way of life for the believer.
It is the pursuit of God, that we will spend the rest of our lives consumed with. Buddy Owens says it like this in his book The Way of a Worshiper "The pursuit of God is the chase of a lifetime-- in fact it's been going on since the day you were born. The question is, have you been the hunter or the prey?"
I have a longing to know God more and more. My hearts desire is to know that He is really there-- not just in theory, not just in feelings, but rather in moment by moment, living, breathing, present, absolute certainty. A certainty that is higher than intellect and deeper than emotions. I long to know Him as my God. To know Him as my Father. This is something that I will spend the rest of my life in pursuit of.
That is why I exist; To know Him and to make Him known.
I will share more soon.
DeAntwan Fitts
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)