Regular Expressions of God’s Love

One of the saddest things for me to hear is when someone has lost their hope for the church. It’s devastating. They don’t know it, but it will impact their life negatively. So what will happen? They will stop coming to church and they will stop going to your Life Groups. Slowly they will drift away only to be left alone to the temptations of this world.

Why do we do small groups? You need to know. You have to have a clear perspective. Why do we meet regularly and consistently as a church? Yes, you and I know we do Life Groups so that we can imitate Christ together, but it’s more than that. Where else can people receive the truths of God’s word? Let me put it this way:

Life Groups and Cooperate worship provide the regular expressions of God’s grace in a world filled with a lot of useless noise.

By regular expression, I mean, people in our church are reminded by what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ. Where else can someone regularly be exposed to the Christian life? Where else are they encouraged to be still and consider God’s ways? Will they find it at their jobs? Will their kids find it at their schools? Will they observe it on TV? The answer is clearly no. The only place where God’s grace is regularly expressed is through the church. It is here where we experience the regular expression of God’s grace.

This leads me to my point, Life Groups provide a regular expression of God’s grace. Your fellowships provide avenues of God’s grace. Where else will they be prayed for? Where else will they be challenged spiritually? Where else will they be cared for? Where else can they find strong Christian relationships? Where else can people talk about their struggles? The world has nothing beneficial to offer them in these regards. It’s through consistent regular expressions of God’s grace we experience the Christian life as it’s supposed to be. I know this video is aimed at men in Life Groups but its principle is exactly why I trying to express:

Christians engage with one anther and talk. Battle the world’s noise; be active in the regular, consistent, expression of God’s love. Acts 2.

Steve Job’s Last words…

Paul said it well when he wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Php. 1:21).” Is this how we think? Do I see death as being greater than my current situation, in that I will be with Christ? Paul, within a prison cell, reminds his writers the purpose of the Christian life. What is the purpose? To live as Christ. What is the ultimate goal? To be with Christ.

Sin has impacted all of us and as a result we all suffer through death. Each of us will have last words… This for some is a terrible event, but for those who put their faith in Christ it is a wonderful glorious event. I saw this clip and thought it handled both of these perspectives well. The only success that will transfer in this life into the next is dependent upon who you were dependent upon.

Christ the Center

We are moving forward. Some of you are finishing up the last section of the stewardship book and some of you are moving forward into Philippians. Over the past years, in Life Groups, we have never handled a specific book of the bible to journey though together as a group. I am excited about Philippians because this letter paints a picture of what it looks like when Christ is the Center of your life.

Here’s a fly by of the upcoming five lessons:

Lesson One: Whatever circumstance that we go through, whether good or bad, we can have complete joy in Christ. (1:1-20)

Lesson Two: Our purpose in life is to live as Christ. (1:21-30)

Lesson Three: How do we live like Christ? With humility. (2:1-30)

Lesson Four: We understand the purpose of life. (3:1-21)

Lesson Five: Joy with contentment. (4:1-23)

My hope is that each of you will be able to walk away and understand the truths communicated in the book of Philippians and apply them to your life. I promise you if you apply the truths in Philippians you will be a better husband, wife, coworker, etc… but this doesn’t happen without application and accountability.

Throughout these next coming weeks my goal is to provide you with little illustrations, reminders, or nuggets on Paul’s letter so that we might truly place Christ at the center of our lives.

In closing, keep in mind the words of Paul, “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6

Back in it!

We’re back in it! It so wonderful to see the groups starting back up and fellowshipping together once again! Tuesday night I witnessed one group and just enjoyed seeing the excitement and fun that they were having. There are many reasons to be excited for this next season of Life Groups. We have new leaders, new members, and new events coming up.

Over the last several months of Life Groups I have been really encouraged and for some reason I wanted to rely why. Most the time all of us meet together at our designated fellowships for fellowship, prayer, and instruction. Around mid-May and through August I have gotten numerous reports from leaders and members about what God was doing through their Life Group. I heard stories of member’s financial needs being met by those in their Life Group. I heard numerous reports of different groups going to the hospital to visit members going through a difficult time. I heard members taking on responsibilities by preparing dinners for someone in need. I could go on and on…

Guys this is Acts 2! You’re living it. Some of you are experiencing it. A member, who had just been through an awful experience, told her leader that this “Acts 2 stuff” Pastor Pugh talks about really does work! This member is right, it does work. But let’s remember it only works when we work together. If you’re not back in it get in someone needs you.

Keep the fellowship…

Video

I wish I could Rap!