Small groups are important
I love Rick Warren's post on six important reasons you need a small group. Here are the six in a nutshell:
1. It’s the classroom for learning how to get along in God’s family.
2. A small group helps me develop spiritual muscle.
3. A small group confirms my identity as a genuine believer.
4. A small group is the best way to take my God-given mission in the world.
5. A small group will help keep me from spiritually backsliding.
6. The Body of Christ needs me!
At GBCK, small groups are a big part of our discipleship process. We see that deepening our connection with others is vital to growing as a Christ-follower. It's a mistake to think that a relationship with Jesus is a personal and private matter. Following Jesus is communal and public, and the Gospel should move us toward each other, not toward isolation.
Every time someone tells me they feel detached from church, almost 100% of the time they are not in a small group. My encouragement is to review Rick's reasons for small group above, and to let the Gospel move you toward connecting in a community.
8 Laws of Growth
- Rick Warren described 8 laws that affect spiritual growth.
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Spiritual growth is intentional: we grow by making commitments.
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Spiritual growth is incremental: we grow through a process; step-by-step. A mushroom takes 6 hrs. to grow, an oak tree takes 60 yrs...which one do you want to be?
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Spiritual growth is personal: we grow according to our shape (how God designed us).
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Spiritual growth is habitual: we grow by developing habits.
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Spiritual growth is relational: we only grow in community. One of the hallmarks of spiritual growth is love, and if you're not around people you can't learn to love. (This one was huge.)
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Spiritual growth is mulit-dimensional: we grow through various ways and means. For Warren, this is through his five purposes (fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism, and worship).
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Spiritual growth is seasonal: we grow in spurts. Fast, or immediate growth isn't true growth; it's swelling. True, healthy growth takes time. Roots grow deep in non-growth seasons and not very deep in growth seasons. Know your season.
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Spiritual growth is incarnational: Becoming like Jesus is not through imitation but through inhabitation. Jesus comes into our lives and lives through us (incarnate). Nobody can do a better job of being Jesus than Jesus.
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Quote of the day: vision without implementation is hallucination.
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