Like a Good Neighbor

What does the Bible teach about Small Groups?

Sing: Go Tell It On the Mountain:

What does the Bible teach about Small Groups?

Play video: Discipleship

Gayle’s Three cord metaphor

When you were born again, you were born anew

Workplace, Family, life.

Many of your personal problems are the result of your not growing.

You are not fully formed, many still, as Paul describes it “baby desiring milk.”

📷

How do you grow from there, beyond milk?

Many of your personal problems are the result of you not growing.

You were also born into a new family, one that’s built on relationships

Relationships that are honest and open, transperant.

You were also born into a new family, one that also demands time, much more than once a week.

A family that also demands time,

Do you know where you can see the greatest model of unlimited, spontaneous expansion of a local congregation?

much more than once a week.

A place where you will grow.

Maybe you are a person who believes that you are already mature; if so, then you should be growing others. We don’t get off that easy, to just focus on ourselves.

Do you know where you can see the greatest model doing church?

The Bible tells us in , “Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news” (CEV). They met in large groups for worship and small groups for fellowship. This biblical strategy still works today.

At the beginning of , there are 120 believers. By the time we get to , the number of believers grew to 5,000+. Most scholars believe the church was at least 15,000 strong by this point.

By the time we get to , we learn that there are tens of thousands of believers in the early church. Most scholars believe there are between 50,000 and 100,000 people in the church at this time.

So, in just 25 years, the church grew from 120 to at least 50,000 people.

The Bible tells us in , “Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news” (CEV). They met in large groups for worship and small groups for fellowship. This biblical strategy still works today.

Acts 5:42 CEV

Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

The Bible tells us in , “Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah” (CEV). They met in large groups for worship and small groups for fellowship. This biblical strategy still works today.

If your church is going to be healthy, it must be growing larger and smaller at the same time. 

What does this mean?

Larger through celebration services and worship, and smaller through your small groups.

What did these first small groups do?

The Bible gives us the answers in .

The Bible gives us the answers in .

You can’t/shouldn’t do life alone.

Not just shouldn’t.

#1 - Read Hebrews 10:23:25 and answer the following…

Hebrews 10:23–25 ESV

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:19–25 ESV

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Count the number of times the words “us” and “we” are used…

Count the number of times the words “us” and “we” are used…with this in mind do you think God intended Christianity to be a solo or a team sport?According to …does God want His people meeting together on a consistent basis?

With this in mind do you think God intended Christianity to be a solo effort?

According to

…does God want His people meeting together on a consistent basis?

#2 - Some would argue that church is just not that big of a deal, with that in mind let’s work through the following verses…

Read …who did Jesus say the church belonged to?  (Follow up…if something belongs to Him is it important?)Read —who is the Head of the Church?  (Follow up…would Jesus really sit at the head of something that is unimportant?)Read —does Jesus want the church to “contain” or “proclaim” His message?Read —does Jesus have small or great plans for His church?Read —once again, who is the Head of the church?Read —what is the ONE ORGANIZATION that is still standing when everything else on earth has been destroyed (hint…the answer is in verse 16!)’

Ephesians 3:9–12 NLT

I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

First there is the mystery which was hid from the beginning of the world and revealed in the fullness of time

eph 3:

First there is the mystery which was hid from the beginning of the world and revealed in the fullness of time

literal meaning of a great variety of colors, emphasizes that the wisdom of God shows itself in a great variety of forms.  As a beautiful picture is composed of many different colors and shades, so the wisdom of God has many aspects, forms, implications, and threads. 

Ephesians 3:9–12 NLT

I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

#3 - In regards to taking this to a personal level…not only do we need church but we need others in our lives, Christian community.

#3 - In regards to taking this to a personal level…not only do we need church but we need others in our lives, Christian community.

to take a deeper look at this look at the following verses…

Read —how did Jesus say that His followers would be identified?

Read —are we supposed to turn our backs on each other?  (Remember, this was written to people IN THE CHURCH!)

Read —how are we supposed to treat one another?  (Once again, this was written to people IN THE CHURCH!)

Read —how are we supposed to treat others who have sinned against us?

Read —who comes to mind when you read this verse…and what can you do today to follow through on what this verse commands?Read —is there anyone in your life that you feel you could do this with?

#4 - Read and answer the following…

Jesus did not do life alone, nor did he allow any of his followers to do it either…

Was He honest & vulnerable with those closest to Him? As His followers are we called to do the same?

Tomorrow is too big to try it alone.

Ephesians 3:9–12 NLT

I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

Show/showing visible Love and care.

Show/showing visible Love and care.

We believe the greatest commandment is to love God and love others, and we will be a church that shows visible love.

Having Kingdom Mentality.

“We believe God has called us to love our church and THE Church. We need to strengthen kingdom work in our city, our state, and our world.”

A lot of this comes by us understanding our ability to do this.

What was happening to the early church as a result?

They grew spiritually.

Verse 42 says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (NIV). It appears the apostles were teaching in the temple courts on Sunday, and the people were studying their teachings in greater depth in their homes. As they did so, the people grew in spiritual maturity.

They spent time in fellowship.

The Bible says, “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” ( NIV). The early church gathered together in homes to eat and develop relationships with one another.

They worshiped.

They devoted themselves “to the breaking of bread and to prayer” and they were “praising God” (, NIV). These early small groups participated in communion and worshiped together.

They ministered to one another.

The Bible says, “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” ( NIV). Home groups became an outlet for support—they helped one another in practical ways by meeting needs.

They loved the lost.

says, “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (NIV). If people were coming to faith in Christ daily, that means the church saw at least 365 conversions a year! That only happens if these groups are engaging in their God-given mission sharing the Good News.

These small groups in Acts were a microcosm of the greater church.

They were fulfilling the five purposes of the church: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism.

Typically, small groups today only fulfill one or two of the purposes. If your small groups are going to be healthy, you need to build the DNA of the church—the five biblical purposes—into them.

Typically, small groups today only fulfill one or two of the purposes. If your small groups are going to be healthy, you need to build the DNA of the church—the five biblical purposes—into them.

A healthy church has healthy groups!

CLICK HERE for more tips on building health into your small groups!

Have you ever opened up to someone about the problems on your mind? Why or why not?

Whatever you may be going through, no matter how alone you feel, you are not abandoned. Jesus is with you, and He wants to wrap His arms around you.

Found People Find People. Saved People Serve People. You Can't Do Life Alone.Growing People Change.

Lean on me

Sing: Lean on me

Woo Hoo, Day #5 in the Word…having a blast, here we go…

#1 - Read and answer the following…

Count the number of times the words “us” and “we” are used…with this in mind do you think God intended Christianity to be a solo or a team sport?According to …does God want His people meeting together on a consistent basis?

#2 - Some would argue that church is just not that big of a deal, with that in mind let’s work through the following verses…

Read …who did Jesus say the church belonged to?  (Follow up…if something belongs to Him is it important?)Read —who is the Head of the Church?  (Follow up…would Jesus really sit at the head of something that is unimportant?)Read —does Jesus want the church to “contain” or “proclaim” His message?Read —does Jesus have small or great plans for His church?Read —once again, who is the Head of the church?Read —what is the ONE ORGANIZATION that is still standing when everything else on earth has been destroyed (hint…the answer is in verse 16!)

#3 - In regards to taking this to a personal level…not only do we need church but we need others in our lives, Christian community, to take a deeper look at this look at the following verses…

Read —how did Jesus say that His followers would be identified?Read —are we supposed to turn our backs on each other?  (Remember, this was written to people IN THE CHURCH!)Read —how are we supposed to treat one another?  (Once again, this was written to people IN THE CHURCH!)Read —how are we supposed to treat others who have sinned against us?Read —who comes to mind when you read this verse…and what can you do today to follow through on what this verse commands?Read —is there anyone in your life that you feel you could do this with?

#4 - Read and answer the following…

Jesus did not do life alone, nor did he allow any of his followers to either…or was He honest & vulnerable with those closest to Him? As His followers are we called to do the same?

Tomorrow is too big to try it alone.

Showing Visible Love

#5 - Here is a link to our next steps page if you need to attend an ownership class at NewSpring Church!  (At NewSpring we do not have “members” but rather we have “owners!”  Because…members have “rights” but owners have “responsibilities!”)

WOW!  We made it through all of our core values here at NewSpring Church…I’m PUMPED!  See you tomorrow for one more day in this devotional journey!!  Don’t forget!

Following God may require us to set aside personal agendas and aspirations, but it allows us to experience His faithfulness in a way that reshapes what we value and how we define success. Doing what’s right begins to take precedence over doing what’s easy, and the legacy we leave is one that values virtue over material reward ().

Even as we plan our future according to God’s direction, we still have a responsibility to work hard and demonstrate discipline and self-control. It takes faith and humility to put our heart into plans we can’t control, but when we walk the path God reveals, the end result is always better than what we could have accomplished alone ().

Showing Visible Love

“We believe the greatest commandment is to love God and love others, and we will be a church that shows visible love.”

Having Kingdom Mentality

“We believe God has called us to love our church and THE Church. We will strengthen kingdom work in our city, our state, and our world.”