Chronicles of the Kingdom: LIFEgroup Questions for 1 Samuel 16

Who is your favorite (have everyone answer two or three of these):

• Movie Star
• Athlete
• News Person
• TV actor/actress
• Reality TV character
• Author
• Politician
  
• Fictional Character
• Celebrity

What makes this person "impressive" to you?

Read 1 Samuel 16:1-7.

Why do you think Samuel though Eliab was God's chosen king? (verse 6) What criteria do you think Samuel was using in his thought process?

Why do you think God rejected Eliab?

Verse seven says that "the LORD looks at the heart." What do you think that means?

How do you feel about knowing that God is looking at your heart right now? Is he impressed with you? Why or why not?

What kinds of things do not impress God? (Read Proverbs 6:16-19) Have a few people give practical examples of these things.

What kind of heart does impress God? (Read Galatians 5:22-26) Have a few people give practical examples of these things.

What kind of people should impress us? What kind of people should not impress us? Have you observed times when people get this backward?

How has this discussion caused you to re-consider your view of yourself and other people?

Starting a New Small Group: Six Questions to Ask

Who can start a group? ANYONE!

The following are six questions to ask yourself before you start a group. Thinking through these questions will help you get started on the right foot.

What will this group do?
Before you invite someone to join a group, have an idea of what the primary focus of the group will be. This doesn’t have to be set in stone, nor does it need to be perfectly detailed. Likely, once the group gets going you’ll work together to figure out the specifics. It will help, though, to be able to say, “This is a group that will be focused on prayer (or Bible study, or missional service, etc…).

Who will be a part of this group?
Make a list of people you want to invite to join you. Or partner with a few others, and everyone invite a few people. Remember, you’ll likely start small, but if you are an inviting group of people growth will happen.

How will I invite people to this group?
A face-to-face invite is always best. However, you may want to prime the pump by sending an email, facebook message, or making a phone call. Let them know you’re going to be talking to them soon about a small group opportunity.

How will I follow up on those I’ve invited?
Don’t just do a “one and done” invite. Check back within a few days to see if they’ve thought about it or if they have any questions. A follow up contact also lets the person know that you really do want them to join.

When will our first meeting be?
Your first meeting time doesn’t need to be the time you always meet. However, if you can give people an actual date and time when you invite them they will be more likely to join you.

When will our second meeting be?
The first time your group gets together, make sure you set a second time to meet. If everyone agrees on a second meeting time, they will all feel more invested in the group and will be far more likely to continue on!

If you have any questions, or want to talk more about starting a group, please contact Pastor David at: david.rudd@calvarymuskegon.com

John Piper Talks About Small Groups

Christ's Call to Discipleship: A Review

Currently, I'm trying to post once or twice a week summaries of chapters from books I've read over the past few years. These are the books that have really informed my thinking on discipleship and small groups. Hopefully, they'll provide a good opportunity for you to think through some of these same thoughts.

Today, I'm looking at chapter two from the book Christ's Call to Discipleship by James Montgomery Boice. This chapter is entitled, "The Call to Discipleship."

Discipleship is the purpose for small groups. Different churches may use different terms, and some churches may suggest that the primary goal of small groups is something different like "community" or "fellowship", but all will agree that community and fellowship are being done for a greater purpose, and that purpose is discipleship. We want to help people be like Jesus, and that's why we do small groups.

James Boice's book on discipleship is a classic treatment of this topic. It is rich in insight and biblical depth and yet extremely readable. He launches his book by saying:

There is a fatal defect in the life of Christ's church in the twentieth century: a lack of true discipleship. Discipleship means forsaking everything to follow Christ. But for many of today's supposed Christians -- perhaps the majority -- it is the case that while there is much talk about Christ and even much furious activity, there is actually very little following of Christ himself.

My hope is that Boice's words and ideas will help us to develop a concept of small groups that is less about busyness and what we do and is more about helping each other follow Christ. Boice believes that this disconnect between the church and discipleship is largely due to a faulty understanding of discipleship. He suggests that discipleship is not something that is separate from salvation, but rather that one cannot be a Christian without being a disciple. He says:

discipleship is not a supposed second step in Christianity, as if one first becomes a believer in Jesus and then, if he chooses, a disciple. From the beginning, discipleship is involved in what it means to be a Christian.

Dr. Boice suggests that "follow me" is the primary command of Christ which must be obeyed by his discipleship. This idea will continue to be a theme throughout the book, but in this chapter, he suggests five elements which are involved in following Christ:

1. Obedience -- Those who are genuinely Christ's sheep obey His call from the beginning and enter into a life characterized by obedience.
2. Repentance -- Jesus said in Luke 5, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."... anyone who thinks he can follow Christ without renouncing sin is dreadfully confused. And anyone who claims to be following Christ while actually continuing in unrighteousness is deluded.
3. Submission -- the Lord pictures discipleship as putting on a yoke...chiefly it suggests submission to Christ for his assigned work. In ancient times it was customary for a ruler, when he had conquered a new people or territory, to place a staff across two upright poles, perhaps four feet off the ground, and require the captured people to pass under it. By this act they passed under his yoke or submitted to his authority.
4. Commitment -- A lack of commitment means deviating from His path or falling away from Him.
5. Perseverance -- This is because following is not an isolated act, done once and never to be repeated. It is a lifetime commitment that is not fulfilled here until the final barrier is crossed, the crown received, and it an all other rewards laid gratefully at the feet of Jesus.

I wonder what impact it would make on a small group if these five elements became core to their time together. If every time they gathered, they discussed and encouraged one another in regards to their obedience and submission; would they be more obedient and submissive to Christ? If they regularly reminded one another to persevere and maintain their commitment would they find their weeks easier? If they spent time in repentance would their struggle against sin be more victorious?

Discipleship is what we desire. Certainly Dr. Boice has presented us with compelling thoughts regarding our journey together of following Christ.

The Search to Belong: For Whom Am I Responsible?

Currently, I'm trying to post a few times a week summaries of chapters from books I've read over the past few years. These are the books that have really informed my thinking on discipleship and small groups. Hopefully, they'll provide a good opportunity for you to think through some of these same thoughts.

Today, I'm looking at chapter two from the book The Search to Belong by Joe Myers. This chapter is entitled, "Longing to Belong."

Belonging means different things to different people. According to Myers, "belonging happens when you identify with another entity -- a person or organization, or perhaps a species, culture, or ethnic group." Myers points out that belonging is not necessary reciprocal as Bob may feel he belongs to a group while others in the group may not sense that Bob truly belongs.

In a church setting, people often want to know what it means to "belong". Must one become a member to belong? Do they need to be part of an official small group. Can one belong if they aren't sure they agree with the doctrine? Is it possible to belong if you haven't become a Christian? Every church culture (either formally or informally) has different answers to these questions. These are all questions people have about belonging, and their relationship with others in the church will be deeply impacted by the answers to these questions.

Myers says, "There are those who belong to our congregations who have not asked permission to do so. They connect with the congregation and they choose to belong. Sometimes they decide to follow our rules of engagement; at other times they create their own. Yet make no mistake; their experience of belonging is significant in their lives."

In other words, sometimes people believe they belong to a church, even though they may have NO relational connection to the church. However, they've chosen it to be "their church".

But is this healthy? As Christians, and as members of the body of Christ, we must give significant thought to the question, "to whom do we belong?" and the question, "who belongs to us?" How would Jesus answer this question? He said the second greatest command is to love our neighbor as ourselves. He then defined neighbor (using the parable of the good Samaritan) as anyone with whom we come into contact.

Was Jesus saying that we belong to everyone? Was he saying everyone belongs to us?

Maybe a better word to use is the word "responsible". Who am I responsible for? Who is responsible for me? As we consider the role of small groups in the discipleship process, this may be one of the most important questions we ask. It's easy to say, "I'm responsible for those in my group." But does that meet Jesus' definition of neighbor? What about those who have no group? Who is responsible for them?