Creative Community

Why do you think America's Funniest Home Videos is such a popular show?

When have you recently laughed at someone else's misfortune? Talk about a time you did something which caused people to laugh at you.

Today you'll be looking at the book of Obadiah. Obadiah is a unique prophetic book because it was not written to Israel or Judah. Rather it was written to Judah's southern neighbor, Edom.

Read Obadiah 10,11. What do you think it means that Edom "stood aloof"?

What factors sometimes cause us to be unmotivated to help someone who is in a difficult time? Why do you think Edom was unmotivated to help Israel?

Read verse 12. How are people sometimes judgmental and dismissive toward those who are suffering misfortune?

Read verses 13-14. How do you think the people of Jerusalem felt about the Edomites? What do you think they wanted God to do to the Edomites?

What was God's plan for Edom (read verses 18 and 21)?

How should the fate of Edom serve as a warning for us?

Sometimes God's timing is not ours. He always acts justly, and He always acts on the behalf of His people; but He doesn't always do it in our time or in our way. Edom was eventually judged for their abuse of God's people.

What are you waiting for God to make right in your life? How do you think he wants you live while you wait?

by Sue Skalicky

When a group member is silent during our small-groups discussions, I wonder if she has thoughts whirling around in her mind but feels uncomfortable expressing them. So when we began a new study two months ago, I decided to give each person a spiral notebook to use as a journal during our meetings. I have varied how and when we use the journals, allowing each person different ways of expression. Here are a few of the methods we used.

Take five. Ask the group to write on a certain topic for five minutes without stopping. They must write the entire five minutes, even if they simply write, "I don't know what to write." This helps break the scriptophobia (fear of writing) barrier. Or, ask them to write for five minutes as they finish a though such as "I love...," or "I fear...," or "I am passionate about..."

Write a letter. During prayer, ask each person to write a personal letter to God.

Brainstorm words. Give your group members one minute to write down as many descriptive words as they can about the topic you are discussing.

Talk to the page. If a discussion question is personal or requires thought, give group members a few minutes to write their answers in their journals.

After each journaling exercise, I always offer an opportunity to share what's been written. Those who are usually very quiet are now finding their voice during discussions. Journaling during the meeting has enhanced our time together and has also spurred many to begin journaling at home. They now leave each week with their minds tickled, their hearts invaded, and a pience of the discussion tucked under their arms.

~from Discipleship Journal, May/June 2002

What is the biggest disappointment you've had to deal with this week? this month?

Read Hosea 1:1-3 and 3:1-5.

How would you feel if God commanded you to marry someone you knew was going to be unfaithful to you? Would you obey? Why or why not?

What are some situations you (or others) face today in which obedience to God is difficult? What can motivate you to obey God even when it is difficult?

According to chapter three, it appears that Hosea's wife, Gomer, actually left him and became a prostitute.

Even though Hosea knew Gomer was going to be unfaithful, how do you think he felt when it actually happened?

How did Gomer's unfaithfulness provide an illustration of Israel's unfaithfulness to God?

As a group, make a short list of the many things God did for Israel through the centuries. Then make a short list of the ways Israel was unfaithful to God.

In what ways are people unfaithful to God today?

Read Hosea 14:1,2,9.

If someone has been unfaithful to God, what do they need to do in order to "return" to Him?

What do you think it means to walk in the ways of the LORD? How can you walk in the ways of the LORD this week?

How can this group pray for you today?

by Laura De Gomez

Our small group for moms faced a dilemma: What should we do with our kids while we met during the summer? Our solution: Bring the kids along, and make them the focus of the meeting. We have done this for the last three summers. It has the advantage of providing continuing fellowship for the moms (we would go crazy without some adult conversation), as well as giving a "program" for the kids one morning a week. We get a chance to have some spiritual input into our children's lives; we also use the gathering as an opportunity to invite our nonChristian friends.

If this sounds appropriate for your group, we offer this advice from our experience.

Divide and conquer.

Don't let one mom do it all. Rotate the meeting place from house to house. The mother who offers her house should not provide snacks, do the teaching, or plan activities—picking up all those toys before and after the meeting is enough!

Serve suitable snacks.

Forget the herbal tea and scones. Minister to your kids by making the food fun for them.

Teach kid-style.

Keep it simple and short. Use visual aids such as puppets or flannelboards, or act out a story with your children's dolls and stuffed animals. If your creative juices have run dry by the end of the school year, your Christian bookstore will have materials. You can also search for "children's ministry resources" on the internet.

Open up.

Parents who would never go to a church will come with their children to a "kids' thing." Tell them up front that a Bible story will be part of the program. (And pray!) The children's story can be an inoffensive way to share the gospel with parents. Several parents who have come to our summer meetings have later visited our Bible studies.

We are always glad to get back to our regular small group at the end of the summer. However, the change of pace refreshes us, keeps us in touch, serves our summer needs, and gives us a chance to reach out to other moms. Last summer, as one mother shared the story of Jesus' disciples in the boat during the storm—complete with group participation on the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning—another mom, enthralled, commented, "We should do our Bible studies like this!"

~from Discipleship Journal, May/June 2002

When our small group started, we did not know each other well. One idea that helped us get to know each other was the cup game.

My husband gave each person 20 questions with space for answers. The questions ranged from the lighthearted ("What did you want to be when you grew up?" "What is your favorite TV show?" "What is your favorite season?") to the more serious ("How did you become a Christian?" "Who is someone you admire?" "How would you describe your teenage years: horrible, OK, or better than expected?"). He instructed people to answer 10 of the 20 questions. It didn't matter which 10, although he encouraged them to answer a mixture of fun and serious questions. Everyone was then directed to drop one answered question into each of the 10 cups on a nearby table.

Next, we chose one of the cups. One by one, we read each questions and answer aloud. Each person in the group had a piece of paper on which to write who he or she thought had answered the question. After all the questions and answers had been read, we shared our guesses. Once we discovered who the "real" person was, we gave that individual a chance to further explain his or her answer.

This game provided a way for all of us to share a little about ourselves in a fun, informal manner. We did several cups that first night, but from time to time we will still pull out a cup to learn more about each other.

~from Discipleship Journal, March/April 2002