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What brings you joy? When I was a young boy of 6, my grandfather took me fly fishing with him for the first time. He was already well advanced in years of life and experience in fly fishing. That day, my Grandpa Tom handed me his Orvis 3 weight rod; and I instantly fell in love with the feel of a fly rod in my hand. My earliest memory was not of the smooth finish of a well-made handle, but of the feel of his strong, yet tender, hand helping me to properly hold the rod that I recall most. He spent the majority of that morning patiently untangling knots and retrieving my wayward casts from trees that lined the cool mountain freestone stream.

In spite of my frustration, he remained calm. I frequently became discouraged due to my inability and lack of skill as a newbie. However, I remember his joyful smile and the reassurance of his words. He’d say, “Just keep with it, you’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”

By early afternoon he managed to teach me to make a basic cast with a short leader, outfitted with a size 16 elk hair caddis fly. We took a break for lunch and afterwards made a short drive up a dusty mountain road to what he called his favorite run. It was a river bend with riffle water that dropped off into a deep hole tucked into an undercut bank, situated in the middle of a beautiful green mountain valley. As we waded upstream to approach the hole, he reminded me to remember what we had been practicing. He reassured me with words of encouragement.

I crouched down and creeped up to the hole, my grandpa trailing just behind me. I could feel my heart beating faster, so I took a deep breath and made a cast. The fly landed soft enough, and I’ll never forget the sight of the wild brown trout that rose to the surface from the shadows of the river bed to eat my fly. “SET, SET, SET!,” my grandpa shouted! I hooked the fish and landed it! However, that day I too was hooked!

Looking back, I don’t know which one outshone the other when I landed that fish: my excitement, or Grandpa Tom’s joyful belly laugh. I do know this, what was first his joy, he was glad to share with me. His joy became my joy, and then my joy seemed to multiply his joy. Such it is to be a disciple of Christ, and a fisher of men!

The Lord said, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:8-12)

Is your joy in Christ? In His presence there is fullness of joy! As Christ’s disciples, we find our joy in Him, and so we pursue Him (in His word and prayer) in our pursuit of joy. In doing so, the Spirit leads us in fruitfulness to pursue one another in the love of Christ. Then, His joy may be in us, and our joy in Him may be full. As we grow in years and wisdom as disciples of Christ, may we not miss out on the compounding pleasure that comes from giving of ourselves in love and service to each other. This pleasure is found in our own pursuit of joy and Christlikeness, as we pursue each other out of the abundance of His love for us.

When someone faces the results of a bad accident, a devastating illness, the birth of a child with disabilities, or any mental or physical challenge, their world changes. Their former expectations and dreams are gone. It is a frightening time for them, their families, and close associates. Where do they go for advice, comfort, or actual physical help?

To the Church, the hands and feet of Jesus in this world! Are we ready – prepared in our minds, hearts, bodies, schedules, and pocketbooks? Not if our own “to do lists” are filled with “non-negotiables” or our minds are overloaded with fears that say “I could never do that!”

Have we forgotten that God anointed us with His powerful Holy Spirit so that we can stand firm in Christ, standing on all the promises, as we go forward in faith, not fear. (2 Corinthians 1:18-22) Have we forgotten, as followers of Christ, that His Spirit lives in us to bear fruit? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Paul cried out in 2 Corinthians 1 that he despaired, even of life, that in his heart he felt the sentence of death. This feeling of depression is a natural response to loss. But Paul responds that “this has happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (v.9) Our deliverance is sure. Our hope is in Him, “as you help us by your prayers.” (v.11) Paul knew the importance and privilege of prayer. God heard their prayers, would answer their prayers, and many would give thanks.

God has a special place for each one of us in this big ministry to the disabled, be it prayer, preparing meals, visitation, shopping, contributing financially, or any of the other ways of blessing the disabled. Our “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” will lead you on with His kindness and love.

“I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love.” (Hosea 11:4)

Here is the second part to why you should be in a small group: 

God calls us together in community so that the Word of Christ can dwell richly in our midst and grow us to be like him.

The reason God calls us together in community is so that the Word of Christ can dwell richly in our midst and grow us to be like him. This happens as we love each other by patiently, kindly and humbly speaking that word to each other in any way we can.

Colossians 3 mentions a number of ways we can do this—it speaks of teaching and admonishing and singing and giving thanks. We could easily flesh that list out with other speaking verbs like reminding, encouraging, exhorting, discussing, chewing over, and asking-the-kind-of-dumb-but-obvious-question-that-helps-everyone.

Whatever mode of speech is involved, the content is ‘the Word of Christ’ and the purpose is to help one another grow to be like Christ.

Now there’s a why to get us out the door on small group nights.

Small groups aren’t about helping me feel part of things, or helping me to connect with people, or even expressing my commitment to church. In fact, they are not really about me at all. The reason to go to a small group is that God has called me to love you and be an agent of your growth in Christ. I go because you need me to speak the Word of Christ to you (and because I need to hear it from you).

The how of belonging to a small group flows straight out of this why, and is not very hard to figure out. It would include things like this:

• We should turn up every week, unless there is some important other reason—because is there really anything more important in your life than the job God has given us to do with each other in a small group?
• We should come ready to speak in love. Read and prepare the passage in advance if that helps, and take the initiative to speak in any way you can to help others understand and apply this part of God’s word. Ask questions. Answer questions. Grapple hard with the text in front of you. Share what you see. Look out for people who were just about to speak but got cut off, and invite them to contribute. Open up about your own struggles to put the word into practice. There are scads of opportunities to allow the ‘word to dwell richly’ in your group—and that’s your task.
• This why also generates a copious list of don’ts that I find very easy to compile (by thinking back over my own thoughtless, self-oriented behavior in small groups over the years). Don’t sit on your hands during the discussion. Don’t try to save face or protect yourself. Don’t leave it to everyone else. Don’t jump on your hobby horses when they pass by. Don’t stick tenaciously to your point in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Don’t try to make yourself look good. Don’t give the lazy pat answer that you could have given without even looking at the text. Don’t take the group off to some other interesting passage that you like, unless it is vital for understanding the passage you’re actually reading. Don’t be afraid to open up and be honest about your struggles.

I’ll leave you to figure out your own specific list of how-tos, because it will be a little different for each person in each different group and  circumstance. But if you can grasp why God wants to you go to small group this small group night, then how is not so difficult.

At least, it’s not difficult to understand. Doing it consistently and lovingly? Well, that’s that the challenge the word of Christ brings us as we start a new of small group life together.

TheGospelCoalition. Why Be a Small Group Member. February 20, 2022. Tony Payne.

https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-be-a-small-group-member/

Why should you belong to a small group at church? Some common answers spring to mind.

Because that’s the expectation set by your church. In many churches, to be a true-blue member you’re supposed to come regularly on Sunday, give money and go to a small group. This is actually not a bad rule of thumb by which to recognize committed church involvement, but is it really an adequate reason for going to small groups? Because I kind of have to in order to belong to the club?

Because it’s a great way to get to know people and feel part of the church community. This feels better, and at least has a bit of relational zip to it. It is indeed hard in a church of even moderate size to really get to know people over a quick cuppa on Sunday morning. Small groups usually help with that.

Even so, I’m not sure any of these reasons are going to motivate us consistently to drag ourselves out the door every week at the end of a long day to engage in chit-chat with a bunch of other tired people. Not to mention the fact we still haven’t said anything related to … you know, God.

Does God have a why for us to join a small group?

He does as it turns out.

Does God have a why for us to join a small group? He does as it turns out.

The reason God gathers us together in Christian communities is not just so we get to know people or feel the warmth of being part of a group of like-minded people—it’s for a specific purpose.

Of the many places we find this purpose in the Bible, one of the clearest is in Colossians 3. This extraordinary chapter starts by summarizing the foundation and essence of the Christian life: “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (vv. 3-4).

Our new life is summed up in one word: ‘Christ’. We’re united with him in his death and resurrection. His life is our life.

The rest of the chapter is about living in light of that stunning truth—that is, killing off every vestige of our old fleshly life (anger, lies, malice, that sort of thing) and clothing ourselves instead in the new Christ-like life that we’ve been given, “which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (v. 10).

The punchline is in verse 17. Since our life = Christ, then everything we do—every word and every deed—should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

What does this have to do with why God gathers us into Christian communities, including the little communities we call small groups?

Everything, and it is spelled out in verses 12-16. This new life in Christ is essentially and unavoidably a team life. It’s something we do together as God’s chosen and beloved people:

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Three things stand out in this paragraph:

1. Our [community] life is complicated by the ongoing sinful vestiges of our old selves. There’s a constant need for humility and kindness and forbearance. We all have growing to do.
2. The over-arching characteristic of our community life is love—which isn’t so surprising, given that it is a life lived in the name of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us.
3. Our task—in love, and with much patience and kindness—is to increase the rich presence of the word of Christ amongst each other by speaking it to each other. The word of Christ is what grows and changes us to be like Christ. The more it permeates our lives, the more each word and deed of our lives will be done in his name.

*Come back next week to read the rest of why God calls us to community….

TheGospelCoalition. Why Be a Small Group Member. February 20, 2022. Tony Payne.

https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-be-a-small-group-member/

‘Identity’: a word that has become laden with meaning in a chaotically unidentified generation. Our culture offers us a pick-em’ list of items through which a person might self-customize their identity; gender, sexual orientation, social media image, financial situation, popularity, ‘body count’ (yes, horrifically, that’s a term now)… the list goes on. This violent attack on our faith comes for all Christians, but specifically in the crosshairs: the young adult who follows Jesus.

As we know, the heart of this attack lies in the idea that your identity is chosen by you, projected to others, and is ‘editable’ at will – depending on how you’re feeling. For a young adult looking for their own purpose, facing a world full of shiny identities brandished across social media timelines, flaunted on school campuses, and broadcasted in headlines all around them, the identity question is hitting harder (and perhaps earlier) than ever before.   

As a youth group coordinator, I get a front-row seat to the raging war between the (often fledgling) faith of the Christian young adult and the fiery darts of the evil one. The identity attack is one of his most effective weapons. As many of their unbelieving peers begin to ‘pick’ their identities, young believers are feeling a pressure to do the same, and ‘Christian’ is becoming a less and less acceptable one. 

 ‘Christian’ is being portrayed as cliché and irrelevant, or evil and close-minded, or immature and pitiable, or innocent and unrealistic. Take your pick, I’m sure we could fill this whole page. When the voices of the world grow more devious and soothing, enticing us with refined tact away from what we believe, how do we encourage other believers to remain steadfast in who Christ made them to be? We study His Word. We meditate on who He says we are. And we remind each other of it often. Many encouragements have been on my mind for the young believer working through this question.

You are not simply a child of sinners doomed to the same – you are a Child of God, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)

You are not just a broken product of your sin – you are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

You are not ‘just one more Christian’ – you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession. (1 Peter 2:9)

You are not simply ‘one more human’ – you are His workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)

You are not left alone to make the right decisions – your God knows the plans He has for you. (Jeremiah 29:11)

You are not an end unto yourself – you are the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

You are not defined by your past mistakes – you are to put on the new self, created in the likeness of God. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

You are not a body that exists for your own editing – you are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

You are not made to be fully at home in this world – you are a citizen of Heaven. (Philippians 3:20)

You are not left alone here to discover who you think you should be – you are chosen in Him before the foundations of the world.  (Ephesians 1:4).

As we know, Scripture is full with callings of similar tender, and glory, and courage, and peace, and so much more.

In a chaotically unidentified generation, which loves things that destroy, might we encourage each other to pursue our identity in Christ, and lean into it with all the joy of one who has been given an incomparable gift, and will one day get to bow to the King face-to-face.   

I am – a man unworthy of anything good, deserving of eternal punishment, living only by His grace towards me, grateful to serve Him imperfectly, eagerly anticipating the day I get to dwell with Him, one whose price for life was impossibly paid by another, and a future citizen of the new heavens and the new earth. Thank you, Lord, for letting me have that identity.