Sunday Rewind 3.11.07

This is the 3rd week of "Spring Training", a.k.a. Lent. It's a season of anticipation and preparation. During this season, we're looking at five essential elements necessary to thrive as a disciple of Jesus Christ. So far, we've covered:

• Collective Worship - coming together to celebrate God and participate in His story.
• Spiritual Disciplines - ways to exercise, nourish and rest our souls.

This week, we saw two reasons why participating in a small group is so important.

First, small groups provide the best atmosphere for loving relationships to develop. All of us need a place to be known. We need a place to discuss issues and questions of personal concern. And we need a place to turn when life hurts. Those things will never happen in collective worship. There's too many people. Small groups are...well...small. So it's easier to build close relationships.

Second, small groups provide the best atmosphere for spiritual growth to happen. Walking as Jesus walked means developing transformed minds, attitudes and behaviors. Again, collective worship isn't enough for this to happen. But, in small groups, we can encourage each other and hold each other accountable. We can experience faith together as we study God's Word.

Small groups are an essential, but it's possible to overdo it. There's only so much time. And small groups require preparation and application. So, how many groups should you be part of? I don't know. For most, one is plenty. If you have lot's of time, you might have time for two.

So be careful. Remember, it takes "Five to Thrive" as a disciple of Jesus Christ.