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Year In Review: Finding Gospel Evidence in Your Group

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As Thanksgiving slides into Christmas and New Years, we often slide straight through one year into the next (and the next and next).

Without pausing.

We don’t pause nearly as often as we could (and maybe should). What could happen if we did? What if we took time to look back at our Group’s year–in light of the Gospel?

We might be surprised by how the Gospel brought transformation meeting by meeting, month by month. At the year’s end, try looking at your group in light of the Gospel to find evidence of the Gospel’s impact in four areas:

  1. In listening

“This same heart of love, grace, and compassion is on display as God listened to the

cries of His people” (Gospel Foundations, Volume 2)

We see our God listening. Listening to His people and being moved to act and speak. Looking back at your group this past year, how have your members reflected the character Christ through mirroring such listening? What struggles have surfaced, but people listened to each other and were moved to act and speak? What was celebrated, and people listened to each other’s stories of triumph and praised? The Gospel is seen through each long and short moment of listening as we care for each other just like Christ cares for each one of us. This is Gospel evidence in your group’s year-in-review.

  1. Through faithfulness

“The God who spoke the cosmos into existence is the faithful God who keeps His promises to His people. He is faithful despite His people’s unfaithfulness to Him” (Gospel Foundations, Volume 2)

Sometimes, we can look back at our group’s year and see difficult moments: when conflict arose, when jealousy surfaced, when tension was high. Yet, what about faithfulness? What about the moments when members disagreed but agreed to hear each other’s opinions? What about when sin emerged, but other sinners rallied together in prayer?  What about when conflict began, but the Lord worked through it to bring reconciliation on even deeper levels than we knew were needed? Looking back at your group’s year, don’t neglect thankfulness for the evidences of Gospel-grace in your group’s faithfulness towards each other and, ultimately, towards the Lord.

  1. By light

“Jesus is God’s Word to us, breaking through our dark, silent prison and saying, ‘Let there be light!’”(Gospel Foundations, Volume 2)

Our God is a God who defeated sin and death. He is the Light of the world, and He brings light into our worlds (John 8:12). This past year, we must look back at our groups and celebrate the victories over sin. They may be daily surrenders of selfish ambition, complaint, or self-focus and daily choosing to be Christ-dependent. They may be breakthroughs in lifelong, destructive addictions to make room for life-giving habits. For these moments of light breaking into darkness in our groups, we can be thankful for this evidence of the Gospel at work.

  1. For worship

“But there’s one dominant theme: ‘You will know that I am the Lord’ (see Ex. 7:17;8:10,22; 9:14,16,29; 10:2). God let everyone know that He alone is God. We must not miss this overarching theme … God’s mission is to be known and worshiped.” (Gospel Foundations, Volume 2).

2018 may have been a year of deep pain even amid moments of incredible joy. Yet, how does the Gospel show itself in it all? We can see the Gospel at work throughout our year when we find the moments focused on mission: knowing Christ and making Him known. This results in and often comes from a heart of worship. For the moments that your group focused on worship through speech, song, and service, we can stop to give thanks. This is evidence of Gospel transformation.

The Gospel? It’s the foundation for our Group. And, we’re only beginning to explore this. Check back on the blog this week for more Gospel insights to guide you in finishing out this year as we head towards 2019.

And you don’t even have to wait till then. We have an entire Bible-study line that walks you through the storyline of Scripture to point you to the Gospel. It reveals how Jesus is the hero from beginning to end. Sound too good to be true? Try it. Find a free download of study PDF and video content here.

Deborah Spooner is a Minnesota-born analytical creative serving as a Marketing Strategist for LifeWay’s Groups Ministry. As a pastor’s daughter with a background in Digital Communications and Media and Biblical & Theological Studies, you can find her at her local church, in deep conversation, or with a book or pen in hand as she seeks to know Christ more and make Him known.
Church Leadership

How to See Your Group in Light of the Gospel

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by Deborah Spooner

Gospel. We speak it in our churches. We hope it saturates our homes. We pray it impacts our groups.

But sometimes we become so familiar with the word that we lose sight of its power. The gospel is the profound, life-changing truth of Jesus.

“Jesus is God’s word to us, breaking through our dark, silent prison and saying ‘let there be light!’” (Gospel Foundations, volume 1).

It’s that moment when you realize your heart cannot begin to hold all the love Jesus has for you. It’s when you realize that moralism is empty and all of life is really about His life, death, and resurrection. When the light of the gospel transforms just one individual, it also has the power to illuminate your group, your church, and even your entire community.

How can you see your group in the light of this gospel?

1. First, see Jesus.

We’ve all been there. Tired. Close to burnout. Knowing it’s because of Christ we lead our group but feeling like we need a little more grace and a lot more of Jesus to open up our space, our time, and our hearts yet again.

“How else could you describe the creation of everything unless you’re first introduced to the Someone who preceded everything? That’s the whole point of Genesis 1:1. The God who simply is, who preceded everything and is not dependent on anything, created all that we know and all that we don’t know as well.” (Gospel Foundations, vol. 1).

For us to see our groups in light of the gospel, we must begin by looking at the gospel’s beginning, The Creator. The One who is not dependent on anything but who we depend on for everything. Before we take more gospel-centered steps, we must turn to Him, seeing Jesus and holding fast to the reality that He is the way, truth, and life who supplies all we need (John 14:6; Philippians 4:19).

2. Look through the lens.

What is the foundational, gospel lens? We can look at our groups through the lens of the truth of Scripture.

“The Bible is a God-centered book. We have been given Scripture so that we might know God. That means when we read Scripture, we should focus primarily on what we can learn, love, and embrace about God and His Son, Jesus” (Gospel Foundations, volume 1).

We don’t let our judgments, our complaints, or even our pride about our groups taint how we see our members and interact with them. Every thought that is not in obedience to the truth of Scripture, we take captive (2 Corinthians 2:5). This is our lens.

What does Jesus show us about seeing people? Instead of responding from our frustration, our desire to please others, or even our selfish ambition, we have compassion (Luke 7:12-15). We speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15, 25).

We see people through the fact that Christ died for them just as He did for us. That we show the fruit of the Spirit in our actions: being loing, kind, faithful, and self-controlled (Galatians 5:22-23). That we love because He first loved us, regardless of if we feel like it or not (1 John 4:19).

3. End with wonder, not wondering.

Even when depending on Jesus and seeing others through the gospel lens of Christ’s sacrifice, we can still wonder. “I wonder if they’ll even make it through that difficulty.” “I wonder if they’ll ever stop talking so much.” “I wonder if I’ll ever be as good of a leader as I want to be.”

“When there was nothing but nothing, God was, and that ought to create in us a sense of wonder about Him that trumps all our other wonderings” (Gospel Foundations, volume 1).

At the end of the day, the gospel leaves us in wonder. Who are we that Christ died for us? Who are we that we experience reconciliation with a Holy God? This worshipful wonder can quiet our wonderings, frantic thoughts, and worries. We don’t have to question the power of the gospel. We can rest in the fueling wonder, knowing that it is by Him, for Him, and to Him that we live (Acts 17:28).

The gospel? It’s our foundation. And, we’re only beginning to explore this. Check back on the blog all this week for more gospel insights to guide you in finishing out this year as we head towards 2019.

And you don’t even have to wait till then. We have an entire Bible-study line that walks you through the storyline of Scripture to point you to the gospel. It reveals how Jesus is the hero from beginning to end. Sound too good to be true? Try it. Find a free download of the Bible study PDF and video content here.

Deborah Spooner is a Minnesota-born analytical creative serving as a Marketing Strategist for LifeWay’s Groups Ministry. As a pastor’s daughter with a background in Digital Communications and Media and Biblical & Theological Studies, you can find her at her local church, in deep conversation, or with a book or pen in hand as she seeks to know Christ more and make Him known.

 

Church Leadership

3 Ingredients for a Satisfying Bible Study

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How would you like to eat a spoon of flour? Thought so. What about gulping down 1/4 cup of vegetable oil? No takers? How about eating a tablespoon of salt? No way? How about letting a couple of farm fresh eggs slide down your throat like Rocky Balboa? You’ll pass? But what if I mixed all of

those ingredients together and added some chocolate chips (and sugar) and baked them for for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown? Any takers for some hot, out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies? Now we’re talking! Any of of the ingredients by themselves aren’t palatable, but when mixed together, something wonderful is created.

Likewise, every Bible study you teach has certain ingredients that go into it. When you learn to mix them together in just the right order and quantity, something great takes place.  Any one of the by itself is not nearly as good as when they are all mixed together to form a Bible study.

There are three key ingredients.

First, you need a strong opening.  Some educators call this the “hook,” while others use a term like the “motivation” stage. Whatever you call it, it’s the part of the lesson where the group leader captures everyone’s interest and directs the group members’ attention to the session title, the teaching aim, and a central truth that will be explored. Some group leaders will ask a great discussion question to open the study. Others will refer to a current event. Still others may show a video clip or read a quote from a book. No matter what the hook is, the goal is to redirect group members’ attention toward the lesson. Don’t make the assumption that people have arrived to your Bible study with an eagerness to learn and apply Scripture. You must get their attention first – this is the very first ingredient that must be present.

Second, you want to sprinkle in a variety of learning approaches. Appeal to your group members’ preferred learning styles and make sure to include a variety of learning approaches over time. Create smaller groups and use triads or quads to help group members open up and discuss their answers to a discussion question. Use visuals like a PowerPoint slideshow, a poster, a map, or something you’ve written on a marker board to appeal to visual learners. The list goes on, but the idea is to have enough variety over time that each of your group members feels you’ve crafted an activity just for them – one they really get into and appreciate – and learn from! An excellent resource to learn more about the various learning approaches is the book 7 Kinds of Smart.

Third, finish with a strong closing. If you’re going to create a masterpiece, you can’t fall short at the end! The application stage of Bible study is the time when you can help your group  members answer the question, “So what?” as they think about the Bible study. Give practical suggestions for applying the truths from the Bible study session. Make sure that the suggested applications are achievable and measurable. Take into account the spiritual maturity level of your group as you craft these. If you use an “ongoing” curriculum, the creators of those Bible studies have built this into each of the studies.

Creating a pleasing Bible study isn’t hard at all if you’ll base it on these 3 ingredients (strong opening, a variety of activities, and a strong closing). Think of your Bible study in 3 stages:  motivation, examination, and application. When you break a Bible study down into these three ingredients, you are well on your way to creating an experience your group members will love.

Ken Braddy manages LifeWay’s adult ongoing Bible studies, has written several books on Sunday School and group ministry, and blogs daily at kenbraddy.com
Church Leadership

Christmas Gifts for the Small Group Leader

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by Deborah Spooner

What if you could do more than spread holiday cheer to your group this Christmas season?

What if you could give gifts that spread faith, hope, and love? Relieve fear, stress, and anxiety? Point to Christ through Scripture?

You can.

These Christmas resources will equip your group members to finish off 2018 with a focus on Christ and catalyze them into Gospel-centered living as they enter 2019.

10 Minute Audio Devotions: Finding Strength in Faith, Hope, and Love (Only $5!)

This 10-Minute Audio Devotions CD contains twelve audio devotions by best-selling authors that will inspire you to find strength in God as you set your mind on eternal truths from His Word.

In the hurry and stress of life today, strength often seems to be in short supply. Maybe you feel that you’re running on empty. But God has an endless supply of spiritual resources to give you strength, perseverance, and victory. These twelve short audio devotions by best-selling authors will set your mind on eternal truths from God’s Word, inviting you to drink deeply of the faith, hope, and love that are always available to you in Jesus Christ.

10 Minute Audio Devotions: Finding Victory over Fear, Stress, and Anxiety (Only $5!)

This 10-Minute Audio Devotions CD can help you deal with the crazy twists and turns on the road of life, especially when you’re on the road. They can be perfect for commutes but can also be used anytime you have a free ear and a few minutes of downtime: exercising, folding laundry, tinkering in the garage.

Brief but powerful, these audio devotions will help you navigate through fear, stress, and anxiety while covering topics such as renewing your mind, overcoming various fears, the role of suffering, and battling temptation. The two-disc set containing 12 devotions, each about 10 minutes in length, features teaching from some of today’s best Christian communicators including Tony Evans, David Jeremiah, Matt Chandler, and more.

Gospel Foundations: A one-year journey through the storyline of Scripture

Jesus’ first appearance in the Bible was not in a manger. This new small group Bible study series will lead believers on a one-year journey through the entire storyline of Scripture, showing how Jesus is the Hero from beginning to end.

Used in sequence, you’ll journey through six volumes, seeing the Gospel from Genesis to Revelation. Used individually, you can journey through any section of scripture through a stand-alone volume. There’s even a student version.

What makes it even better? You can try it now, for free. You can download the first two sessions of volume one, take a peek at the sessions of volume two, get free sermon outlines, and see the method behind it all. Find the free content here.

Merry Christmas!

Deborah Spooner is a Minnesota-born analytical creative serving as a Marketing Strategist for LifeWay’s Groups Ministry. As a pastor’s daughter with a background in Digital Communications and Media and Biblical & Theological Studies, you can find her at her local church, in deep conversation, or with a book or pen in hand as she seeks to know Christ more and make Him known.
Church Leadership

What to Study in 2019

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by Tyler Quillet

It’s getting to be that time to make plans for your group’s study focus after the new year.  I think we have some options that will really bless your group as you kick off 2019!  I’d like to share with you some studies in smallgroup.com that you can use, and even customize to make them your own, if you choose.  Not a smallgroup.com member?  No problem!  Just go to www.smallgroup.com and click on the 30-day free trial icon to access these studies!  If you are already a member of smallgroup.com, I hope these studies will be new to you as you seek your next small group series.

As you continue to read, you’ll find 3 studies that I believe will kick off your 2019 well as your group seeks after Christ, finds who you are in Christ, and lives out the mission of Christ.

As You Go

This series covers six passages in the book of Acts to explore what it means to live in a missional fashion.  This is a great way to start the year, as we seek to live on mission in every area of our lives!

Session 1: Acts 2:41-47 – As you go in your walk with Jesus, do so in community.

Session 2: Acts 4:1-20 – As you go and share the gospel of Jesus Christ, do so knowing you are loved by God and emboldened by His Holy Spirit.

Session 3: Acts 6:1-7 – As you go about living a missional life, your testimony is influenced both by what you say and what you do.

Session 4: Acts 9:26-31 – As you go about making Christ’s name known, do so in boldness.

Session 5: Acts 17:16-32 – As you go about reaching your world today, you must be willing to meet people where they are, yet not compromise the truth of the gospel.

Session 6: Acts 28:23-31 – As you go about your walk with Christ, it is imperative that you allow the Lord to work in your circumstances, so you might use any resources you have to proclaim His glorious name.

A New Identity

This 6 week series explores six identity traits of Christians.  It is necessary for us to be reminded often of who we are in Christ, as we fight against society telling us otherwise.  This series will focus your group on who you all are as followers of Christ, as you are sent back into the world reminded of your true identity!

Session 1: Christians Are Saints – 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 1:1-3

Apart from their own conduct, all who are in Christ are saints of God.

Session 2: Christians Are Chosen – Galatians 4:1-7; Ephesians 1:4-6

We did not accidentally become Christians, but because of God’s great love, He chose us before the foundation of the world.

Session 3: Christians Are Forgiven – Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:8-10

Christians are completely forgiven, for when Christ died, He died for our sins past, present, and future.

Session 4: Christians Are Heirs – Ephesians 1:11-19; 1 Peter 1:3-9

Christians are co-heirs with Christ and enjoy the blessing of a sure and certain inheritance.

Session 5: Christians Are Sealed – John 10:22-30; Ephesians 1:13-14

Because Christians are sealed by the Holy Spirit, our relationship with God and our eternity are secure in Him no matter what happens in our lives.

Session 6: Christians are Victorious – Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 1:15-23

Because Jesus rose from the grave and now reigns at the Father’s right hand, Christians share in His victory no matter what comes against us.

Dangerous Prayers

This 6 week series gives focus to walking more closely with God through prayer.  Throughout this series, you will be challenged to step outside of your comfort zone when praying, which leads to a deepened trust in Christ.

Session 1: A Prayer of Salvation – Matthew 14:22-33; Luke 5:1-11

God sacrificed His Son’s life in order to save yours. Praying for salvation and following Christ demands the full submission of our lives.

Session 2: A Prayer of Surrender – Isaiah 6:1-13

The appropriate response to God’s holiness is surrendering your life in service to Him.

Session 3: A Prayer of Humility – Genesis 32:24-32

Sometimes growing spiritually involves great struggle, even to the point of brokenness.

Session 4: Trusting God to Lead – Exodus 13:20-22

Wherever God leads us, we can follow, because He has been and always will be faithful.

Session 5: Help Me – Mark 9:14-24

God does not expect His people to exercise perfect faith but rather humbly dependent faith that cries out to Him for help.

Session 6: A Prayer of Obedience – Acts 26:9-23 When we pray for God to use us it is not always comfortable or safe.

There are so many great short and long term studies on smallgroup.com, as well as thousands of individual studies. A few others that I’d encourage you to check out are: “The Hebrews Initiative”, which is a 12 week study on the superiority of Jesus, “Marriage Matters”, which is a 6 week focus on the core issues in marriage, and “The Life of David”, which is a 9 week study on David’s life being in God’s hands at all times.  No matter what you choose, we trust that you’ll be encouraged, challenged, and pointed to Jesus in each of these studies.  I’m excited for you as you lead your group into 2019!

Tyler Quillet is the Discipleship Strategist for the Custom Bible Study team at LifeWay Christian Resources. He lives in the Nashville, TN area with his incredible wife, Cathie and two boys, Cylas and Bowen. Tyler spent 15 years as a pastor in Ohio before moving to the Nashville area and is passionate about serving churches and pouring into church leaders in a variety of ways.
Church Leadership, Tuesday Thoughts

Tuesday Thoughts: Gospel Centered Authenticity

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I don’t know about you, but there’s this near paralyzing fear comes when I think about true authenticity. You know those thoughts that bombard us when we start to grow in relationships with others. If people only knew the things I’ve done in my past, my shortcomings as a spouse or my failure as a parent, my sin based in my insecurities, but the Christian community has a unique answer to all of these hesitations. As Christians, we have the opportunity to present not a persona but our authentic selves to others in our small group, but we can only be truly authentic with each other and even the outside world through a deep belief in the Gospel because the Gospel reminds us that Jesus is fully and completely bore our sin because Jesus bore our sin, we can live in the freedom of being in right standing with God.

We can day by day live with the full knowledge that we are the righteousness of Christ untainted by sin and welcomed into the family of God and amazingly even today when you and I sin and we will, we can know that Jesus bore that sin as well. The Bible has a picture of this authentic transparency. It’s found in James 5:16 where he says, therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed and this verse is transparency at its best. It’s the picture of someone who convinced the limitless grace and promise forgiveness of Jesus confesses their sin. They lay themselves open and bear before others. Not expecting shame and guilt, but expecting healing. Our naturally reaction to sin is to run and hide in the darkness, but the power of the gospel frees us to come out into the light.

The work of Jesus makes confession and repentance more beautiful than burdensome. We can truly share that below the line of shame because we already know that we are so broken that Jesus had to die for us, but we also know that were so loved that he was willing to die for us. So how do we do this with our small group? Let me give you five tips for being truly authentic with your small group.

First, be willing to go first. You know, a good practice of facilitation is usually ask a question and then wait for others to jump in before you give the answer, but there may be times where you want to go first, share something from your life and set the example for others in your group.

Two, be prepared before the group meeting. Go through the study know the question so you can know those opportunities where you might be able to share something from your life and kind of help set that example for the rest of the group to follow.

Number three, know you should ease into the personal questions. Sometimes we can go there too fast, especially if this is a new group. It’s going to take some time for them to jail before they’re ready to completely open, open themselves up to the people around them.

Number four, keep the focus on Jesus and grace. Continue to point the group back to the message of the cross. Authenticity will come when we think about that amazing love that Christ has for us by laying down his life for our sin. So always point the group back to Jesus and grace.

And then number five, make prayer integral part of the group experience. You know, sometimes we can forget about the prayer time or kind of rushed through it, but really prayer sets the stage for true authenticity and healing in our group. So following those five practices will lead to the kind of authenticity that brings healing and grace to your group members.

Chris Surratt is a ministry consultant and coach with more than twenty years of experience serving the local church. Chris served on the Executive Teams at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN., and Seacoast Church in Charleston, S.C., prior to becoming the Discipleship and Small Groups Specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the author of  Small Groups for the Rest of Us: How to Design Your Small Groups System to Reach the Fringes. You can follow his blog at www.chrissurratt.com.
Church Leadership

Virtual Minister of Education – A Way to a Healthier Bible Study Ministry

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How would you describe your Sunday School, Adult Bible Fellowship, Connect Groups, or whatever you call your primary strategy for reaching people for Bible study, fellowship, and accountability? If you’re like most churches, you’d say something like, “It’s good, but it could be a lot better – we just need someone to help.” If that’s you and your church, The Virtual M.E. may be just the ticket.

What is The Virtual M.E.? Let’s start with “What’s an M.E.?” An M.E. (Minister of Education) reminds us of a time when many churches had a specialized staff member who was an expert in Sunday School growth and health. This person provided guidance and leadership to the age group Bible study ministries at their church. They made strategic decisions about space utilization, curriculum choices, training of workers, and much more. Sadly, most churches could not afford to have this specialist on staff until they grew to a certain size, usually in the 400+ range. But churches that are smaller would benefit greatly by having this staff person. In fact, this leader could be the catalyst to help a church grow to the next level.

Now that we know what an M.E. is, let’s ask the question, “What’s a Virtual M.E.?” It’s a new ministry being offered by LifeWay to help smaller churches partner up with a church education expert. This practitioner would be assigned by LifeWay to a church that has requested this service. Meetings with the pastor and other staff members would take place online, by phone, and other electronic means – hence the term “Virtual M.E.” The relationship would be real, but would take place primarily in cyberspace. These Virtual M.E.s are people with years of church education leadership experience, advanced degrees in Christian education, and lifetimes of experience that can be focused on helping a church reach its potential.

How would a Virtual M.E. be able to help a church? There are many benefits of a partnership like this:

  • Space analysis – churches often have more room and potential to grow than they think. A Virtual M.E. can evaluate a church’s space usage to help it maximize its potential to reach people.
  • Gap analysis – by taking a look at a church’s Bible study ministry, the Virtual M.E. can identify “gaps” – people that are not being reached – so that new groups can be started to reach them.
  • Sounding board – sometimes a pastor has no one to turn to when he needs trusted advice about the church’s Bible teaching ministry. A Virtual M.E. can be there to listen, evaluate, and provide suggestions.
  • Training – a Virtual M.E. can make recommendations about the training of workers, helping a church develop an annual plan for improving the performance of its most valuable workers.

Dr. Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, once said, “The inescapable conclusion could be paraphrased by the cliché: “Sunday School will work only if you work Sunday School.” In the high assimilation churches, basic organizational principles were at work continuously. Teachers were trained and taught weekly. New members were assigned to Sunday School classes. Care groups were created in all classes so that ministry could be effective. Outreach and evangelism were organized through the Sunday School. The higher assimilation churches had strong Sunday Schools. And that organizational quality did not happen by accident” (High Expectations, p.36).

If you’d like to know more about having a Virtual M.E. at your church, visit LifeWay.com/VirtualME

Ken Braddy manages LifeWay’s Ongoing Bible studies, leads his church’s groups ministry, and blogs daily on Sunday School and small groups at kenbraddy.com.

 

Church Leadership

25 Advent Verses to Reflect On With Your Family This Christmas

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Instead of slipping candy canes in your Advent calendar boxes, fill your 25 days with Scripture. Below are Bible verses to open and unwrap each day, all glorifying the One whom Christmas is about. Try getting the whole family involved by starting a Scripture memory contest each day. In need of an advent calendar? Visit your local LifeWay store.

  1. Isaiah 40:9-11

9 Zion, herald of good news, go up on a high mountain. Jerusalem, herald of good news, raise your voice loudly. Raise it, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 See, the Lord God comes with strength,and his power establishes his rule. His wages are with him, and his reward accompanies him. 11 He protects his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in the fold of his garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.

  1. John 1:9

The true light that gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

  1. Isaiah 7:14

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

  1. Numbers 24:17

I see him, but not now; I perceive him, but not near. A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will smash the forehead of Moab and strike down all the Shethites.

  1. 1 Peter 1:19-20

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was revealed in these last times for you.

  1. Galatians 4:4-5

4 When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

  1. Micah 5:2

Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.

  1. John 7:42

Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David’s offspring and from the town of Bethlehem, where David lived?

  1. Genesis 3:15

I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

  1. Isaiah 40:3-5

3 A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4 Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth and the rough places, a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will appear, and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

  1. Isaiah 11:1-5

1 Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight will be in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, he will not execute justice by what he hears with his ears, 4 but he will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with a scepter from his mouth, and he will kill the wicked with a command from his lips. 5 Righteousness will be a belt around his hips; faithfulness will be a belt around his waist.

  1. Zechariah 6:12-13

12 You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is a man whose name is Branch; he will branch out from his place and build the Lord’s temple. 13 Yes, he will build the Lord’s temple; he will be clothed in splendor and will sit on his throne and rule. There will also be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them.

  1. John 1:10-13

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

  1. John 1:14

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

  1. Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” 35 The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

  1. Luke 1:39-45

39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! 43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”

  1. Luke 1:46-56

46 And Mary said: My soul praises the greatness of the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy. 50 His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. 51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. 53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors. 56 And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

  1. Luke 1:57-66

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. 59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother responded, “No. He will be called John.” 61 Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” 62 So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote: “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

  1. Matthew 1:18-21

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

  1. Matthew 1:22-23

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

  1. Luke 2:4-7

4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

  1. Matthew 2:1-2

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”

  1. Luke 2:25-35

25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, 29 Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel. 33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary: “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed—35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

  1. Isaiah 9:2-5

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. 4 For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as you did on the day of Midian. 5 For every trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire.

  1. Isaiah 9:6

For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for LifeWay’s smallgroup.com and custom Bible study teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in English at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.
Church Leadership

6 Ways to Minimize the Stress of Leading a Group

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by Dwayne McCrary

If you have led any kind of Bible study group, you are familiar with the stress that comes with it. As soon as the group time is over, another one sits in the future awaiting your attention. Responding to individual’s questions that come from the group time just adds to the stress all the more. And it always seems that some crisis at work happens right before a group meeting. Here are a few things we can do to address the stress of leading a group.

  1. Prepare. This may be a shock, but winging it only adds to the stress. We may buy into the “I want the Holy Spirit to be free to work in the group time” excuse, pretending that our failure to prepare is somehow more spiritual. The truth is the Holy Spirit is at work outside the group time just as much as He is during it. Sharpened axes tend to be the most effective.
  2. Start Early. It is one thing to prepare, it is another thing to prepare on your way to the group meeting. The urgent adds stress and gets in the way of us doing our best. The moment the previous group time concludes, we can start our preparation for the next group time. This gives us time to think about the group time and put together a great experience.
  3. Delegate. We can’t do everything and we shouldn’t. The more we take on, the more we cheat someone in the group of using their giftedness within the group. Delegation is a subset of starting early; asking a person to volunteer the day of the group time is unfair.
  4. Use a Plan. Half of the stress of leading a group is deciding what will be studied and when. Rely on your church leaders and other experts like LifeWay to create a well thought out study plan for your group. Adapt as needed, but having some plan to adapt removes the pressure of deciding on your own.
  5. Get feedback and act on it. Ask someone you trust in the group to evaluate the group time. Look for constructive actions you may need to take to improve as a leader. This is not about being perfect, but about being better.
  6. Remember you are not alone. Nothing adds to our stress more than feeling like we are on out on the limb will all eyes on us.The Holy Spirit is present in our preparation, present in the lives of the believers in our group, and stands with us during the group time. God shows up when His truth is examined and we are in partnership with Him.
Dwayne McCrary is a project team leader for ongoing adult Bible study resources at LifeWay, including the adult Explore the Bible resources. He also teaches an adult group and preschool group every Sunday in the church he attends.
Church Leadership

When Group Members Leave

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If you’ve led small groups longer than a little while, you’ve probably had people leave. Maybe they’re seeking a new church or a different kind of experience. Maybe your group was not a good fit for some reason. Maybe they want to launch their own group. Whatever the reason—people leaving is inevitable.

Even when people have good reasons, this process can be one of the more awkward parts of leadership. In the groups I’ve led, people have left for all of the reasons above and there is still some measure of awkwardness in each parting. So how should group leaders navigate this part of group life? Be gracious and encouraging.

Gracious

For many, this might be the most difficult part. When you share your life with someone, and they move on, it can be difficult to not take the leaving personally. Though it’s a natural feeling, resist the urge to feel wounded, and seek to be gracious. The goal of group life is move closer to the Christian life, and if people are stepping into a situation where they feel they will have a greater opportunity to grow, we should be happy for them.

But what if the people are leaving for no real reason at all? Still be gracious. People have their reasons, and even when you do not agree with them, you need to be gracious. Once again, the goal of group life is ultimately to lead people towards Christ. We want people to see him through our actions, so we need to treat people as He would treat them.

Encouraging 

Next, you need to be encouraging. Christians are not meant to walk through the Christian life alone. Particularly when people leave for seemingly no reason at all, we need to urge them to be involved somewhere else. If you find that people are leaving because they “want some time off”, ask questions to try and see what is behind that attitude. Church is not meant to be just another activity.

Recently, Thom Rainer wrote about Four Key Attitude That are Killing Church Attendance. You may be able to identify some attitudes of those around you in that helpful post. Dr. Rainer points out that often when people shrink back from involvement in church it is for unbiblical reasons. As a leader, you have an opportunity to have a conversation with these folks and help them evaluate some of their reasoning. We can still be gracious while encouraging people to consider their reasons. Naturally, some people will not be open to this kind of conversation, but in my experience, more people than you would think are open to talk.

If your group is simply not a good fit because demographics, focus, meeting time or some other reason, you can encourage people to be involved in another group. All group leaders would serve their churches well if they simply took the time to familiarize themselves with other leaders and other groups in the life of the church. That way, you can always be connecting people to community. Hopefully that’s why you began leading in the first place.

Leading has its ups and downs, people leaving (even for good reasons) can be a downer. Hopefully you now have some handles for navigating one of the trickier situations in group life.

Reid Patton is a Content Editor for the Short-Term Discipleship Team at LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the thankful husband of Kristen and proud father of Ceile and serves with the Life Group leadership team at the Church at Station Hill in Spring Hill, Tennessee. In his free time, Reid likes reading, watching NBA Basketball and Auburn Football, and going to record stores. You can find him on Twitter @jreidpatton.