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Character That Catches God’s Attention

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Recently I looked at the Christmas narrative in a new way, focusing on Joseph. It occurred to me that we know little about this important man of faith. In the Christmas narrative, Joseph doesn’t speak a word! But he did have character that caught God’s attention.

Here are a few things we know about Joseph:

  • He was from the line of King David (Matt. 1:1-16)
  • He settled his family in Nazareth (Matt. 2:23)
  • He showed concern/love for Jesus by fleeing to Egypt to escape King Herod’s execution of little boys (Matt. 2:13-15)
  • He was a carpenter (Matt. 13:55)
  • He taught carpentry skills to Jesus (Mark 6:3)
  • Joseph led his family to observe Holy Days (Passover)…Luke 2:41-42
  • No mention of him during Jesus’ ministry days…scholars presume he died after the events of LK 2:41-42

As I looked at the story of Joseph as presented in Matthew 1:18-25, I believe there are several character traits that most likely caught God’s attention. God wanted a person of good character to raise His son here on earth. By extension, I believe these character traits are important for us to possess as group leaders so that others see them in us as we represent Him as His ambassadors. As disciple-makers, we want people to see our lives and feel great about saying, “I want to be like him, as he follows Jesus.”

As a group leader, I hope that the character traits of Joseph are found in you as well. People are watching us to see if our faith is real, and if the Savior we claim to know makes any difference in the way we live. We are all works in progress, and no one is perfect. God is changing us daily to show these character traits to our families, friends, co-workers, and strangers in an ever increasing way:

  1. Joseph was self-controlled. In verse 18 we learn that before Joseph and Mary came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. In Jewish custom, the engagement period lasted a year and during those days, the couple was considered husband and wife, even though they lived in their parent’s homes. Joseph kept his God-given sexual needs in check during this time and was self-controlled. How do we know this? Just see the words “before they came together” – Joseph was putting no pressure on Mary to fulfill legitimate needs they both had in an illegitimate way.
  2. Joseph was righteous. Verse 19 simply tells us that Joseph was a righteous man. This doesn’t mean he was perfect. It does mean that he generally did the right thing and tried his best to live according to the law. The base word in the original language means “to move in a straight line” or “straight way” – God’s way.
  3. Joseph was merciful. We learn of Joseph’s great mercy and love for Mary in the last part of verse 19 when we read that he did not want to make a public spectacle of her; he decided to divorce her quietly. This divorce would only require two witnesses and could be done quietly and quickly. Although stoning an unfaithful spouse was a right under the law (Deut. 22), Joseph loved his wife and showed her mercy and love.
  4. Joseph was in control emotionally. Verse 20 records “But after he had considered this…” The word “considered” is taken from a Greek word enthymeomai. That word is a combination of two words: one means passion, anger, rage; the other means to contemplate. Joseph literally had to think through his anger and the revelation that his wife was pregnant by someone else. He did not fly off the handle, accuse her wildly, or break things. Instead, he spent time grieving, hurting, and thinking so that he could act rightly.
  5. Joseph was obedient. We learn that when Joseph was told by the Lord’s angel that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, he immediately did what God had instructed him to do, which was to marry his bride. He acted quickly and decisively.
  6. Joseph was courageous. Joseph acted courageously to wed Mary. They lived in a small town and the townspeople would have looked down upon the young couple for being pregnant before their official wedding ceremony. Joseph knew that there would be a stigma about them in the town, and that they would forever be labeled “that couple.” Even though people would not have understood Mary’s miraculous pregnancy, Joseph acted with courage and did what God told him to do. Sometimes the courageous thing to do means that we have to do it and be misunderstood by others; only God may know that we were in the right.

Which one (or ones) of these six character traits would we need to improve during 2019? As God looks at our lives the way he examined Joseph’s life, would we be seen as people of character? Would we have the kind of character that would catch God’s attention?

Ken Braddy blogs weekly about Sunday School and small groups at kenbraddy.com. He manages LifeWay’s ongoing adult Bible studies.
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.

 

Thursday Giveaway

Thursday Giveaway – Foundations: New Testament

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by Deborah Spooner

Each week on Thursdays we highlight a trustworthy discipleship resource that can help you in your mission to make disciples. This week’s post is adapted from and expands on Foundations: New Testament. Fill out the form at the end of this post by Friday,  December 7th at 11:59pm to enter for a chance to win this free resource!

What if you could do more than read the New Testament? What if you could H.E.A.R. it?

Good news. You can.

Robby Gallaty describes what it was like reading Scripture when he first became a believer. Instead of using the H.E.A.R. method, he tried the O.P.R.A. technique: randomly opening the Bible, pointing to a passage, reading the verse, and applying it is his life.

The result?

Stunted growth. His lack of an effective reading plan didn’t produce the spiritual growth he longed to experience.

Enter the H.E.A.R. journaling method, used in a 260-day reading plan that journeys through every chapter in the New Testament during the course of a year. Providing a devotional for each chapter, Foundations: New Testament is flexibly designed to use the H.E.A.R. method for five days per week.

The method? Simple. Here’s a glimpse.

H: Highlight

Write the letter “H” at the top left-hand corner of your page. As you read, one or two verses typically stand out and speak to you. After reading the scripture passage, highlight each verse that is particularly powerful to you and copy it on the page. Also record the book’s name, the passage of scripture, the chapter and verse numbers that particularly speak to you, and a title to describe the passage.

E: Explain

Write the letter “E” under the previous entry. Here, you’ll begin to explain what the text means. Through some simple questions and with the help of God’s Spirit, you can understand the meaning of a passage or verse. Try asking:

  • Why was this text written?
  • To whom was it originally written?
  • How does this text fit with the verses before and after it?
  • Why did the Holy Spirit include this passage in the book?
  • What does the Holy Spirit intend to communicate through this text?

At this point, you’re beginning the process of discovering the specific, personal word God has for you from His Word. What’s important is that you’re engaging with the text and wrestling with its meaning.

What comes next to complete your process with the H.E.A.R. method? A: Apply and R: Respond.

All the steps are actions. God doesn’t want us to sit back and wait for him to drop truth into our laps. Instead of waiting passively, we can actively pursue Him. Jesus said:

“Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7).

Compared to what you can gain through an intentional method for studying God’s Word, what do you have to lose? Try it. Enter to win a copy of Foundations: NT to get the full description of the H.E.A.R. method and start your intentional reading plan.

Giveaway form

by filling out this form you agree to receive more information regarding this resource
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.

 

Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 77: Robby Gallaty

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Our guest today is Pastor Robby Gallaty. Radically saved in 2002, Robby was mentored and discipled by former Senior Pastor of The Church at Brook Hills, David Platt. Robby completed his Masters of Divinity Degree in Expository Preaching in 2007 and his Ph.D. in Preaching in 2011 from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Robby is the founder of Replicate Ministries and the author of seven books, in addition to his pastoral leadership at Long Hollow Baptist Church. Robby is married to Kandi, and they have two young sons, Rig and Ryder.

Questions:

  • What are you learning about discipleship in groups as you lead Long Hollow and interact with other churches?
  • How do you move people from being insider focused to discipling others?
  • What is the leading indicator of a growing disciple of Jesus and how can group leaders leverage it?
  • What’s the most interesting disciple-making or group practice (approach) you’ve been exposed to as you have engaged different leaders and churches?

Quotes:

We have to mobilize people from coming to the church building once a week and show them that ministry happens Monday through Saturday.

Lost people don’t wake up and say, “I think I’ll go to church today,” but they will come to your house.

There’s no greater joy as a pastor than seeing your people in church on Sunday morning taking notes during your sermon. They realize they’re not learning for them. They’re now learning for the person they’re passing the information on to.

The gospel came to you because it was heading to someone else.

Most churches that are declining or plateaued are because the pastor and staff are executing the ministry themselves.

We have taught people what they’re saved from, but not what they’re saved for.

Resources Mentioned:

This Episode’s Sponsor:
What happens when the Bible and humanity collide? Not what you’d expect. Living & Effective, a podcast collaboration between Christianity Today and the Christian Standard Bible, journeys through history, current events, theology, and the human condition to uncover surprising ways the Bible accomplishes God’s plan in the world.”

The Group Answers Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in LifeWay’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at LifeWay and author of Small Groups for the Rest of Us.

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.
Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 76: Avoiding Burnout as a Leader

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In today’s episode, Brian, Chris, and Brandon talk about the signs that you may be headed for burnout as a leader, and a few ways to hopefully avoid them.

Signs of burnout discussed from Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero.

  1. You are using God to run from God.
  2. You are ignoring the emotions of anger, sadness, and fear.
  3. You are dying to the wrong things.
  4. You are doing for God instead of being with God.
  5. You are spiritualizing away conflict.
  6. You are living without limits.

The Group Answers Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in LifeWay’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at LifeWay and author of Small Groups for the Rest of Us.

Group Answers Podcast

Group Answers Episode 74: Barnabas Piper on Dealing with Doubts and Unbelief

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On this week’s episode, Brian and Chris sit down with Barnabas Piper to discuss his book, Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt Is Not the Enemy of Faith. Barnabas is an author, podcaster, and speaker who lives near Nashville, Tennessee. He writes regularly for He Reads Truth and blogs at BarnabasPiper.com. He has authored three books, The Pastor’s Kid: Finding Your Own Faith and Identity (David C. Cook, 2014), Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt Is Not the Enemy of Faith (David C. Cook, 2015), and The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life (B&H Publishing Group, 2017). He also co-hosts The Happy Rant podcast, a popular show discussing issues of faith and culture in a light-hearted, humorous manner.

Questions:

1. Talk to us about your personal struggles with doubt. In what ways have you found doubt to be redemptive?

2. What are some things that the church can do to help with Christians struggling through doubt and unbelief?

3. How important were relationships and community in your process of working through your unbelief?

4. Is it ok for a small group leader to still have unbelief and doubt? How much should he/she share those doubts with the group members?

5. How can a group leader best navigate those group discussions where doubts are shared and answers are not evident?

Quotes:

I knew everything I was supposed to know, but there was a disparity between that and those core beliefs that my hope rests in. That’s where the doubt lived for me.

That doubt ended up leading me all the way through college…and eventually hit a wall.

In the church, we get nervous about questions because it sounds like somebody is rejecting God, but often that’s an invitation for the Holy Spirit to speak into that person.

There is distinctly a redemptive opportunity in questions and doubts if we see them as an opportunity and not a challenge.

You have to be willing to answer the same questions over-and-over again, because some people will struggle with the same doubts for a long time.

The group context is vital to this, because that’s where the doubts come out.

There are doubts that you can put on the table that can rattle other people. You’re going to introduce a doubt to them that they have never considered.

You have to have a barometer of what’s the right thing to say here, and what’s the right thing to say just to that other member.

The Group Answers Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in LifeWay’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at LifeWay and author of Small Groups for the Rest of Us.

Church Leadership

Remove Your Masks

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by Tyler Quillet

It’s that time of year when kids (and some sugar-craved adults) are running around your neighborhood in crazy costumes to collect candy. Each Halloween, we all think to ourselves at some point, “I wonder who is under that mask?” If you are a small group leader, you’ve probably asked that question about folks in your group as well. They may not be wearing a Spiderman mask to small group, but they certainly aren’t revealing their hearts either. So, how do we as small group leaders create an environment where the masks come off? It’s an important question, because masks hide important issues and struggles.

Nine years ago, my wife and I experienced our first of many miscarriages. We were broken. As much as we wanted to cancel small group that week, we knew that as leaders we had an opportunity to be vulnerable with our group. This could go a long way toward us all doing life in Jesus together in the years ahead. We were done with our study and it was time to share prayer requests, so we shared our news from that week. We wept as we opened ourselves up and shared our hurt, our anger and our confusion. The group’s response was something we could have never imagined. Crickets. Nobody said a word. They just sat there and stared at us. It took awkward to new levels. They didn’t know what to do or say, so they did and said…nothing. I finally broke the prolonged silence by praying a general prayer and as people left that evening, a few of the ladies gave my wife a hug to say they were sorry. That was it.

It would be really easy for me to get angry with our group for this. Clearly, we were hurt. We were a newer group of young couples and people weren’t totally comfortable with each other quite yet. However, do you know where the blame lies for that awkward evening? Right at my feet. As the leader, I hadn’t created an environment of transparency. I hadn’t yet modeled vulnerability. To that point, our new group was a bunch of people wearing masks who got together to eat good food and read the Bible together. We didn’t yet trust one another, and so everything shared up to that point as a group was fluffy and superficial. I had failed them, and so when we opened our hearts up, it was something they hadn’t experienced before and they didn’t know what to do.

A good friend of mine who I co-led a group with years ago often jokingly used the phrase, “It’s time to get naked.” Now, please don’t take this literally at your next small group meeting. It won’t go over well and you’ll end up in jail! But I love what that entails when it comes to our hearts. It’s time to strip away the pride, the embarrassment, and whatever else you are trying to cover your heart up with. It’s time to take the mask off of your heart and allow those you are in community with to see your struggles, your hurts, your emotions, your flaws, and your desperation for Jesus.

Doing this once isn’t going to make you a transparent group (see story above). However, modeling a transparent heart, asking transparency of your group each week, and loving and encouraging each other through the transparency is, over time, going to bring you all closer to one another. More importantly, it’s going to bring you all the closer to Jesus.

It’s up to you to ask the Lord for discernment in what to share with your group and when. As group leaders, we have to lead the way in bringing our people to a place of transparency. It may be difficult at first, but true discipleship begins to happen when we are doing life together, sharing our hearts and pointing one another towards Jesus each step of the way.

May your group continue to grow in heart-level sharing with one another, may you be faithful to care for one another as you share from the depths, and may you pray fervently for those who take off their masks and share what they desperately need from Jesus.

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.
Thursday Giveaway

Thursday Giveaway: Explore the Bible

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Each week on Thursdays we highlight a trustworthy discipleship resource that can help you in your mission to make disciples. This week’s post is from Explore the Bible: Genesis – The Life of Jacob Fill out the form at the end of this post by Friday, September 7th at 11:59pm to enter for a chance to win this free resource!

What may cause a person to intentionally deceive others? How do you typically
respond after you discover that you were deceived?

You view a social-media post that promises a free getaway, noticing that it came from a friend. You click on the image only to discover that the free getaway has some catches. You’re required to use a specific airline and a specific booking agency. You also discover additional fees for the “free” trip. You then discover that if you share this post with other people, some fees will be waived. Suddenly you’re not nearly as interested in the trip.

Understand the Context

Abraham died when he was 175 years old, leaving behind two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (see Gen. 25:7-9). Because Ishmael wasn’t the promised son (see 17:18-19), Isaac received God’s blessings (see 25:11), including the covenant God had made with Abraham (see 12:1-3; 26:1-5). Isaac married Rebekah (see 25:20), and they had twin boys, Esau and Jacob (see 25:24-26). Born only seconds before Jacob, Esau was the oldest and, as a result, first in line for his father’s patriarchal blessing. But God selected Jacob instead to be the patriarch (see 25:23). Although the word patriarch doesn’t appear in the Old Testament, the New Testament uses this descriptive title to refer to Abraham (see Heb. 7:4), the sons of Jacob (see Acts 7:8-9), and David (see Acts 2:29).

Isaac’s family was divided by marked favoritism. Isaac favored Esau because, like him, Esau was an outdoorsman, while Rebekah favored Jacob (see Gen. 25:27-28), creating conflict and competition between the two sons. One day when Esau came home exhausted and hungry from hunting, Jacob offered his brother a meal, only after Esau promised him the older brother’s birthright (see vv. 29-34).

 As Genesis 27 opens, Isaac was old and nearly blind (see vv. 1-2). Before giving Esau the patriarchal blessing, Isaac asked him to hunt some wild game for a meal. Rebekah, who was secretly listening, quickly devised a deceptive plan whereby she cooked a similar meal, dressed Jacob to resemble Esau, and had him steal his brother’s blessing (see vv. 3-17). Although the plan was his mother’s, Jacob eagerly went along. Because he was ambitious, his only concern was that he might be caught (see vv. 11-12). But when his mother agreed to take his father’s wrath (see v. 13), he concluded that the reward outweighed the risk.

Explore the Text

Isaac was old, no less than one hundred (see 25:26; 26:34), and believed he was approaching death (see 27:1-2). In Old Testament times a father’s blessing was more than an expression of love. The blessing of the father, as the patriarch of the family, was an official, binding transfer of the patriarchal line, along with a prayer for prosperity and superiority. Isaac’s blessing also meant the recipient and his descendants would be heirs of the covenant God had originally
made with Abraham (see 12:1-3) and extended through Isaac (see 26:1-5).

When Jacob came to his father, posing as Esau, Isaac sensed something was wrong. After lying about his identity, the meal, God’s help, and his appearance, Jacob deceived his father.

When dealing with people who don’t always act with integrity and transparency,
what can believers gain by setting an example?

The kiss was a formal part of giving and receiving a blessing. Here it marked the end of the ceremonial meal (also a formal part of the blessing) and the beginning of the spoken blessing. Isaac’s doubts about his son’s identity had been removed. How was Isaac so easily deceived?
His preferential love for the older son led to his deception. He heard (see 27:24), tasted (see v. 25), touched (see v. 26), and smelled (see v. 27) what he was looking for—Esau. Because of his unrelenting favoritism, he believed because he wanted to believe.

What are some ways favoritism is manifested in the church? What are some consequences that result from favoritism? How can we prevent it?

Through an act of deception, the blessing went to Jacob. Although Jacob took what God had promised him (see 25:23), this deception wasn’t God’s doing. We can’t justify using deceptive means to obtain worthy ends.

In spite of Jacob’s deplorable actions, God was faithful to His promise. God’s promises are immutable, that is, unchangeable, based on His divine wisdom. They don’t rely on our actions but on His absolute faithfulness. Although Jacob’s life journey could have been more enjoyable if he had waited on the Lord, God delivered on His promise, as He always does. Because Jacob did things his own way, God sent him to the school of hard knocks. Along the way God broke
Jacob’s selfishness and transformed him into a man He could bless.

What are some occasions in Scripture when God accomplished His purposes despite a person’s sinful conduct? What can we learn about God from those examples?

Apply the Text

❯ Believers are to act with integrity and transparency when dealing with others.
❯ Believers must guard against favoritism, knowing it leads to personal deception.
❯ God can bring to pass His sovereign purpose despite the selfish actions of a sinful person.

 

Church Leadership

Free Bible Teaching: For the Busy Leader

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by Deborah Spooner

Your friend texts with another crisis, yet your group start date-—ust two days away—feels like a crisis since you haven’t had time to prepare.

Your small group resource catalog has cushioned the bottom of your work bag for weeks as you’ve tried to figure out what, how, and when to order, and the process seems complicated.

The people. The time. The money. The hassel.

Why are there so many  barriers to getting to Bible teaching we need?

Life’s daily demands can keep us from what we really want. We want to be good disciples of Christ who are pouring ourselves out to make disciples of others. We want to be good small group leaders, leaders who are following the true Leader.

We want to grow ourselves, but we don’t know how.

We want to grow others, but we don’t see the way this fits into our life’s rhythm.

What if there was a way we could effectively address our over-scheduled and under-resourced challenges? What if we could quickly and easily access content that could catalyze us to be disciples making disciples?

Meet Free Bible Teaching. 

From authors like Jefferson Bethke, Tony Evans, J.D. Greear, Randy Alcorn, and D.A. Horton, you have access to the audio of full Bible Study teaching sessions—for free.

From topics like the power of God’s name to happiness, you can fit this quick, hassle-free learning experience into your schedule.. You can develop yourself as a disciple through the biblical messages and advice for specific real-life challenges.

Barriers removed.

Discipleship engaged.

Lives? Preparing to be changed.

Welcome to your new resource. Free Bible Teaching.

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.