Small Group Plan

Had a good ride on the Katy Trail. I rode my bike from Sedalia to Kirkwood. I rode Thursday thru Tuesday 242 miles

A good time of exercise, camping, Bible reading, praying and planning.

Monday I thought I would read James and I stopped along the Katy trail to get into the Word. As I opened my Bible to James my heart was not in reading it and I picked up a book by Smith Wigglesworth and started reading the next chapter. Guess what the next chapter was on. James 1

From reading that chapter and then going over the 1st chapter of James I came to see more clearly that spiritual growth does not come from learning but from going through trials.

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

We grow, (become perfect and complete) when we go through trials with all joy. We do not become complete when we understand doctrines. It is like my riding a bicycle. I can't ride my bicycle if I don't eat. But I don't get stronger by eating. I get strong by riding. It is the same in the Spirit. Studying the Bible is like eating. But we don't get strong by studying. We get strong by serving God through trials.

But how do I rejoice in trials? Love of Christ Jesus gives my heart new life which is able to serve through difficulties. This love is beat down by the trials of life.

This is why we are told to continue in Church.
Hebrews 10:23-25
23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,

25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Considering our Saturday night group. This is what is on my heart to do.
Make disciples and encourage them to continue on in the love of God with good deeds.

How is this done?

Small groups is where I am being led by God. And outreach is where small groups are generated. That is why I jumped at the chance for evangelistic outreach.

Here is my plan for small groups and discipleship and growth into more small groups.

There are 3 levels. Taken from Ephesians Sitting, Walking and Standing (A book on this from Watchman Nee)

Sitting (level 1) Taught on John and Ephesians 1-3
Walking (level 2) Taught on Ephesians 4,5
Standing (level 3) Taught on Ephesians 6

These 3 levels also are talked about in 1 John 2:1,12-14
Children - Free from sin,
Young Men - Overcome the evil one, Strong, Word of God abide in you
Fathers - Known God from the beginning (long time in the faith) have spiritual children.

Level 1 would be for new converts that would have a leader take them through Scriptures to establish them in the faith. John and Ephesians 1-3 would be the basis of the teaching but all the Bible could be used as the Spirit led in the teaching. 1/4 of a year or 13 weeks would be long enough. But this of course would be adjusted according to experience and the leading of the Spirit and peoples needs.

Level 2 would be the main meeting where all the people interested in small group discipleship would come to. It would be a time of testimony of what God is doing in their lives and prayer and encouragement to continue. It would be a time of discussion and prayer of how and where to serve God. Trials come from serving not from learning. And encouragement enables us to rejoice in serving. This level would be variable according to the personality of the people in the group. The basic ideas of encouragement and service would always be there. This level would be involved in evangelistic outreach. One of the requirements of going to level 3 is to have led another one to Jesus for salvation.

Level 3 Would be a small group for:
Spiritual war against opposition
Intercession for the needs of the people
Building faith by encouragement of the Scriptures
Leadership training
Planning

People in level 3 would go on to be leaders of levels 1 & 2 small groups by the leading of the Spirit.

Prayer is Heart Beat of Life

Just as the heart beats to push blood through the body, so prayer is the heartbeat of Christianity.

As blood is used to empower the body to act, so prayer is useful in preparing us for spiritual work.

Without blood we can't do anything. Without prayer we can't do anything. We can accomplish something after we pray, but nothing before we pray!

Bull Horn Guy Video

I went to a house fellowship a year ago and they played a video of Rob Bell talking how the use of a bull horn for witnessing is not good. He went on for about 10 minutes on this. Then the house church talked about this. All but one were against the bull horn guy sharing the gospel with a bull horn.

I did not say anything because I was new and did not want to criticize. But my thinking was here was a guy taking his own time and money to share the gospel and he is being criticized for it. The bull horn guy was putting his life on the line for Jesus, and Rob Bell was just sitting and doing nothing. It is better to do something wrong as far as sharing the gospel then to do nothing at all. Paul said that he would rejoice when the gospel is preached even when it was done with wrong motives. Phil 1:15-18

Some would say that he would drive them to hell. But people are already on the way to hell and the bull horn guy is trying to warn them of it. For the way is broad that leads to destruction and few will find the way of life. Matt 7:13,14

I want to share the gospel but have no ability in my spirit. This is my prayer to break through and share the gospel with the lost. My spirit is weak and flesh is unwilling. But I look to God to change me.

And here is the real video of Rob Bell against the Bull horn guy.

This is a spoof on the Bull Horn Guy by Rob Bell.


Todd Friel's "Bullhorn Guy" Response (Part 1)

Todd Friel's "Bullhorn Guy" Response (Part 2)

perishnot.com has a great youtube on this as well. This is a very good defense of open air preaching. Here is the youtube response.

Hurry vs Prayer

The more I hurry, the further behind I get. Jesus has turned much upside down in the spiritual realm. Poverty is the kingdom. Weak is strong. The foolishness of preaching brings salvation. To lead is to take the least position.

Could it be that having problems should first bring us to prayer instead of action? Pray then act! Not, do all you can and when there is nothing else we can do, pray!

If we believe we will pray. When we pray then we believe more.

Prayer of course is, preparation. If there is no action after prayer then prayer is faithless and therefore is useless.

Running the Race of Faith

God has not promised us an easy life. He said He will be with us. So let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

I found this video on youtube of: Lance Armstrong against Marco Pantani


Remember they are going up a mountain the whole way. (in the video)

Armstrong won the Tour de France that year. (2000) Pantini won it in 1998.

Armstrong went on to win the Tour de France again in 2001,2002,2003,2004 & 2005

Pantani died of a drug overdose in 2004.

What we are to do Always

I have been looking for spiritual teachings in the Bible that ask us to follow always.

The 3 that come to mind easily are:
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks.
Meditate on the Word day and night.

I have found 4 more that are also given this priority.
Always be abounding in the work of the Lord.
Set the Lord continually before me.
Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Always have my light shinning.

People have taught in the past that it is impossible to do these things. Inferring therefore that we should not even try. They might have not been trying to say that but that was the result that I came away with.

Well, I don't think God put something in the Bible to be ignored. But what am I to do with them, because there is no way I can keep them? I think God put these instructions in the Bible to teach us to always strive to live by these teachings. We will never attain to perfection but we are commanded to be perfect as God is perfect.

Do I throw my hands up and quit trying? No. What I am to do is use these instructions to guide me back to the path of walking in the Spirit and away from living from a fleshly outlook.

Take for instance praying without ceasing. How could I do a math problem and pray for the problems on the Gaza strip at the same time? I can't.

What I am finding though is that I can come closer to fulfilling this teaching at work. I work outside in a downtown environment. I see all kinds of people. The very poor to the very rich. The very beautiful to the very ugly. My thinking will be caught up in what I see by sometimes judging, lusting or contempt. I was asking the Lord about this and the idea came to me to pray for the people I see. Pray that the person will have wisdom, receive Jesus as their savior and that they will be a strong influence for Christ with their family and friends.

For the mind set on the flesh is death but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6 I can't walk in the flesh and the Spirit at the same time. If I am praying for a very beautiful woman I am not lusting for her. I am not judging someone that seems rich but I pray they will bless others for the Kingdom of God.

Working for the City government also presents a problem to me. They do many things that I consider ridiculous. But the Bible says we are to let our speech be seasoned with salt to give grace to those who hear. If I am complaining about City policy I am not helping anyone. I need to be praying for the city and the workers I know. If I am praying for the government I am not criticizing.

We are to meditate on the word day and night. When I am guarding my thoughts to obey Christ and not my own desires I am using my knowledge of Scripture to counter worry. Strongholds are overthrown by the word of our testimony. God watches over those whose heart is completely His. What we think about is what is on our heart. What is on our heart is what we speak about.

When things happen that go against my desires, what will I do? Will I complain or will I guard my heart and speak the Scriptures according to the promise of the Bible? Will I pray with thanksgiving or will I or express despair? If I have set the Lord before me and live in Godly fear of Him I will respond according the Spirit.

What happens is I rely on God to live through me instead of trying to handle the situation myself.

A Call to Missions

I heard a great sermon Sunday from a missionary to Turkey - Ryan Shaw:

Biblical reasons why the church can be activated into God's global purpose:

1. The Lamb is worthy of the reward of His glorious sacrifice.
Rev. 5:12. Col. 1:15 - 5 realities about Jesus
If Jesus the lamb is slain He is worthy of our efforts.

2. The Spirit is moving. Revival in Algeria - 100,000 underground believers in Iran and that is under the Sharia law. - 175,000 people come to Christ each day. 3,500 new churches planted every week (mostly small groups).

3. The lost are dying. Every day 66,000 die with no Gospel witness.
Why do we refrain from talking about a Christless eternity?

4. The poor are suffering. 37% of global population is children who live in poverty. Be moved with Godly compassion. Pity is not compassion. Will we become advacates for the poor?

5. The church is commissioned. Matthew 28:18-20. Go = as you are going make disciples of all peoples. Vital Christianity is not a spectator sport, it is an active thing.

6. If we don't become activated we die ourselves. Preservation mentality causes death to come. When we give ourselves, the Lord gives us more spiritual vitality.

7, The Father is waiting. God's most important attribute - patience. God wants for us to become activated.

4 practical ways to implement these things in our lives:

1. Extravagant giving - our use of money shows the most about our love of God. Are we pouring more into the temporal or eternal? Abraham covenant - We're blessed to bless others. 5.4% of all giving in the world of Christ's church goes to some kind of outreach in which the Gospel is already planted. 1% of the 4.5% or 0.045% actually goes to mission activities among unreached.

2. Extraordinary praying that perseveres and prevails. Sin of prayerlessness. Intercession is the most important of all ministries.

3. Surrendered going - long term ministry

4. Impassioned mobilizing - Every believer should be a mission mobilizer.