Importance of Small Groups

If you want to grow in your faith you need to be part of a small group, or at the very least meet with one other person weekly or bi-weekly. You cannot truly manifest the fullness of God's love for you nor His generosity if you are living your Christian belief on your own. In fact, I would challenge you that the very idea of being a faithful Christian by yourself could not be considered "Christianity." Living Christian faith solo is nothing more than the very definition of "self-help." Self-help is noticeably absent from "God-help."

Naturally we will go through seasons of life where we are left with nothing and no one but God. Those are seasons though, and if you are convinced that you can be faithful all by your lonesome then that will be your existence - lonely. 

When you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you become part of a family of believers. You are not alone. God loves you. God loves all. When you know God and are living your life in faithfulness, it is natural to overflow with that love; this is why it is impossible to be a Christian and live your faith out in a strictly personal fashion. You quite simply cannot grow in your faith by yourself. Going to church on Sunday doesn't count, that is not a small group. In fact, you can go to church and not actually engage with what is happening. 

Small groups, meeting with others for the purpose of pressing into what God has for your lives, is the only way to truly grow in your faith as a Christian. Small groups are transformational because two or more people are gathered to ask of God things that will cause you to live your life as a reflection of his love and generosity. These groups can be called just about anything, but groups meet for specific purposes: accountability, spiritual hunger, spiritual need, grief share, knowledge, outreach, mission, purpose, etc. An example would be for a group to meet once a month to put together care packages for people in nursing homes, for teachers, for single dads, for single mothers, etc. In the intervening weeks you gather information, decide who gets what, and most of all pray for impact on the people you are ministering to so that you can share God's love with him by your words and testimony. 

What ideas do you have for ministry? 
In what ways do you feel you need to grow in your faith?
What kind of information do you wish to find out about God?
In what ways are you growing in your faith with others? 
Looking back on you faith journey, how far have you come along in that journey? How far do you want to go?

God loves you and wants to take you further. He wants you to multiply His gift of love in you into others. Do not hide the gift He has given you!

Next Sunday we are talking about the Parable of Fig Tree
"The Parable of the Budding Fig Tree is a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament, found in Matthew 24:32–35, Mark 13:28–31, and Luke 21:29–33. This parable, about the Kingdom of God, involves a fig tree, as does the equally brief parable of the barren fig tree"