Small Groups

This last week our Sunday School class was able to separate and the girls met one night and the boys the following night.  The idea was to have some transparent talk and vision for our class and such.  For those who came I would say they agree on that time being very helpful. The fact is that we as Christians are called to fellowship together and in Sunday School the format is more geared towards teaching a lesson and there is for open talk. In Acts 2: 42-47, (http://niv.scripturetext.com/acts/2-42.htm) it gives us an description of the early followers being together. They devoted themselves to reading the word together, they ate and praised and met together, and had all things in common, and God multiplied their numbers.  Isn't that a great sign of the early church!

As Chrisitans we need accountability and transparent talks with other Christians. I can speak for guys in saying that we are a prideful flesh that fears rejection and embarrassment.  We just don't talk to anybody about our deep struggles.  We have things in our lives, that we think man I'm supposed to be a Christian I probably the only one that deals with this stuff.  THAT IS TOTALLY A LIE FROM SATAN!  See I have felt that way before, have had impurities in my life that I struggle with and I would think I cant tell anybody this, its to personal, its to embarrassing, people will think I'm sick. Whether its struggling with pornography, lying, greed, foul language, etc. these things are struggles of the flesh. and guess what.....other Christians struggle with the same thing. The truth is you need somebody to talk to for accountability. You need a brother/sister in Christ to be able to call you and ask how things are going, or be willing to answer his/her phone and listen when you need to talk.  Someone to tell you that though you fall into the traps of those sins, the conviction you feel is because of your salvation. In Issiah 42:3, 3 A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice. In those traps we fall in Satan will try to come in and question our salvation, but we hold fast to verses like this. You also need someone to be honest with you, Ex. if you struggle with pornography sites- maybe you need to have them blocked and give someone else (spouse/parent) the password, or if you get around with some friends and you cant help but fall back into those conversations and words that you know dont bring gory to God and are down right foul....maybe you need to not hang with those friends.

I honestly believe small groups is the foundation of the church.  It was the foundation of the early church in Acts, and if we as Christians radically change they way we view getting together in small groups and we open up and have those transparent talks and accountability, then start reading the word together, and being prayer warriors, and putting funds together to help anyone in our group in need. Do you not think God will see that and bless that group, and that it would begin to multiply just as the early church did.