Small Groups

{"cards":[{"_id":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10079790,"position":1,"parentId":null,"content":"Small Groups"},{"_id":"79a6c2282d0bf873ae00003a","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10083103,"position":1,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"Proverbs 27:17 ESV – *How do we help each other grow, do the coaching?*\n\nIron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."},{"_id":"79a6bd582d0bf873ae000037","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10079799,"position":2,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV – *How do we encourage one another?*\n\nTherefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."},{"_id":"79a6bfd72d0bf873ae000038","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10079803,"position":2.25,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"Galatians 6:2 ESV – *How do we share burdens (prayerfully)?*\n\nBear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."},{"_id":"79f7a5f6dbfe21b26d000027","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10120092,"position":0.5,"parentId":"79a6bfd72d0bf873ae000038","content":"## STARTER FOR TEN\nThink of a time when you were particularly helped to get hold of an aspect of Christian life or life generally. Who or what helped you, and how?"},{"_id":"79f5f3e3dbfe21b26d00001b","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10120093,"position":1,"parentId":"79a6bfd72d0bf873ae000038","content":"## WAY IN\nREAD Gal. 6:2 ESV\n\"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.\" \n• How do we share burdens?\n"},{"_id":"79f5fa00dbfe21b26d00001c","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10119562,"position":2,"parentId":"79a6bfd72d0bf873ae000038","content":"READ 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV\n\"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.\"\n• How do we encourage one another?"},{"_id":"79f5fd92dbfe21b26d00001d","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10119566,"position":3,"parentId":"79a6bfd72d0bf873ae000038","content":"READ Proverbs 27:17 ESV\n*Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.*\n• How do we help each other grow? Do we need what the world of sports or executives calls coaching?\n"},{"_id":"79a1c0ff2d0bf873ae000034","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10119871,"position":2.5,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"Acts 2:42-47 NIV\n\nAnd they devoted themselves to\n- the apostles’ teaching,\n- to the fellowship,\n- to the breaking of bread, and\n-to the prayers.\n\nThen fear (awe) came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.\n\nNow all the believers were together \n and held all things in common.\n\nThey sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need.\n\nEvery day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and \nbroke bread from house to house.\n\nThey ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, \npraising God and having favour with all the people.\n\nAnd every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.”\n\n-----\n\n*Acts 2:42-47 unearths the expectations of every community of believers.*\n\n------\n\n*1. Apostles' teaching = the Bible*\nGa + Gr in 2\n\n*2. The fellowship = owning the gathering*\nGr\n\n*3. Breaking of bread = remembering Jesus and what He has done. Us as His body.*\nGr\n\n*4. Prayers = worship as well*\nGa? Gr?\n\n*5. Awe and reverence, signs and wonders, expectation of God's presence*\nGa? Gr?\n\n*6. Sold possessions, distributed proceeds = generosity and meeting needs*\nGr\n\n*7. Met in the temple complex, broke bread house to house = Both congregation + house fellowship*\nGa + Gr\n\n### Gathering (Ga) or Group (Gr)?\n\n- What elements only happen in the Gathering?\n- What elements only happen in the Group\n- What elements seem to require both?\n"},{"_id":"79f766cedbfe21b26d000021","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10120094,"position":1,"parentId":"79a1c0ff2d0bf873ae000034","content":"## TURN TO THE WORD\n\n#### Looking at how the first believers responded to their encounter with God.\n\n\"More, Lord!\"\n\n**Acts 2:42-47 NIV**\nAnd they devoted themselves to\nthe apostles’ teaching,\nto the fellowship,\nto the breaking of bread, and\n-to the prayers.\nThen fear (awe) came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.\nNow all the believers were together\nand held all things in common.\nThey sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need.\nEvery day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and\nbroke bread from house to house.\nThey ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude,\npraising God and having favour with all the people.\nAnd every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.”"},{"_id":"79ab6f1e2d0bf873ae00003b","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10119747,"position":2.75,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"*Warren suggests that these purposes are:*\n\n*1. Worship*\n\n*2. Fellowship*\n\n*3. Discipleship*\n\n*4. Ministry (serving), and*\n\n*5. Mission*\n\n*and that they are derived from the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37–40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20).*\n\n## A healthy church intentionally brings balance to all five purposes\n\nA Purpose Driven Church is guided by the five New Testament purposes given to the church by Jesus and are best summarized in two great statements of Jesus: The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37–40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20). These are the developmental stages of spiritual growth that create disciples of Christ.\n\nHealthy churches are always reaching out to those who do not know Christ, bringing them into their fellowship and training them up to be disciples. Those disciples serve in their church and in turn, reach out to others, and so on and so forth — all for the global glory of God. This process is encouraged, developed, and nurtured by the leaders of a healthy church.\n\n### WORSHIP\nHealthy churches grow stronger through worship. We were planned for God’s pleasure. It isn’t just what we do on Sunday that God considers to be worship. So healthy churches help people worship God through every area of their lives, every day of the week. We do everything for God’s glory!\n\n### FELLOWSHIP\nHealthy churches grow warmer through fellowship. There is a heavy emphasis on relationships in purpose driven churches. A church gathers on the weekend to celebrate and set the stage for guests, but then scatters all week long in small groups where biblical community takes place.\n\n### DISCIPLESHIP\nHealthy churches grow deeper through discipleship. We were created to become like Christ, and the local church is God’s instrument of choice to establish a process through which Jesus’ followers can grow spiritually. Growing churches are filled with growing believers.\n\n### MINISTRY\nHealthy churches grow broader through ministry. We are saved to serve each other, so God has given every believer a unique shape – a mixture of spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences – to serve God by serving others. Every member is a minister in a purpose driven church.\n\n### EVANGELISM\nHealthy churches grow larger through evangelism. That is, they put their focus on reaching the next unreached person in their community. And they think beyond their immediate community to the entire world. Growing churches are churches that join Jesus on mission to seek and to save the lost. \n\nA great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a great church."},{"_id":"79a1d0642d0bf873ae000036","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10079766,"position":3,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"Acts 5:42 ESV – *teaching in public gathering + house fellowship*\n\t\nAnd every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.\n\nActs 20:20 ESV\t\nHow I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,"},{"_id":"79a1c2012d0bf873ae000035","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10079797,"position":3.5,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"Hebrews 10:24–25\nAnd let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”\n\n*Hebrews 10:24–25 is a constant reminder that a group leader is to promote “love and good works” through their group, to meet consistently, and to be an encouragement to one another.*"},{"_id":"79a6c1bb2d0bf873ae000039","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10079772,"position":6,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"Matthew 18:20 ESV – *How do we create unity for the Lord to presence Himself?*\n\nFor where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”"},{"_id":"79ac43a82d0bf873ae00003c","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10083244,"position":7,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"*Church health has five facets: every church needs to grow warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry, and larger through evangelism.* \n\n*Most evangelical churches do these five things – sort of. But often not in balance. The balance of all five is a key.*\n\n*These five purposes of the church are commanded by Jesus in the Great Commandment and Great Commission, explained by Paul in Ephesians 4, described in Jesus’ prayer for the church in John 17, and modelled by the first church in Jerusalem.*\n\n*In Acts 2:42-47 these five facets of health are mentioned: They fellowshipped, edified each other, worshipped, ministered, and evangelized. As a result, verse 47 (NIV) says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”*"},{"_id":"79f603bedbfe21b26d00001e","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10119567,"position":8,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":""},{"_id":"79f718c7dbfe21b26d00001f","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10119836,"position":9,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"### NET Bible\n\nActs 2:42   They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, (93)\nto the breaking of bread and to prayer. (94)\n\n43 Reverential awe (95) came over everyone, (96) and many wonders and miraculous signs (97) came about by the apostles.\n\n44 All who believed were together and held (98) everything in common,\n\n45 and they began selling (99) their property (100) and possessions and distributing the proceeds (101) to everyone, as anyone had need.\n\n46 Every day (102) they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, (103) breaking bread from (104) house to house, sharing their food with glad (105) and humble hearts, (106)\n\n47 praising God and having the good will (107) of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day (108) those who were being saved. "},{"_id":"79f774a9dbfe21b26d000022","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10120096,"position":1,"parentId":"79f718c7dbfe21b26d00001f","content":"### NET New English Translation) Bible and translators' notes\n\n**Acts 2:42-47 NET**\n42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, (93)\nto the breaking of bread and to prayer. (94)\n43 Reverential awe (95) came over everyone, (96) and many wonders and miraculous signs (97) came about by the apostles.\n44 All who believed were together and held (98) everything in common,\n45 and they began selling (99) their property (100) and possessions and distributing the proceeds (101) to everyone, as anyone had need.\n46 Every day (102) they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, (103) breaking bread from (104) house to house, sharing their food with glad (105) and humble hearts, (106)\n47 praising God and having the good will (107) of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day (108) those who were being saved.\n\n**NET translators’ notes**\n*Acts 2:42*\n93 sn Fellowship refers here to close association involving mutual involvement and relationships.\n94 tn Grk “prayers.” This word was translated as a collective singular in keeping with English style.\n*Acts 2:43*\n95 tn Or “Fear.”\n96 tn Grk “on every soul” (here “soul” is an idiom for the whole person).\n97 tn In this context the miraculous nature of these signs is implied. Cf. BDAG 920 s.v. σημεῖο2.a.\n*Acts 2:44*\n98 tn Grk “had.”\n*Acts 2:45*\n99 tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive (“began…”). Since in context this is a description of the beginning of the community of believers, it is more likely that these statements refer to the start of various activities and practices that the early church continued for some time.\n100 tn It is possible that the first term for property (κτήματἀ ktēmata) refers to real estate (as later usage seems to indicate) while the second term (ὑπάρξει huparxeis) refers to possessions in general, but it may also be that the two terms are used together for emphasis, simply indicating that all kinds of possessions were being sold. However, if the first term is more specifically a reference to real estate, it foreshadows the incident with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1–11.\n101 tn Grk “distributing them” (αὐτά, auta). The referent (the proceeds of the sales) has been specified in the translation for clarity.\n*Acts 2:46*\n102 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρἀ2.c has “every day” for this phrase.\n103 tn Grk “in the temple.“ This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.\n104 tn Here κατά (kata) is used as a distributive (BDAG 512 s.v. B.1.d).\n105 sn The term glad (Grk “gladness”) often refers to joy brought about by God’s saving acts (Luke 1:14, 44; also the related verb in 1:47; 10:21).\n106 tn Grk “with gladness and humbleness of hearts.” It is best to understand καρδία(kardias) as an attributed genitive, with the two nouns it modifies actually listing attributes of the genitive noun which is related to them.\n*Acts 2:47*\n107 tn Or “the favour.”\n108 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρἀ2.c has “every day” for this phrase."},{"_id":"79f78285dbfe21b26d000023","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10119920,"position":2,"parentId":"79f718c7dbfe21b26d00001f","content":"### What are OUR expectations?\nActs 2:42-47 unearths the expectations of every community of believers."},{"_id":"79f78633dbfe21b26d000024","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10120133,"position":2.5,"parentId":"79f718c7dbfe21b26d00001f","content":"## DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENS, WHERE\n\nKey: Gathering (Ga) or Group (Gr) \n\n1. Apostles’ teaching (= for us, the Bible)\nGa? Gr?\n\n2. The fellowship (= owning the gathering in a more personal, small group, home sized way)\nGA? Gr?\n\n3. Breaking of bread = remembering Jesus and what He has done. Us as His body.\nGA? Gr?\n\n4. Prayers (= includes prayers of adoration, what we would call worship, not just 'asking prayers')\nGa? Gr?\n\n5. Awe and reverence, signs and wonders, expectation of God’s presence\nGa? Gr?\n\n6. Sold possessions, distributed proceeds (= generosity and meeting needs, serving one another)\nGA? Gr\n\n7. Met in the temple complex, broke bread house to house (= Explicit that both congregation + house fellowship meetings were complementary)\nGa? Gr?\n\n- What elements only happen in the bigger Gathering?\n- What elements only happen in the smaller Group\n- What elements seem to require both?\n- How does this challenge our expectation of 'church'? What should we do about it?"},{"_id":"79f78f3fdbfe21b26d000026","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10120134,"position":3,"parentId":"79f718c7dbfe21b26d00001f","content":"## INTERCESSION PRAYER"},{"_id":"79f71c25dbfe21b26d000020","treeId":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","seq":10119733,"position":10,"parentId":"79a1bddd2d0bf873ae000032","content":"### NET translators' notes\n\nActs 2:42\n93\tsn Fellowship refers here to close association involving mutual involvement and relationships.\n\n94\ttn Grk “prayers.” This word was translated as a collective singular in keeping with English style.\n\nActs 2:43\n95\ttn Or “Fear.”\n\n96\ttn Grk “on every soul” (here “soul” is an idiom for the whole person).\n\n97\ttn In this context the miraculous nature of these signs is implied. Cf. BDAG 920 s.v. σημεῖο2.a.\n\nActs 2:44\n98\ttn Grk “had.”\n\nActs 2:45\n99\ttn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive (“began…”). Since in context this is a description of the beginning of the community of believers, it is more likely that these statements refer to the start of various activities and practices that the early church continued for some time.\n\n100\ttn It is possible that the first term for property (κτήματἀ ktēmata) refers to real estate (as later usage seems to indicate) while the second term (ὑπάρξει huparxeis) refers to possessions in general, but it may also be that the two terms are used together for emphasis, simply indicating that all kinds of possessions were being sold. However, if the first term is more specifically a reference to real estate, it foreshadows the incident with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1–11.\n\n101\ttn Grk “distributing them” (αὐτά, auta). The referent (the proceeds of the sales) has been specified in the translation for clarity.\n\nActs 2:46\n102\ttn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρἀ2.c has “every day” for this phrase.\n\n103\ttn Grk “in the temple.“ This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.\n\n104\ttn Here κατά (kata) is used as a distributive (BDAG 512 s.v. B.1.d).\n\n105\tsn The term glad (Grk “gladness”) often refers to joy brought about by God’s saving acts (Luke 1:14, 44; also the related verb in 1:47; 10:21).\n\n106\ttn Grk “with gladness and humbleness of hearts.” It is best to understand καρδία(kardias) as an attributed genitive, with the two nouns it modifies actually listing attributes of the genitive noun which is related to them.\n\nActs 2:47\n107\ttn Or “the favor.”\n\n108\ttn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρἀ2.c has “every day” for this phrase."}],"tree":{"_id":"79a1bdbd2d0bf873ae000030","name":"Small Groups","publicUrl":"small-groups"}}