Depth in Community — Growth Breakout Session

August 19, 2006

Drew Leaver and Rowland Forman led this breakout session during the Life Group Leadership Workshop today.

1 Timothy 4:16
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
What is depth?
The third dimension.
Perspective or the sense of distance from an observation point: linear perspective in painting.
The degree of richness or intensity: depth of color
[Also referring to: Intellectual complexity; the penetration of an idea; the range of one's understanding; complete detail.]

Goal is to create perspective on what God is calling us to do. Add perspective, intensity, richness. There is more to this life.

  1. Remember people’s problems and prayers.
    • Bring the idea of the night back to real life.
      Tie it in to what the group is wrestling with in their own lives.
  2. Let it marinate.
    • use the week to reflect and consider what the last sermon means for you. Let the passages and the big idea of the study sink in.
  3. Make it personal.
    • Lead by example. Your group will only be as personal as you are, as deep as you area, and as authentic as you are. If you want them to make it personal, show them that you have.

Getting familiar with the Word of God

Rowland suggests:

  1. Spiritual showers, i.e. “Daily office”

    See Ephesians 5 and the “washing of scripture”. Read the scriptures with assistance of a program. Discipleship Journal has some great Bible reading plans. The One Year Bible (NIV) is a great tool as well.

  2. Spiritual spa baths

    Memorize and meditate on a specific scripture passage until you are living that passage. Let it marinate in your life.

How do you balance “pop-culture Christianity” answers with Biblical truth? Tie the lessons to people’s problems and prayers.

Here’s an idea: start the night talking about what God is doing in each other’s lives so that you can apply the lesson to each person. Get the community invested in each other.

Creating tension/uncomfort can be good.

Might want to prep the group earlier in the week with a selected scripture verse/passage or maybe an idea that relates to the lesson.

Sermon Based Studies are now know as Life Group Lessons. These will be posted the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. These are guides. Steal these ideas and personalize them for your group. Capture the problems and prayers of the group. Base the study on these needs.

Preview: In January 2007, there will be a sermon series that all Life Group’s will be asked to study.

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