Home Group Ministry

Small Group Leader lunch

On February 20th we are having a lunch for those involved in leadership in our small group ministry. This includes all leaders and coaches and is extended to those who might want to explore increasing their leadership in some way in our small group ministry.

We will also be scheduling some new group leader training based upon response and need.

Haven't posted in a while

Coming this Fall we will take a fresh look at our Home Group ministry and consider how we can both better support our existing groups and encourage new ones. Joe Burgess

ReDi Group Discussion for April 25, 2010

I remember some years back during questioning for jury service that all of the prospective jurors were asked if a child were hit by a car while on a bike would any of the prospective jurors ever believe that it wasn’t the driver’s fault. There were some in the group that were dismissed because they responded that they could never accept that a driver would be innocent in such a situation.

This week Bob brings us to the heart of Peter’s sermon on Pentecost—one to which 3,000 responded and believed. Yet on that day there were others who didn’t and the number of those others we can only guess at but can easily imagine to be far greater than those who did hear. They all had either seen Christ and known the signs, wonders, and miracles he performed to be true or they had personal testimony from others who had. They had all been presented with the word of God which shows these events to be the fully accomplished premeditated work of God as declared for all to see and hear.

The facts of the case were beyond refuting, as stated in Acts 2:36. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” Yet still some did not respond.

Later, after Paul had responded to these truths, we find him making this same declaration. 1 Corinthians 5:1-8,  Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

The facts stand undisturbed and true today. The difference is that those who were there are no longer here. Yet, we have the centuries of unrefuted testimony standing in Christ’s defense, and many who have gone before us have tried the facts and found them fully substantiated. But still some do not respond.

The Spirit of God opened hearts and minds then, and the same Spirit does so today. It is this same Spirit who made it so that we could grasp, know, and respond to the truths of Christ and His salvation that also guides and directs our growth and our service as followers. Jesus Christ is both—He is both our Savior and our Lord. It is Him who brought salvation to us and it is Him who we are called to daily serve. How are we going to respond?

Joe Burgess

V. ReDi Group question:

1. To what degree to you feel confident that you will spend eternity in heaven with Christ?  Upon what assurance?

2. Point to one area either in your life or your spouse’s life where you have witnessed the resurrection power of Christ’s transforming work.

ReDi Group discussion for the week of February 7th

Probably the most treasured of daily devotionals since before I was born is “Our Daily Bread.” I don’t know how many gazillions of them have been printed and how many hundreds of thousands of people have been touched in some way by it in some way. Another one becoming more popular is “The Word For You Today Daily Devotional.” I just picked up the December-February issue to see a chocolate muffin on its cover. Have you ever stopped to think about the comparisons of the Word of God and the food we daily eat? Have you stopped to think that just as there may be some foods in which you find a sense of comfort because of their history in your life that there are also some passages in God’s Word that touch you in the same way? Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah 15:16 “Thy words were found and I ate them, and Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart.”  And in Psalm 34:8 we read, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”

This week, as Bob is still down with pneumonia, I am filling in for him and will be speaking on one of those comfort passages in my own life.  I won’t tell you what it is yet. Just as I will be encouraging the listeners on Sunday to reflect on one of those special comfort passages in their own lives, I encourage you to do likewise.

I prepared a few guiding questions that you might use in the process as food for thought.

1. What it is about this special passage that is so rich, that touches you to bring you comfort or strength to take the next step?

2. What does this passage tell you about the author of it? What does it teach you about God and how does that teaching help you to put whatever it is that faces you back into perspective?

3. When did this passage become special? How have you seen God’s faithfulness as time has passed, and how does that encourage you in trusting Him today?

These daily devotionals have not remained popular for as long as they have without a reason. In each of them the writer takes you to a passage of Scripture, gives you a story about its special impact on his or her life, and then challenges you to think on it with God throughout the day. The homey way in which they are most often written continues to draw people in just as a favorite meal, and the richness of God’s Word continues to bring richness to our lives as His Spirit moves in our hearts.

Joe Burgess

ReDi Group Disucssion for the week on January 17th

 Rob Robison is filling in for Bob this week and will be taking us to a number of passages as he paints a picture for us from the word of God about God really being in active and in control. In having a launching point Rob for a question asked by many Christians and non-Christians alike Rob has selected Romans 8:28 as the key passage. In Romans 8:28 we read, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

While I have not yet finished looking up the numerous verses that Rob will either reference directly or indirectly, I have enjoyed the study which resulted from those I have looked at so far. Just in the first point of his outline I was impressed once again with the fact that our God is indeed sovereign and that He does know what He is doing. This was true for Joseph when his brothers sold him into slavery seeking to do him harm while God knew the good that He was working. And it was true for His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, who was born into the lowest of situations and endured the harshest of deaths so that man might be saved to an eternal relationship with Himself.

In Deuteronomy 29:29 we read that the secret things belong to God and Him alone. What more could we ask though than to know that the one who works everything to His own purpose is truly good and that His good purpose will be accomplished even if we don’t have much of a clue about what is happening.

I encourage you to take good notes and then go home and dig even deeper. These verses are so important in painting not only a better picture of who our God is but also in encouraging us to trust Him even more when difficult situations arise and appreciate Him in greater ways for each piece of His goodness that we see unfold. These verses are also a powerful resource to tuck into your back pocket as you walk beside others who are similarly struggling.

Joe Burgess

Rob suggested a number of questions (following) that you might consider arising from this study. Take a look at them, select one or two, and then jump right in to a fruitful discussion. "It's all good!"

1. How do we know that all things work together for good?

2. How can God work through evil things for our good and His glory?

3. What is the good towards which all things work? Is this an area of misunderstanding?

4. What are some good things God does through our suffering? Any personal examples?

5. How does Romans 8:28 help you overcome fear, worry, and depression?

Sermon for November 29th

This week Bob is out of town for Thanksgiving and I have been given the privilege of filling in for him. It was a difficult decision as to what to speak about when not having done so in a couple of years. But as I worked through various passages and looked at a number of possibilities I came back to one of my greatest passions and that is the ability of the Word of God to change lives as people are submitted to the work of the Holy Spirit. The primary passage of focus is 2 Timothy 3:16-17 which is absolutely packed in just a few small words with the power of the Word to change lives.

Sometimes I think I am more like a bee than a termite. What I mean by that is a termite is largely content to dig into one food source and stay there for a long time, taking that single source for every bit of nourishment it contains. A bee, however, enjoys digging deeply, but digging deeply in a number of places. In preparing for this message I found that I bounced around quite a bit, which may be hard to follow for some. But at the same time, since the subject it really about the totally profitable Word of God, I felt it appropriate to express some of that breadth as the picture was being knit together. For those like me who are note takers I have prepared a handout listing all of the references.

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture is “inspired” or “God-breathed.” The more accurate translation is the later one—“god-breathed.” This means that it is from God and not man, and as such is not subject to the tweaking of man to suit his own desires. It is the Word of God and this word is, we are told, “profitable.” I find that I am not much of a fiction reader because I don’t find in it something profitable to take out and use, but give me something to use and I am right there with paper, pencil and highlighter. God’s Word is profitable, and in that it is profitable in a way that no other written text can claim.

If is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. We see here a pattern of not only giving us information, but information that is useful in shaping us into the image of Christ as we have our minds renewed and consistently put off old behaviors and put on those that reflect who we are created to be—more and more becoming more and more mature. Then in verse 17 we read that the result of this is that we then become useful by God for His service—fully equipped by Him.

The theme of the message is that Jesus Christ is our Wonderful Counselor, His Word is the vital and living resource, and the Holy Spirit is the unlimited change agent. There are a lot of voices out there contending for our minds and giving us advice. The real question for all of us is which ones are we going to listen to. The Word of God tells us that there really is only one worthy of our trust.

Joe Burgess

ReDi Group Discussion: I have prepared a number of questions for people to consider when it comes to dealing with trials. It might be good for you in your group to talk about them and how doing similarly has helped in a recent struggle or might help in one you are going through right now.

Considerations for change

1. Have you said “yes” to Jesus and believed in Him alone for your salvation?

2. Are you listening to His leading in your life? How is your walk with God right now? Are you spending regular time praying, reading and meditating on His Word?

3. Are you regularly engaged with other believers in such a way that they can know what is going on in your life and encourage you in walking through it?

4. And, if necessary, have you given thought to seeking out some godly wise counsel?

ReDi Group Discussion for the week of November 15th

There are no wasted words in the introduction to the book of Acts. This week Bob with draw our attention to five points which Luke makes about Jesus in the first five verses. In the middle of these verses we find Luke pointing to the historical proofs that what Jesus had said would happen after His crucifixion really did happen. For 40 days he appeared numerous times to as many as 500 people, and these people lived for a number of years after Christ’s ascension. And no one cracked—the story held. Were that many people really deceived? Not a chance.

As a college student I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, and I had a dream of speaking to other students like some of the guys I admired. Leading the apologetics (or arguments for the gospel) movement on the college campuses at that time was Josh McDowell, and by that time he had already published his book, Evidence That Demands A Verdict. In it he had one outline after another for talks or messages with all of the research for students like me to do their own background work. This was gold to me. And one of my favorites was the outline for Jesus either being Lord, liar, or lunatic. With the claims that Jesus made during his ministry here on earth there is no other option. There is no half way. He either is who He said He is or He isn’t, and if He isn’t then there really had to be something wrong him—a man who would go to that extreme for something that wasn’t true. And to take it to another level He would have had to pull in all of those 500 witnesses into the delusion, a scam which would have required none of them cracking or realizing their error prior to their deaths. This does not even take into account how much of what Jesus did was foretold hundreds of years before He was even born.

A number of notable individuals have come to these claims as skeptics, and have tried to prove that Jesus Christ was not who he claimed to be. And one after another they each came to know Jesus for who He claimed to be—with no middle ground or compromise. These men include such sharp minds as C.S. Lewis and Lee Strobel. Apologetics is lost on many of us today, maybe because we don’t know the Bible well enough to make an intelligent argument or maybe because we don’t want to confront anyone even if it is done reasonably.

One of my favorite guys on the radio is Ravi Zacharias, probably because he has taken the time to take the arguments of Scripture and confront the lives of people even at the highest levels of our educational institutions, and I love listening to how his mind works as God uses him to open peoples’ eyes.

The proofs of Christ resurrection are the hinge pin of the proof of our faith. If Jesus did not rise from the dead then He is not who He said He is and we have no hope of eternal life. But Luke tells us that there were “many convincing proofs,” and the verdict is in. Jesus Christ is Lord. But we all need to realize that even knowing all of the facts will not change a hard heart or open closed eyes apart from the Holy Spirit going before us. It is for that reason the Jesus told even the first hand witnesses to wait until they receive the power of the Holy Spirit which was soon to come.

Joe Burgess

Here are the questions Bob has prepared for this week:

VI. ReDi Group Questions:

1. Can you think back on a time when a Christian you knew did something that caused you to think differently of Christians?  What was it?  Have you ever done anything that now, you wished you had never done as a Christian because it put Jesus or Christianity in a bad light.  If so, have you done anything to rectify your error?
2.  Before coming to Christ, did you know of any Christians who talked the talk, but did not walk the walk?  Did their actions delay your coming to Christ.
3. If you were called upon to suffer execution for your faith, what is it about your relationship with God that would make you willing to die for your faith, even though you may not necessarily want to die?
4. Have you ever been excited about an event or scared of an event that was coming up, and you were told that you had to wait an indeterminate period of time before that event arrived?  How did you respond?

ReDi Group Discussion for the week of November 8th

This week we move from Titus to Acts with an introduction to where we will be studying next. Bob introduces us to the author, what we know of him and his unique position to author both the gospel of Luke and Acts. He shares with us their connectedness and their continuity as he sets the ground for how we will approach this incredible record of the apostles and early followers of Christ, their work in birthing the early church, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Acts as we know it is an unfinished book, but as we also know God didn’t stop working when the New Testament authors died. God is just as alive, powerful, and active in the lives of His people now as then and as He has been for all time. Just before His ascension Jesus told his followers to remain where they were for a time, and that He would soon be sending forth the promise of His Father upon them and then they would be clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49). The book of Matthew ends with these words, “and lo, I am with you always to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). John records for us a promise saying, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be with you” (John 13:16-17). Then in Acts 1:8 we read the promise of coming Helper, “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” And in Acts 2 we read the account of the coming Helper fulfilled. Scripture may be written now for all time, but the record of how this promise and this coming is still unfolding in the lives of the church and its individual members even today and will until the time of Christ’s return. His promises endure forever and cannot be thwarted in any way, shape or form.

ReDi group question

Like the early church, we go through phases.  Which phase do you think you’re in now?  Birthing or scattering?  What characteristics of either of these phases describe your life?  Who is reading your life’s version of Acts?  What would they say they learning from your life about what it means to grow in Christ?

ReDi Group Dicussion for the week of November 1st

 I would like to thank Tim and Debbe Zietlow before all of you for the work they have done in strengthening and growing small groups here at Calvary Crossroads. Last night was a good time of coming together as we were encouraged in this incredible opportunity we have to build into one another’s lives as we then reach outside our groups in other areas of service, sharing and caring.

By the way, last night Tim gave me credit for the questions you have each week. I have an important correction to that. After putting together the sermon for each week Bob takes the extra time to formulate the questions for the groups. I just get the privilege of seeing them and the sermon early, occasionally making a suggested change, and then getting to share them along with a few thoughts through this forum.

So, here goes this week’s thoughts….

This week as Bob again brings a message to us from the letter to Titus we find that it is the last one on the subject (at least for now). In his concluding sermon on this brief letter Bob brings our attention to a larger theme in the letter – that of good works, and in particular a look at a few people mentioned who had shown their good works through their faithful service.

When we put in place the small group structure that is encouraged here at Crossroads we did so desiring that at least five elements would mark each group meeting on a regular basis. These five are:

·   RELATIONAL DISCIPLESHIP TOPICS. By asking the 10 questions we provide an opportunity to delve into how the group members are doing in their own spiritual walk and development while also providing an opportunity to encourage one another in areas of struggle or setback.

·   BIBLE OR TOPICAL STUDY. Group time is more than a brief sharing of things on someone’s mind or a disconnected time of reading a book or studying a passage. It is crucial that we be people of God and of His Word, and as such it is important that we study what He has given to us – His Word.

·   SHARING OUR STORY. Caring deeply for one another means getting to know each other on an increasingly deeper basis. We need to provide those opportunities to not only share what God has done in our lives, but also to be current enough to encourage one another in what He is doing right now. Being open and regular in giving members opportunities for this builds not only intimacy with one another, but also with our God as we share together in His faithfulness.

·   OUTREACH/BIRTHING/MINISTRY. This may actually be the most neglected of most groups’ lives. As we walk with each other we need to constantly encourage one another in our faithful service to God, whether that be in the church, in our community, or between one another as we walk with Christians and non-Christians in the place God has put us.

·   PRAYER . We need to always be mindful that the One who gives us this relationship with one another is the One who gave us His Son so that we would have a restored relationship with Himself. Prayer is simply our communicating with and taking time to listen to our incredible God. All of the aspects of group life that precede this matter because He has made Himself known to us and expects us to spend time with Him. In a group setting we have the privilege of doing this together as we uphold one another before Him.

The church in Crete had a lot of problems, but Paul had an even greater hope. He closes his letter focusing on that hope reminding the Cretan believers that they need to be about sharing together in the salvation He had given to each one of them as they continually engaged in good deeds as a consequence of not only obedience but of their great appreciation.

Joe Burgess

ReDi Group Discussion

1. To what extent are you a good steward of what God has given you, investing your time, your efforts, and your money in those who are anxious to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth?  What can you demonstrate from your life in the past month that would indicate that you take this seriously, as a follower of Christ?

2. Can you point to the last time you made yourself available to Christ when it wasn’t convenient to your previously made plans?

Keep in mind, God does not ask us to be brilliant or beautiful, but longs for us to be available.  Not famous, but faithful.

3. What friendships have you developed through serving in a ministry together with someone else?

4. What is your attitude toward returning monies to the Lord that are already His, but He has placed in your stewardship for the furtherance of the Gospel?

ReDi Group Discussion for the week of October 25th

This week Bob is moving us closer to wrapping up our look at what to do when a brother sins, before we ever get to the point that we might reject him from our fellowship because of his insistence on continuing in sin. This time Bob is taking us to the very heights of leadership in the church – the elders themselves. This topic is dealt with specifically in 1 Timothy 5:19-22 where we read, “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.”

In looking at this passage it is broken down into its various subtopics with the first being that of when or when not the other elders are to even listen to an accusation against one of the elders. With their greater responsibility in the church often comes a greater tendency to be attacked, and for that reason accusations are to be dealt with more carefully. Scripture is pretty clear that in this case there has to be more than one who can attest to what has transpired. This doesn’t even get into what steps the individual(s) who might want to bring the accusation have gone through prior to this point. We always need to be mindful that our efforts need to be about not only protecting the flock but also restoring the erring brother to a correct walk. God holds elders to a higher standard in a sense and provides them with some greater protection.

Clearly we are not to ignore the sin of an elder once it is found to be true and persistent. If he refuses to repent and get back on track, then he needs to be removed from his position and dealt with appropriately in light of everything else we have already looked at. Again there is a lesson here not only for the whole congregation but in particular for the other elders of just what an important role they fill in the health of God’s churches, speaking here of the individual fellowships such as ours.

This is an important instruction and there is no one who is above it or exempt from examination. Paul tells Timothy that these things are to be practiced without bias or partiality. There is to be no “good old boys club” in any Christ-centered, Word-based church of God. And at the same time those appointed to the role of elder need to show that they really should be there, as we see in the final instruction that no one is to be appointed too hastily and thus be party to leading others astray because of immaturity or carelessness.

As the apostles died, the elders were left with the responsibility for overseeing and shepherding the churches left behind until Christ returns. It is a great responsibility and Scripture states over and over again that these men need to be regarded properly in their role. But their role is not, to be very clear on this, a distant and cold autocracy sitting on high looking down their noses at all under them. Elders are servants of Christ and servants of His church given a charge to care diligently for it in all ways just as Christ would do Himself. And the example of Christ is that He gave His life for His church.

Having served here at Crossroads for 11 years in this role and in a previous church as well, I know there are days and even seasons when elders can grow frustrated and weary (and might even need a break), but at the same time I know full well that it is something that God designed for His church and He brings joy and the strength to endure to those who are called and who take up the challenge. 1 Timothy 3:1 says, “It is a trustworthy statement: If any man aspires to the office of overseer [elder], it is a fine work he desires to do.”

Joe Burgess

1.    When you look back over this series on resolving conflicts caused by sin, what did you learn that you had never understood before? Has it made a difference in the way you listen to or help people in conflict? If so, how?

2.    Without naming names, can you share when a church you were a part of mishandled the discipline of a leader? What Biblical principle was violated?

3.    Can you recall a time when a church you were a part of handled the discipline of a church leader in a Biblical manner? What was the end result?