The food critic (great gig, huh?) on one of the local TV stations used to rate the restaurants on bread (i.e., the food) and circuses (i.e., the atmosphere). What if your small group was rated on bread and circuses?
That idea struck me as I listened to Todd Dugard, the HBC Barrie Senior Pastor, teach on the HBC preaching pillar (Proclaiming the authority of God's word without apology) at Harvest U at the end of April. As Todd talked about the centrality of God's word, it struck me that our small groups need to emphasize bread (God's word) over circuses (i.e., creativity or entertainment value). Certainly we need to create a welcoming atmosphere for small group members. But that cannot be our focus as we prepare to lead the group or during the group meeting.
We need to be combing through God's word in preparation for the meeting. We should teach our small group members to do the same. And we need to make sure our small group meetings don't go too many minutes at one stretch without someone reading from or quoting from God's word.
In Matthew 4 Jesus fought the temptations of Satan with the following: "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" As leaders entrusted with ministry for the King and His kingdom, we must do the same and teach our men to do the same. We must feed on the word of God daily. And we must point the men in our care to feed on the word of God daily and to look to it for direction, answers, comfort, peace and reassurance.
So as your small group meets this next week, make it bread over circuses.
That idea struck me as I listened to Todd Dugard, the HBC Barrie Senior Pastor, teach on the HBC preaching pillar (Proclaiming the authority of God's word without apology) at Harvest U at the end of April. As Todd talked about the centrality of God's word, it struck me that our small groups need to emphasize bread (God's word) over circuses (i.e., creativity or entertainment value). Certainly we need to create a welcoming atmosphere for small group members. But that cannot be our focus as we prepare to lead the group or during the group meeting.
We need to be combing through God's word in preparation for the meeting. We should teach our small group members to do the same. And we need to make sure our small group meetings don't go too many minutes at one stretch without someone reading from or quoting from God's word.
In Matthew 4 Jesus fought the temptations of Satan with the following: "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" As leaders entrusted with ministry for the King and His kingdom, we must do the same and teach our men to do the same. We must feed on the word of God daily. And we must point the men in our care to feed on the word of God daily and to look to it for direction, answers, comfort, peace and reassurance.
So as your small group meets this next week, make it bread over circuses.
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