The folks from the small group which meets at my house left a little while ago. Our crowd was down a little because three of the families were gone various places. But still we met, we visited, we ate, and we discussed spiritual and daily victory in our lives. All of this occurred in a comfortable atmosphere. I got to wear flip flops and leave my shirttail out. As we discussed our topic, everyone in the room contributed to the conversation, and we all learned something about ourselves and the believers around us. We confirmed some things about our relationship with God by hearing others express similar views. We also were stretched to think in some new ways or were encouraged to find out that we weren't the only one who struggles with certain things.
To me, this is an incredibly important element in living together as a body of believers. The corporate meeting is a necessary element, but it is does not meet every need in believer's lives. As long as we are only spectators, we will not be encouraged to formulate our thoughts in coherent ways that can be expressed to others. The small group discussion, carried out among friends in a friend's living room creates that vital link for the believer to test his thoughts or express his questions in a venue that is loving. To those who might say that we have given up a Sunday night service, I would say that we have gained so much more. We have been given the golden opportunity to examine and practice our faith in an environment that is encouraging. And that is the first step towards actually sharing our faith with those who need to hear it.
Small groups are awesome!
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