Small Groups

We believe in a rhythm to church life. The rhythm, simply put, is: out onto the frontline, withdraw behind the frontline.

The frontline is the place where we share the gospel and seek to be a blessing to people as Christ's ambassadors. For some people the frontline is their place of work, for others its their family, for still others its school or uni, or community groups. The frontline is where we are most of the time. We spend hours and hours and hours on our frontline.

The frontline is a place where people get wounded. It's also a place of advance. There are both hurts and joys on the frontline. We need to share the joys and be healed from our hurts. This is why we withdraw behind the frontline into our small groups. In our small groups we share with one another about our time on the frontline; we pray for each other; we build each other up through Bible Study; we refresh each other so as to go back to the frontline once again.

Small Group Questions

for Wednesday 25 January 2012
            
Our theme on Sunday morning was: the Christian with attitude, or The
Christian mind.

Ephesians 4:23 ‘made new in the attitude of your mind’

To refresh, check out some of the references to our way of thinking:

• Matthew 15:18–19 (where ‘heart’ = the way of thinking).
• Matthew 16:23.
• Romans 8:5–8, 12:2.
• Colossians 3:2.
• 1 Peter 4:7

Now read again Ephesians 4:17–24

1. What do you think Paul means by these descriptions of theunbelieving mind?

• futile in thinking
• darkened in understanding
• ignorant

2. Can you pool together contemporary examples of the way in which our modern society reveals its inability to ‘think straight’.

3. In what ways is the Christian ‘made new in the attitude of your mind’ — and how is this achieved?

4. Share with one another areas in which we feel most vulnerable to be persuaded by the world around us though programmes, articles, adverts, conversations, designer labels …..?

In the light of this, how can we maintain a ‘clear mind’ and ‘self
control’ ( 1 Peter 4:7)?

5. A question requested by members leaving church on Sunday morning: ‘How can we assess whether we have grown and progressed spiritually from one year to the next?’