Connect with God
and One Another

 

Connection is about deep, abiding relationship. And being connected to God and one another is “what it’s all about.”

 

But the connection Jesus desires with us is not just a one-time, now-and-then thing. Nor is it a superficial, surface-level connection. Jesus desires for us to share together in a deep, ongoing, continual connection with Him and with one another - just as together, branches form a deep, ongoing, continual connection that we call a Vine. In fact, we cannot survive or be fruitful apart from the Vine. But if we “remain” together in Him, we will “bear much fruit” (John 15).

 

Small Groups are places where we as branches remain connected to Jesus, the Vine, in a more real and intimate way. In them, we share in the love, care, and “nutrition” that comes when branches get together and invite the “vine dresser” into their midst.

Put Love 
into Action

 

This kind of connection involves putting love into action - making it real. In fact, Jesus teaches that His disciples will be known primarily bytheir love. And Jesus’s kind of love is more than just warm fuzzy feelings towards one another, or simply desiring good things for one another… although both of these things are parts of Godly love! But love in its fullest sense is Godly action towards another person, rooted in Godly thoughts and feelings. In short, love is viewing and treating others like Jesus would view and treat them. Thus, love finds its expression in relationships - the actual meeting and mingling of souls. And this is exactly what we seek after in Small Groups.

 

In Small Groups, we seek to love one another in this way by encouraging one another, learning more together about God, His Word, and the Spirit-filled life, sharing counsel and comfort with one another amidst trials and hardships, providing for one another as we have need, and even through gently correcting and restoring one another if we ever stray away from this Jesus kind of love.

Grow to Become More

Like Jesus - Inside and Out

 

Apart from being connected to Jesus, it is impossible to be fruitful for God. In fact, the Bible describes us as “dead” outside of Jesus. But when we connect to Jesus and remain in Him, the true Vine, He fills us with His Spirit, and we become alive! We become transformed, and we bear much fruit! And this fruitfulness isn’t something we muster up on our own - in our merely human abilities. And in fact, Jesus gives harsh warnings about the futility of trying to do this apart from him (Matt. 23). This kind of growth only happens when we receive God’s Spirit and partner with Him (Gal. 5). And as we learn to listen and submit to God’s Spirit within us, we continually grow to think, feel, and behave more like Jesus - we become transformed from the inside out (Mat. 7, 12:33-37, 23) - we learn to view and treat others like Jesus would view and treat them - we learn to love in the manner and power of God - we grow in the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the works of Jesus.

 

Thus, Small Groups are places where we cultivate the soil of our lives so that the conditions are optimal for Christ-like growth. We do this by loving one another as described above, learning more about how to hear, trust, and obey the Spirit, journeying deeper into God’s heart through the study of His Word, worshipping together, sharing testimonies with one another, and much more.

Multiply Faith
in our Community


As we grow to become more like Jesus, we begin to share his heart to reach and save the lost, to encourage and comfort the weary, to embolden the lukewarm, and to welcome back and restore the wandering. Jesus came to make disciples of all people. God desires that everybodybe saved to the utmost - that everyone would come to know His love, discover the Spirit-filled life, and join as His ambassadors in His “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5) - that all might be able to share in His eternal Kingdom.

 

Thus, when Small Groups operate at their full potential, they become little colonies of heaven, and Christ-like mission flows out of them. These groups truly become the hands and feet of Jesus, lamps on a stand, cities on a hill, and yeast in the dough.


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More Information

Have questions? Want help connecting to a group?


Alec would be happy to help! Find him in the church on Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays. Or you can give him a call or send him an email.


Alec Stansbery

Director of Adult Discipleship

alec@mytrinity.us

(419) 294-1535  ext. 115