• All Sites:
  • Pastors
  • Leadership
  • Kids Ministry
  • Student Ministry
  • Groups Ministry
  • Women's Ministry
  • Worship Ministry
Lifeway

Group Ministry

Conversations on Group Practices

  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Bible Study Insider
  • Groups Resources
  • Free Bible Teaching
Church Leadership
November 30, 2018

25 Advent Verses to Reflect On With Your Family This Christmas

By Caroline Case

Instead of slipping candy canes in your Advent calendar boxes, fill your 25 days with Scripture. Below are Bible verses to open and unwrap each day, all glorifying the One whom Christmas is about. Try getting the whole family involved by starting a Scripture memory contest each day. In need of an advent calendar? Visit your local Lifeway store.

  1. Isaiah 40:9-11

9 Zion, herald of good news, go up on a high mountain. Jerusalem, herald of good news, raise your voice loudly. Raise it, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 See, the Lord God comes with strength,and his power establishes his rule. His wages are with him, and his reward accompanies him. 11 He protects his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in the fold of his garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.

  1. John 1:9

The true light that gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

  1. Isaiah 7:14

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

  1. Numbers 24:17

I see him, but not now; I perceive him, but not near. A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will smash the forehead of Moab and strike down all the Shethites.

  1. 1 Peter 1:19-20

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was revealed in these last times for you.

  1. Galatians 4:4-5

4 When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

  1. Micah 5:2

Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.

  1. John 7:42

Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David’s offspring and from the town of Bethlehem, where David lived?

  1. Genesis 3:15

I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

  1. Isaiah 40:3-5

3 A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4 Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth and the rough places, a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will appear, and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

  1. Isaiah 11:1-5

1 Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight will be in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, he will not execute justice by what he hears with his ears, 4 but he will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with a scepter from his mouth, and he will kill the wicked with a command from his lips. 5 Righteousness will be a belt around his hips; faithfulness will be a belt around his waist.

  1. Zechariah 6:12-13

12 You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is a man whose name is Branch; he will branch out from his place and build the Lord’s temple. 13 Yes, he will build the Lord’s temple; he will be clothed in splendor and will sit on his throne and rule. There will also be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them.

  1. John 1:10-13

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

  1. John 1:14

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

  1. Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” 35 The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

  1. Luke 1:39-45

39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! 43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”

  1. Luke 1:46-56

46 And Mary said: My soul praises the greatness of the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy. 50 His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. 51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. 53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors. 56 And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

  1. Luke 1:57-66

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. 59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother responded, “No. He will be called John.” 61 Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” 62 So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote: “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

  1. Matthew 1:18-21

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

  1. Matthew 1:22-23

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

  1. Luke 2:4-7

4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

  1. Matthew 2:1-2

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”

  1. Luke 2:25-35

25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, 29 Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel. 33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary: “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed—35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

  1. Isaiah 9:2-5

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. 4 For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as you did on the day of Midian. 5 For every trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire.

  1. Isaiah 9:6

For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s smallgroup.com and custom Bible study teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in English at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.
Group Leadership
May 2, 2018

Three Ways to Keep Your Groups From Dying This Summer

By Caroline Case

As the springtime pollen settles and the summer sun starts to scorch, it’s tempting to allow that summer heat to affect your small groups, too. With vacations and conferences, camps and family reunions, summertime is notorious for poor small group attendance. Yet with the proper attitude and the gusto to plan ahead, below are three ways to keep your groups from dying this summer: 

  1. Plan ahead.

I try to live by the Boy Scout motto, “Always Be Prepared.” And its effectiveness has proven true! For example, when you invite someone to an event such as a wedding, you send out invitations three months in advance so you will increase your odds of more people showing up. The same is true for your small groups: if you provide your group members with your summertime plans—whether that be a new book, an online Bible study, or a group camping trip—the better odds you’ll have that members will prioritize your group on their calendars.

  1. Emphasize the importance of year-round discipleship.

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean we have to get spiritually stagnant. In the same vein of being prepared, try giving a three- to five-minute “blurb” to your group about why you plan on keeping up with meetings over the summer months. Get philosophical, if you must. Because unlike summer, discipleship doesn’t take any breaks. If group members see that you prioritize your ministry, they might prioritize their attendance. 

  1. Have fun.

Some of my fondest memories come from my college small group in the summer at my home church. I looked forward to attending every summer because my primary community came from this small group. Because we could have fun with one another, we could trust one another with our vulnerable moments. Terry hosted “kickball Mondays,” where we’d play (pretty competitively) and go out to dinner afterwards. And when it was time to have our Bible study, Pam would bake chocolate chip cookies. My leaders created a relaxed environment, which enabled us to open up more.

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s smallgroup.com and custom Bible study teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in English at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.

Group Leadership
April 17, 2018

Don’t Glorify Your Busyness: An Appeal to Community

By Caroline Case

In an age where Google provides us with all the answers, texting becomes easier than talking, and the number of followers we have on Instagram dictates our level of popularity, the adjective we could most easily use to describe our lifestyle is: “busy.”


“I won’t make it to worship service, I’m busy with errands.” 

“I don’t have enough time to read my Bible this evening, I’m busy with the family.”

“I can’t go to small group this evening, I’m too busy with work.”

Busy, busy, busy.

We Millenials have elevated our busyness to be a status symbol. The busier you are, the more important you are. The more texts you can’t respond to, the more popular you must be. The harder you are to reach, the more you’re wanted. Supply and demand, I guess.

Ironically, one of the reasons we need small groups is because they serve as the antidote to our busyness. Despite your busy schedule, below are three reasons you need to keep “penciling in” your local body of believers.

  1. Small groups force us to know each other at a deeper level. One of the temptations of busyness is the descent into superficiality. Yet when we go to small group, we are given the opportunity to confess our sins and open our hearts to discipleship. Small groups encourage us to be vulnerable. When we’re surrounded by some of the closest people in our lives, the ability to hide is nearly impossible.
  1. Small groups help us reorient our priorities. They remind us of Who comes first. When we make it a point to attend a weekly group, we are consistently reminded of why we gather every week. By putting us in direct contact with God’s Word and fellowship with other believers, the small group gatherings themselves emphasize the importance of discipleship.
  1. Small groups put us in a position to hear from God, and to live out what really matters. Small groups directly counter self-centered living by having us open Scripture, study God’s words, and take on Jesus’ lifestyle. Small groups put us in the position to not only absorb truth, but also to go and live out what we believe. We are able to spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24)—this includes serving our community.

The temptation to hide behind our schedules—to distract ourselves so we don’t deal with our sin and our sainthood—is a real one. But it’s a temptation that gets a little less strong the more we spend time in community with other believers.

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s SmallGroup.com and Discipleship in Context teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in English at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.

Church Leadership, Group Leadership
March 5, 2018

Why You Should Customize Your Bible Studies 

By Caroline Case

Choosing the best Bible study for your small group is like trying to find the pair of shoes that fit just right. You need a Bible study that will both support your members and enable them to go the distance in their faith journey. Lifeway offers a myriad of Bible studies for groups of all shapes and sizes, but there’s one brand that’s sure to fit your group just right.

Smallgroup.com is an online subscription service that offers customizable, discussion-driven, and video-enhanced studies to fit your church’s needs, preferences, and tastes. With a library of over 3,000 Bible studies, if our website doesn’t have a study you need, then the team at smallgroup.com will write one for you—custom. Our studies enable you to customize your discussion for any small group to have a discipleship experience consistent with your church’s vision. Our team has a passion to serve the people of God in their mission of making disciples, and we strive to do that by providing the best online tool for building the highest quality Bible studies for small groups.

So what are the benefits of a customizable Bible study? Below are three factors to consider when choosing your next study to enhance your group experience:

  1. Customizable Bible studies are personalizable. These studies fit the context of your specific church. Every church is different, and customizable studies provide the flexibility to both edit and enhance your group experience.
  2. Customizable Bible studies incorporate the specific vision and mission of the church in connection with the Scriptures. Although our commitment to Scripture is our first priority, we realize that there are multiple tools that can supplement your time in the Word of God. Smallgroup.com‘s studies are written by seminary-trained, degree-laden professionals from Lifeway Christian Resources. Everything we publish has the “stamp of approval” of being biblically accurate and theologically sound. You shouldn’t settle for less in your Bible studies.
  3. Customizable Bible studies that are supplemental to the sermon give the church a cohesive topic to study together. Through discipleshipincontext.com, we offer a subscription service that writes sermon series that align with your church’s messages. This lends to greater focus for discipleship within the church, especially when including studies for youth and children.

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s SmallGroup.com and Discipleship in Context teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in English at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.

Group Leadership, Uncategorized
February 27, 2018

How to Know When to Quit Your Small Group

By Caroline Case

The decision to quit your small group is a difficult one. I have faced this decision before, and the people pleaser in me shuddered at the thought of announcing my departure—especially to a group I have grown to love, with women who have encouraged me in my spiritual walk.

So how do you know if you should quit your small group? How do you know when “it’s time”? Below are five indicators of when you need to move on.

  1. If you’re no longer “growing.” We should not confuse small groups with churches. One of the biggest grievances against the Millennial generation (and rightly so) is our church unfaithfulness. As soon as the worship starts to get dull, or the preaching gets a little uncomfortable, or the pastor asks us to tithe—we bolt. This is a separate matter entirely from the small group. Robert Tew once said, “Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” While this quote misses entirely the point of servant leadership, a small truth can be gleaned from it: walk away from a small group where you are no longer growing. If you start to feel stagnant, complacent, or unchallenged, maybe it’s time you consider a new group where you are discipled and you become the best “you” you can be.
  2. Follow the 2- to 3-year “rule.” While this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, small groups by nature are transient. We weren’t made to stay in the same place forever. Eventually, when new seasons of life come, you move on to a new set of friends. You change jobs. You change schools. You change social circles. It’s natural. It’s healthy. It’s part of the cyclical nature of life. The same is true of small groups. If you’ve been in a group for a few years, consider some new people you could minister to, or vice versa.
  3. If the group isn’t rooted in Scripture. This is a big one. The longer a small group is together, the more tempting it is for group members to become comfortable with one another—and complacent in their study. They move on to self-help books rather than books of the Bible. Prayer requests become gossip exchanges. “Catching up” is confused for “discipleship.” If any or all of these habits have become common practice in your small group, move on.
  4. Question your motives. If you feel the desire to leave, let’s not place all the blame on your small group. Maybe it’s you that has changed. Ask yourself: Why am I in this group? What do I hope to gain? What are the pros and cons of staying? Question your motives. If your motives aren’t based in your spiritual growth, maybe you need to move on and adopt new motives.
  5. Set a new goal. With the first two months of the new year nearly behind us, take a personal inventory of your New Year’s Resolutions. How have you been progressing? What have you been slacking in? Where have you been compromising your values? Most importantly, how has your discipleship experience changed since the New Year? If you’re not satisfied with the answers to these questions, it’s time to adjust your habits to reflect your values—or it’s time to set an even better goal for the remainder of the year.

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s SmallGroup.com and Discipleship in Context teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in English at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.

Group Leadership
February 20, 2018

How to Avoid Gossip in Your Small Group

By Caroline Case

Anyone who’s honest with you will tell you, gossip feels good. Gossip feels good when we’re bored. Gossip feels good when we’re insecure. Gossip feels good when we’re lonely. Whenever I gossip, the motive is always to tear the other person down so that I look better. It’s a cry for help, if you ask me. Gossip says, “I’m not confident enough in my own skin and who God has created me to be that I feel the need to put His other members of creation down.” It’s not only sinful, but it’s also isolating.

Because small groups are composed of, well, humans, and human nature tends toward the sinful, we need to be doubly cautious of our predilection to gossip. Below are a few tips to keep gossip out of your small group.

  1. Establish your group as a safe space. As a small group leader, you need to remind your members that this group is a safe space—a place where the weary can come and be refreshed, the weak can be made strong, and the doubtful can walk away hopeful. Gossip tends to come from a place of insecurity, where the gossiper doesn’t feel safe in their own skin that they feel the need to criticize someone else’s. When your group members know that the group is a safe space, they are less likely to gossip—they know they have nothing to prove.
  2. Keep prayer requests strictly prayer requests. Prayer requests tend to be the perfect inconspicuous place to hide gossip. “We need to pray for Sarah because she’s going through a lot right now…” “John got caught doing…so let’s keep him in our prayers…” If a prayer request begins to sound like an indictment against another person, you as the leader need to steer the conversation back to prayer. A few guidelines may include not sharing last names, specific places, or certain situations. If the prayer request begins to sound like a judgment, shut that conversation down quickly!
  3. Keep each other accountable. Small groups welcome deep discussions, but if a deep discussion turns political or personal—particularly personal about someone not present within the group—remind group members why they are all there. Pivot back to Scripture or the biblical topic at hand. Your group discussion should always point people back to God’s Word.

If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. – James 1:26, CSB

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s SmallGroup.com and Discipleship in Context teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in English at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.

Group Leadership
December 19, 2017

If Jesus Was Santa Claus: Approaching Perfectionism in Your Small Group

By Caroline Case

Like most Americans this past week—in hopes of amping up my Christmas cheer—I began decorating my house for December 25th. Naturally, Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” was on the holiday decorating playlist. But as I listened to the music, I began to hear the lyrics differently. Although I didn’t grow up in a house that preached “Santa,” I never questioned the veracity of the lines:

He’s making a list, he’s checkin’ it twice, 

He’s gonna find out whose naughty or nice

Santa Claus is coming to town

I never believed in Santa, but I found this man’s desire to “check his list” for the good kids and the bad kids absolutely plausible. Why wouldn’t the good kids deserve toys and the bad kids deserve coal? That’s called justice.

And now, twenty years later listening to the song, I began to wonder, “What if Jesus had a list?” Turns out He does.

“And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:15, CSB

God’s got His own list of names, and the placement of your name determines the status of your eternal destination. But thankfully, Jesus manages His list a lot differently than Santa Claus. Santa knows if I’ve been bad or good, erasing my name if I don’t meet his standard. Jesus never erases my name because He met the standard for me and paid the price for my own shortcomings.

“In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.” – Revelation 3:5, CSB.

I can confidently say that my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life—not because of anything that I’ve done, but because I have trusted in the Lamb that was slain for me. I laugh at the thought that I could ever scribble my worn, sinful name onto His holy list.

And yet sometimes in our small groups, we unintentionally preach perfectionism. At times, we view God as the Big Man Upstairs who’s checking His list, separating the rule followers from the rule breakers. Hear the accusation in this holiday tune:

He knows if you’ve been bad or good

You better be good for goodness’ sake

Can you imagine if Jesus were more like Santa? What if He’s looking down from heaven, waiting to cross our names off His list when we sin? This Christmas, as group leaders we have the opportunity to seriously question some of the core beliefs we have about God—and how we communicate them to our group members. Do we really preach grace? Do we subconsciously think God expects perfection? Do we think God is keeping score? How can we better preach the God of second chances and erasers?

How much more enriched would our small groups be if we reminded our group members of the freedom that is imperfection? Of the freedom that is grace? We can remind them of the spotless Lamb who came down to save us from ourselves.

And finally, when we no longer live aiming for perfection, we can aim a little higher. Jesus knows our every thought and move. Jesus “knows if we’ve been bad or good,” but by His grace, we are good for His sake—not goodness’ sake.

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s SmallGroup.com and Discipleship in Context teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in English at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.

Group Leadership
August 22, 2017

How to Address a National Disaster in Your Small Group

By Caroline Case

Race is back in the headlines. Your church members, friends, and co-workers are probably all divided over the tragedy that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia. You have probably already ranted on Facebook, posted on Twitter, or argued with someone over the dinner table.

But have you been quiet about it?

Have you taken the time to process, to evaluate, and to question? Below are a few steps small group leaders can take to promote humility and honest, informed discourse over the cultural crisis currently haunting our hearts.

1. Open the Floor

One of the worst things you can do as a small group leader is to ban discussion. Your small group members are probably anxious to talk about what took place in Charlottesville, so open the floor for discourse. They’re probably wanting to discuss which pastor tweeted what, and which “side” they should stand on (Do we blame Black Lives Matter alongside the KKK? Are evangelicals at all to blame for white supremacy? Are there any Christians who agree with the protestors in Charlottesville? What’s the relationship between politics and religion?). Begin the group with the opportunity for others to gently and compassionately express their opinions.

2. Keep It Positive

Keep it positive by monitoring the discussion and withholding accusation. It’s really easy to point out the bad guy. It’s really easy to blame someone, because black-and-white thinking provides us with accessible answers. Yet as we have seen, we live in a world of gray—a world where people claim to represent a belief system but have strayed far from it. A world where hatred can be so tangible, it comes in the form of blood and bruises. In curses to our brothers. In burnt flags. In vehicles that won’t stop. But no matter who your cultural enemy is: don’t accuse them. Bring the hope of the gospel to bear on the conversation.

The will of God, to which the law gives expression, is that men should defeat their enemies by loving them. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

3. Pray and Be Quiet

Oftentimes it is a far braver thing to not respond than to respond. Both before and after we discuss the protestors in Charlottesville, we must pray. And in our prayer, we must be silent. We must hold our tongues. We must seek His face. We must beg for answers. We must listen for His response.

Men think that it is impossible for a human being to love his enemies, for enemies are hardly able to endure the sight of one another. Well, then, shut your eyes—and your enemy looks just like your neighbor. – Søren Kierkegaard

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s SmallGroup.com and Discipleship in Context teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.

Group Leadership
August 9, 2017

When Your Small Group Decides to Fast

By Caroline Case

No matter the season, fasting is a spiritual discipline that many small groups have either chosen to ignore or do so without the proper context.

I have always marveled at the concept of fasting in 21st century consumerist America. As a little girl, my church made a big deal about fasting, but I saw many participants of these fasts misinterpret the true meaning of what it means to go hungry before God.

This often played itself out in “humble bragging.” For example, “I can’t go out to eat, I’m fasting,” or “Don’t tempt me with that banana. I’m fasting,” or better yet, “I can’t hang out with you—I’m going to a special celebration service for our church-wide fast. You see, we’re all fasting.” I never really respond when I hear these answers. While I nod my head in agreement, internal conviction shakes its weary head.

Jesus clearly shares His heart about a biblical fast in Matthew 6:16-17.

16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.

From this passage, we gain three truths about fasting.

1. Fasting is for you, not for God.

God doesn’t need your fast. You are not giving up a cheeseburger for His name. The act of fasting is one of running to God to meet all of your needs—not the other way around.

Much like tithing, God doesn’t need our resources—He wants them, because where our resources are, that’s where our heart is (Matt. 6:21). And that’s all God is after—our hearts.

Don’t think you are doing God a favor by not eating. What you accomplish while fasting is the establishment of an ever-increasing reminder of your desperate longing for Father God. You are reminded of your need for Him at every stomach grumble.

2. Fasting must be done in silence and secrecy.

Although fasting can be done corporately, such as with your church or small group, those outside of the fast do not need to know you are practicing the spiritual discipline.

Verse 16 is the key rebuke of Jesus’ fasting command: the hypocrites fast “so they will be noticed by men when they are fasting.” Although Jesus is addressing the Pharisees, known for altering their appearance as they entered the temple to look like they were “suffering for God,” the context can be extended to modern times: if you are hungry, save your fasting complaints and anecdotes for another day.

Aside from being unbiblical, sharing about your fast takes away from the intimacy you have with the One for whom you are fasting. Jesus acknowledges the beauty in privacy in verse 18:  “So that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Note the words, “your Father who is in secret.” Your relationship with God is yours and His alone, not your spouse’s, not your parents’, not your church’s, not your friends’.

3. Fasting is trading.

Fasting is one of the most misinterpreted spiritual disciplines in the church. Many believers view fasting as a giving up of food or television, yet they stop there. They do not know why they are releasing their right to pleasure and sustenance. At its core, fasting is trading a dependence upon something physical for God alone.

Dallas Willard remarks, “Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in him a source of sustenance beyond food . . . . In fasting, we learn how to suffer happily as we feast on God.”

The act of fasting is one of the most intimate acts you can have with Father God. Your physical hunger is to be replaced with spiritual hunger. Fasting is a time of deep desperation—and all the more, it is to be silent desperation.

You and your group members can hold each other accountable to your fast, and you can also encourage one another along the way. Nevertheless, I believe Jesus calls us to take very seriously privacy within our relationship with God. There are some secrets that are only meant for God and myself, whispers of the heart that I share with only Him.

If I’m hungry, it’s our little secret.

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s SmallGroup.com and Discipleship in Context teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.

 

Group Leadership
July 24, 2017

Keeping House in Your Small Group

By Caroline Case

I keep a clean house. Like, obsessively clean. I vacuum twice a week, periodically go through my items and get rid of things to prevent clutter, aggressively scrub my bathroom, and in order to relax, I do the dishes. So imagine my surprise when I found out my beloved safe haven was infested with ants, spiders, one odd worm, and an army of wasps.

It began after I returned home from a weeklong vacation. I was ready to get settled back in and begin my weekly routine once again. As I opened my storm door I discovered…one, two, THREE wasps perched by their nest (ew), right above my front door. I knew that the nest had to go because, within any moment, a wasp would fly into my living room. They were that close. I rushed to a drugstore to get the proper insect repellent, “Raid.” Mind you, my clearing the Walgreens shelf of the insect repellent goes against my conscience. I’m a natural kind of girl—my house is mostly free of chemicals as I use organic supplies and essential oils. But this kind of work would take more than a douse of peppermint oil. This meant war.

The extermination became an ordeal: I emptied the spray bottle within minutes, went on to use half of a second bottle, and smashed the wasp nests and other spider webs with a broom. I was sweating, raging, cursing the creatures that I knew would harm me. I sprayed the little terrorists, only to come back into my house and find ants lining my kitchen counter. It was a Kafka story, to say the least.

My mass slaughter of the insects who had come to threaten my peace of mind reminded me of our need to preserve our small groups from the impurities, sins, and weaknesses that threaten to destroy our brothers and sisters in Christ within our small groups.

The church is a house, a body of believers. And because people make up the church and not a building, our small groups are extensions of our church. In our small groups, we cannot be blind to the fact that predators come to infect both our unity and our peace—predators such as gossip, slander, shame, lust, pornography, envy, adultery, theft, and deceit.

I noticed that the places where the bugs inhabited were the corners and crevices that I never maintained. They were the high-up places I couldn’t reach, the nooks along the baseboard that collected dust and cobwebs. I had neglected their regular upkeep; they were the dusty places that lacked discipline.

Sin’s kind of like that, right? It creeps up among the days between Sunday and Wednesday. Sinful habits collect their cobwebs in the neglected parts of our life, the places we fail to clean and maintain. It’s the time it takes to skip reading the Word, or talking to God, or meeting accountability partners.

Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. – 1 Peter 5:8, CSB

According to Timothy Friberg’s Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, “sober-minded” not only means to refrain from the abuse of alcohol, but it also bears the implication of watchfulness. It is to be carefully observant, attentive, or aware. It is to be watchful, circumspect. Its synonyms call to exercise self–restraint; to act and think soberly; to cause someone to be of a sound mind or sober. And note the command “be alert”—it is a call to be vigilant, wakeful, and watchful.

So what does your small group need to kill? What corners have you as leaders neglected to care for? What secret sins are your group members gripping onto that they need to confess? What wound are you nursing? What shame are you bearing? Someone else needs to know, because you can’t kill the beast alone.

Caroline Case is a proud Nashville transplant from Naples, Florida, who serves as the Production Editor for Lifeway’s SmallGroup.com and Discipleship in Context teams. Caroline has a Bachelor of Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL. She is pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing at Belmont University in Nashville, where she will go on to pursue her doctorate and teach.

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Subscribe to Group Ministry

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

previous arrow
next arrow
Slider

Subscribe to Podcast

Google PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS

Follow Group Ministry on Facebook

Follow Group Ministry on Facebook

All Ministry Sites

Leadership
Kids Ministry
Student Ministry
Groups Ministry
Women’s Ministry
Worship Ministry

Digital Resources

Ministry Grid
Lifeway Worship
Digital Church
KidEvent Pro
MyCurriculum Manager
Simulcast Manager
Lifeway Reader eBooks
Generosity
WORDsearch
SmallGroup.com

Lifeway Network

Lifeway Research
B&H

Copyright © 2021 · Lifeway Christian Resources · All Rights Reserved