Sunday, March 20
THE PRACTICE OF LEARNING by Seth Botts
Reflection
When I attended my first Explore Group in the Summer of 2021, I had been attending the church for several months and was existing as simply a consumer of christianity, I was far from an empowered Christian leader. I would attend Sunday sermons, arriving once worship had started and leaving immediately after the closing prayer. Through this intimate group of people, which would eventually become my Core Group, I began being challenged to look at passages in the Bible that made me uncomfortable, discuss what Jesus meant to me, and view Christian principles through other perspectives. Through the vulnerability required to learn in a small group, I have been transformed from being a consumer of Christinaity, into an empowered leader in the church.
The immense personal growth that comes from gathering together with a small group of people, studying and dissecting the text through diverse experiences and asking difficult and challenging questions was something that both John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and Jesus Christ himself found immensely valuable. Although Jesus had a vast following of individuals the bible labels as disciples, he chose an intimate group of 12 to become the apostles, to learn and grow together (Luke 6:13). These apostles were not intellectual powerhouses or strong and charismatic leaders, they are actually notorious for asking silly questions, making attempts to gain personal power and were plagued with doubt. All of these things are key in the vulnerability that is needed to learn in small groups.
Prayer
Dear God, please help me with the willingness to be vulnerable enough to grow, trusting that my fellow Christians will accept and love the parts of me that I am not yet able to love myself.
A practice to try this week:
What areas of my life can benefit from the vulnerability required to learn in a small group? Am I operating as a Christian consumer or am I on a path to becoming an empowered leader in the church?
When I attended my first Explore Group in the Summer of 2021, I had been attending the church for several months and was existing as simply a consumer of christianity, I was far from an empowered Christian leader. I would attend Sunday sermons, arriving once worship had started and leaving immediately after the closing prayer. Through this intimate group of people, which would eventually become my Core Group, I began being challenged to look at passages in the Bible that made me uncomfortable, discuss what Jesus meant to me, and view Christian principles through other perspectives. Through the vulnerability required to learn in a small group, I have been transformed from being a consumer of Christinaity, into an empowered leader in the church.
The immense personal growth that comes from gathering together with a small group of people, studying and dissecting the text through diverse experiences and asking difficult and challenging questions was something that both John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and Jesus Christ himself found immensely valuable. Although Jesus had a vast following of individuals the bible labels as disciples, he chose an intimate group of 12 to become the apostles, to learn and grow together (Luke 6:13). These apostles were not intellectual powerhouses or strong and charismatic leaders, they are actually notorious for asking silly questions, making attempts to gain personal power and were plagued with doubt. All of these things are key in the vulnerability that is needed to learn in small groups.
Prayer
Dear God, please help me with the willingness to be vulnerable enough to grow, trusting that my fellow Christians will accept and love the parts of me that I am not yet able to love myself.
A practice to try this week:
What areas of my life can benefit from the vulnerability required to learn in a small group? Am I operating as a Christian consumer or am I on a path to becoming an empowered leader in the church?
Posted in Lent Devotional 2022
Recent
Afraid of the Dark - Advent Devotional Day 3
November 28th, 2023
Prophets, Politicians, and Porch Fires - Advent Devotional Day 2
November 27th, 2023
Giving Scripture the Side Eye - Advent Devotional Day 1
November 26th, 2023
Simply Christmas - Week 1 Discussion Guide
November 25th, 2023
4 Ideas to Make Gratitude a Daily Practice // M-Note 11.23.23
November 22nd, 2023
Archive
2023
January
February
Explore - Week 1Explore - Week 2Explore - Week 3Explore - Week 4God is Leading Us Forward // M-Note 2.3.23SENT: Week 1 Discussion GuideSomething To Try This Weekend // M-Note 2.10.23SENT: Week 2 Discussion GuideWe're Doing Something Big! // M-Note 2.17.23SENT: Week 3 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 1Lent Devotional Day 2Lent Devotional Day 3SENT: Week 4 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 4Lent Devotional Day 5Lent Devotional Day 6Lent Devotional Day 7
March
Lent Devotional Day 8Lent Devotional Day 9Celebrating BEYOND // M-Note 3.3.2023Who Is Jesus: BONUS Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 10Lent Devotional Day 11Lent Devotional Day 12Who Is Jesus: Week 1 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 13Lent Devotional Day 14Lent Devotional Day 15Lent Devotional Day 16Lent Devotional Day 17The Evening Service is BACK!!! // M-Note 3.10.23Lent Devotional Day 18Lent Devotional Day 19Who Is Jesus: Week 2 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 20Lent Devotional Day 21Lent Devotional Day 22Lent Devotional Day 23The Most Important Sunday of the Year // M-Note 3.17.23Who Is Jesus: Week 3 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 24Lent Devotional Day 25Lent Devotional Day 26Lent Devotional Day 27Lent Devotional Day 28Lent Devotional Day 29Lent Devotional Day 30The Power of Easter and Invitation // M-Note 3.24.23Lent Devotional Day 31Who Is Jesus: Week 4 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 32Lent Devotional Day 33Lent Devotional Day 34Lent Devotional Day 35Lent Devotional Day 36Lent Devotional Day 37You Can't Miss This Part // M-Note 4.1.23Lent Devotional Day 38
April
Lent Devotional Day 39Lent Devotional Day 40Who Is Jesus: Week 5 Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 41Lent Devotional Day 42Lent Devotional Day 43Gathering Easter Top 10 List // M-Note 4.6.23Lent Devotional Day 44Lent Devotional Day 45Easter Sunday: Discussion GuideLent Devotional Day 46Feeling Burned Out? // M-Note 4.14.23Burnout: Week 1 Discussion GuideBurnout: Week 2 Discussion GuideIntersection of Policies & Prayers // M-Note 4.22.23Do More Of This To Avoid Burnout // M-Note 4.28.23Burnout: Week 3 Discussion Guide
May
July
August
No Comments