EatJesus.com on Feb 15, 2010 09:42PM

How Effective Are Your Small Groups?

Church small groups usually start with excitement and momentum but after a year or two can turn into an inwardly focused and dull experience. That’s not everyone’s experience, but it is common.

Small groups are a good idea though. Jesus had a small group. The book of Acts is filled with home gatherings. We know that a Sunday worship gathering is not enough by itself to help people grow in maturity. Therefore, some other type of smaller accountability groups are a necessity.

Here are some common problems with traditional church small groups:

• They are too small. If you only allow 12 people in a group, it means average attendance is 6-8. This is unhelpful mainly because its awkward for anyone new.
• They never end. Unless you go to another church, or risk offending people, you are stuck in it forever.
• They promise intimate friendships. This promise is dangerous because it’s not true most of the time. Real friendship cannot be prescribed.
• They are not easy to join. If  a list of groups/leaders is provided to the congregation, a new person is still not empowered to know how to join a compatible/suitable group.
• They don’t usually multiply. Some groups grow, but most do not. A group that doesn’t grow becomes focused on maintenance issues and stagnates.

So, what’s the solution? In a book titled Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups, Nelson Searcy details a semester based small group structure that helps tackle the drawbacks to traditional groups.

At this point you probably have a lot of questions about how a semester based system can effectively provide pastoral care for people. That’s a natural question, and it’s answered well in the book. The benefits of the system far out way these concerns. In fact, the level of attendance, commitment, care, multiplication and personal growth is significantly higher in the Activate system than traditional care groups. Because of this, a non-denominational church in Chicago is planning to implement the system this year.

If you aren’t sure about checking out this approach to small groups, then download this free PDF summary, it will give you enough information to get your head around how the system works. It is not a replacement for the book though.

If you want to take your disciple making efforts to the next level. If you want ALL your groups to naturally multiply. If you want new people to more quickly find there way into a small group, then take a good look at Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups.

EatJesus.com on Nov 24, 2009 01:49PM

ESV Large Print Bible

Is your eyesight demanding that you invest in an ESV Large Print Bible? Perhaps a relative or friend is in this situation? Are you tired of searching for your glasses or just too proud to wear them? You or someone else could REALLY benefit from this Bible …

Either way, you are privileged to have the truly incredible option of the ESV Large Print Bible. The majority of previous customers have given this popular version 5 stars! But why?

Along with the obvious advantage of the ESV translation, the following benefits have been reported:

• The font avoids a harsh bolding and delivers a crisp and highly legible experience.
• The ESV Large Print Bible uses a 12.75-point type. See ESV Large Print text sample.
• The quality is excellent which makes it a good option for regular use.
• The price is right.
• The size isn’t so big that you can’t also effectively use it at home and at church.
• Many customers commented that they considered switching to use this version exclusively.
• The concordance also makes the ESV Large Print Bible a smart purchase.

The demand for large print Bibles is truly surprising. Recent popularity has given wider permission to the Christian world to invest in one. And why not? Straining at the text of a regular sized Bible or always having to scramble around for your glasses are not habits to continue with. After all, these type’s of difficulty only add to the chances of not reading, studying and enjoying the Bible.

An ESV Large Print Bible solves this problem and of course does so with the benefits of an excellent translation. If you enjoy regular Bible reading and even use Bible commentaries in your devotional or study times, this really is a super addition to your arsenal of tools to assist in your spiritual growth.

The cost really is not bad either and there are a few different options to choose from. Make a smart decision today and invest in a Bible that will truly make your devotionals and church experience the joy it should be.

Invest in an ESV Large Print Bible >>>

Matt Sweetman on Nov 16, 2009 12:57PM

ESV Thinline

I’m not sure how it happened but last week someone mailed me an ESV Thinline Bible. I specifically got the Chestnut Diamond Design version. I’ve been REALLY wanting a new Bible to preach with and the ESV Thinline is EXACTLY what I wanted. The fact that I got it for free was a wonderful surprise.

To be honest I was getting tired with the thickness of my NASB and I wanted something with a sharp looking cover, and I was wanting to preach from an ESV. This is especially because I recently got an ESV Study Bible (also for free). I also was beginning to dislike the gold ‘Holy Bible’ text format on the front. Of course there is nothing wrong with gold lettering, but somehow it doesn’t really reflect my style. The ESV Thinline still has a gold trim, but hey, one step at a time!

Here is why the ESV Thinline is AWESOME:

• It’s less than 7/8″ thick! Yeah I know, super thin. It looks so sharp and feels like I’m holding a normal sized book :)
• Full-color maps in the back.
• 9.5-point type, which for me is the perfect size. See an ESV Thinline text sample here.
• Amazing fabric cover.
• It came with a case.

I’ve preached with it a couple of times now and I absolutely love it. I’m no longer holding a brick in front of the church and I have added some contemporary sophistication. It’s not going to start a revival any time soon but does mean I feel a little more comfortable.

Why not consider getting an ESV Thinline.

EatJesus.com on Oct 20, 2009 01:32PM

Bible Commentaries

Which of the many bible commentaries is a good fit for you? Check out this resource which breaks down some of the best Bible commentaries available.  It is in no particular order but should be an impartial listing. Investing in a quality resource like this is critical if you desire to grasp and even teach the Bible more fully.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

Matthew Henry, the 17th and early 18th Century minister in Chester, England, takes us from Genesis to Revelation with sharp application, strong insight and scholarly brilliance. He has a deep comprehension on the context and meaning of passages throughout all scripture. Matthew Henry’s commentaries have been a huge resource to students and Christians leaders throughout the world.

More recently the only complete and unabridged version in existence was published. This is a one-volume edition of his well-known commentary writings in a slimmer format. It is perfect for all those who read the scriptures and desire a thorough and accessible commentary. It is very affordable as you can see. Owning one of these Bible commentaries yourself gives you greater flexibility and the chance to make it your own with highlights, notes and greater longevity with repeated use. New is definitely you. Check it out here.

John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes

This is a really timeless commentary that effectively explains hard phrases in the Bible and makes a point to bring clarity to the meaning of a text. A huge benefit to this work is it’s breadth. It covers the whole Bible, which not all Bible commentaries do, and provides shortened summaries of passages to allow readers a fluid experience as apposed to having to sift through chunks of separated comments.

This study tool gives it’s readers insight to most Bible verses. This point alone gives John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes a huge advantage. Nearly every verse has a comment and explanation. Now that is a resource you can’t afford to miss! Many of Wesley’s notes are summaries of his preaches which gives them an edge to communicators. Check it out here.

The Fourfold Gospel by J. W. McGarvey

Many commentaries are hard to read. But not this one. It proves to be an incredibly easy read. This work has been described as one of the best harmonizations of the four gospels. The format of this work is unique and allows not just for a great learning experience but presents the commentary material with the text and enables you to view the differences between each gospel rather than needlessly having to search back and forth.

Among Bible commentaries this is referred to as a Harmony of the Four Gospels. It is a helpful resources as it gives a total chronology of Christs life which is shorted into titled sections and sub sections. Comments are inserted directly into the text. The authors J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton have done a fantastic job with providing us with a clear leader in the gospel commentary arena. Check it out here.

Word Biblical Commentary CD-ROM Mac Edition (CD-ROM) by Thomas Nelson

If you value building theology from a base of Biblical study then this widely accepted series is an excellent option for both the student or the seasoned professional. It combines work from leading scholars and leans heavily on linguistic analysis, textual evidence and structural observations. This gives balance and depth into the application and meaning of scripture.

This Bible Commentaries Mac version is well organized and very easy to use. Volumes start with full articles that open up the important subjects of authorship, purpose and date. Up-to-date archaeological findings and recent textual critiques are drawn upon to make this a relevant resource. Critical theological subjects for today are also a key focus. This is not inexpensive, but it is a highly beneficial study tool. Check it out here.

Matt Sweetman on Oct 12, 2009 02:06PM

How Do You Make Disciples?

At eatJesus.com we have pointed out before that church culture has extremes — attenders and elitists. The tragedy is that neither may actually know Christ.

There are the attenders, we call them spooners, who never grow in their desire to know Jesus for themselves. The skill of devotion is ignored and spiritual responsibility abdicated. They rarely ever read the Bible themselves. They simply show up on Sundays and let their mouths hang open so that the preacher guy can fill them with information and mesmerize them for a while. Don’t get us wrong, we are not against effective preaching nor the gathering of Christ followers on a weekly basis — we are simply talking about disciple making here.

Then, there are the religious elite. They are serious about Bible knowledge and church function. They never miss a meeting and feel bad if they don’t memorize enough scripture and are constantly testing their abilities against those around them. Success is found in achievement and keeping up appearances is important. They are modern day pharisee’s, especially because they accuse others of being legalistic.

What can be done about this? How do you make disciples?

The church has been designed by God as the primary vehicle to produce mature believers. The saints (all Christians) are to be equipped through various giftings given to people within the Christian community (Eph 4). When we operate within the framework of what Christ is doing, he is the gift giver, then we have a structure for disciple making. What apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral and teaching Christians are you currently being equipped by? If you are not being exposed to the equipping gifts of Christ then how do you plan on growing? Or, are you ignoring what Christ has given?

Training by people with these giftings is the key. Equipping is the answer to the problem. We need less information, classrooms and events. We need more contexts for the gifts to be relationally used. Handouts and videos will not help. We need people connecting with people. Trainers with trainee’s. Real life situations rather than academic environments. We need the gifts of Christ (people w/ Eph 4 gifts) to engage the saints in training.

Church culture has prized the teacher and pastor to the extent that teaching and pastoring now dominate our leadership. We need more apostolic, prophetic and evangelistic gifts (people) to off-set the imbalance. Many of these people have left church environments and joined parachurch ministries to fulfill and use their giftings. Being removed from a new testament style disciple making context is another reason we have created the spooner and elitists extremes.

Planting churches is one of the best ways to fix this problem. Start again, and again, and again. Start over and grow these gifts, attract them in, provide an environment to let them work together. If you want to make disciples then start a new church and let the gifts that Jesus has given to the church equip the people for ministry.

Terry on Aug 27, 2010 02:27AM

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaching in Pensacola

The famous Doctor was one of my great heroes. For three years I studied in London and had the privilege of regularly hearing him preach from the historic Westminster Chapel pulpit. Gathering with the hundreds, I awaited the arrival of his bald dome as he ascended the stairs behind the rather massive pulpit, approached the [...]

Terry on Aug 25, 2010 01:53AM

Spiritual Warfare part 2

Grace and healings Since Brighton TOAM I have had the joy of speaking at a Bible Week in Italy where a group of churches gathered for a week of concentrated teaching on the Grace of God. Many received fresh revelation, and were liberated and so enthusiastic about such an encounter with God’s presence in His Word. [...]

Terry on Aug 23, 2010 04:38AM

Spiritual Warfare part 1

?Best so far!? Words I love to hear, though I realise they are not an objective response to the latest Brighton TOAM conference. I know that no-one has carefully lined up the various strengths and weaknesses of all the previous conferences, graded them and carefully calculated that 2010 was the best. In reality God was with [...]

Terry on Aug 17, 2010 08:42AM

Grace

Here is the final interview conducted by Bryan Mowrey on the message of Grace. Terry Virgo: On Grace from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Terry on Aug 11, 2010 05:54AM

Apostolic or Missional

Do ‘apostolic’ or ‘missional’ simply mean the same thing? You might be interested to watch the video below. Terry Virgo: “Apostolic” vs. “Missional” from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Nigel Ring on Sep 08, 2010 02:18PM

Worldwide day of prayer for Zimbabwe - September 26th

An exciting initiative is being taken on September 26th to stand with the church in the nation of Zimbabwe. The following text has recently been distributed by LoveZim - Newfrontiers is one of many partners supporting this effort. Please sign up and pray on 26th. Also suggest to your church leaders that time is set [...]

Nigel Ring on Sep 08, 2010 12:53PM

PowerPoint ? Visual Aid or Visual Distraction? Pt 2

Some Hows? and Whys? PowerPoint is a very powerful tool if used well and there are many features available for the creative speaker. However, because it has many possible ?tricks? and animations some speakers feel these must be used at all costs. So words ’swoosh’ onto the screen, then spin and zoom without purpose. Rather than [...]

Nigel Ring on Sep 03, 2010 03:50AM

PowerPoint ? Visual Aid or Visual Distraction? Pt 1

The pros and cons of PowerPoint These days PowerPoint is part of any speaker?s armoury. Yet no doubt you, like me, have seen PowerPoint used both well and badly. Used well it can contribute greatly to the hearer?s understanding. Used badly it can be a significant distraction as the hearer is trying to work out what [...]

Nigel Ring on Aug 21, 2010 02:18PM

God?s Stump - book about cross cultural issues

I find that holidays are times for reading. There are a couple I want to recommend. This is the first. Are you willing to be challenged about cross cultural issues? For ten years Nigel and Lisa Measures have been leading a cross-cultural and multiracial church, Khanyisa Community Church, in a township outside Cape Town, an area which, in [...]

Nigel Ring on Jul 26, 2010 04:09AM

Conference Administration ? Debrief

This will be my last blog for the summer. I realise that there are other things on peoples minds such as holidays ? in the UK at least. So I am joining them! The importance of debriefing For my final blog before we break let me share with you how we debriefed from the Together on a [...]