Skip to main content

LIFEGroup Reflections

Last week I went to a Muskegon Fury game with my LIFEGroup. I love sports. I’ve always found the connection between a fan and a sport to be a strange thing. How is it that we get emotionally connected to a group of people who we’ve never met? How is it that we attach some part of our self worth to whether or not five guys can put more pucks in a net than five other guys?

This phenomenon is especially strange in Michigan. When it comes to the U of M and Michigan State rivalry almost everyone has an opinion. What astounds me is that a great majority of the people who are passionate about the rivalry have never attended either school. When someone asks me if I root for the Green and White or the Maize and Blue, I ask them which of the two schools they went to.

Fortunately I had the pleasure of attending Michigan State and I have had the first hand experience necessary to make such a judgment. The correct opinion is that State is the superior institution. The only proper way to evaluate a University is by its basketball program. The difference is clear. Izzo is a genius. Does U of M even have a basketball team any more?

I’m also astounded at the distain some people show for church. It’s especially surprising when that person has no real experience with a church. I’ve heard a lot of people say things like “I’d go to church but it’s full of hypocrites.” I’ve never been quite sure what that means. If you wanted to avoid hypocrites you couldn’t leave the house. Still, for whatever reason, many people outside the church, who have no experience with the church, have a negative view of the church.

So how can we change people’s view of the church when they won’t come to church? Like some guy once said “You can’t stop people from not showing up.” I guess if we want people to experience the church we are going to have to bring the church to them.

So last week our LIFEGroup brought the church to the Muskegon Fury game. I brought a friend of mine who doesn’t attend a church. This was his first experience of Calvary church. My friend is a little rough around the edges. I’m not sure he’d feel comfortable in a Sunday morning service. I am sure that he was comfortable hanging out with the church at the hockey game. I am also sure that God wants him to be a part of the body of Christ.

My hope is that after a couple of comfortable church experiences my friend might find himself comfortable in the LIFEGroup. I think it’s important for LIFEGroups to go out and do normal things. It gives the world a chance to see the wonderful work God is doing in us. It gives the world a chance to see the love God has shown us as we show it to one another. I have no doubt that God will bring the lost to the church. But I also have no doubt that God wants us to bring the gospel to the lost. Maybe the Muskegon Fury sounds like a weird place to bring the church. Maybe it shouldn’t.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Discussion Questions for Easter

Have several people ask the question, “What’s the most important thing you’ve ever done?” Ask other people, “What do you hope to accomplish in the next several years of your life?” Tell your class that today you’ll be talking about “life mission” or the one most important thing you do that drives everything else. Tell them that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the defining moment in history, so it should be the defining moment in our lives. Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. How does the resurrection impact some of the crucial beliefs of Christianity?  How would Christianity be different if there was no resurrection? How would you be different without the resurrection? Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. What are some specific ways that the resurrection gives us hope? If you had been a friend of Jesus when he was on earth, how would the resurrection have impacted your life?  How do you think his followers then were effected by the resurrection? Read 1 Corinthian...
3 comments
Read more

Community Killers: Crisis

Here is Part Two in my series on dealing with "Community Killers". Today the topic is "Crisis". Every group experiences crisis at some point. Death, illness, divorce, and financial ruin are just some of the issues that can threaten to destroy a group. These crisis, however, are not to be feared. Rather, they should be embraced as an opportunity for the group to care for one another in unique and deeply meaningful ways. The following are five suggestions (certainly not an exhaustive list) which can help a group handle crisis successfully: Openness. The first step in a group’s efforts to deal with crisis is simply knowing about and understanding the crisis. If a member does not feel comfortable sharing the crisis issues in their life, the group cannot come to their aid. A willingness to share not only the crisis situation, but also the details can significantly impact the degree to which the group can offer assistance. The role of the leader sometimes requires a per...
Post a Comment
Read more

Humility: It's Not All About You

Without naming names, when have you observed a person who seems to be only interested in “moving up the ladder”? What are some of the character traits of a person like this? • Read Genesis 11:1-9. • Generally speaking, who were these people focusing on, themselves or God? Why was this a problem? John Calvin thought that verse 6 was God ironically saying, “This people have conspired against me, and since they can speak to one another in the same language, how can their plan be defeated?” In other words, God wasn’t concerned, he found it humorous that the people thought so highly of themselves. • Read verse 4. What do you think it means that they wanted to “make a name” for themselves? • What things do we (you) often do try to make a name for ourselves? Why is it important to us that people think highly of us? • Read Romans 12:3. What do you think it means to think of yourself with “sober judgment”? Why are we sometimes slow to “judge” ourselves? How can we judge ourselves in a heal...
Post a Comment
Read more