My small group met recently to discussed the “Ring of Fire.” One of the questions we asked ourselves was, “Why do you think some people don’t get involved in a Next Step Partnership?”

While several reasons were mentioned, there are two that stood out to me.

One reason is that some people are afraid they won’t like the other people in the group. What if someone talks all the time and is really annoying? What if someone is really arrogant, thinking they know the whole Bible and they’re always right and I feel stupid? What if someone talks about really personal stuff and I feel awkward? What if someone in the group is a Packers fan?

I’m not going to lie to you, these things do happen. In fact I’ve experience all these uncomfortable situations in the 15+ years I’ve been in small groups - even the Packers fan. There are no perfect people, and so there are no perfect groups.

Think about the closest relationships you have - your spouse, your parents, your siblings, your kids, your co-workers, or your really good friends. You’ve probably had uncomfortable moments with every one of them - awkward moments, misunderstandings, times when they’ve let you down or gotten on your nerves, and even arguments. But you’ve also probably had great times, memorable moments, and built strong bonds that far outweigh the bad.

(On a side note, it’s important to understand that when you try out a small group, prayer partnership, or serving team you are not signing up for life. You can try one for a few weeks and if it’s not a good fit, just bow out and try another one.)

A second reason some people are hesitant to be a part of a next step partnership is they are afraid of what people would think if they really got to know them. If I get into a small group, people might find out my marriage is struggling right now. People might find out I have this problem with anger or lust. People might see that I’m not a perfect Christian.

Again, I’m not going to lie to you - you’re right. Now, nobody is going to ask you to bear your soul the first time you go to a small group, but as those relationships develop, you get to know people, and they get to know you, they will probably see your shortcomings and failures. But you know what? We all have our failings. We all struggle with sin. We all have a past that includes moments we’re not very proud of. We all go through difficult times.

As Christians, we know we are all flawed and in need of God’s grace and forgiveness, so every small group leader and serving team leader strives to create a place where it is safe to be open, authentic, and free of condemnation. We support each other and bear one another’s burdens.

Every log when it burns gives off sooty, smelly smoke. You can try to keep yourself at a distance so you’re not bothered by anyone else’s smoke and they can’t smell yours, but then you’re too far away to gain any warmth. If want to burn white-hot spiritually, you’ve got to put yourself into a ring of fire (next step partnership). And if you’re in a ring of fire, you have to put up with a little smoke. But, hey, your smoke stinks too. And we love you anyway. Really, we do.

~ Paul Steinbrueck

Building the Blaze

Over time, our lives become filled with clutter and noise. In dealing with the daily grind, and with no accountability to keep us growing, our once vibrant lives increasingly settle into a tedious routine.

That isn’t the Lord’s desire for our lives! We’ve been given free will because He expects us to make choices instead of allowing circumstances to dictate our lives. To become white-hot, we need to actively seek new growth and understanding.

Becoming a white-hot Christian is not a solitary activity!

For most of our lives, we strive to avoid crowds. We see crowds as negative because they are typically filled with self-centered and even mean-spirited people. To most, a crowd means failure. With so many people striving for the same thing, what is the chance of individual success? A crowd can indeed be a dangerous place when filled with the wrong emotion, such as greed or fear.

Selfish and scheming behavior is another crowd-killer. In these crowds, nothing is accomplished because the members are unwilling to share. Strengths and insight are horded to protect individual power instead of working together toward the best solution. This type of group inspired the phrase, “it died in committee.”

Thankfully, there is a third type of group where support and teamwork are valued as the source of success. In this group, when one member improves, everyone benefits. With football season here, let use an NFL metaphor: .

Even the best coach in the world can’t win a game without players. No one player can expect to be good at every position. No individual ever won a game single-handedly. A team of 11 quarterbacks or 11 linemen will never win a championship.

Continuing the metaphor, a well-disciplined and cohesive team wins games through team efforts, not individual performances, but teamwork starts with the individual. Teams are broken down into offense and defense. On offense you have specific coaches and practices for quarterbacks, receivers, running backs, lineman, and kickers. Defense is broken down similarly. A championship-caliber team does the little things right and builds community.

These truths can be equally applied to Cypress Meadows. The goal of small groups and Next Step Partnerships is to hone our abilities by sharing our strengths, and growing spiritually by taking personal responsibility to learn and be more involved in our faith. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

Doing anything well takes commitment. You are being challenged to get involved and use your strengths for the greater glory of God.

~ Marq Caughell

Acts 2 Living – Part I

(This is the first in a four-part devotional. We will post one each week. To read all at once, search for the “Acts 2 Living” category within the blog.)

Acts 2:42-47 tells us about the first church – the fellowship of the believers.  Verse 42 tells us, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”  “Devoted themselves.”  Notice that it was an individual decision to…become the church.  Each believer submitted themselves to full devotion to Christ.  What did that look like?  How did they keep the fire burning white hot inside themselves to be fully devoted?

I see 4 distinct ways in which they devoted themselves, and the first is to the apostle’s teaching.  You can be sure they met despite a 10:10 rule – being in church unless 10 inches of rain or below 10 degrees.  These folks were sold out – the weather didn’t determine attendance; no sleeping in; no family obligations that had to be considered first; no driving distance or traffic to weigh in; no deciding whether to go depending on the topic addressed, the teacher that day, or the kind of music played during worship.

They came expectantly to hear the Word of God preached.—  Expecting to meet God when they came.—  Expecting to hear from God personally— God directing them, gently nudging them, correcting them, affirming them, filling them with His presence, receiving their worship, blessing them and answering their prayers.  God was relevant to everything they faced in their lives and they subjected their lives to a God-filter in how they lived.

In verse 43 it says that one of the things that happened as a result of becoming this church was that, “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.”  Imagine what God would do in Cypress Meadows if we all lived lives devoted to God’s teaching.—  If we came expecting to meet God personally, not adding church as an activity on Sunday that we may or may not be ‘able’ to make.  What if we were sold out?!  What a white-hot fire our church could be!

~ Kay Evenwel

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 (New Living Translation)

7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

I just want to pose some questions. If you’d like, feel free to answer them here through the comments. If not, at least answer them for yourself.

Who are you working for?

Who are you giving up time and energy for?

Who in your life “helps you succeed?”

Who in your life helps you up when you have fallen?

Who stands beside you when you are being attacked?

I hope these are easy questions for you to consider and to answer. Too often, I think that these questions can reveal hard realities about the relationships we have in our lives. Before Sunday, take some time to talk to God about your relationships. Do you have someone in your life who encourages you to deeds of righteousness? If not, what can you do to today to start to build that kind of relationship?

Hebrews 10:23-25 (Today’s New International Version)

23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

~ Deana Kistner

Jeff and I are a part of a group of people who enjoy playing a trivia game called NTN Buzztime. It is a game where you try to outsmart and outscore others all across the country. A real brain tester of a game and being that we are so competitive we love to play. The group of people that we play with go by the names Kawika, ASU, Diane, Fishy, Poohoo and Marcie and of course Jeff and I are Sock I (that’s a fish in case you were wondering). We probably spend on average between 3-5 hours a week and have for years with these folks - talking and joking and playing and laughing (and of course making fun of the dumber people in this world!!)

I got to thinking after this Sunday’s service about what constitutes our relationship with them and how deep of a relationship we have. They are great people, we have shared meals together, have had them in our home and are planning a trip to see the USF Bulls together. But something is different and until this weekend and the service on the Ring of Fire I had not given it too much thought. As I was interviewed with Jim and Alice I realized that this is another group of people I am involved with but will never have the same type of relationship with them as I do with the people in my small group. NTN is at the center of my relationship with my friends who play trivia, Christ is at the center of my relationship with my small group.

Who/what are you building your relationships on?

Who is at the center of the ring in your marriage or being a parent?

What kind of circle of friends do you want to be a part of?

What are you willing to do to be a part of a ring of fire?

~ Christi Mahar

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” (NIV)

Think about the work involved in maintaining a fire.  The location and the availability of fuel are essential.  But how much less burdensome it is to know that you are not alone in caring for the fire and that you might leave to gather more firewood while someone else keeps watch.  Or in turn, that you can watch the fire and stay warm for a spell while someone else is gathering the wood.  The fire stays hot and both of you benefit from the commitment made to one another, the time spent in front of the fire and in sharing the responsibilities it takes to keep the fire alive and blazing. 

When someone is watching the fire with you there are several more benefits.  There’s the time together reflecting in front of the fire and marveling at it.  If you get distracted, the other can alert you to the condition of the fire – maybe a log has rolled out and is dangerous…or maybe the wind has picked up…or perhaps the flames are dying down.  If you get too comfortable sitting in the warmth and don’t feel like getting up to gather wood, the other can encourage you to take action to keep the fuel source in ready supply.  And when you need to rest by the fire, the other can serve you by supplying fuel that they have found and allow you to regain your strength for gathering again later.  If you’ve never maintained a fire, the other can instruct you about what you need to know and the way in which to build the fire most efficiently.  They can watch you practice and assist you, giving you feedback or encouragement about how you’re doing.   You learn a lot together and you mark important moments throughout the experience.

And eventually, once you become proficient enough, your experiences can be an inspiration to others to start fires together. 

Questions to consider: 
Who are you building fires with – do you need to take action before your fire goes out?  
Is there anything you can do to help another person stoke their fire? 
How can you inspire others to start fires together?

Your spiritual heat will rise to significantly higher levels when you’re in community with other people who also want to be white-hot for God.  The heat gained by a group of people will always be greater than the heat you can create on your own.  If you missed the Sunday service, visit the sermon blog/podcast to listen to the teaching online, review and reflect on the sermon notes, and consider the next step in your spiritual journey.