Now is a perfect time to join a small group of believers. Small groups are important because: Real fellowship means being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ:\u00a0\u201cJesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers<\/em>\u201d (1 John 3:16b NIV). This is the kind of sacrificial love God expects us to show other believers\u2014loving them in the same way Jesus loves us.<\/p>\n 2. Small groups help us develop spiritual muscle.<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019ll never grow to maturity just by attending worship services and being a passive spectator. One of the main tools of spiritual growth is participation in a small group, where your spiritual muscles get a regular workout. \u201cAs each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love<\/em>\u201d (Ephesians 4:16b NLT).<\/p>\n Isolation breeds self-deception. It\u2019s easy to fool ourselves into thinking we\u2019re mature if there is no one to challenge us. Real maturity shows up in relationships. We need more than the Bible in order to grow; we need other believers. When others share what God is teaching them, I learn and grow, too!<\/p>\n 3. Small groups confirm our identity as genuine believers<\/strong>. I can\u2019t claim to be following Christ if I\u2019m not committed to any specific group of disciples. Jesus said, \u201cYour love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples<\/em>\u201d (John 13:35 NLT).\u00a0<\/strong>When we come together in love as a small group from different backgrounds, ethnicities and social statuses, it\u2019s a witness to the world (Galatians 3:28; John 17:21). You\u2019re not the Body of Christ on your own. You need others to express that. Together, not separated, we are his Body (1 Corinthians 12:27).<\/p>\n 4. Small groups are the best way to share our God-given mission in the world<\/strong>. When Jesus walked the earth, even he had a small group! Today the church is Christ\u2019s Body on earth. We\u2019re not just to love each other; we\u2019re to take that love together\u00a0to the rest of the world. We\u2019re his hands, his feet, his eyes and his heart. He works through us in the world. \u201cHe creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing<\/em>\u201d (Ephesians 2:10 MSG).<\/p>\n 5. Small groups help keep us from spiritually backsliding.<\/strong>\u00a0None of us are immune to temptation. Given the right situation, you and I are capable of any sin. God knows this, so he has assigned us as individuals the responsibility of keeping each other on track. The Bible says,\u00a0\u201cEncourage one another daily\u2026so that none of you may be hardened by sin\u2019s deceitfulness<\/em>\u201d (Hebrews 3:13).<\/p>\n \u201cMind your own business\u201d is not a Christian idea when it comes to helping each other! We\u2019re commanded to be involved in each other\u2019s lives. If you know someone who is wavering spiritually right now, it\u2019s your responsibility to go after them and bring them back into the fellowship. \u201cIf you know people who have wandered off from God\u2019s truth, don\u2019t write them off. Go after them. Get them back<\/em>\u201d (James 5:19 MSG).<\/p>\n Related to this is the benefit that being connected to a small group provides the spiritual protection of godly leaders. God gives shepherd leaders such as me the responsibility to guard, protect, defend and care for the spiritual welfare of his flock (Acts 20:28\u201329; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:7, 17.). \u201cTheir work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God<\/em>\u201d (Hebrews 13:17b NLT).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re detached from the body of believers, I\u2019m not responsible for you. If you are unplugged from the life of the Body of Christ and isolated from the fellowship of God\u2019s family, Satan knows you\u2019ll be defenseless and powerless against his tactics.<\/p>\n 6. The Body of Christ needs you<\/strong>! You have a background and experiences that other people can learn from and draw strength from! God has a unique role for you to play in his family. This is called your \u201cministry,\u201d and God has gifted you for this assignment. \u201cA spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church<\/em>\u201d (1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT).\u00a0Your small group is the place God designed for you to discover, develop, and use your spiritual gifts and talents.<\/p>\n Dr. Rick Warren<\/strong> is passionate about attacking what he calls the five \u201cGlobal Goliaths\u201d \u2013 spiritual emptiness, egocentric leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic disease, and illiteracy\/poor education. His goal is a second Reformation by restoring responsibility in people, credibility in churches, and civility in culture. He is a pastor, global strategist, theologian, and philanthropist.<\/em><\/p>\n Originally published via<\/a><\/p>\n
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\n1. Small groups move us out of self-centered isolation<\/strong>. It\u2019s the classroom for learning how to get along in God\u2019s family. It\u2019s a lab for practicing unselfish, sympathetic love. You learn to care about others and share the experiences of others:\u00a0\u201cIf one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor<\/em>\u201d (1 Corinthians 12:26 NCV).\u00a0Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the connection God intends for us to have (Ephesians 4:16, Romans 12:4\u20135, Colossians 2:19, 1 Corinthians 12:25).<\/p>\n