Stories of Thanksgiving

I love this time of year because we all stop to think about what we are thankful for.  I am thankful for another amazing Fall at Real Life Church. I am especially thankful for our Life Groups! Each week hundreds of people get together in their neighborhoods to participate in community, outreach and service! As a result God has done some amazing things in and through our Life Groups. We always set aside this time of year to celebrate what God is doing and thank Him for all He has done.

For the next two weeks we are on a mission: To collect stories about what God has done:

in your life….

in your Life Group…

or through your Life Group…

Feedback Is Essential and Welcome

Sometime before our Life Groups take a break from weekly gatherings you will watch a Life Group Evaluation DVD, complete the Life Group Evaluation, and discuss the results together.  One of the ground rules of our Life Groups is “Feedback is essential and welcome.” This ground rule reminds us that open and honest feedback is required in order for our groups to become healthy communities. Here are four things to keep in mind as you evaluate the Life Group together:

1. Your Life Group is comprised of imperfect people.
All too often we forget that all of us are sinful, and therefore we get overly critical when things don’t go smoothly. Let’s not be surprised by our shortcomings, but rather see them as opportunities to become more like Jesus together.

2. Share feelings as feelings, not fact.

Life Group Leadership Video: Evaluation Overview

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Life Groups Pastor Brandon Beard gives instructions on how to complete the Life Group Evaluation with your Life Group.

Fan or Follower Follow up Video

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Life Groups Area Pastor Michael DeFazio talks about what to do after you have watched the Fan or Follower DVD.

Building Tours Begin!

Here are a few pictures from the first night of building tours!  It was great to get to walk through the hallways and rooms and talk about all the amazing things God is going to do through the PEOPLE of Real Life Church!  If your group isn’t scheduled for a building tour yet, have your Life Group Communicator contact Andy Storms ASAP to get a tour on the calendar!

Fan or Follower?

Since childhood, I have been a fan of Star Wars. A few years ago I went to the Star Wars convention in Los Angeles and discovered that there fans who put me to shame. I was surrounded by fellow nerds who early in life developed a love for action figures and plastic spaceships. These people are not just fans – they are fully devoted followers of George Lucas and the Star Wars Kingdom.

I drove 30 minutes to the convention center to be a part of this world’s largest gathering of nerds. I met many people who flew from all over the world. I spent $120 (a lot for me) on the 5 day pass to the convention while many I talked to spent thousands of dollars to be part of this science-fiction extravaganza. Driving home after the first full day of the convention it struck me that I was simply not as committed to Star Wars as these people were. I like star wars. I would even say I love it. But these people backed it up with their lifestyle. I was a fan, they were followers.

As our Life Groups watch the “Fan or Follower” DVD in the coming weeks I believe there will be many people who will experience the same feeling I had as I drove home from the Star Wars convention. They will watch the DVD and realize that they have been a fan of Jesus but not a fully devoted follower. Everyone in your Life Group (including you!) will be challenged to make one of the following decisions after watching the fan or follower DVD:

Engage – I have been observing Jesus for a while, but not personally engaging. I will seriously consider what it would mean for me to become a legit follower of Jesus.

Convert – I am ready to make that once for all decision to become a follower of Jesus – to stop doing things my way and start doing things his way.

Repent – I am not living a life of obedience to Jesus. There is sin in my life that I’m going to stop committing. Or I know there are things Jesus wants me to do that I’m not, and I’m going to start doing them.

Serve – I’m not really doing anything to advance God’s mission in the world and I want to change that. I am committing to actively serve in the church, the community, or on a one-on-one basis.

Learn – I realize that I have a small vision of what it means to follow Jesus. I will intentionally expand that vision by habitually studying God’s Word and reading material that will challenge my understanding of Jesus.

Join me in praying that the everyone in your Life Group will make a comitment to engage, convert, repent, serve, or learn!

Fan or Follower? Leadership Video

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   BE SURE TO COLLECT DECISION CARDS FROM EVERYONE IN THE LIFE GROUP AND RETURN THEM TO THE CHURCH OFFICE SO WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO RESPONDS. THANK YOU.

Thursday Prayer Day

I committed myself to a day of prayer on Thursday. In this week’s blog, I wanted to share what I prayed throughout the day.  I hope it is an encouragement to you. Please excuse the format.  This is simply a random journal of my prayers throughout the day. I would love for anyone who reads this blog to make a comment below finishing any or all of the three statements I used in my journal.

1) Jesus, you are… 2) Jesus, I thank you for… 3) Jesus, I am asking you…

Jesus, you are…

• The one true God.
• The reason the children in Uganda are filled with hope.
• The reason I am fulfilled.
• So forgiving toward a sin bag like me.
• My source… of strength, hope, and love.
• The answer.
• Awesome.
• Powerful.
• All knowing.
• Misunderstood and yet you don’t give up on anyone.
• Scary – calling me to sell everything I have and give it to the poor, love my enemies, & take up my cross daily.
• Dependable.
• Fun to tell people about.
• A grace-giving listener.
• A friend.
• Justice.
• A mighty God.

Jesus, I thank you for…

Relationslips is over now what?

Life Groups Pastor Brandon Beard talks about what to do during your weekly gathering when you don’t have any material to use. done

Leaky Attitudes

I miss driving my 1980 Volkswagon Vanagon. A few years ago I was unsuccessfully trying to start the van and started smelling gas. The engine was turning over but it was not starting. After about 15 minutes of key-turning frustration, the smell of gas was so strong that I should have stopped trying. Instead I kept trying to start the van and all of a sudden a strong rush of air hit my face like oxygen was being sucked out of the van. I instinctively lunged from the van and dove to the pavement. That very second my van exploded! I was laying on the ground, covered in shards of glass, and looking up at my neighbor who was washing his car next door. I will never forget the look on his face as I yelled, “Call 911!” with my van burning up behind me. The van was instantly engulfed in flame and kept burning until the fire department arrived.  The van almost killed me because it had a gas leak. Amazing that a little leak could do this much damage:

As we finish up the Relationslips series I want to encourage you to check your Life Group for three “leaky attitudes” that can slow your momentum and even blow up your group.

Leaky Attitude #1: “Let’s get this over with!”