Home Groups are essentially places people can meet for teaching, social, or any other reason but under the pretense of caring for people and helping them find significance and purpose in life.
We have changed our approach in 2008 to try and help everyone involved get the most out of life together. We recognise that real growth comes out of feeling that we have something to offer, and being in a supportive environment that encourages more than being a spectator. We believe that our Life Groups are the place that real growth and real Life can be experienced!
To aide in this process we offer some resources to all involved in these groups to get more out of the Bible. We offer 2 different Life Group bookmarks, one which gives an overview of how to get more from your Bible reading experience, and another that has a Bible Reading program printed on it. This Bibole reading plan standardises where the entire church are reading from, to encourage open and active participation in group settings. It helps make the discussion more meaningful, when you hear another's perspective on a passage you have already read (and often got a different point of view!) This Bible reading plan helps you to systematically read the entire Bible in a year, also covering the New Testament twice! And that is with only reading 15mins each day!
We offer some ideas on how you can collate all the inspiration you will get from God's Word, and you can find this by following this link.
Bible reading plan for January - February can be found here
Bible Reading PLan for March - April can be found hereBible Reading PLan for May - June can be found hereBible reading plan for July - August can be found hereBible reading plan for September - October can be found hereBible reading plan for November-December can be found here
We have been operating home groups for the past year working with the Life Journal book marks, reading the Bible during the week, and coming together to discuss what they have been inspired with.
We are starting something new in our groups. We are continuing with the bible reading plan and the book marks, we are still really excited by the possibilities when you make Bible reading a daily habit and make God a part of every part of your life.
To help facilitate this and help us grow together, we are going to change how the groups operate a little so that we can get a greater revelation for ourselves about who Jesus is, and what it looks like to follow Him. We understand that we are all on a journey and that often the journey may look very different for some individuals than others. To understand and appreciate this diversity, and to get a bigger picture of the puzzle, and a wholistic understanding of what God is calling us to, we are going to focus our attention on a pre-prepared piece of scripture each week, in every group, and prepare some generic questions that we can ask when we read any part of God's Word so that we understand what He is saying and how He wants us to respond.
These questions will include:
- How did Jesus love people?
- How did Jesus relate to His Father?
- How did heaven touch earth?
- What do I need to do now to follow Jesus this week?
So we are going to spend time each week in the groups looking at a part of one of the Gospels. We are going to look for a fresh revelation of how to follow Him more personally, and get excited about what it means and what it looks like to follow Him.
If you are already in a group, you will hear more about what this will look like in the coming weeks, if you are looking for a group, contact us and we can help you find a place where you will find Jesus and learn to place Him at the forefront of your life.
Life Groups - finding Jesus - putting the pieces back together
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LIFE Journalling
The best method I have found in all my experience of reading the Bible has been the use of a Journal and recording my thoughts as I read. This is what it is to read the Bible and expect that I am going to 'get something' from what I read today. It is such a simple method, but it has revolutionised my time with the Bible and ultimately given me more depth with my time with Jesus.
You’ll need three items: a Bible, a pen/pencil and a journal (any notebook). I would also recommend having your diary handy as I find that my mind quickly wanders to the things I have to do today (at least you can write them in as you go and focus on your time with God).
Now what? Who talks first, me or God? One way to do your devotions is to follow the simple acronym, S.O.A.P. which stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Another useful acronym is S.O.A.R which stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Response. They are both essentially the same, I use SOAP.
S for Scripture
Open your Bible to the reading found under today’s date of your Bible bookmark. Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. Highlight, underline or place a mark in the margin of your Bible, next to the scriptures that stand out. When you are done, reread the verses you marked, look for one that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.
Helpful hint: If you are having difficulty understanding what you’ve read, you may find a study Bible useful.
The current Bible reading links can be found at the top of this page
O for Observation
What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words, in your journal.
A for Application
Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.
P for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.
Journaling is an excellent way to both record and process what God has spoken to us. It’s also a useful tool to use at a later time, to reflect on and review some of the ‘gems’ that you have received. Without writing them down, you may forget those blessings and some very important lessons!
Do it together
Another consideration woould be to get involved with others who are recording their thoughts with Journalling, as the insights you are recieveing, although you may feel are simple, can be profound and life changing for others. You may also find that you get a whole new way of looking at the Bible through the lense of others! It is truly about experiencing LIFE together! It is truly more of a blessing to give than recieve, so go and share your insights with someone today and revolutionise your time in God's Word and in a ever increasing growth in your relationship with the Creator of the Universe!
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