Small Group Message 5-15

Pastor Bobby talked about the four stages in our growth towards maturity
1.     Exploring God—are acquaintances; have relationship
2.     Beginning with God—in relationship with God; have a saving relationship
3.     Close to God—are committed disciples
4.     God centered—are committed to the Lordship of Christ
 
To go from one stage to the next we have to take deliberate steps to take hold, understand and commit to certain revelations.  Last week we talked about crossing over from being acquainted with God to having a relationship with God by understanding grace.  In crossing over to being a disciple, we have to embrace the word of God as the absolute authority in our lives. We have to take hold and build our lives on the word of God. The Word of God is the absolute truth and the final authority for all life. His word is truth. (Jn 17:17) Every part of scripture is God breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, and training us to live God’s way. (2 Tim 3:16)
 
God wants us to prosper and give us a future. (Jer 29:11) He wants to give us something to build our lives on. The one sure foundation we can and should build our lives on is the Word of God. Everything else is unstable; relationships change, people change, opinions change, emotions change. Only one thing remains – the word of God (Is 40:8, Luke 21:33)  We have to commit to the word of God as the absolute authority in our lives
 
 
Consider the following questions:
1.     How do we view the word of God? Are they suggestions? Stories we read?
2.     Is the word of God the final authority in our life?
3.     How can we incorporate the word of God in our lives?
4.     Are we committed to studying the word of God? Submitting to it? Sharing the word of God?
 
 
Encourage and Remind your people about:
1.     OCSM Classes
2.     Water Baptism May 29
3.     Encounter Weekend May 27-28
4.     Prayer Initiative