Second Listen: Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable: Small Groups ၏ စာသားမှတ်တမ်းအပြည့်အစုံ

groups? 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:40.668 So Courtney sort of gave me the nudge. 00:04:40.668 --> 00:04:43.946 Now I don't know if she wanted me to get out of the house on Thursdays but okay. 00:04:43.966 --> 00:04:46.413 So regardless it was the right decision and Bill. 00:04:46.434 --> 00:04:48.540 Valenda also kind of pulled me along a little bit too. 00:04:48.540 --> 00:04:52.791 So a little tongue in cheek there with Courtney and Bill, but you kind of have that nudge. 00:04:52.791 --> 00:04:54.420 So I went and I started doing it. 00:04:54.420 --> 00:04:55.442 I figured, what do I have to lose? 00:04:55.442 --> 00:05:07.435 I very much so recall what Pastor Rick said a handful of months ago now it's like live your Mondays like Sundays, and that's that's easy to do in the moment when you're sitting there Sunday listening to the message, and then you can apply that on Monday. 00:05:07.435 --> 00:05:10.567 But it tends to get a little bit harder on Tuesday, wednesday, thursday. 00:05:10.567 --> 00:05:12.843 So I just figured okay, jeff, go buy a Bible. 00:05:12.843 --> 00:05:20.302 I bought one, had a little bit of a commitment with God and said okay, I bought your book, so I'm going to come on Thursdays and show up, so you're committed. 00:05:20.603 --> 00:05:22.624 Now I got to figure it out, figure it out Right. 00:05:22.704 --> 00:05:25.305 So it's just very fulfilling when you go there. 00:05:25.305 --> 00:05:29.689 You leave there, as Lauren was saying, the relationships that you do tend to build and listening to people. 00:05:29.689 --> 00:05:32.750 It's just, it's fantastic, really is. 00:05:33.172 --> 00:05:33.851 I'm glad to hear it. 00:05:33.851 --> 00:05:38.475 And that does lead us right into what my next question is, which you know what do you get out of it? 00:05:38.475 --> 00:05:41.697 You know you spoke a little bit about fulfillment relationship. 00:05:41.697 --> 00:05:42.641 Tell me, jeff. 00:05:49.880 --> 00:05:52.427 Because it's worth it right. 00:05:52.427 --> 00:06:02.528 It gives you opportunity to listen to what others are thinking, what they've been through, gives you perspectives and, like Pastor Jeff said, we're all disciples of Christ and we can all go spread the word. 00:06:02.528 --> 00:06:06.812 So in order to spread the word, you got to be pretty savvy with what that word is, though, as well. 00:06:06.812 --> 00:06:14.588 So really commit yourselves to your faith, not just show up on Sunday and take that into Monday and then think you're doing pretty okay. 00:06:14.588 --> 00:06:17.692 So I get a lot of fulfillment out of it listening to folks. 00:06:17.692 --> 00:06:26.286 Hopefully, if I do share what I share, folks are taken at the heart and I think everybody can learn from one another. 00:06:26.286 --> 00:06:28.673 So the fulfillment I get leaving there Thursday nights just sets the tone for the weekend. 00:06:28.673 --> 00:06:31.884 You can go into Friday, Saturday, Sunday with that reaffirmed. 00:06:31.884 --> 00:06:36.225 You know what it means to be a Christ follower, so it's phenomenal. 00:06:36.485 --> 00:06:36.987 That's great. 00:06:36.987 --> 00:06:53.713 So now I love that you talk about it giving you that boost to get you through the rest right, like so that midweek, or that partly through the week, when you start to feel the demands of life catching up on you, becomes the spot that you can kind of get refilled to make it through. 00:06:54.180 --> 00:06:59.990 Absolutely, because there's a lot of stuff out there with work or personal relationships that can strain that. 00:06:59.990 --> 00:07:11.831 It's hard For sure, and so I think small group helps you be that vision and that beacon of okay, get back to center, don't lose sight of what you were just learned or listened to on Sunday. 00:07:11.831 --> 00:07:14.569 So it kind of gives you okay, what port am I going to? 00:07:14.569 --> 00:07:16.223 And I'm still heading to the right port. 00:07:16.223 --> 00:07:17.387 So that's what it gives me. 00:07:17.869 --> 00:07:22.690 And hopefully you know help others along the way with listening to them and what they share in the small group as well. 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:24.627 Yeah, well, thanks for that, lauren. 00:07:24.627 --> 00:07:28.081 Tell us, tell me, what is it that you like about small groups? 00:07:28.081 --> 00:07:29.322 Why is it so important to you? 00:07:30.165 --> 00:07:31.348 I like the accountability. 00:07:31.348 --> 00:07:40.911 If you just attend church on Sunday, you can come and go and nobody knows what's going on in your life, what things you're working on to be more like Jesus. 00:07:40.911 --> 00:07:55.093 So that's an important aspect and I think, also being the hands and feet and heart of Jesus to each other, showing each other love, compassion, empathy when people are struggling, being in listening ear for each other. 00:07:55.093 --> 00:08:00.658 I just think that's so important and for me personally that happens a lot more in small group. 00:08:00.658 --> 00:08:12.333 It happens on Sunday and especially if you see people you know I try to introduce myself to people I don't know, but small group is really the best place to be sharing this on that kind of a level. 00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:17.947 Yeah, to be able to wrestle with some of those questions that are hard or that you're not sure what that looks like in your own life, right? 00:08:18.468 --> 00:08:19.370 Yeah, definitely. 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:28.420 So now, for those who may not have been in a small group before, tell me they might be a little nervous. 00:08:28.420 --> 00:08:32.727 Maybe they feel like, well, I don't know anything, how can I go to a small group, do you? 00:08:32.727 --> 00:08:36.282 Do you have to know something? 00:08:36.282 --> 00:08:39.572 Is this something that they need to be doing before they can go to small group for the first time? 00:08:39.572 --> 00:08:41.605 I know I'm throwing this question at you cold, sorry. 00:08:41.605 -->

00:08:44.101 I can see the panicked look on both of your faces. 00:08:44.101 --> 00:08:47.009 In your experiences. 00:08:47.009 --> 00:08:50.158 Are there prerequisites to small groups, lauren? 00:08:50.158 --> 00:08:50.659 How about you? 00:08:51.341 --> 00:08:53.384 I think it depends on the small group. 00:08:53.384 --> 00:08:59.315 My group I'm having now Bible and Prayer 101, that's the whole point. 00:08:59.315 --> 00:09:09.405 People in my last small group said, oh, I don't want to Bible study because I don't read the Bible and I'm afraid to read the Bible and I don't pray out loud, I'm afraid to pray out loud. 00:09:09.405 --> 00:09:17.044 And I said well, would you like us to have a group where you learn about the Bible and learn how to read it and you learn how to pray out loud? 00:09:17.044 --> 00:09:17.886 And they said yes. 00:09:18.668 --> 00:09:20.351 So, they overcame their fear. 00:09:20.351 --> 00:09:22.687 We'll see how it goes as we go along. 00:09:22.687 --> 00:09:33.082 But yeah, and then other groups might be on a higher level, but it's very easy by reading the description or talking to the leader, you can really find the group that's right for you. 00:09:33.464 --> 00:09:34.706 Excellent, Jeff. 00:09:34.706 --> 00:09:35.288 How about you? 00:09:35.288 --> 00:09:36.591 Was that one of your concerns? 00:09:37.561 --> 00:09:39.505 Yeah, just I think you have to get over that. 00:09:39.505 --> 00:09:41.049 What is this all about? 00:09:41.049 --> 00:09:42.111 Like, what is small group? 00:09:42.111 --> 00:09:47.322 You hear folks talk about it and Pastor Jeff gets up there and he's like everybody should do small group and you're like, okay, but what does that? 00:09:47.724 --> 00:09:48.384 what does that mean? 00:09:48.384 --> 00:09:48.605 What does? 00:09:48.625 --> 00:09:49.365 that entail. 00:09:49.365 --> 00:09:52.250 You know homework, you know all that stuff. 00:09:52.250 --> 00:09:59.191 So I think if you are somewhat inclined or intrigued, follow the nudge that you're getting and get ahead and sign up for one. 00:09:59.191 --> 00:10:02.428 And if you go for one session, it's what? 00:10:02.428 --> 00:10:04.385 Two hours, an hour and a half of your life? 00:10:04.385 --> 00:10:06.465 And if you don't like it, you don't like it. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:08.948 Try another group, you know, just don't give up on the first shot. 00:10:08.948 --> 00:10:12.063 So it might be not now but not forever. 00:10:12.063 --> 00:10:17.815 So follow the nudge that you're getting, from whomever it is, and go ahead and try it out. 00:10:17.815 --> 00:10:20.107 And if you don't like it, okay, so be it. 00:10:20.107 --> 00:10:24.671 But I strongly feel that you'll like it and push yourself. 00:10:24.671 --> 00:10:50.703 I like to say you got to be comfortable, being uncomfortable on certain times, and I think small group is that avenue, and then the doors get open from there and then there's there's a lot of good things that come out of small

group for the group and the relationships, for the church, the community, and icing on the cake is that you benefit from it as well yeah, when you're willing to take that chance, right, yeah, no, I agree, and I think it's one of the things that we try really hard at. 00:10:50.784 --> 00:10:53.413 Hope to do is is have a variety entryways. 00:10:53.413 --> 00:11:03.013 So if you're not sure, you've never done it before, there are lots of non-threatening, not scary, no major requirements. 00:11:03.013 --> 00:11:04.283 You know that kind of a thing. 00:11:04.283 --> 00:11:17.407 And then, if you've been doing this for a little while and you're looking to dive even deeper, there are studies that will do that for you as well, and so it is about finding that right fit, and nothing is forever. 00:11:17.407 --> 00:11:22.052 We don't chain you into a group and say that they're your best friends for the rest of your life. 00:11:22.052 --> 00:11:26.091 You find where you fit, excellent, very good. 00:11:26.091 --> 00:11:37.234 So I want to talk a little bit about hope, because that is one of the themes of this podcast is where we find hope. 00:11:37.234 --> 00:11:46.323 So I want to ask each of you right now in your lives, where are you finding hope, jeff? 00:11:46.323 --> 00:11:47.307 Where are you finding hope? 00:11:48.703 --> 00:11:49.386 I find it everywhere. 00:11:49.386 --> 00:12:00.629 I think a lot of the times I see it through my girls and Courtney just little things that they do because we come here and we're very much so a part of the community and it's important to us as well. 00:12:00.629 --> 00:12:09.222 So we try to teach some of the stuff that we learn here and we teach it at home and we reinforce it and it's just nice to see how the hope comes through in your children. 00:12:09.222 --> 00:12:15.528 But I also do travel quite a bit for work and there are a lot of bad behaviors out there. 00:12:15.528 --> 00:12:28.347 But if you want to see the good ones and you focus on the good ones I'm a huge fan of, if you want to focus on it, you want to see it, you'll see it Subtle things, little things and then you can carry that on as well. 00:12:28.389 --> 00:12:33.688 I try to do that when I travel as much as I can, so you see hope where you want to see it and it's always there. 00:12:33.688 --> 00:12:38.446 It's just are you looking and are you allowing yourself to see the hope that's out there? 00:12:38.446 --> 00:12:41.134 And if you do, it's there. 00:12:41.134 --> 00:12:42.278 Focus on the positive. 00:12:42.278 --> 00:12:44.302 Positivity is contagious. 00:12:44.864 --> 00:12:48.893 So you can see hope all the time if you're looking for it. 00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:53.392 I love that At Vacation Bible School we teach the kids their God sightings. 00:12:53.392 --> 00:12:54.625 So where did you see God today? 00:12:54.625 --> 00:13:02.248 And it may be from someone holding that door open to something really profound, where God speaks to your heart, but you can find him if you're looking. 00:13:02.248 --> 00:13:05.649 So, lauren Grace, tell me, where are you finding hope today? 00:13:06.321 --> 00:13:08.850 I'm finding hope today in the character of God. 00:13:08.850 --> 00:13:20.368 I'm finding hope in his sovereignty, that anything that comes into my life he is allowing in his goodness, that he's working all things together for good for me and in his love. 00:13:20.368 --> 00:13:27.009 And when I love and accept myself as he loves and accepts me, it's easier for me to love and accept others. 00:13:27.029 --> 00:13:28.475 Yes, that brings me hope, thank you, for me to love and accept others. 00:13:28.475 --> 00:13:31.241 Yes, that brings me hope, thank you. 00:13:31.241 --> 00:13:34.908 We hope that this has brought all of you out there hope as well. 00:13:34.908 --> 00:13:38.475 If you are not currently in a small group and you are thinking about it, I want to encourage you. 00:13:38.475 --> 00:13:42.350 You can check out our webpage, meethopeorg slash small groups. 00:13:42.350 --> 00:13:45.249 Feel free to shoot me an email, give a yell at any point in time. 00:13:45.249 --> 00:13:52.450 I'd love to help you find that perfect place to connect both with God and with others as you grow deeper in your relationships. 00:13:52.450 --> 00:13:54.793 We hope you have a fantastic week. 00:13:54.793 --> 00:13:56.375 Thank you both for joining us today. 00:14:00.880 --> 00:14:05.491 Thanks for being a part of the Hope Community as we continue our conversations about faith and hope. 00:14:05.491 --> 00:14:09.970 If you don't already, please join us for worship on Sundays or on demand. 00:14:09.970 --> 00:14:13.759 If you don't already, please join us for worship on Sundays or on demand. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:22.856 You can learn more at meethopeorg or find us on socials at meethopechurch.