Too often, we are guilty of giving up on a person too easily. Persistence makes a difference. I find that many people who don’t come at the first invitation often come after the third or fourth if I have continued to build a caring relationship. Dave Earley
This means you can grow a new group of ten to fourteen regular members in a year by inviting one new person each week! A wise leader tries to invite at least one new person a week and encourages the members of his group to do the same. Dave Earley
According to Richard Price and Pat Springer, Experienced group leaders . . . realise that you usually have to personally invite 25 people for 15 to say they will attend. Of those 15, usually only 8 to 10 will actually show up, and of those only five to seven will be regular attenders after a month or so. Dave Earley
Every time I have practised the habit of inviting someone every week, the group has grown. Every time I have not consistently invited new people to come, the group has not grown. Dave Earley
Your group can’t grow unless you have and keep guests. This may seem ridiculously obvious, but it is often forgotten. If no one new ever visits your group, your group cannot grow. Dave Earley
Highly effective small group leaders build several disciplines into their schedule. One that is often overlooked, but highly important, is the habit of inviting new people to the group. Dave Earley
Those who don’t have a set time for prayer rarely take the time to pray. Great people of prayer speak of their appointments with God. Most agree that the when of the time is not as important as having a time. Dave Earley
Think back on your most memorable road trip.
It had been a fairly reasonable road trip.
We travelled from home to a wedding in Port Macquarie where we stayed a couple of nights. The wedding was idyllic, right on the river, followed by a party that it seems only Filipinos can pull off.
We travelled up the coast to Maclean and thence to Queensland. At Warwick we visited a friend, before going to Toowoomba to visit our daughter and son-in-law.
Rain in our part of the world had caused flooding. The direct route via Moree was blocked. No problem, take the slightly longer but more scenic route down the New England Highway.
We got to Tamworth, normally a two hour drive from home. We learned that the road to Gunnedah was closed, but we thought we could head further south and bypass the flooded roads.
It was not to be. At one stage, a reasonable looking road got smaller and smaller until, just beyond a rise, the descent went into a raging torrent that normally does not exist. After a ten point turn, desperately trying to avoid the mud that could leave us bogged, we went back to Tamworth for the night.
The next morning we were able to get home, but only by a detour that added another two hours to the journey.
It was so good to get home.
A 5 hour journey took over 24 hours.
Prayer is the most important task as a small group leader. Success here will make success in the other habits much easier. Failure here will make success in the other habits nearly impossible. Dave Earley
Scripture
He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken!
Observation
The Lord does wonderful things. He turns mighty cities into ruins. He is a tower of refuge for the poor and needy.
He will swallow up death forever. He will wipe away all tears and remove mockery and insults against His people.
People will proclaim that the Lord has saved them because they trusted Him. The Lord’s hand will rest on Jerusalem, but Moab will be crushed.
Application
The good news is that God will swallow up death forever. In Christ’s death and resurrection, the power of sin and death was defeated. Everybody who puts their faith in Jesus will live forever with God.
In Revelation 21, John tells us that God will wipe away our tears. But that is not the future, it is here and now. When we follow Jesus, He heals the hurts of the past. He turns our mourning into dancing. The joy of the Lord is our strength
We all go through tough times. The assurance of Scripture is that God is with us, and He strengthens us in the midst of grief.
God will also remove all insults and mockery against His people. Those who refuse to hear the gospel, those who revile Christians or persecute them, will be judged for their deeds. They will not go to heaven. They will not be allowed to continue their defiance against God and His people.
Prayer
Lord, I thank you for these awesome promises. You have defeated death, you wipe away our tears, and you will bring all insults and mockery to an end. Amen.
New Life Narrabri 