Life Transformation Groups - Clinton
Becoming more like Jesus & Stories
Can you say that you are more like Jesus than you were a year ago? Would your best friend agree with you?
In Paul's letter to Christ followers in Rome in the first century, he wrote a phrase that is often quoted today, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28, New Living Translation)
This sounds good to our ears. But what did God say this ‘all things working together' was for? Read the next sentence: "For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." (Romans 8:29, NLT) God is making a family of brothers and sisters who are just like His Son Jesus Christ.
How meaningfully, fruitfully, are we being changed into Jesus' likeness?
Around here, we are increasingly sharing life together in close proximity with one or two brothers or sisters (boys with boys, girls with girls) so that we would be changed to be more like Jesus. Some have done this for years and their lives show the fruit.
We are convinced that this kind of life together is a must for Jesus' people. Too many people live isolated from one another, with covered-up shame, facing battles by themselves, and having more of an audience-member type relationship with Jesus than the life-on-life, dynamic, transformed servant life that He showed us.
This is more than 'getting together for coffee' to chat. It is about doing life together to know and worship Jesus, to submit to Him together as our Lord, to 'chew' on Scripture together, to participate in shaping one another to be more like Him, to hold one another accountable to transformation. This life actually sounds like Jesus walking with His friends 2000 years ago.
We call these groups Life Transformation Groups. The name isn't important - the life together is.
So - look around you, who might God be inviting you into this life with? What are you going to do about that? If you want help navigating this pathway, contact an elder or pastor.
"When I first heard about life transformation groups I thought they were a great idea! What a great opportunity to be challenged to read my bible more and to be accountable to a couple of other people that I could trust. About a month and a half ago 3 of us talked together and decided to become this kind of group.
I was thrilled that we had such a diversity of spiritual ages in our group from a new believer to another woman who I knew and trusted to be a very mature believer who was confident in her faith and could challenge and help me to grow. I think this has added a real richness to our group. On the one hand we get insight into Scriptures or ideas from one who only recently realized her need for salvation and wholeheartedly embraced it, to those who have been in the church and believers since childhood.
My group is a place where I can breathe. I know that with these two women I can take off the masks, I can be transparent and share my joys and struggles without the fear of being judged. It is so refreshing to be a part of a group where we all have similar beliefs and we can completely let our guards down to reveal our innermost thoughts. I have enjoyed getting to know these two ladies so much.
Our group gets together usually once a week. So far we've just been choosing a book of the Bible to read and study and then we come together to talk about anything that stood out to us that week in our reading, or the things that challenged/ encouraged us. We share about our weeks and how we've been managing. We share about how we've been doing at being disciplined with our readings. For me it's an extra incentive to really strive to keep up my reading and studying in the Word when I know that others will be asking me about it.
We always share a meal together as well, this is a great opportunity to just be ourselves and to laugh together it's a wonderful time. We've only been a group for a short time, but already the closeness that we share is incredible to me. I know that as time goes on we will continue to encourage each other and to challenge each other in our walks of faith. I look forward to that.
~ Melanie"