Synopsis:

God uses His Spirit and His word to create the universe. The Holy Spirit provides the invisible power and substance, His Word frames it and gives it tangible materiality. Through God’s Word the worlds were framed and put in order out of what was invisible (Heb 11:3). His Word is what holds all things together (Heb 1:3). Because Man is created in God’s image and likeness (Gen 1:26) we too have the power to create and speak things into existence.

What we believe in the heart is the substance from which we create our worlds. Our faith is a tangible substance and valid in God’s eyes (Heb 11:1). Evil is first created in the heart (Mat 15:18) before it is framed into being by the spoken word. The Word of God warns us sternly not to use our mouth to create strife, anger, dissension and gossip. (Eph 4:29-31). Instead, we should deliberately guard our hearts (Pro 4:23) and store up good within (Phi 4:8) to be spoken into fruition in our lives. And that is why we need to bring our words and the meditations of our hearts into alignment with each other and with God’s truth (Psa 19:14).

The Israelites chose not to do this. Time and time again they harbored unbelief in their hearts and spoke it with their mouths. Their words revealed their lack of faith in God, that he would deliver them (Exo 14:11), provide food for them (Exo 16:3) and give them water to drink (Exo 17:3). While the people were grumbling and speaking the problems (Num 20:3-5) God instructed Moses to speak to the rock and it would bring forth water for the people to drink (Numbers 20:8). God wants us to speak forth the solution rather than the problem.

Like Zechariah, who harbored unbelief that he could have a son even though he prayed for one (Luke 1:13), we too could have unbelief in our prayers unto God. Because Zechariah spoke out of unbelief at the angel Gabriel’s pronouncement that he would have a son (Luke 1:18), the angel shut up Zechariah’s mouth until the fulfillment of the prophecy (Luke 1:20) lest his words jeopardize the outcome. Even though God knows what we need before we ask him (Mat 6:8), God wants us to pray, and thereby speak forth the outcome, such as the reign and the rule of his kingdom over our lives (Mat 6:9-10). When Bartimaeus sought Jesus for healing, Jesus had him speak out his desire (Mark 10:51) and thereby receive his healing according to his faith (Mark 10:52).

Jesus himself practiced this when he went to pray for Jairus’ daughter. When people said the daughter was dead Jesus chose to ignore what they said and instead spoke faith into Jairus’ heart (Mark 5:36). He kept people with unbelief away (Mark 5:37, 40) when he spoke forth the resurrection to the daughter (Mark 5:41). We see how Jesus spoke the solution, while those around him were speaking the problem. He also praised the Roman centurion who believed that His spoken word was enough to heal his servant (Mat 8:8, 10).

Because the tongue can be greatly used for evil (Jas 3:6), it is the first part of the body that God seeks to control through his Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Reining in the tongue is the first step to enjoying many good days (1 Pet 3:10) so that it may be for us a tree of life (Pro 15:4).

Points to ponder:

1. When David faced the challenge of battling Goliath (1 Sam 17:23-51), how did he use his words to bring about the victory?
2. Why is it important for us to speak forth the solution and victory before we see them?
3. What are the areas of your life that you are seeking God for breakthroughs in?  What are the scriptures you can use to speak life and victory into those areas?
4. Discuss how have you been applying the principles learnt in the last two lessons on “The Creative Power of the Spoken Word”.

Synopsis:

The Tree of Life represents Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross. When we believe, we partake of the fruit of Tree; when we apply the truth of His redemptive work, we enjoy the benefits of the leaves of the Tree, which bring healing (Rev 22:2). And the first step of applying the truth is speaking it. We are to align our speech to God’s truths.

The healed tongue is a tree of life (Pro 15:4, YLT), which tells us that the Tree of Life brings healing by our spoken words. When God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1), the first ingredient God used was his Spirit (Gen 1:2) and the second his spoken word (Gen 1:3). God’s spoken word frames the power of God and makes it material and tangible for us (Heb 11:3, NASB). All matter is made up of God’s power and his word. It is the Word of God that makes God perceivable (John 1:14) to us. Though the Spirit is the origin of life, it is Christ’s spoken word that frames it into reality for us (Joh 6:63).

When God spoke living creatures into being, he spoke to its source of sustenance. When he created vegetation he spoke to the earth (Gen 1:11) and therefore vegetation needs to be connected with the earth for it to survive and thrive. Likewise fish need to be sustained by water (Gen 1:20) and animals need to be in contact with the earth (Gen 1:24). When God created Man He spoke to Himself (Gen 1:26), so Man was created from God and needs to stay connected with God for sustenance.

Man is created in God’s image and His likeness (Gen 1:26), which means that we have God’s outward features and inward qualities. And this means that we, like God, have the power to create through our words. Our words frame into materiality that which we have collected in our hearts (Mat 12:34). What we believe in our hearts is a spiritual substance (Heb 11:1) and this substance is framed into being by spoken words (Heb 11:3).

Because what we already have in our hearts is a spiritual reality in God’s eyes, sinning in the heart is as bad as actually committing the sin physically (Mat 5:22, 28). And the tongue can sin by speaking words that create strife (Pro 18:6) or by spreading lies (Pro 6:19) or by gossiping, which leads to quarreling (Pro 26:20). Sometimes the problem is simply that of talking too much (Pro 10:19).

We allow the tongue to be used by the devil when we use it for the interests of man rather than the interests of God (Mark 8:33). James shows us that the tongue sets the direction of our lives as a rudder sets the course of a ship (Jas 3:4). And he warns us against using the tongue to both bless God and curse men (Jas 3:9-10). When the sons of Korah used their tongues to speak against Moses and Aaron (Num 16:3) the LORD punished them for their rebellion (Num 16:31-33). God wants us to use the tongue for edifying the rest of the body of Christ (Eph 4:29), because misusing the tongue can grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30). We are also to get rid of bitterness and every form of malice (Eph 4:31), as bitterness is a root that grows to cause defilement (Heb 12:15). And the way to cleanse the heart of bitterness is to walk in forgiveness, because in Christ God has already forgiven us (Eph 4:32).

God has given our spoken words great power, and we can use this power to bring into our lives what would satisfy (Pro 18:20). Therefore we ought to use this power to choose life, not death (Pro 18:21).

Points to Ponder:

1. What are the two ingredients that God uses to create the universe and how do they work together to form the known world?
2. In the context of this lesson, what constitutes the building material and how do we frame them into materiality in our lives?
3. What do James 3:4-5 reveal about the power of the spoken word in our lives?  What are some of the common ways this power is being abused? 
4. Discuss how we can use the power of the spoken words with intentionality for our benefits and blessings in life (Pro 18:20-21). 

Date: 07^th June 2009
Speaker: Ps John Koe

Synopsis:

Our salvation begins with a relational restoration, firstly with God (John 17:3) and then with one another. We then begin on a journey to discover all that Jesus has done for us on the cross. Since it was because of unbelief that Man fell, therefore it will be through believing God that we will experience restoration in every area of our lives. We need to believe God’s Word before we can see the power of God revealed (Isaiah 53:1, NIV).

Our journey to realize our inheritance in Christ begins when we are willing and eager to find out what God has promised us in His Word. Many believers do not realize God’s promises simply because they are not desperate enough to pursue them.  That is why it often takes people to come to the end of themselves before they would seek the Lord and receive their breakthroughs, thus discovering the power and efficacy of God’s Word and promises.  The Scriptures prepare us for every good work (2 Tim 3:17) and empower us to partake in God’s nature, keeping us from worldly corruption (2 Peter 1:4). His promises  bless every area of our lives, including our emotional health (2 Tim 1:7, NKJV), family life (Acts 16:31, NASB), finances (2 Cor 9:8) and career (Psa 1:3). All of God’s promises belong to us who are in Christ (2 Cor 1:20).  We glorify God when we appropriate and enjoy them in our lives, displaying God’s goodness.

In order to lay hold of God’s promises, we need to

1) Believe them – This begins with us searching out and believing the truth which sets us free (John 8:32). We often need to believe the truth before we can understand it, because it is through faith that we can understand (Heb 11:3, NIV).

2) Speak them – Jesus commanded us to speak to the mountain (Mark 11:23, NKJV), because when we believe we will speak (2 Cor 4:13). Our tongues have creative power over our lives (Pro 18:20-21). God formed the world through his Words (Heb 11:3) and likewise we are to frame our personal worlds with our words.

3) Act on them – Faith calls for corresponding action (Jas 2:17). The woman with the issue of blood believed in Jesus because of what she heard (Rom 10:17) and she spoke out of her faith (Mark 5:28). After that she had to act on her faith by pressing through the crowd, overcoming the obstacles of custom and her religious upbringing to finally receive her miracle (Mark 5:27).

Further Study:

1.  What could be the reason when believers do not experience the promises of God for their lives?

2.  Why is it important to align our words with God’s Word and promises?  And how shall we do that?

3.  What are some of the ways we can “act on the Word God”?

Application:

Share with your LifeGroup the areas of your life you are currently believing God for breakthroughs.

Date: 31^st May 2009
Speaker: Ps John Koe

Synopsis:

True Christianity is focused on a relationship, not a religion, on a person, not a teaching. Eternal life is knowing God in the person of Jesus Christ and having a relationship with Him (John 17:3). People experience healing and restoration by encountering Jesus, not by merely knowing about him. The Christian life is about receiving our full rights as sons, and entering into the relationship with God as our heavenly Father (John 1:12). It is relationship that heals and brings life; it is relationship that turns information in the mind to revelation in the heart.

God first wants to restore our relationship with him (Mat 22:37-38) and then to restore our relationship with one another (Mat 22:39). We gather at church to nurture this relationship. When we connect with God, the source of love, we end up loving one another. That will bring about the end of crime and other social ills, because love is the fulfillment of all the Law and the Prophets (Mat 22:40).

The inability to love is sin, because sin is defined as missing the mark, not being able to live up to God’s character (Romans 3:23). When Jesus came to remove our sin and our sin nature (Rom 6:11), He effectively removed our inability to love, and enabled us to love God and to love one another. He empowered some people to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11), not to perform the work of the ministry but to equip the saints to love and serve one another (Eph 4:12). This is God’s plan for maturing his people (Eph 4:13) to be like Jesus (Eph 4:15). Every part of Christ’s body has to do its work, in order for the body to grow and build itself in love (Eph 4:16).

It is only in the small group setting where we are able to encourage each other daily to keep sin’s deceitfulness from entering anyone’s heart (Heb 3:13). We are commanded to exhort one another every day and thus become God’s instruments for the preservation of one another’s faith. This will allow us to hold firmly to the confidence we have and thus share in Christ (Heb 3:14). We, as the people of God, are to encourage one another and to spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb 10:24-25), and that requires that we be in fellowship with one another.

Love will lead to action. Jesus said that if we love him we would do what he commands (John 14:15). God himself showed his love by his actions, by his giving of himself (John 3:16). Therefore we are commanded to carry one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2) and that requires that we are in vital relationship with one another, trusting one another enough to disclose our burdens to one another. Much of God’s healing, provision, restoration and guidance comes to us via community living because God has made us this way. We are restored through relationships. Paul was accepted by the disciples because of Barnabas (Acts 9:27), Peter was led to Christ by his brother Andrew (John 1:41) and Andrew himself was brought to Christ because of his relationship with John the Baptist (John 1:36-37). 

Points to Ponder:

1. Share about the people God has used to bring you to Christ, and the people who has influenced you in your growth as a Christian.
2. Have you been used likewise by God to impact others for Him?  Share your experiences.
3. What would you like to experience from the relationships in the LifeGroup?

Using Ice-breakers is an essential small group skill. They should begin with light and information-based questions and move to deeper and more personal levels as the group progresses together. If used well they can move the group to experience great community!

Level One – Information: What you know

What is your favorite movie and why?

Do you have a pet? If you would like to have one, what would you like to have?

What is your favorite part of Singapore? Why?

What day of your life would you most like to relive? Why?

What does your name mean? Why were you named that?

If your house were on fire, what three items (not people) would you try to save?

What was the best gift you ever received as a child?

If you suddenly lost your eyesight, what would be the thing you missed seeing the most?

If you are stuck on a desert island for a year and could only bring one music album, one book (other than your Bible) and one luxury item, what would these items be?

What was your first job? What do you remember most about it?

Tell the group briefly a story from your wedding day.

If you could go to college (again), what would you study?

What’s the story behind the longest time you went without sleep?

You have been given a year sabbatical from work. What would you do?

What was the most daring thing you have ever done? What made it so daring?

Level Two – Opinions:  What you think

Who is one of your heroes and why?

Who is your number one advisor in life and why?

My favorite way to spend time is ______.

If I could invent a gadget that would make my life easier, I’d invent a _________ to _______________.

Just for the fun/thrill of it, before I die I’d like to ______.

I was (or would have been) voted “most likely to” ______ in high school?

I wish before I got married someone had told me ______.

If you were going to leave the world one piece of advice before you died, what would you say?

Who was one of the most interesting persons you or your family ever entertained?

Name a couple of things you remember about your grandparents.

If you had one minute on television to speak to the entire nation about something, what would you speak about?

I have never quite gotten the hang of ______________ .

Who was the best boss you ever had? What made him or her so good?

People might be surprised to find out that I ______.

Describe a primary school teacher that made a big impression on you (for good or ill).

Each person in the group answer for the person on their right “______, I’m so glad God made you because _________ .”

Level Three – Feelings: Who you are

What is your biggest fear about death?

What do you miss most about childhood?

Which do you value more, sight or speech? Why?

I am most like my mom/dad in that I ______.

One of my biggest pet peeves is ______.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Are there any surprises?

If money was not an issue and you could choose one place in the world to travel to for a week, where would it be?

For what do you want to be remembered?

An emotion I often feel but don’t usually express is ______.

Where do you go or what do you do when life gets too heavy for you? Why?

In what area of your life would you like to have greater peace? Why?

What is one of your biggest fears about the future?

When you were a child, what was your favorite time of day and why?

Fill in the blanks: I suspect that behind my back people say that I am __________ because I _____________.

In general, I worry too much about __________________.

And here is a link to the WORST ice-breakers to use. If  you LifeGroup leaders ever use any of these and we find out, you are in trouble…

Sermon Date: 17 May 2009
Speaker: Ps John Koe

Synopsis:

When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they enjoyed an intimate relationship with God and received life from Him. When they fell into sin, they became separated from the life of God and that led to depravity (Eph 4:18-19), eventual death and eternal separation from God.

Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe in him (John 3:16). Eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3) and that is Man’s highest pleasure, to experience the relationship between Creator and Creation. God desires a loving relationship with us (Hos 6:6, GNB) and the way to enter into this relationship is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), to reconcile us to God. That makes Christianity a ‘done’-centered faith, and not a ‘do’-centered religion.  Christianity is therefore about our reconciled relationship with God, and not religious rules and ceremonies, championing a cause or joining a group. It is more than just a feeling, even though in a relationship our emotions will be affected.

The devil seeks to distract us from the simplicity of devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:3). If we are more devoted to Christian activities than Christ himself, we will end up angry with God and bitter with other people (Luke 10:40). Bad fruit arises when the devotion is directed to anything other than Jesus. Christian activities are meant to enrich our relationship with God and to help us experience Christ together as a community.

There are doctrines and facts to know, for example, that Jesus was born of a virgin (Mat 1:18-25), lived a sinless life (I Pet 2:22), was crucified for sinners (Rom 5:8), rose again from the dead (Luke 24:5-6), ascended into heaven (Acts 1:11), and is coming again (I The 4:16). But it is not enough to receive facts; we are to receive a person, because Jesus himself is the truth (John 14:6). God wants us to receive and believe in Jesus (John 1:12), and to experience His goodness (Psa 34:8).

We are to know God and not merely practice a religion, which leads to slavery (Gal 4:8). The gospel does not come in words only but also the power of the Holy Spirit which can be experienced (1 The 1:5). It takes the Holy Spirit to turn information into conviction that changes lives. Paul was mightily used by God to birth churches, perform miracles and write two-thirds of the New Testament, and yet his heart’s cry was still to know and experience Christ (Phi 3:10) more. May that be the desire of our hearts too!

Points to Ponder:

1. How is Christianity a ‘done’-centered faith, and not a ‘do’-centered religion?  And what does that mean in our walk with God?
2. Share your experience of what might distract one from the simplicity of devotion to Christ.

]]> http://petralifegroup.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/12th-june-2009/feed/ 0 petralifegroup http://petralifegroup.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/26th-june-2009/ http://petralifegroup.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/26th-june-2009/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:37:19 +0000 petralifegroup http://petralifegroup.wordpress.com/?p=54 ]]> Eternal Life is Knowing Christ (2)

Sermon Date: 24 May 2009
Speaker: Ps John Koe

Synopsis:

God has covenanted with us to protect us (Psa 121:5) and we enjoy that protection when we have a close relationship with him. We are to be so close to God that we can find refuge in the shadow of his wings (Psa 57:1). Jesus mission was to restore the relationship between God and Man, the relationship that was broken by sin. He even defined eternal life as relationship, as knowing God (John 17:3). Knowing God is something praiseworthy in God’s eyes, better than riches, wisdom or strength (Jer 9:23-24).

God sees his people loving and knowing him as the opposite of religious works such as sacrifices and burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6) or observing special days, months, seasons and years (Gal 4:8-10).  The Pharisees were an example of choosing religion over relationship. They memorized the Torah and knew biblical truths, but they rejected Jesus even though he himself was the truth (John 14:6). They had no love even though love is the summary of God’s truth (Gal 5:14). Religion’s attitude of sticking to the letter while ignoring the Spirit will lead to death (2 Cor 3:6).

Religion is when we agree with a truth in our head (information) and not encounter Christ in our heart (revelation). When that happens we have knowledge that puffs up rather than love that builds up (1 Cor 8:1). When we encounter Christ, we not only know that he has forgiven us, we are also able to forgive others (Eph 4:32). We know we have revelation of our righteousness in Christ when we are able to not only confess our righteousness in Christ (Rom 10:10), but also live it in our lives (1 The 2:10). And it is relationship, encountering Jesus, that will turn information into revelation. And that is the work of the Holy Spirit, because we are unable to figure God out by ourselves (1 Cor 2:12-14). People usually reject spiritual truth because it does not agree with their reasoning, but spiritual matters are discerned spiritually.

Only the Holy Spirit can cause truths to be perceived in our hearts, which bring forth divine experiences in our lives.  The devil seeks to deceive us from the simplicity and pleasure of this divine relationship (2 Cor 11:3). Because of our relationship with Jesus, all God’s promises are ‘yes’ for us (2 Cor 1:20), and we can access all we need for life and godliness through knowing God (2 Pet 1:3). Knowing God brings us wisdom (Pro 9:10) and that gives us long life (Pro 9:11) that is satisfying (Psa 91:16). Jesus came to restore our relationship with God, and we receive our full rights as sons (Gal 4:5) by receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour (John 1:12).

Points to Ponder:

1. What is the difference between Information and revelation?  And how does this relate to the difference between religion and relationship?
2. How does one discern whether a truth he knows is an information or revelation? And what transforms information to revelation in our lives?
3. Share with the group one area of your life that you would want to receive greater revelation and to experience breakthroughs and success in.

If you are a musical beginner, one thing you will realize is that there are many aspects of music that you can study. But if there is an urgent need in your group for you to be ready to serve in the shortest time frame possible, you have to know what are the essential worship music skills and make acquiring those skills your top priority. Those skills are:

1) Playing clear chords and counts.

Unifying the praises of the people requires that you give them clear chords (so that they can all sing in the same key) and clear beats (so that they all sing at the same time). The two best instruments for providing such musical support in a small group setting are guitar and piano.

As you work on those instruments, work towards being able to play in a wide range of keys. For guitar you should be able to play in the keys of C, D, E, G and A major. For the piano you need to study the chords of all those keys and the keys of F and Bb major as well. And practice playing rhythms in a steady and firm fashion. This helps the people to sing out their praises more confidently.

2) Building intensity through your playing.

As the people sing the song again and again, especially during the chorus, it is vital that your accompaniment also build up in musical intensity. If you are playing in a church band this task can be shared amongst different instruments, but in a small group you will usually have to handle all this by yourself. On the guitar you can play louder, use a more active strumming pattern or other techniques such as hammer-ons in your chords. On the piano you can increase your volume, play a more active rhythm, use more fills or bring up your inversions.

One very useful exercise is making a point to be able to play through a song in four different levels of intensity, from a stripped-down, bare-bones way to a give-it-all-you’ve-got way. After you have worked on this consistently for some time it will come naturally for you when you play for worship.

3) Playing chord progressions to support free worship and prayer.

There are two main approaches to playing chord progressions during free worship and prayer. The first is to play the chords of the song last sung. The second is to play a short, holding pattern type of chord progression, such as the I-IV or the IV-V progressions. I prefer the second, because it allows people to quickly resume singing the song again if that is what the worship leader directs. The first does not work too well unless the leader and the small group is more musically inclined. And that is not often the case.

So as you practice the chords in the various keys you seek to master, pay attention to playing the usual holding patterns in that particular key. Especially for guitar; you may discover interesting ideas and techniques that you can use as you experiment with different ways of playing the same chord patterns.

Conclusion:

It takes a lifetime to truly master an instrument, because there are so many aspects to explore and skills to develop. But if you desire to serve as a small -group worship musician, the three skills given above are the essential skills you should emphasize in your practice and in your music lessons. Do so and you will see the results of your labour!

Junjie Huang
www.invisibleworshipmusician.com

Factor 01: Know what songs are familiar to your small group.

Why is this factor important? Because in small group worship you are better off using at the most one song that is unfamiliar to the people in each worship session. In order to follow this guideline you need to know what songs are familiar to your group members.

If your small group is based at a local church (made up of members of the same church), this becomes a lot simpler. Pay attention to the songs are used for the worship service and take note of what songs regularly come up. These will be more familiar to your people. If your small group is a para-church group, with members from different churches, you will need to pay attention to what songs have been regularly used for the worship sessions in previous meetings. Looking out for this will give you a good sense of what songs are dependable and usable in your small group worship times.

Factor 02: Know what songs are sing-able and what are not.

Songs that are easy for the members to sing are a must. We measure the success of small group worship by the standard of the following Scripture passage:

2 Chronicles 5:12-15 – All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as *with one voice*, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.”

Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God. (NIV, emphasis mine)

So if you want to make it easier to unify the praises of the people, choosing songs that are easily sung by your group members is crucial for your success.

Please don’t assume that what is used for your church service or heard in ‘worship’ albums will always be useable in a small group setting. Worship albums are usually created by people with a high level of singing ability and music skill. These people are therefore able to sing what the average church member can’t. This may not be obvious when a difficult song is attempted during a church service, since there are more people to cover up any problems, but it becomes painfully clear when attempting such songs at a small group meeting.

Factor 03: Know what your musician(s) skill level and work accordingly.

If you yourself are not a skilled musician, or if the musicians who volunteer to serve are not highly skilled, you need to choose your songs based on what your musicians can manage. It is very difficult for many amateur musicians to learn more than one or two new songs a week. If you only have a pianist in your group, recognise that it becomes tougher to attempt the guitar based songs. Likewise if your only musician is a guitarist, he or she may have more difficulty making a piano-based song work.

Be aware of this factor, and work closely with your musicians as you choose songs for your worship session. Communicate with them early about what songs you wish to use for the next meeting, so that they will have more time to practice and work out any kinks in the songs or the song selection.

Conclusion:

Choosing the right songs for a worship session is more than half the battle won, especially when in a small group setting. Remember these factors and keep them in mind, and you will find choosing songs for small group worship to be a simple and effective process!

Junjie Huang
www.invisibleworshipmusician.com

If you want to lead worship effectively at a small group meeting, and to keep it up for the long run without burning out your musicians or yourself, you need to get your expectations right. Many small group worship leaders try to reproduce what they hear on Sunday services or on the ‘worship’ albums available at the Christian bookshop, because they think this is what worship is supposed to be like. And it is this wrong idea that has frustrated many small group worship leaders and caused them to miss the joy and blessing of praising God in a small group setting.

These are the expectations you should embrace in order to consistently lead worship effectively in a small group setting.

1. It takes time for good things to happen

Allocate enough time for the people to let their hearts settle down into praising God. You may have heard stories about gifted worship leaders who bring about God’s manifested presence with the very first words they sing and the first chord on the piano or guitar. What you may not have heard is that often times there were months and months of groundwork laid, either by the worship leader personally or by other worship leaders who came before.

So be prepared to allocate time for good things to happen. If you give 4-5 minutes for each song, you can expect to unify the praises of the people in about 12-15 minutes, 20-25 minutes is even better. And persevere in this for 4 to 8 meetings. This, of course, assumes that you are doing other things right as well.

2. The people need clear direction and guidance

Many worship albums do not have the worship leaders giving clear direction to the congregation. Two reasons: it does not make for a slick performance; and it is not necessary for the people singing in that recording because they’ve heard the same song the same way umpteen times. And if your church worship leaders emulate such worship albums, you’ll not see them giving clear directions to the congregation either. This is really ineffective, but in a larger church there are usually more musicians and back-up vocalists to cover it up. You are not going to get away with this in a small group.

So give the people clear directions. Prompt them with verbal or vocal cues so they will know if you want them to sing the verse again or to repeat the chorus next.

3. You do not have to entertain the people with new material

There is this unspoken assumption in charismatic circles that any leading of the Holy Spirit must be something new, fresh and exciting. If you just reinforce the same themes and songs you heard used in your church Sunday services, there may be people who think you are counting on formulae, routines or rituals instead of depending on the leading of the Spirit.

“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.” (1 Tim 4:7 NKJV)

This is one aspect of godliness that many do not address: it is something we exercise through constant use and repetition. We do not grasp something with our hearts when we read or hear something once. Often we need to be exposed to something (a theme or a song) many times before it really sinks into our hearts and changes the way we think and live.

So do not be surprised if after seriously seeking the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit about the worship theme or songs for your small group meeting you do not get any radical ideas but believe you are to repeat either the songs or theme of your church’s most recent Sunday service. Remember that, in the Bible account of the calling of the prophet Samuel given in 1 Samuel 3, we learn that the voice of God often sounds so similar to the voice of our spiritual leadership. Sometimes what the Holy Spirit wants us to do is just to walk along the direction our church leaders have taken.

Conclusion:

These three expectations are not glamorous or very exciting. But they are the expectations that enable us to serve effectively in a small group worship ministry in the long run, and without burning out. Embrace them and see how much simpler worship ministry becomes for you!

Junjie Huang
www.invisibleworshipmusician.com
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