Love Life, Embrace Risks, and Live for Eternity

An Unusual Small Group

The Monday Night Coffee Shop Group has stretched me big time over the past several years. It is atypcial type of Bible Study. It is probably the most diverse group I have ever been a part of.

We welcome all types of people. The rich. The middle class. The poor. Drug dealers. Artists. Athiests. Agnostics. Pastors. The unchurched. Casino dealers. Teachers. Those decked out in fun tattoos and piercings. Nurses. Transgenders. And even the downright broken.

It is one crazy group and I love it!

Everyone is there because they are exploring spirituality to some extent. This is wether they are exploring Jesus Christ or they are not too sure what spiritual truth is. All that I know is that each individual is exposed to Biblical Truth every Monday evening. 

Here is the deal. It is not our job to fix people or change people. However, it is our responsibility to love them and point them to Jesus Christ. It is our responsibilty to dish out grace to them. To lead them to the beauty of the cross and the resurrection.

I pray that God truly empowers the Church to move forward with the sweet mission.

Update on the Monday Night Coffee Shop Group

Every Monday, I gather with individuals in a coffee shop who are spiritually curious. We have some that believe Jesus Christ is God while others are not too sure. Until then, I continue to use the Bible as our curriculum. We have read over the Gospels and now we are in the sweet book of Acts.

Lately, we have been spending around ten minutes looking over archeological evidence that proves that the Bible is real. We have also dove into the scientific studies as well as historical proof. We have discussed the findings and the meaning behind Dead Sea Scrolls. We have also discussed the big hoax of the half ape half man when it comes to evolution. We have had some great discussions!

We have been slowly diving into the book of Acts. We read a chapter. Discuss it. And then apply it to our lives. The book of Acts stirs me up big time to make an impact here on earth. I love reading when...

• Peter healed the crippled beggar
• Peter and John were filled with the Spirit and spoke with great boldness before the major big wigs
• The apostles performed mriacles, signs, and wonders in front of the crowds
• More and more were added to the church
• The apostles never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news of Christ even amongst major persecution

Just if we saw this nowadays!

The Gift of Time

Jesus gave his time to people when he was here on earth. I love reading about when Jesus was surrounded by a gigantic crowd of people and he stopped. He stopped and put his focus on one particular man named Zacchaeus who was spiritually curious. They ended up having a leisurly dinner together while talking about the spiritual. As a result, one man's life was changed drastically. Zacchaeus was changed from the inside out all because Jesus gave some time to sit and dine with him.

The gift of time is what so many need especially when it comes to the spritually curious. Lately, I have been realizing how important the gift of time is when it comes to the Monday Night Coffee Shop Group. The gift of time is critical even before the group starts and even when the group meeting ends. There are many in the coffee shop that are spiritually curious and all they need is the gift of time.

Not everyone feels comfortable being in a group setting but they are o.k. with one on one conversations before or after the group setting. Individuals confront us with questions or even thoughts when it comes to Jesus Christ.  All of these individuals are ordinary people who do not go to church. However, they are spiritually curious. They admit that they are searching or wandering when it comes to the spiritual.

Here are a few thoughts or even questions that have been brought to me over the past few weeks.

• Isn't the Bible full of folk tales?
• Is the Bible a historical book?
• I believe in the supernatural but I am not sure about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• Do you really think Jesus is God? Don't 80% of religions believe that he was just the son of God?

All of the conversations were healthy and pointed towards Biblical Truth. People are bringing up honest questions or thoughts in which they want answers to. I just pray that they keep asking away. I pray that they are exposed to the Biblical Truth. I pray that they experience the thrill of who Jesus Christ is. Until then, I will continue to give my time.

Monday Nights: Learning to Love!

Monday nights in Downtown Royal Oak are well worth it. It is a time where we bring spiritual Truth in an area that is desperately in need of Jesus. The coffee shop we gather in on Monday nights is always jam packed full of people. I enjoy seeing the regulars along with the newbies. I just love the people!

While reading through the book of John on Monday nights, I am constantly reminded how important it is to love others. It is so critical that Jesus commanded us to do so. It is especially important when you face those who believe the Bible is just filled with folktales and not actually history. Or when one picks and chooses what to believe in the Bible. Or when one believes in the supernatural but has a hard time believing that Jesus was raised from the dead.

Arguments and debates will not win them. But, love will! I pray that God gives all of us Christ-followers the strength to love!

"And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of - lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about." Shane Claiborne

The Monday Night Coffee Shop Group

Christ-followers inquire all the time on the Monday Night Coffee Shop group in downtown Royal Oak. So many questions get thrown at me. How was it started? How many attend? What do I use for curriculum? Are we affiliated with a church? What is the goal of the group?

Lately, I have been thinking and reflecting on the goal of the group. The goal is not to fix those in the group. It is to connect them to God. The goal is to introduce them to the Word. To let the Spirit speak to them and help them understand it. To help them apply it to their lives. The goal is to love them. To represent Jesus to them!

Here is a quick update on what has been going on:

• We are currently reading over the book of John and just finished chapter 12. We have had great challenging discussions as we read verse by verse.
• I love how everyone stays afterwords to drink coffee and chit chat.
• This Monday night we are having our monthly desert and game night at my place.

I pray that God's authoritative Word speaks and cuts to each one of our hearts as we read it. I pray for salvation, redemption, healing, and reconciliation. I pray for more to join in on exploring the Scriptures on Monday nights.

The Coffee Shop Group

                             

This past week, I had the Monday night coffee shop group swing over to my place to celebrate Tony's birthday. 

That evening, I learned that I literally stink at Dominos. But, I can surely talk some trash during the game. That is all that counts, right?

Church Outside of Church

Months ago, I was threatened that if I was ever to call the Monday night coffee shop group "church" then some action will need to be taken. I was completely shocked that one said that to me. It just shows me how the enemy is at work.

There is no need for me to turn this group into a church, non-profit organization, or even a business.  I will not file for a 501(C)3 with the Monday night group seeing that I do not take up tithes. Actually, I refuse to take in tithes. We have no incoming revenue however there are expenses. Money is invested in people by purchasing Bibles, coffees, deserts, and even dinners.

Over the past year, I have learned that "church" is not a building. It is the body of Christ. On Mondays nights, a few of us reckless followers of Christ have decided to take a risk by investing in those that do not believe and/or who are unchurched. We have chosen to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ outside of the typical Sunday morning thing and outside of the four walls of a church.

Running church outside of church has been a trip. Taking the Gospel to the coffee shop has been interesting but God has surely been at work. We have seen decisions made for Christ. We have had those that are spiritually confused have their questions answered. We have seen people crack open the Bible for their first time. We have helped some talk with God for their very first time. And lately, more and more are starting to purchase their own Bibles. I love it! There is nothing better than seeing those that rarely cracked open the Bible take it upon themselves to purchase one. I crack up when I see them get so excited when they bring their brand new Bible to the group.

I love it. But please know that I am not anti church inside of church. There are times when we are called to have church outside of church to reach different people groups.  You should try it sometime!

Investing in People on Monday Nights

Monday nights are a time where a few of us pour into the lives of others that would not typically walk into a church setting. I love Monday nights in downtown Royal Oak!

Here is the update on the group!

• We are in need of a new male leader. Nick moved to New York! :(
• We are currently walking through the book of John verse by verse. Great discussions! Great Q & A time!
• This past Monday we had two new guests join us. One just sat right across from me not seriously not knowing what he was getting himself into. The other was given a personal invite to the group. I love how God draws new people in!
• Week after week we expose people to who Jesus is and now we are seeing some discovering the Truth of who He is.
• Last week was rough seeing that one of the guys that attended is spiritually confused big time.
• Those that do not attend the group but hang out with us before or afterwords are starting to develop a trust which leads to deep honest discussions about their status in life. Before, I would get frustrated that they wouldn't join the group but now I see that God is at work with them. He is piquing their spiritual curiosity.  

The group is a diverse group and I love it! That is what it is all about! Call me crazy but we will continue to openly accept seekers, skeptics, cynics, and all to the group. We encourage them to throw out questions, doubts, and concerns when it comes to spiritual truth.  

Monday Nights in Downtown Royal Oak

Seekers, skeptics, cynics, and the unchurched are all welcomed in the Monday night small group that we run out of the coffee shop in downtown Royal Oak.

The goal is to love them and get to know them as individuals. The goal is to engage them in dialog over what the Word of God says. The goal is to get them in the Word which at one point seemed to be so foreign to them. The goal is for them to experience Jesus Christ and to be transformed.  

Here is what's been going on:

• Major battles have been taking place with the group. Words cannot even express to what extent. I personally faced major discouragement two weeks ago. Thankfully, I have been reminded more and more that I need to approach God over every individual in the group including myself.
• We have been reading through the book of Colossians which has been quite challenging
• One particular man in the group continues to get so excited about the Bible. You can hear it in his voice when he reads and even points to others verses which shows that he cracks open the Bible throughout the week. Gotta love what is going on behind the scenes! This man is not a committed follower of Jesus Christ yet, but he will be.
• We have a young woman who was addicted to alcohol and has not touched it for several months.
• Some doubt, struggle, and even wrestle with what the Bible says as we read through it. Over and over again, I explain to them that it is not my words, thoughts, or opinions. It is the written Word of God and if they question it they need to take it up with God. I challenge them to have a conversation with God about it.
• We had three new guests joined us this past Monday night. One of the guys is a nurse at St. John's hospital. I met him a few weeks ago down in Royal Oak and invited him once I found out that he is searching for spiritual truth. This man sat and listened the whole time. He didn't even crack open the Bibles that were provided which is o.k.. Another man works full time for the casinos in Downtown Detroit. He never pulled up a chair to join us. Instead, he stood listening. His prayer request at the end was that he would get to know God. The third guest is a waiter in downtown Birmingham. I have known him for several years and even brought him to a church gathering when I first met him. This man is spiritually confused. He leans towards Judaism along with Wicca. However, he had so many real genuine questions this past Monday night. This man didn't understand the Trinity and he questioned about what we read in Colossians that Jesus was in the beginning.  

Every individual that attends the Monday night group is a very important person in God's eyes. Simply spending time with this diverse group on a weekly basis has been well worth it.

Investing in People

We had a small group of seven individuals gather for the Monday night coffee shop group this week. It was a holiday so a few where out of town and others were barbecuing. 

Seeing that it was Memorial Day, we ended up taking a field trip to the memorial in downtown Royal Oak. While sitting in front of it, we finished up the study on Communicating with God. We then spent a moment of silence remembering all those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. We also prayed for the men that are currently serving our country. It was a great way to end our Memorial Day and celebrate the freedom that we have.    

Afterwords, we went out for desert to celebrate two of the guy's birthday. We had some great conversations and some great laughs. Their personalities crack me up. I am really enjoying getting to know every individual in the group. The time that we have spent with each one of them has been well worth it!  

                                                  

                                                  

                                            

                                                     

"Let me ask this: How better could you expend your time and energy than investing it in people, many of whom will thank you for all of eternity in heaven? What other investment will reap so high a reward?" Bill Hybels

Soaked in Grace

Networking with the lost boils down to grace and lending a hand to those who need it. It is about looking after others and really loving them. It is about welcoming them into your circle with open arms no matter how messy their life might be. Grace is about love. It is where others can experience God's amazing grace through our love towards them.

Yesterday morning while I was taking a long walk,  I prayed that the Monday night coffee shop group would be marinated in God's grace and love. I prayed that there would be a culture of hope and healing in the group. I prayed that they start to mature spiritually and walk in transformation. I prayed for each one of them by name and for their salvation.

On the way to the Downtown Royal Oak last night, I ended up driving behind a police officer.  The police car reminded me of the beautiful transformation with one of the women in the group. This 32 year old woman is well known in Royal Oak. She did not grow up in church and she had no spiritual belief system when I first met her around two years ago. She has been an alcoholic for 13 years and was an extremely angry woman. Lets just say that the police knew her well.

Over the past 9 months, this woman has been transformed. She is now engaged to a great guy. She has been sober for well over 130 days. She is now working and resides in an apartment just south of downtown Royal Oak. She is now getting to know who Jesus Christ is and she is learning how to communicate with Him. This woman has experienced God's grace and everyone sees it. The owner of the party store store that she bought liquor from sees it. The police see it. Her old friends see it. I see it. Everyone sees that she is different! Everyone is talking about it!

There are times when I can get impatient when it comes to networking with the lost. There are many times when I want to see immediate change. Yesterday, I was reminded on how powerful grace is. I was reminded that it is God that does the work and it is in His own timing. I am just the vessel.   

The Monday Coffee Shop Small Group

For many years, I have been praying for God to come down on the individuals that live or hang out in Downtown Royal Oak. For many years, I have recognized the spiritual warfare that is taking place there. Lots of darkness. Lots of spiritual confusion. I still see it to this day. The area is desperately in need of God's presence, power, and activity.

Our Monday night coffee shop group in downtown is one minor way to expose individuals to who Jesus Christ is and what He is about. It is a time when we can reach those who do not normally walk into a church. It is a time wen we can develop authentic relationships with those who are unchurched and pique their curiosity when it comes to spiritual truth. Here is a run down on what has been taking place recently.

• We had "church" on the streets last week. It was perfect weather so we took the crew outside on the sidewalk of Downtown Royal Oak. Many stopped by or even listened at a distance that evening. I love taking the group outside. It exposes more and more to the Word.
• We have been going over the book of Matthew focusing on what Jesus said and did. So far, we touched on murder, anger, adultery, lust, retaliation, and loving our enemies in Matthew 5. Huge topics! We are tacking real issues and applying that Word to our lives. Here is what's so challenging. Some agree with what Jesus said while others did not.
• I have been learning to become more and more transparent with this group. To share my highs and lows. To share about my life and struggles. They never let me get away without sharing a prayer request or even talking about my week when we go around the group. I gotta love them!
• Individuals in the group are beginning to call me to come to church with me. Wow! I love what God is doing! On the other hand, there is one man who refuses to walk in a church. He resides in an apartment in downtown and years ago he was hurt by the church big time. My heart breaks for him!
• After our small group last week, a group of followers of Jesus Christ laid hands on Nick and I out on the streets of downtown Royal Oak and prayed for us. They were down there prayer walking. What a perfect way for Nick and I to end a night ministering on the streets of Downtown Royal Oak. I love how God brings encouragement just at the right time. I didn't get home until 11 p.m. but that time of meeting up with that crew was sweet. We shared with each other. Spoke the word over each other. Laughed and prayed. Gotta love those times!

Building Relationships with My Small Group

My schedule is completely different from what it use to be a year ago. Last year, a good portion of my time outside of my career consisted of meetings and then some more meetings. I am not saying that my schedule was good or bad. It was just different.

This year, I have been focusing more attention on hanging out with those in my Monday night coffee shop group outside of Monday nights. Crazy idea, isn't it? There have been a few dinners, concerts, wedding dress shopping (and no not mine), coffee gatherings, and movie nights.

I have enjoyed every minute with them. Building relationships with those in my group has been such an experience! It's taken a great deal of time but it has been well worth it!

Mark Got Dunked!

                              

Months ago, I met a man named Mark in Downtown Royal Oak. After engaging in conversation with him, I realized that he was on a quest to find spiritual truth. Naturally, I invited him to join the Monday night small group in the coffee shop which is geared for the unchurched and those who are not committed followers of Christ. I explained to him that he is a perfect fit for that group.

Over the past couple of months, we have had several intense conversations in the small group. At times, I became frustrated and wanted to throw in the towel especially knowing that he has a new agish spiritual background. However, we continued to investigate the Scriptures to figure out who Jesus Christ is. In the midst of that, Mark decided to go all in. He decided to go all in for Jesus. Mark committed his life to Jesus Christ and last night he got dunked. Mark's baptism was a beautiful act of obedience and a public confession in front of hundreds of people!I know that Jesus was smiling down upon this man!

Even though I do not always see it right away, I recognize that God is in the midst of transforming lives in the Monday night group in Downtown Royal Oak. Jesus is tearing it up!

My Mentor for Small Groups

My ministry internship for the license to preach has surely been a handful. I have been learning a lot about different areas of ministry. You can check out the list of projects that I need to accomplish here!

This past Thursday I spent a good portion of the morning at Kensington Church tackling my student designed project which has to do with my Monday night small group that I run out of the coffee shop. The small group is for those who are searching for spiritual truth.

Before I had my meeting, a friend of mine who works full time in the church's finance department gave me the grand tour of all the offices at this church. The tour was one long tour with several introductions. He stated that they have around 250 staff at the church. Unbelievable!

I spent the rest of the time there with Tim Cooper who is the Director of Small Groups at Kensington. Tim graduated from Denver Theological Seminary in General Studies. He has been on staff at Kensington for two years and he oversees small group at all four campuses. I decided to have Tim as my mentor in this area of my internship because of the vision he has along with his experience of running out of the box type of small groups. He is all about going out into the community.

Tim had question after question thrown at him during the time period we met. I barely gave him time to breathe. Here are a few things that I took out of our meeting.

• Small groups are "church" outside of church. It is para-church in small pockets of the communities to reach different people groups
• Run small group trainings that are more relational based than information being tossed out
• With small groups, communities change and nobody can deny that
• Read the following books espcially with the type of ministry that God has stirred up inside of me:  The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missonal Church by Alan Hirsch and No Perfect People Allowed: Creating a Come As You Are Culture in teh Church by John Burke.

Tim said something just before I left that hit me big time. He said, "If we were to lose the four walls of our church, my goal is that we would not lose momentum."

I will admit that my goal is to improve when it comes to running small groups. I have some weaknesses that need to be worked on. Tim helped me a great deal in regards to encouraging me and giving me direction when it comes to running out of the box type of small groups. Now, I just need to sit back, pray,dream and take action!

Representing Jesus at the Coffee Shop

Running a small group at a coffee shop with those who are unchurched and searching for spiritual truth is something that I never dreamed of doing. Coffee shops can be loud and even filled with many distractions. I honestly didn't think that it would work especially after the many obstacles that I have faced. Little did I know that God had something else in mind. Little did I know that He had individuals in mind that He would wanted in the group. Little did I know these individuals would faithfully attend the group week after week. My God shut me up. He proved me wrong. Oh, how I love how God works!

The past two Monday nights have been quite interesting and even encouraging.

• Last week, the group opened up more and more on sharing their spiritual beliefs that they had while growing up. I found out that hardly any of them grew up attending "church". One even stated that they believed in ghosts and spirits instead of a god. That is what they were taught.
• Last night, we had two new individuals join the group. One of them stated, "I am here to connect with the higher power." This individual asked so many genuine questions about the Word and how to pray.
• One woman in the group is starting to purchase books on Jesus and she was so excited to tell me about it. When I drove her to her apartment, she actually pulled out one of the books and gave it to me to borrow for the week.
• The group is starting to become more and more diverse. By race, age, economic status, lifestyles and all! About two months ago, a pastor made a comment to me that I have only "the homeless" coming to my group. That statement was incorrect. This person was making assumptions. I have two individuals that are homeless that come off and on. And I welcome the two with open arms.

On Saturday evening, I was explaining to two women that are on staff at a local church on how badly I want the group to truly understand the power of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I explained to them that I am reminded more and more that I need to approach the throne of God on behalf of this group. I am in desperate need for the Holy Spirit to move!

"There are some ministers who are constantly worn out from doing nothing. They preach two messages, of a sort, on Sunday and say that the effort almost wears them out. They go and give little pastoral visitations, which consist in drinking a cup of tea and talking small gossip. But there is no vehement agony for souls, no 'Woe! Woe!' on their hearts and lips, no perfect consecration, no zeal in God's service. Jesus Christ wept over Jerusalem, and you will have to weep over sinners if they are to be saved through you. Dear ones, do be earnest. Put your whole soul into the work, or else give up."  Charles Spurgeon

The Coffee Shop Group Analyzes Jesus

Every once in a while, we try our best to take the Monday night coffee shop group to a home setting for dinner, desert, and a movie. I always enjoy a new setting and the group always looks forward to it when we do it. There is just something about food and fellowship with one's small group. :) Over the past month, I took the Monday night group over what the Bible had to say about Heaven and Hell. We also studied how one gets to either of those places according to what the Bible says. It was intense but it was good!

Last week, it was time for a bit of a change and challenge. Fifteen of us ended up eating pizza, salad, and desert while we watched The Case for Christ. Some in the group believe Jesus is God but they are not ready to commit their lives to Him. Others are a bit skeptical of who Jesus is. Again, it was time for a bit of a change and challenge.

The film was about how Lee Strobel was a hard chore atheist who for three years tried his best to prove Christianity wrong. He put much sweat into it and even became very angry when he was proved wrong in the midst of it. In the film, Lee spoke about the viability and the accuracy of the historic Gospels. He spoke on the eyewitness evidence, the resurrection evidence, the documentary evidence, and the corroborating evidence of Jesus Christ. It was evident that Lee Strobel is a great man who had a great revelation of who Jesus Christ truly is.

At the end of the film, it was time where we got real with each other when it came to where everyone was at with salvation and committing their lives to Jesus Christ. I could sense right away the spiritual warfare that was taking place. I was mad. I was mad at the devil. But, I praise God that a few opened up and in response we prayed over them. Others were intimated to discuss personal beliefs and faith in front of everyone. This is where the one on one ministry needs to bust out.

So many of them are standing so close at the door of salvation!

Monday Night Conversations Over Coffee

So far, my Monday night small group in downtown Royal Oak has spent the last two weeks looking at what the Bible says about how one enters heaven and how one enters hell. This is probably the longest gospel presentation I have ever been a part of. Several great questions have been asked and all the discussions have been deep.

Two weeks ago, we covered what God's mission is and what satan's mission . This week, we covered how one does not get to heaven. We touched on "good works" and "living in sin".

Many were taken aback about what the Word said about doing good works. Many were even more shocked when we looked at what the Bible had to say about drunkenness, adultery, and even sexual immorality. Hardly any of them have heard about those verses. Their silent reaction was intense.

Mercy, grace, confession, and repentance is what we will be focusing on next week. I am looking forward to next week where we can dive into God's intense love and desire for all of us to respond to Him!

Over and over again, I am reminded that the best strategy when it comes to presenting the gospel is not a clever sermon or even clever marketing. Instead, I am need of the Spirit's power to show up and take over. Paul came in weakness and fear preaching the Gospel and he was successful. Check out Paul's effective strategy here! He was not a schmoozer or a man that had a way with words. Paul didn't prepare ahead of time for a sermon or gospel presentation. He relied on what he knew which was on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And he relied heavily on the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was his resource.Paul was a bold man of God. He was led by the Spirit and he was filled by the Spirit. Lives were changed and communities were impacted. The Word spread rapidly!

I know that I am not personally able to deliver the message in an effective way but the Spirit is. Using the Spirit as my ultimate resource leaves the pressure off of me. What a great strategy! I think I am going to use that approach! I just need to get back on my face in prayer and ask for the continuous infilling of the Spirit!

So, what is your resource?

Challenges in the Coffee Shop Group

According to Hebrews 4:12, the Word is living and active. It is sharp. It penetrates. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. According to 2 Timothy 3:16, the Word is God-breathed. It is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.

The Word of God is authority! It is God's voice to all mankind! It is powerful! It can be encouraging and it can be offensive. The Bible can be offensive at times especially to those who are not committed followers of Jesus Christ.

Lately, the Monday night small group has been a bit challenging. Now, half of the group believe Jesus Christ is God but they are not ready to commit their lives to Him. The other half are not sure who Jesus Christ is. Over the past few weeks, we have been mulling over what the Bible has to say about heaven, hell, and how to get to either place. This is what they wanted to study even though I recognized some toes were going to be stepped on. There are some in the group do not believe that there is a hell.

This past Monday, one of the women in the group parked right next to me. We strolled into the coffee shop together and I noticed that she seemed to be a bit nervous. On the way into the shop this woman said, "I don't think that I am going to attend the Monday night group anymore." I of course asked why. She replied, "I feel offended at times. I feel as if this group is not right for me." My heart broke right then and there for this woman. I explained to her that there are plenty of others in the group that are on the same journey that she is. I also explained that we enjoy having her there. I went on to inform her that everything we have been looking at are not my thoughts. We study what the Bible has to say. The Bible is God's voice to us!

This woman is searching for spiritual truth and I so deeply want her to experience salvation through Jesus Christ. Maybe, I just need to communicate the Gospel to her differently. I just don't know. 

Here is how I am going to respond to her for now:

• Pray, Pray, and Pray some more over her
• Love her and continue to develop a solid frienship with her
• Continue to meet up with her for lunch  or coffee (which she is extremely open to)

Any additional thoughts?

Getting Dunked!

We had a kick butt time last night at the Monday night coffee group. I am amazed that the group feels comfortable to bring their friends, significant others, and even their co-workers to the coffee shop. The group is growing! God is at work in everyone's life and I love it! 

Here is what is going on!

Heaven was the topic of discussion last night. Next week, we will be looking at what the Bible has to say about Hell. Last night, some of them asked how does one make it to Heaven. What a great question! So, we will be looking at what the Bible says on how one gets to Heaven and how one gets to Hell. All I have to say is...Oh, dear Jesus! I need to be praying it up. I need to ask for the Spirit to move and guide the discussion that very evening seeing that they all have different views.

Lately, I have been trying my best to teach the group that the Bible is the ultimate source of authority. I want them to understand that it is inspired by God. It is God-breathed. There are a few individuals in the group that tend to lean on other sources in order for guidance and truth. Oddly, some rely on movies, games, new age beliefs, other books, and even hearsay. I always challenge them to look to the Bible for Truth.

One of the guys in the group, Mark, recently came to salvation. He will be getting baptized on February 6th as an outward sign of his belief. I am so excited about what God is doing in this man's life. I along with a few others from the group will be going to chear him on. It will be good for the group to see his baptism and hear his testimony.

I am going to be screaming and shouting when he gets dunked. Do you think they will allow an airhorn in the church?

Monday Night Coffee Group

After digging into the Gospels over and over again, I realized that Jesus is a people person. He got close to individuals and many were rescued from darkness. I believe He wants us to do the same. Followers of Jesus Christ will not have any impact on those who are not in communion with Jesus without coming in direct contact with them. There will be no impact if we let the "do nothing" attitude, selfishness, or fear get in our way.

Just imagine if we all realize the intense love that God has for each individual in our sphere of influence. I strongly believe that the love of God and the immersion of the Spirit is what will drive us all to take action!

Direct contact with those outside of "church" involves getting close to others. It involves walking in the spirit of Jesus. It involves dishing out love, compassion, grace, and Truth to those who desperately need it.

My Monday nights have been an organized time where I spend some time with a diverse group of individuals who are unchurched and lost. I personally look forward to gathering together with them every week over coffee and dive into the Word of God. I enjoy getting to know each individual and answering there questions when it comes to spiritual truth. Here are a few updates on what is going on with the group.

• One of the new guys that just started attending said this past week, "I enjoy this group. I am enjoying not just reading the Bible but studying it."
• We took a break from the book of James because they all have a great deal of questions when it comes to purgatory, heaven, and hell. Over the next two weeks, I will be walking them through what the Bible says about each of those. Surprisingly, the group is actually really excited about this!
• We have had a few healthy heated conversations when it comes to the Bible being the authoritative Word of God. Many questions are thrown out. Is the Bible accurate? Is it relevant? How does one know it is true?
• One particular woman has changed drastically over the past couple of months since she has been faithfully attending the group. So many people comment about her change in countenance. She comes to Monday nights telling me all the time how she has been applying what we studied the week before to her life.
• To add a special touch, we have been celebrating everyone's birthdays as they have been coming up. I usually make them a cake or some type of desert. They all seriously look forward to it and they even text me with some of their requests on what type of desert to bring.
• During the Christmas season, our group did a mini-outreach at the hospice which Johnny from our group is in. Thirty-two year old Johnny who has stage four cancer is currently reading the New Testament genuinely asking God to open his eyes to spiritual truth. He told Nick and I that he truly wants to know who Jesus is. 

I will be the first to admit that there have been a few rough times when it comes to the Monday night group. I have faced obstacles and even discouragement at times. It has been a fight!

Everyday, I ask God to give me a stronger love for Him and for each individual in the Monday Night Coffee Group. I also pray that God builds my faith when it comes to the lost, unchurched, and backslidden!

I want more to experience the thrill of knowing Jesus Christ!

Church Over Coffee!

Many from this group (click here) called and even texted me asking if we could have small group tonight even though it is New Years Eve. Now, how could I turn that down? All I have to do is change up a few of my plans for the evening and prep something for tonight.

Wow! I am just blown away! Gotta love the dedication and sense of community in this group! Unbelievable! (as Carrie would say)

Small Group Shake Up

The purpose of Jesus' earthly mission was to seek and to save what was lost. To this very day I strongly believe that the heartbeat of God is to seek out those who are wounded, confused, and lost when it comes to spiritual truth.

God has given me the assignment to lead a small group Bible Study in a coffee shop in Downtown Royal Oak for those who have wandered off. God is the Ultimate Shepherd of the group but He has passed the baton down to me to be the earthly shepherd of the group. It is an enormous task but everyday I humbly and fearfully accept it. A year and a half ago, I recognized that it was going to be rigorous work that involved much prayer, sweat, and tears.

Three of the biggest responsibilities that I believe that I have for this particular group are to love them, feed them with Biblical Truth, and to protect them. Last week, I had a hard time when it came to protecting them. I believe that I failed.

Our group always gets visitors seeing that we meet in a public place. Well last Monday, an extremely tall business-like man paced back and forth by our table while we were just beginning to start the group. He asked if we were a Bible Study group and if he could join. As usual, we welcomed him with open arms. This man introduced himself by giving us his name.

Now, here is the rundown on how things were shaken up by letting this particular guest sit in.

• The first thing he did as he sat down was point to one of the women in the group and said, "You! I can tell that you have been a woman of faith for many years." With laughter she asked, "How so?" He stated that he could sense it in his spirit. Well, he was dead set wrong. She was far from it. The whole group knew he was wrong seeing that she voices where she is at spiritually all the time. However, he had no clue.
• As we read the Word of God and discussed what we read, he twisted and debated everything that was said. He then stated that he was a preacher but he was extremely argumentative when it came to what we were reading in the book of James. He was there to preach at the group and it was not Biblically sound truth. I controlled the conversation the best I could but this man was very outspoken. He didn't like me too much!
• About twenty minutes after he sat down, he gave us a different name. Everyone in the group noticed that which lost he credibility.
• This man had to leave early. Before leaving, he laid his hand on another woman's head and prayed in a loud manner if front of many in the coffee shop. Then, he left.

Last night, our group took a few minutes to debrief on what happened last week. I thought that it was important that we did that. I admit that I learned my lesson the hard way. I failed as being a protector of the group. I have decided that from now on I am now going to screen everyone that steps into the group before they have a seat. I pray that God gives wisdom on who to welcome in the group and who not to.

The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The enemy comes to mess things up. The enemy comes to cause division.

More Small Group Tips!

About a month ago, I posted on tips for leading small groups. They were tips that I choose to follow and take on especially with my small group in the coffee shop. Here are a few more procedures that I try my best to stick to which helps with retention in the small group.

• Arrive early and stay late in order to connect with individuals. My group starts at 7:30 p.m. so I try my best to arrive at least by 6:30 p.m.
• Be genuine! Take on an interest in every individual in the group.
• Come ready and prepared to face obstacles with a faith-filled optimistic spirit. Be prepared for warfare especially if you are dealing with those who are not following or are committed to Jesus Christ!
• Call, e-mail, or drop a note to everyone once a week. Let them know that you have been thinking about them and praying for them. Shoot the breeze with them!
• Schedule one on ones with every individual every once in awhile. Take them out for coffee and get to know them outside of the group. Ask questions about them! Listen to their story!
• Pray, pray, and pray some more!

Lately, I have been asking God to increase my love for Him and for those in my small group. With tears pouring down my face, I approached God and asked Him to remove me from my group if I do not love them the way He wants me to love them. I also asked God to remove me if the individuals in my group cannot sense the love that I have for them.

Yes, it was a dangerous prayer but it is what I desire for their sake!

Monday Night Review

Wow! It has been about a year and a half since our Monday night small group started in Downtown Royal Oak. The group was first formed for those that just recently committed their lives to Jesus Christ. However, we ended up having a mixture of individuals coming to that group. Some just recently committed their lives to Jesus Christ and others were just not ready to. So, I ended up splitting the two groups up. Currently, I am just meeting with those who are searching for spiritual truth and for those who say they are just not ready to commit to rolling out of bed every day for Jesus Christ.

Here is the run down of what has been going on in the coffee shop:

• After last week's Bible Study, one of the young guys came up to me outside and said, "F*** Jesus Christ, F*** Jesus Christ. My life sucks and He is not helping me. I am not going to go to this group anymore." My heart broke for this man. Last night, he showed up and apologized. He did not join our group but he sat close by listening.
• We had two new guests join us from the YMCA which added much diversity. Woo hoo!
• We are currently studying James 1
• Last night, we shared stories of when our faith (belief in God) was tested. This was a time when we all just got real with each other. I love those moments. Stories from the past and even stories of recent were shared. Tears were shed. And some even grasped hands for comfort. I love that the group is one big adopted family!
• With much discussion, debate, and reading of the Word we learned the difference between testings and temptations!
• One of our new guests came up to me afterwords and said thank you. This person said that she never opened the Bible before and she appreciated diving in the Word with us.
• The group is starting to catch on by brainstorming some activities in which we can take part in. We are looking at doing another Movie Night in a home setting! We are also looking at throwing Johnny a Christmas party while he is in hospice.
• Latley, I have been driving two of the women home after our small group time and I love the conversations we have on the way home. I enjoy getting to know these ladies outside of the small group.
• Yesterday, I met someone that is on staff at a large church where their mission is to plant churches all over. This individual expressed that they want to stop in on the Monday night group to check it out. This individual is interested in networking with me to reach out to the unchurched and the lost possibly in the Ferndale/Royal Oak area. I just pray that God inspires, motivates, guides, and directs us! May His will be done!

Can I just tell you that I love my Monday nights?! God is at work even outside of the four walls of a church!