Friday, February 09, 2007

My Spring 2007 Small-Group

This Sunday, between our two morning worship services, I will begin my spring 2007 small-group. Well, I don’t know it if is really a “small-group,” as thirty-two people have signed up for it so far. Each semester, I tell myself that I am not going to lead any Sunday school class (we call them “small-groups” or “Bible study fellowship groups”). But I end up changing my mind each time. This semester is no different. I just enjoy it too much to let it go. And I am excited about this upcoming semester. I like (and seem to need) the opportunity to pray, study, and fellowship with members of MSMBC in a more informal setting. And my spiritual growth is always nurtured by the experience, even though I am usually the one leading the group. I really do learn just as much from the other members of the group as they learn from me.

This semester, my group will be reading together He’s God and We’re Not by Ray Pritchard. Pritchard is the former pastor of the Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois. And he is the president of Keep Believing Ministries, which is his writing and speaking ministry. Ray Pritchard is one of my favorite preachers and authors. His work is consistently sound, clear, and practical. And I have been richly blessed by it through the years. By the way, for my fellow preachers, Pritchard’s sermon manuscripts are also posted on his website. They are a great resource that will benefit you both devotionally and homiletically. Likewise, Pritchard’s church website is what introduced me to the world of ministry blogs. So it is no stretch for me to use one of his books in my small group. And even though I have enjoyed and been enriched by all his books I have read, He’s God is one of my favorites. It’s about what Pritchard calls “the seven laws of the spiritual life.” These seven biblical principles will be the focus of my small-group’s study this semester. I solicit your prayers for my small-group. And I encourage you to pick up this book for yourself and be blessed by its call to spiritual growth in Christ.