Like It Or Not – You Need Me!

So, what was God thinking when He made us in His image?  When many of us were young, we were taught to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and that we didn’t really “need” others.  As a matter of fact, many in our culture considered “needing” others as a sign of weakness.  After all, all John Wayne really needed was his horse, his gun, and the next bad guy to ride into the dust.  I trust that most of you who are reading this article know who John Wayne was.

The fact is that God, Himself, is a plurality. So, by His very nature He is not only spiritual but relational, a well.  From the time He created man, we find God walking with and talking to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Being made in God’s image means that we, too, are spiritual beings with the capability of relating to God and each another.  Actually, that statement is not quite right.  We are spiritual beings designed to be in relationship with God and one another. 

Now most people, even “real men”, have no problem with the concept of being in relationship with God. They may not say it, but you can almost hear them think, “Yep, just you and me, God.  That’s all I need in this world!”  Sounds pretty manly.  The problem is that it is not at all biblical. 

God created us all (that includes both men and women) to be in relationship (i.e., fellowship) with one another.  This is the way we address the most basic needs that God has placed in us – to love and be loved.  It is also the way that we use the spiritual gifts that God has sovereignly assigned to us.  The gifts are given to us to be used to edify the Body of Christ within the context of the Christian community and cannot be done in isolation.  

In the series that Pastor John is preaching, he will be addressing the role of fellowship in the life of the believer.  We need to understand that for every believer God has made fellowship a part of His plan for maturity.  It is in the context of relationship that we develop and practice our faith. Apart from Christian fellowship, God’s word teaches that we cannot become all that Christ wants us to become in this life. 

Knowing this, the elders of NWBC have established our Small Group Ministry so that there might be a context where each believer can grow and mature in his or her faith.  Of course, there are other groups in the church that provide fellowship opportunities, but the small group was specifically designed to do three things:

1.  Help people feel that they belong to the body
2. Help people become what God wants them to become by growing in the knowledge and practice of the Word
3. Provide opportunity for everyone to bring someone else to experience the love and saving grace of our Savior. 

Everyone needs the love and care that can be found in the fellowship of a small group.  In trying to meet this need our leadership feels that the small group provides the best environment for experiencing love while learning God’s word.    The “catch,” however, is that you have to join a small group to realize its benefits.  Right now we have openings in some of our groups and we need more people to lead groups if we are going to accomplish God’s purpose for us at NWBC.  Call me.  Write me.  E-mail me.  Send a carrier pigeon.  I just want to hear from you.  Especially if you are open to leading a group, contact me.  You will receive both training and support if you would like to give this a try.  I encourage you to enrich your life by being involved in a small group.

Pastor Doug Dennee