Written in Heaven

When my wife and I lived in our first home, we had a good sized backyard that butted up right against a corn field. There was no fence around the yard, so our grass went right up to the edge of the field. At the back of the yard, there was a ditch that dropped off about 2 feet from our yard into the cornfield. I hated this ditch. Every time I mowed, I would have an internal debate about whether or not I should mow this ditch or not. After all, I was literally the only one who ever saw it, let alone even gave it a second thought. However, the good Matt always won out and the ditch was always mowed.

In my life, I have a few ‘ditches’ if you will. These are areas that no other human sees but me, and it can be really tempting to let them grow over and be unkempt. Everyone has these areas to some degree, and it’s a decision of discipline more than anything else to decide that you indeed will ‘mow these ditches.’

I just got back from a week away with my family and God did a couple of really special things in my life during that time. First of all he gave me some significant rest that I was in need of, spiritually and physically. Secondly, he really fired me up to get out the mower and get to mowing. There are areas that I had not necessarily been avoiding, but not nearly paying enough attention to in my life that He really challenged me to get back into.

There were days when it was 95 degrees outside and muggy and it seemed really appealing to leave that ditch to grow. However, every time I mowed it, I had a feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment. The same is true for us spiritually.

What ditch is God challenging you to mow?

LIFEGROUP Questions

12/13/09

***Remember that we always start LIFEGROUPS reminding the group that the purpose of LIFEGROUPS is to ‘belong and become.’ To find a group of people we can connect to and build friendships, and become more like Jesus each day.

***Also reinforce the ‘Vegas Rule’ – what happens in LIFEGROUP, stays in LIFEGROUP.

Simple Christmas Week 3: Spend Less

1. Who is the most frugal/cheapest person you’ve ever met? Can you tell a story that describes their cheapness?

2. On a scale of 1 – 10, with 1 being ultra frugal and 10 being an over-spender, where would you land on the scale? Has that changed over time, or has it always been like that? If it has changed, why?

3. At Christmas, in which area do you feel the most pressure/stress: finances, relationships, or time? Why?

4. We’ve been discussing in this series how to focus on Christ and not on consumerism. What does ‘focus on Christ’ mean? Is that really possible? How do we go about changing traditional spending or giving habits to focus more on Christ during this season?

5. How can we live more generously as individuals without spending more money? How does focusing on Jesus lead to more generous living in all areas of our lives?

6. What way can we as a group impact our world for Christ this Christmas season? (Leader note: have some ideas ready, or talk to your Get Off the Couch Week Coordinator about having some ideas ready to go that your group can run with)

(Leader’s note): Our LIFEGROUP semester is coming to an end in the next couple of week. Discuss your final week together, and encourage your group members to sign up for a group in January.

***Always close your group with a time of prayer. As a leader, you can lead this or you can all share in the requests praying for one another. You need to know where your group is at to determine what would be most comfortable in that setting. i.e. don’t ask people to pray in the group if you’re not sure they’re ready to.