"Cry Out for Nourishment!"

Lately, I have been blessed to hear stories about a new excitement for God’s Word! One of our college grandsons started a Bible study with his close friends. They meet online weekly and discuss some weighty subjects relevant to today’s young men like how to live the Christian life, confront doubt. and deal with temptation. Our granddaughter has just completed a summer service project in discipleship, worship planning, and faith sharing with young adults from her peer group who are in the eighteen to twenty-something age range.

Image: freepik.com

Last Saturday, I participated in a refreshing training event for our church’s small group leaders. I met a delightful young couple who lead a new group. They are excited about reading the book of James and discussing the topics of faith, listening, and service; using speech responsibly; dealing with adversity; and the impact of bold praying. Their intention was to study a chapter each session, but they have slowed down to just a few verses to get a deeper understanding of the text! They have also been blessed by reading the text aloud among the group! (Read Bible Aloud).

During the refresh training, our pastor spoke about how to start and sustain a small group. He emphasized the importance of a personal invite to join a group. Putting a sign-up sheet on a table is no longer an effective enlistment strategy. People want to “do life together!” They readily use their devices to communicate and keep-up through text-threads and emails. Participants want to pray regularly and be engaged in service projects with other group members.

I was asked to review Josh Hunt’s newest book on Disciplemaking Groups. Hunt is one of today’s leading specialists in promoting church growth through small groups and facilitating leader development that enables spiritual formation among participants. Like “iron sharpens iron,” Hunt says, “Disciples are made in groups!” Using the acronym LISTEN, Hunt sets forth six practices that make disciples through deep listening, inquiring and good questions, serving together, truth-telling with grace, eating meals together to build trust, and finally, being spiritually nourished by deep, serious study in the Word.

This brings me back to my current state of joy in hearing anecdotal testimony from family and friends about what God is doing through His Word. It confirms what I have read that “Some habits change everything. Charles Duhigg, in The Power of Habit, calls them 'keystone habits' – practices that trigger ripple effects across every area of life… In the Christian life, Bible engagement is that keystone habit.” (Hunt, p.115). I am feeling the “ripple effect” of reading and studying the Bible in a small group!

God’s Word gives its own testimony to this powerful change. “The rain and snow come down… to water the earth… they cause the grain to grow… It is the same with My Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11, NLT). Consider this plea from the Apostle Peter, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment!” (1 Peter 2:2, NLT).

Let’s continue to put ourselves in spaces where we can engage with small groups of people to study God’s life-transforming Word!

[Since we recently passed the mid-year mark on the calendar, allow me to engage in a moment of accountability. When I mentioned in January that I was reading the Bible through this year using a chronological approach, some of you mentioned you would be doing the same. I am on schedule and have recently read Jeremiah and am now in Ezekiel. It has been some tough going through these prophets, but overall, I have been blessed by getting the “big picture” of God’s story of redemption. How are you doing? I hope you are keeping up. If you have fallen behind, I pray that you won’t give up. It’s okay to take your reading into the next year! Blessings on your daily reading and nourishment in the Word!]

Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
active churchman and
doting grandparent.
Contact: drmjkeppler@gmail.com
©2018-2025 All rights reserved.
Serve by Design. mjkministries.com


 

 

 

 

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM

    Thank you for your message, wish I was in a small group but just find it too hard to do. Just do my own thing which isn’t near what I’d like. but we do what we can

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mike KepplerAugust 19, 2025 at 5:46 PM

      If you have a computer or smart phone, you might want to consider an online study group. Our church offers such a service.

      Delete

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