Free Stuff

A variety of Bible Studies, books and video curricula are available through the small groups resource collection.

Feel free to download and browse the catalog. Full instructions to reserve a series for your group are included.

Click curriculum-list-apr-09 for a list of available resources.

What is church?

Neil Cole’s speaking and writing have had a profound effect on my understanding of the church.  Watch this and let me know what you think.  How might this apply to DBC?

more about “What is church?“, posted with vodpod

Step Into the Greenhouse

green⋅house – n:  an intentional environment conducive for cultivating plants in and out of season;  a weekend training environment designed to equip followers of Jesus to make more disciples and be a part of the natural growth of God’s kingdom.

The kingdom of God is not often discussed in church and small groups.  We get focused on so many things related to our personal lives and goals that we miss the main topic of Jesus’ life and teaching – THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

With all the resources out there for the training of leaders and small groups, very little focuses on the kingdom of God.  For me, an understanding of the kingdom of God is vital to the purposes and potential of our small groups.

This fall we are hosting an organic church “Greenhouse.” The focus of the weekend is the kingdom of God, how it grows, and how each disciple can help make more disciples.

The kingdom is organic.  It grows through relationships.  This is why small groups (of even 2 or 3 people) have a central role in seeing disciples made and the kingdom expanded.  Let’s not get so busy with good things that we miss this one main thing that Jesus showed us so much about.

Mark your calendars!

The Atlanta Greenhouse

October 9 – 11, 2009

DBC Campus, Room A 200

Trainers:  Ed Waken and Bill Levin

This weekend will likely draw people from around Atlanta and the Southeast.

For more, visit www.outreachnow.org/atlgreenhouse

What next?

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us…”  2 Peter 1:3

By far the most often question I get is “what can we study next?”  for small groups.  Besides a plethora of unending topics and study guides, let me suggest some alternatives that might enrich your group experiences and life with Christ…

Here are some things to consider when thinking about “what next?”

1.  What’s your goal?  Our goal for groups is not to do studies or to go from topic to topic.  Our goal is to love Christ, each other and reach out to those outside the group.

2.  What will help us toward our goals?

That said, here are some suggestions…

1.  Rather than study a guide, why not study each other? Take a couple months and have everyone in your group share their life story.  Two rules with this:

Go beyond the facts.  Talk about the defining moments and how your relationship with God has changed over the years.

Invite questions.  The group is allowed to ask you follow up questions after you share.

2.  Read Scripture. Challenge your group to read more Scripture on their own and make it more of a factor in your group times.  Children can even be a part of the group this way – reading Scripture and offering prayers.  We are used to reading Scripture and then adding our ideas.  But, there is more value in simply letting Scripture speak for itself.   So, take a book and have people go around and read, stopping when someone has a question or observation.  You never know where the discussion might go.

3.  Do something together. Rather than meeting to study, why not meet to act.  Find a need and meet it together.  Maybe someone in your group has a passion or knows a need.  How can your group support that, get involved, and report on its progress?

4.  Practice a discipline and then discuss the experience. Take on a spiritual discipline such as fasting for a day, prayer each day, or reading Scripture every day, praying as a couple, etc.  Then, when you meet, discuss the experience, challenges, new inspirations, etc that you received.

5.  Whatever you do, have an accountable action connected with it. Our problem isn’t knowledge or the need for a new study.  Our problem is discipline.  So, whatever you do, decide as a group what the action you will report on at the next meeting.  Each action might be individual, or it might be something that the entire group decides to do.  Either way, keep track and report back.

These suggestions are given in the hopes of strengthening our DNA.  We must fight against the consumerism of our day – even if that means simply consuming good studies.  Why? Because we already have all the resources we need to live the life God intends.  We have his presence, his Word, each other and a mission. Why not do the things that nurture the power of these resources we already have?

For more thoughts on this, check out my post  “Moving Beyond Curriculum”

The Real Bottom Line

“If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5

I’m thankful for my Sunday night Core Group.  I love the people, the fellowship, and have gained enormous benefits from being a part of it.  In many ways, I’d say ours is a strong, healthy group.

Perhaps you’re like me.  We’re fortunate to have a lot of great people in our groups. But, if I step back a bit, I wonder, how healthy is our group really?  What’s the real measure of health for a group – or larger church?

Ed Waken Returns!

Okay, so the title sounds like a sequel to some sci-fi movie.   We are having a “sequel” but it’s not science fiction.

Last October we were blessed to have Ed Waken from Phoenix, AZ teach a one day discipleship seminar for group leaders.  The following Sunday morning he shared some powerful evangelism principles.

You might remember the “Align” conference and the phrase – “You can be 100% successful 100% of the time” in evangelism.

The response to both of these gatherings was hugely positive.  People asked me about Ed and the content of both those sessions for weeks.  It was a great weekend.

Fortunately, we are planning to bring Ed back this fall.  He returns to lead a full weekend of discipleship training called “The Atlanta Greenhouse.”

Along with Bill Levin from Atlanta, Ed will lead a weekend based on the basic principles of the kingdom – how to reach, disciple, gather and multiply followers of Jesus.  These men will share from their own experience how the kingdom grows naturally and how we can be a part of a multiplying movement.

Mark your calendars!

The Atlanta Greenhouse

October 9 – 11

DBC Campus, A 200

For all small groups, small group leaders, and anyone interested in making multiplying disciples!

Check out  www.outreachnow.org/atlgreenhouse for details and description!  Much more will be posted on this site as we get closer to the conference.

The Normal Christian Life

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.”  Matthew 10:8

I wonder sometimes if our expectations of following Jesus are upside down.  We might admire those “super Christians” that talk about sharing their faith, experiencing miracles, having their prayers answered, or practicing daily disciplines.

We might be amazed by stories of healings and resurrections from other countries.  We might wish to be a part of a kingdom movement where literally thousands a day are coming to Christ.

But, in our context, what are our basic expectations for those that call themselves followers of Jesus?  Do we know what we expect?

Could it be that what we consider “super” or even “abnormal” is exactly what Jesus would consider the normal Christian life?

“The measure of an apostolic community is not in the legends created by heroic acts but in the quality and texture of what that community considers ordinary living.” Erwin McManus, “An Unstoppable Force”

We have expectations of disciples.  It might be to regularly attend a small group, to attend church, to be involved in a ministry, to believe certain things, to avoid certain behaviors, to be generous…The list can go on and on.

Jesus had his own expectations.  He sent out his disciples with the full authority to heal, cast out demons, to pray, to make more disciples, to endure persecution, to be fruitful and multiply, to have life abundantly, to represent his kingdom.  What seems unusual “super” Christian stuff to us is what Jesus would call ordinary and expected for those that really want to follow him.

So, what expectations does your group have for those that would call themselves followers of Jesus?

Compare your expectations to those of Jesus.  Read a gospel through as a group and discuss what kind of life Jesus expected for his followers…

The Jesus Hermeneutic

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”  Luke 24:27

Hermeneutic:  A big word meaning “how you interpret Scripture.”

You’re studying the Bible with your group and you come across the following verses…

¹⁰ Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.  ¹¹ Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.   Deuteronomy 20: 10 – 11

Someone asks whether or not we should apply these verses to our lives today.  No one in the group plows.  But, you all do wear woven garments.  Heaven help you if you do both.  What do you say?

The Bible is full of odd verses and we are not always sure how to deal with them.   So, we usually dismiss them, discredit them, chalk it up to “cultural differences,” or simply stay with the familiar in our sermons and Bible studies.

I could say much more about this topic as many people have done before me.  But, to keep it brief, let me offer a few principles….

Prayer Requests of Jesus and Paul

What should we pray for?  Consider what Jesus and Paul can teach us…

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”  Matt. 5:44

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matt. 26:39

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  Matt. 26:41

He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer. “  Mark 9:29

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”  Mark 11:25

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  Luke 5:16

Pray Big

What do you pray for?  Do you find yourself praying for the same things?  Or, things that might work out on their own over time anyway?

When you ask for prayer requests in your group, do you ever get the sense that people are coming up with things that really aren’t burning on their hearts?  They aren’t praying for them during the week, but somehow they mention them for the group to pray about.

What would it mean to PRAY BIG?  Pray for the big things of God.

Are you praying anything right now that absolutely depends on God to show up and do?

Click here for a sermon by Andy Stanley that will spark discussion in your group about what it means to pray big like Jesus did. Watch it on the blog, discuss the implications, then PRAY BIG!