something that pressed into me while overseas was the incredible importance of small groups. during the hockey season i was unable to get to one of the small groups that met every week from Faith Community church in prague. once march rolled around and hockey ended, i got plugged into one of these groups and it really spurred me on in my walk with christ. god did some big stuff in me during those months!

there's something so powerful about the body getting together and purposefully doing life together, challenging, holding accountable, speaking into one another's lives. i found these points on small groups as laid out by john piper on desiringgod.org and just thought they were awesome. here they are:

7 Reasons We Need Small Groups
1.The impulse avoid painful growth by disappearing safely into the crowd in corporate worship is very strong.

2.The tendency toward passivity in listening to a sermon is part of our human weakness.

3.Listeners in a big group can more easily evade redemptive crises. If tears well up in your eyes in a small group, wise friends will gently find out why. But in a large gathering, you can just walk away from it.

4.Listeners in a large group tend to neglect efforts of personal application. The sermon may touch a nerve of conviction, but without someone to press in, it can easily be avoided.

5.Opportunity for questions leading to growth is missing. Sermons are not dialogue. Nor should they be. But asking questions is a key to understanding and growth. Small groups are great occasions for this.

6.Accountability for follow-through on good resolves is missing. But if someone knows what you intended to do, the resolve is stronger.

7.Prayer support for a specific need or conviction or resolve goes wanting. O how many blessings we do not have because we are not surrounded by a band of friends who pray for us.

i feel like i'm saying this all the time now... but SO GOOD, right?!

daily dose of truth

My sister posted these great thoughts on her blog a while back... i'm posting them here because they're SO great and something everyone needs to hear everyday! they're from JD Greer and he says them to himself every morning.

SO GOOD.

“God, because I am in Christ I know there is nothing I can do today that would make you love me any more, and there is nothing I have done that makes you love me any less.”

“God, your presence and approval is all I need to have joy today.”

“God, everything the gospel tells me about your intentions for my life is TRUE.”

you should mosey on over to her blog and check out some of the cool stuff going on her life when you get a chance!
www.jodyheywood.blogspot.com

so i guess now that i'm not in the czech republic anymore i need to think of a new name for my blog. two minutes for czeching just doesn't seem appropriate when i'm clearly not in the czech and no longer number one on the list for people to penalize. well, not that i was ever number one - i think that title would go to ms. jackie friesen. seems the refs in europe couldn't get enough of seeing her skate to the box.

the reference to hockey might not be so appropriate - or rather - applicable since hockey is going to be a substantially smaller part of my world now that i'm back in canada.

yep, back on the homefront. now that i've been back for almost 3 months, i just experienced my first week of feeling like i'm happy to be here. it's been a tough adjustment - last week i almost bought a ticket to prague i missed the place so badly. i had to keep repeating to myself what is true about life: god is sovereign, god is sovereign, god is sovereign. if not for that incredible truth, i think i might have gone crazy! but he is sovereign and i rest and rejoice in that - even though i don't always like what that requires of me.

surrender? denying my own wishes? not planning out my future myself? seriously?? is that even possible? well, truth be told, it's not - not on our own strength at least. that's why our great and mighty god gave us the gift of faith... that he increases as we seek him so that becoming more like christ is even possible... that we can do those things that seem upside-down and are often completely against our will and the desires of fleshly, sinful man.

what does the world who doesn't know him do? do they think about such things? what governs their motives and assures them of the validity of their decisions? i can only begin to imagine the varied list of fillers... what happens to those things when we die? i bet none of it leads to soul satisfaction, peace, joy, freedom from circumstances.

last sunday at the compass (www.compassregina.com) blair talked about our joy not being in external circumstances but the forward progress of the gospel. that is one HARD thing to do - but again, it's not about us doing it... but the Lord doing it in us. and how is that even possible?? the power of christ, his death and resurrection, and saving grace that he extends to all of mankind. the compass is a new church that's recently started up in regina and the lord led me there this summer. i'm so jacked about it and excited to see what god's going to do in a body of people who love christ and seek to live missionally for the gospel.

what would happen if all the christians in regina really GOT it... really started surrendering, living for jesus, stepping out of their comfort zones, denying themselves and sharing what god is doing in their lives with others. it's my prayer that god would do that in me!

and wooaaaahhhh, it would be incredible, the transformation we'd see in this city. but why not?? look at the lord's resume... if anyone's qualified to do it - HE IS.