Less is More - part 2

Continuing yesterday's post...

One of the neat things about what is happening in our men's group is that not only have we been a place where we can find support and encouragement when life gets tough, but we have been serious about reading and reflecting on the Bible.  We have used a variety of plans and approaches over the years, but the Bible has been at the center of our group and reading it and reflecting on it has transformed our lives.

My first friend will tell you that he was active in church attendance for most of his life... but he had not openend a Bible much at all, let alone read it.   The group pushed the envelope on reading it and then added the reflecting on it component and that is where the huge growth began.  You see, it is not enough just to read the Bible.  It must be reflected on and applied to our lives to have it's greatest impact.

We currently use the 5 Q Method and find that it opens the door for the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives in a big way.  I like this method because it doesn't require any biblical knowledge or advance prep to have big impact.  And it encourages conversation and sharing of insights as well as asking of questions.  Currently I lead two groups that are experiencing the same phenomina of transformation from using the 5 Q Method.

This all dovetails nicely with the findings of Willow Creek's Reveal Study and the book... MOVE.   Where they determined that the number one factor in producing followers of Jesus and spiritual transformation was regular reading and reflecting on the Bible.

If I were planting a church right now, I would probably not gather for public worship but would form groups that used the 5 Q Method each week and then went out into the community to serve others as a way of applying and sharing the Love of Jesus.    I think it would have HUGE impact on people's lives and on the community!