22. Small groups cultivate an environment in which the Lord is present with us! Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” When the Twin Towers came down in the awful terrorist attack on the US in 2001, my wife and I met a couple of days later with our small group of young single adults. With the emotions of this horrible tragedy still raw in our minds and hearts, we gathered together that evening to worship and pray to the One who could make sense of it all. We spent the evening simply worshiping God, praying for the victims and their families and for our nation. The sense of God’s presence among us was overwhelming.

23. Small groups often give us the opportunity to watch God draw the unsaved to Himself.  Many years ago, when my wife and I were missionaries in Austria, a young lady began attending a small group in our home as a guest of one of our small group members. For the first few weeks Sabrina simply sat on the couch with her head down and her hands in her lap. She didn’t say a word and wouldn’t establish eye-contact with anyone. Frankly, I was surprised she continued to come, but we extended her love and included her in any way we could. Then, slowly, over a period of many weeks, Sabrina began to open up. She had a Bible with her, would read with us and began to enter into conversations. She often asked tough, probing questions. Finally, one week she came with a big smile on her face and announced that she had surrendered her life to Christ! Over the next months and years, it was our privilege to watch Sabrina grow in her relationship with Christ and with others.

24. Small groups offer deep, meaningful fellowship and good, clean fun! When my wife and I lived in Alaska, we led a small group of young single adults. One of our traditions was to take a midnight hike thru Conner’s Bog every New Year’s Eve. Such a trek through the frozen trails of this bog were fun and a bit crazy! The moonlight reflecting off the snow usually sufficed so that we didn’t need flashlights or headlamps. Sometimes we’d encounter a moose! But we had a blast together simply spending time with each other and enjoying God’s beautiful creation.

25. Small groups provide an opportunity for its members to serve one other! Acts 2:44-45, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” Each week our small group members take turns serving one another by bringing hors d’oeuvres and sharing with each other in other creative and hospitable ways. These small, hospitable acts of kindness allow us to demonstrate Christ’s love by serving one another. There’s also something about eating together that brings a group together in sweet fellowship!

26. Finally, small groups help us identify and equip new and more leaders in the church. Nothing stretches a follower of Jesus like being asked to lead others into deeper relationship with Christ! Leading small groups can be a tremendous joy, but also can provide significant challenges. As we identify and train new leaders, they experience their relationship with Christ and others in new, exciting and sometimes stretching ways. And as a result, everybody wins–the small group leader, his/her small group members, and the church as a whole!

©2012 Rob Fischer

17. Small groups provide us with the accountability that we desperately need! A few years ago, I was leading a men’s small group over the lunch hour. One of our guys (I’ll call him Kent) came in late and was noticeably troubled. We greeted Kent and I asked him what was wrong. He blurted out that he had just had a fight with his wife. I asked him if he had reconciled with her, to which he answered no. He explained what their argument was over and it was crystal clear to all of us that Kent was being extremely unreasonable and unloving toward his wife. Playfully, we told him to get back home and make things right with his wife and to let us know how things went. To Kent’s credit, he did! Kent was grateful for our tough love for him (and so was his wife!).

18. Small groups enable us to gather with other followers of Christ around God’s Word regularly! Acts 2:42, “they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching.” That’s the Word of God. Recently, the small group that I lead launched into a three week overview of Joseph’s life from Genesis. We read several chapters aloud each session and then discussed how God was working in Joseph’s life and how his story applies to us. All of us found Joseph’s story to be profoundly relevant and significant in our lives. This is just one example of how we spend time together in God’s Word and how powerfully His Word impacts us!

19. Small groups launch us into God-focused prayer with other followers of Christ! A number of years ago, Linda and I were leading a small group in Texas. A couple, Randy and Debbie, were members of our small group. They had been trying to have children for seven years, but to no avail. We had prayed for them often. However, on one evening in our small group, we read the passage in Luke 1 about how God gave Zacharias and Elizabeth a child (John the baptist) in their old age. As I was reading this passage, the Holy Spirit impressed on all of us, “I want to do this for Randy and Debbie too.” God’s leading and communication were so clear, that I confirmed with the rest of the group to see if that’s what they were hearing as well. And indeed, all had sensed the same message from God. So we stopped and prayed right then and there. A few weeks later, Debbie announced that she was pregnant and today they have two beautiful children!

20. Small groups provide us with first-hand experience at watching God work among us! The story I’m about to share is bazaar! I almost hesitate to share it, but I’ll tell it just like it happened. On another occasion, we were leading a small group in Post Falls, Idaho. The couple in whose home we met had a small “designer” dog that they loved. However, when we showed up for small group that night, Larry was holding their dog in his lap and the dog did not look well. Larry had been staining a fence earlier that day and the dog had unwittingly lapped up a considerable amount of stain and had gotten very sick. They rushed the dog to the vet and he did what he could for the dog, but sent the dog home indicating that he doubted that she would live.

There we were that night, looking at this pathetic little dog draped over Larry’s lap. The dog was listless and breathing short, rapid breaths. About ten minutes into our Bible study, Larry suddenly looked up and said to his wife, “Shirley, the dog is gone!” The dog was now completely limp. We stopped what we were doing and prayed. We prayed for the dog, but mostly for God’s comfort in Larry and Shirley’s life. The moment we said, “Amen,” the dog snapped its little head up, jumped off Larry’s lap and ran over to her water bowl and started drinking! We were all dumbfounded wondering what we had just witnessed!

Now, I’m not saying what you’re thinking! All we know is what we saw and experienced. But the real meaning in that incident for all of us that night was that God was present with us and He loves us and cares for us intimately–down to the smallest matters in our lives!

©2012 Rob Fischer

12. Small groups demonstrate that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts! Two Small groups raised over $10,000 to dig a well in Uganda and in the process impacted hundreds of people. Their efforts even made the evening news on television!

13. Small groups provide an ideal setting for fulfilling the “one-another” passages. “Be devoted to one another; honor one another; live in harmony with one another; love one another; accept one another.” (Romans 12:10, 16; 13:8; 15:7)

14. Small groups give us the opportunity to contribute to and build into others’ lives. My wife and I had the amazing privilege of filling in as surrogate parents for a number of young men and women when we lived in Alaska. I think especially of some young women who had deep father-wounds that were impairing their relationships with men. Our small group setting gave us the opportunity to demonstrate for them what  a marriage looks like when we’re following Jesus.

15. Small groups are simple! I started leading my first small group when I was 19—I had no idea what I was doing! But we met together, studied the Word, prayed, and cared for one another. (My wife, Linda was part of that small group! So I guess you could argue that this is yet another reason to join a small group!)

©2012 Rob Fischer

Please feel free to download and use this Path of Life 12 step recovery program. Click on the icon below. Path of Life is also featured on this site on the Free Stuff page.

 Path of Life

Some years ago, my wife and I were leading a small group in our home. The group had been meeting for about a year. Randy and Debbie were part of our small group. They had been married about seven years at the time and were unable to have children. From time to time throughout that year we had prayed for them that they might have a child, but as of yet they had not.

One evening as we launched into a study of Luke’s Gospel, I was reading the passage in Luke 1:5-25 regarding God’s provision of a son to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age. All their married life Zechariah and Elizabeth had been unable to have children. As I read this story out loud, the Holy Spirit clearly spoke to me saying, “I want to do this for Randy and Debbie as well.” I sensed the Holy Spirit’s leading so clearly that I stopped and related to the group what I was hearing. To everyone’s amazement, we were all thinking the same thing!

So we stopped and prayed again for Randy and Debbie, but this time we had a clear sense from God that his timing was right and he wanted to glorify himself through answering prayer prompted by his Word and his Spirit. Two weeks later Debbie announced she was pregnant! There was no doubt in any of our minds that this child was a gift from God in answer to our prayers that night. Randy and Debbie now have two lovely daughters.

© Rob Fischer 2008

• “Am I on track with God in my finances?  What does he want or expect of me in this regard?”
• “How do I determine my financial health?  And how do I improve it?”
• “How do I get out of and stay out of debt?”
• “How do I know how much to give to God?”
• “Why is it we never seem to have enough money to make it until the next paycheck?”
• “I make enough money and have money to spare, but I sense there is more God wants me to do and that it has to do with my finances.”

These are all important issues that you will work through in Uncommon Cents.  But we believe your experience in Uncommon Cents will yield far more than helpful financial advice, tools and skills.  For you are about to embark on an adventure with God!

God makes a clear distinction between what is holy and what is common (Leviticus 10:10).  As his children, he calls us to a holy or uncommon lifestyle.  “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”  (1 Peter 1:14-15)  The principles you will read about on the pages that follow are uncommon.  That is, they do not follow the common patterns of thought or practice that our world or culture pursues.

Much of what is common in our culture is so deeply rooted in our lives, that it takes some pretty radical life change to expose it and dig it out.  That kind of life change is something only God can perform.  In Uncommon Cents, you will have the opportunity to draw close to God through a wide variety of activities and life challenge projects.  These are designed to propel you forward in your walk with Christ.  And as you draw near to him, you will not be able to remain unchanged.  He will expose the common in your life and give you the opportunity to replace it with what is uncommon and holy.

We challenge you to prepare your heart to meet with God as you pursue him through Uncommon Cents.  Expect and watch for him to work in your life.  Trust him in ways you’ve been afraid to in the past.  Ask him for his help and provision in your daily life and finances.  If you are married, enter into this adventure with your spouse as a team.  Also, partner with your small group and watch God work in each other’s lives.  He will, because that’s what he does!

Download Uncommon Cents and powerful financial tools free in the “Free Stuff” tab.