How people grow (and how to encourage them to do so)

Most spiritual growth doesn’t come as a result of a training program or a set curriculum. It comes as a result of life putting us in what I like to call a need-to-know or need-to-grow situation.

Though the lessons we must all learn are pretty universal, the order in which we learn them and the classroom God uses to teach them are seldom the same for any two people.
Need-to-know moments happen when we find ourselves in a predicament where we need to know God’s viewpoint on an issue we’ve never dealt with before.

For instance, imagine a dicey ethical issue at work. Perhaps you’ve discovered that everyone else in your office or industry winks at something you see as unethical. At that point, you need to know, “Does the Bible speak to this issue? And if so, what does it say?”

Or maybe your next-door neighbor has started to meet with some Mormon missionaries and wants you to join in. Suddenly the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the atonement, and a host of other theological issues no longer seem so dry and academic.

Need-to-grow moments are similar, but they’re usually accompanied by a tough trial or a stretching experience. It might be a new job with a jerk boss, the rough sledding of a financial mess, or the pain of a broken heart. Each in its own way calls for a deeper and more obedient walk with God.
Unfortunately, our typical linear discipleship models don’t handle this kind of randomness very well. They seem to be designed with the assumption that knowledge and character can be inventoried and stored up for later use. Take good notes now, because someday you’ll really need this stuff!

But that’s not how most of us learn or change. We all learn best when we understand why a topic is important, and we change best—well, when we have to.

Velcroed for Growth

Sermon-based small groups take this haphazard learning-and-growing process into account. They’re perfectly fitted to the way spiritual growth actually takes place.

The focus of a sermon-based small group is not so much on the curriculum as it is on the process. There is no set body of information that must be covered in a particular order. The topic in any one week simply flows out of whatever was taught in the previous weekend’s sermon.

The ultimate goal of a sermon-based small group is simply to velcro people to the two things they will need most when faced with a need-to-know or need-to-grow situation: the Bible and other Christians.

Osborne, L. W. (2008). Sticky church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

My core ministry is writing Bible Study lessons. If I can serve you in this way, I’d love to help. Cost is negotiable. Think in terms of what you pay your Pastor for half a day.  Contact me at josh@joshhunt.com or 575.650.4564