Can you believe the Christmas Decorations are already going up?  The McGlinchey family usually waits until after Thanksgiving Day to begin putting up our Christmas Decorations.  Either way, the Holiday season is in full swing.  Children will soon be out of school, in-laws will be coming over, and many will be waiting in long lines for all the sales on Black Friday.  Usually with all of this activity, the small group decides to just take the month off.  For some, one month will become two and then three months and before you realize it, the group is dead and no longer meeting.  Instead of small groups taking a month off, why not do the Holidays a little bit different this year and ensure that your groups do not die due to lack of activity.  During this year’s Holiday Season, I would like to give all of our Small Groups a Holiday Challenge.  Here are some ideas to keep our Small Group’s Connected during this Holiday season:

·      Plan a Thanksgiving Dinner together (It doesn’t have to be on Thanksgiving Day, but plan a time for all of you to make your special family recipe and come together and share what you are thankful for this year.) Also, the “Wall Small Group” will be serving Thanksgiving dinner for those who find themselves struggling financially or have no family locally.  The event will be at 5:00pm Thanksgiving Day in the Common Ground.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

·      Take a “Date Night” to see Christmas lights or attend the Holiday Parades.  (I really enjoy the Saint Cloud holiday parade.  The kids get LOTS of candy and it really puts you in the holiday spirit.  There are plenty of places to eat afterward and fun activities for all ages.  My daughter will be dancing there again this year.)

·      Serve together in the community.  (Look around your community for a service project that you could do together.  Many homeless shelters, food banks, and non-profit organizations are looking for holiday help.  You can also go to the children’s wing of hospitals and pass out presents or stuffed animals.You could also contact Pastor Chip to help with his homeless project every third Saturday of the month.)

·      Serve together during the holiday services at Cornerstone.  (Cornerstone will hold several services during the holidays and will need volunteers.  This is a wonderful opportunity to help your church serve the community. We always need help with Frontline (greeting) and Preschool.)

·      Have a Party!  (Have a Christmas party, plan a game night or go somewhere fun.)

·      Attend the Christmas Musical service together.  (This year’s musical will be called “All Bow Down”.  it will be December 13th (Saturday Night) and Dec 14th (During both Sunday service times)  This is also a great opprtunity to invite friends, family, and co-workers.

I have been enjoying my quiet time with God this week.  I have another devotional to share that God has really convicted me of.   Here it is:

Success without God

Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”
Ex 33:15

It is possible to experience success and yet be void of God’s presence. If success is what is important to you, you may be tempted to choose accomplishments over your relationship with God. God offered to send an angel with the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land to ensure their success in every venture. No army could withstand them. No city wall could stop them. The wealth of the land lay before them. Everything they had ever dreamed of appeared to be theirs for the taking. The only thing missing would be the presence of God. God said they were an obstinate people, and He would not go with them when their hearts were far from Him.

The Israelites’ experience reveals that victory and great accomplishments are not necessarily a sign of God’s presence. Do not assume that your good health, your profitable business, or the growth of your ministry is due to the presence of God. It may be that you have inadvertently chosen success over your walk with the Lord.

Moses wisely concluded that success, no matter how great, is not a substitute for fellowship with God. Moses knew how quickly worldly achievements could disappear. His security came from his relationship with God. Success in the world’s eyes is not a sign of God’s blessing. It may, in fact, indicate that you have chosen a substitute for intimate fellowship with God. Would you be satisfied to have success, power, and wealth, but not a relationship with God? Do you value God’s presence in your life more than the greatest achievements you could experience in the world?

I don’t want to be so successful that I miss what God truly has in store for me or Cornerstone.  Getting a fresh perspective this week has really helped.  True success is measured in doing God’s perfect will for my life.  I want God’s presence in all that I do.  How do you measure success?

I am on Vacation this week. I was reading from my daily devotional last week and felt impressed to take some time to seek God. I was really convicted when I read this. Here it is:

Fix Your Eyes on God
And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”
Nu 20:10
It is easy to see why Moses became frustrated with the Hebrew people. They were so hard-hearted and weak in their faith that Moses lost his patience and became angry with them. Yet every time Moses shifted his focus away from God, it cost him. When he sought to help his people by taking matters into his own hands, he spent the next forty years herding sheep in the wilderness (Ex 2:11-15). This time his impetuous behavior cost him the opportunity to enter the Promised Land (Nu 20:12). In his frustration at the peoples’ irreverence, Moses committed the very same sin, blatantly disobeying God’s instructions. How did this happen? Moses allowed his attention to shift to the behavior of others rather than focusing on the activity of God.
This could happen to you as well. God has put people around you who need your ministry to them. You will never be able to properly help them, however, unless your primary focus is on God. If you concentrate on people, their weaknesses, their disobedience, their lack of faith, and their stubbornness will quickly frustrate you. You may, like Moses, commit the very sins you are condemning. If, however, your eyes are fixed on holy God, you will become more like Him — gracious, forgiving, long-suffering, and righteous. When a friend’s behavior disappoints you, go immediately to the Lord. Seek to discern what God is wanting to do in your friend’s life rather than concentrating on your friend’s sin. Then you will have the strength, wisdom, and patience you need to help your friend in the way God desires.

Are you feeling frustrated?  Check to see who’s got your attention. I need to refocus on God and get his perspective…So far, it has been a great time of seeking God and reflecting on HIs goodness and mercy! It’s amazing what a little time and prayer will do for your perspective!!

I knew there was a reason why I have enjoyed the Star Wars movies.  This picture proves that the success of the Jedi was founded on ancient “Small Group” principles.  I have actual footage of one of their meetings that discuss their small group….Enjoy! and may the force (Faith) be with you!!!

Yoda Groups from Fusion Church on Vimeo.