• Their answered prayers during the week
• One or two special things God did for them this week
• The thing about Christ that make them follow him
• One attribute of God that was demonstrated to them this week

Then have a time of praise with song and prayer reflecting the testimonies shared.

Read some Psalms. Then have individuals write their own Psalms or letters to God.

Have a time of positive biblical confession: Confess your faith in God. Confess Jesus Christ as your Lord. Confess your willingness to serve Him. Confess your love for God.

Use a hymn or worship song. Read it and discuss how it relates to each member’s life. Pray it to God. Then sing it together.

Have small group members take turns reading several Psalms out loud. Then pray in response. Or instruct them to speak their praise from the Psalms. Some good Psalms for this are 23, 27, 40, 103 and many more.

Have a time of silence before the Lord to hear His voice and worship.

Use Psalm 136 as a responsive reading. Have one person speak the descriptive verse and the group responds with the repeating verse. Read from the heart.

Choose an appropriate Psalm and have each person read a verse, or alternate verses where one person reads a verse and the group responds by reading the next verse in unison. Remember to stress listening to the words and worshipping God through them. Read with expression and from the heart.

When you read the Scriptures about various physical expressions of worship, practice one or two during each small group meeting. Position is more important than we think; the outward is a reflection of the inward. Consider a person slouching in his seat who doesn’t budge when someone important walks in. It says something. Often when we use our body in worship our heart responds and we are able to enter into God’s presence more easily and quickly.

Discuss these questions:

• Describe a time in which you really sensed God’s presence in a close way.
• What are things you do to draw close to God?
• Choose a few ideas and practice them together as a group.

Read Romans 1:20 or Psalm 104. Then, spend time reflecting how nature reveals God’s character, for example the mountains speak of His majesty. Either go outside for a walk or look out a window. Ask each person to reflect on one part of nature (a tree, the clouds, a blade of grass). Then come back and share.

Read Romans 12:1,2 and talk about how we worship by dedicating every action we do to the Lord: our work, studies, conversations, as well as our songs when we gather. Remind your small group often that worship’s number one goal is to bless God, not bless us. Our blessing is a by-product of worship.

Have times in worship where your small group members, one by one, speak out:

• The names of God
• Attributes of God
• Or finish the sentence: “Lord I thank you for…”

Names and Attributes of God

My advocate (Job 16:19)
Bread of life (John 6:35)
Comforter in sorrow (Jeremiah 8:18)
My confidence (Psalm 71:5)
Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
Defender of widows (Psalm 68:5)
My strong deliverer (Psalm 140:7)
Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)
A consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24)
A sure foundation (Isaiah 28:16)
My friend (Job 16:20)
God Almighty (Genesis 17:1)
God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)
God who avenges me (Psalm 18:47)
God who saves me (Psalm 51:14)
Our guide (Psalm 48:14)
Head of the church (Ephesians 5:23)
Our help (Psalm 33:20)
My hiding place (Psalm 32:7)
A great high priest (Hebrews 4:14)
Holy One among you (Hosea 11:9)
My hope (Psalm 71:5)
Jealous (Exodus 34:14)
Righteous judge (2 Timothy 4:8)
King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15)
Our leader (2 Chronicles 13:12)
Your life (Colossians 3:4)
Light of life (John 8:12)
Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15)
Lord of the harvest (Matthew 9:38)
Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5)
The most holy (Daniel 9:24)
Our peace (Ephesians 2:14)
Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
My Redeemer (Psalm 19:14)
Refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1)
My salvation (Exodus 15:2)
My Savior (Psalm 42:5)
The good shepherd (John 10:11)
Sovereign Lord (Luke 2:29)
My stronghold (Psalm 18:2)
My support (2 Samuel 22:19)
Good teacher (Mark 10:17)

And here are several other ideas that have come out of various conversations I’ve had and workshops I have attended:

• have a good reader read the words of an old hymn
• play a music CD and just listen, then get responses
• dedicate a prayer time to only thanksgiving (what God has done) and adoration (who God is)
• share a favorite Scripture verse, and then share why it’s a favorite.
• after sharing a Scripture or song, have some quiet journaling and then group sharing
• do communion together as a group
• do a sing along CD or DVD, and turn it up loud if your group members are not great singers—it works!

4 Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed.

God make clear to point out “the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites”.  Now don’t get me wrong the children of Isreal are not without fault here. In fact in verse 1 we see they are already complaining.  But God tries to get there attention.  But because of the company they are keeping, and who they are listening to that lesson goes in one ear and out the other.  Here is the truth in this, who you give ear to will effect your attitude.

My wife learned this truth several years ago.  She noticed that every time she would get around her mom and her aunt together they would fall into a mode of “male/husband bashing”  She came to me and told me that it was beginning to bother her and that she just needed to get up and walk away because she found herself falling into the same trap whenever she got around them.  I am so glad she learned that lesson and had the strength and conviction to just get up and walk away.  I think that is one of the reasons we have “stayed in love” for nearly 20 years now

So the question is to you.  Who do you give ear to?  Now I know it is important to follow Jesus’ example and make friends with “sinners”. We just need to be careful that we influence them and not the other way around.  But I do believe it is also important that we surround ourselves with those people who will encourage us and help us to grow closer in our walk with God.  Who you give ear to will effect your attitude.  So who are you letting influence you?

1.  Place the camera at eye level or slightly lower.  Doing so will give you a better looking shot than if the camera is place up high.

2.  Frame your shot so that your subject is over to one side, not centered.  This 1) allows you to make better use of your background space and 2) makes for a more interesting looking shot.

3.  Try to separate your subject from the background.  Video tends to flatten your image, and you need to counter that, by:

• seating your subject at least 10ft in front of your background;
• lighting your subject and your background separately (possibly using colors or textures in your background lighting);
• back lighting your subject; and
• positioning your camera so that your background is slightly out of focus.

4.  Do not allow your subject to look directly at the camera – they should be looking slightly to one side.  For your audience, this creates the feeling that they are listening in on a conversation between two people.

5.  One side of the subject’s face (the side closest to the camera) should be better lit than the other.  The side that is not as well lit should be clearly visible but have subtle shadowing.

6.  Avoid too much empty space in the background.  Use bookcases, plants, or other objects to add interest and avoid the “prison wall” look.

Questions To Stimulate Feedback

Pick several of the following questions to employ in each group session.  Vary the questions from week to week.

• Summarize the point of this chapter in a couple of sentences.
• Share one sentence or excerpt that you underlined.  Why is that statement significant to you?
• What did the author say that you disagree with, or at least question?  Why?
• If you could ask the author to elaborate on one point or sentence, what would it be?  Why?
• What words describe your reaction to this chapter?  Why?
• What fresh, I-never-thought-of-that before insight did the chapter offer?
• From your personal experience, how can you illustrate a point from this chapter?
• How did what you read increase your appreciation for God the Father, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit?
• How did God’s Spirit speak a personal word to you as you read?
• What challenged or convicted you?  Explain.
• What encouraged you as you read?  Explain.
• Did anything you read prompt you to pray?  Explain.
• What relationships, personal circumstances, or life experiences came to mind as you read?  Why?
• If the truth of this chapter were applied, what effect would it have on our decisions?  Relationships?  Schedules?
• What could be the consequences of not heeding this chapter?
• As you read the book and prepare for the group discussion, you may think of Scripture passages that correlate with the author’s point but which aren’t cited in the book.  Have group members read these passages and ask questions similar to the following:  How does this verse/passage relate to this week’s book chapter?  How does this Bible passage support or complement the author’s point?  Based on Paul’s remark, would he agree or disagree with the author’s point on page xx?  Why or why not?

Remember to model the transparency that you want from your group during discussions.  That may require you to share an answer to a question, then ask, “Who else?”

Taken from Small Group Dynamics ezine article: ”When You Discuss a Book Other than the Bible,” October, 2007, by Terry Powell.

Pull the problem person aside for a talk. Often problem people don’t even realize that what they’re doing and saying are issues; they think they’re “being themselves.” By pulling that person aside, you’re not trying to embarrass or call out the person; rather, you want to help them understand the negative effect their actions are having on the group and offer some alternatives.

Encourage them to seek forgiveness from the other party if necessary. Hurt feelings are like a pressure cooker. They’ll simmer for a long time with no perceived effects until one day… kaboom! They blow up with catastrophic results. If someone has been offended by another member of your group, help bring resolution to that situation before it gets out of control. Work to get the two parties who were actually involved talking.

Deal with the issue in the next group meeting. If a situation has occurred during a group meeting, everyone’s already aware of it. Ignoring it makes it seem like either you’re trying to cover it up or that you simply don’t care. Deal with the problem as a group. By addressing what happened together, it’s clear to everyone what the resolution has been and that everyone’s ready to move forward together.

Bury the hatchet. With forgiveness and understanding, the members of your group need to get on with doing life together. No one’s perfect. There will always be another crisis or awkward situation within your group, but by taking these steps you can not only minimize damage but actually create a more committed and close knit community thru the potentially destructive conflict. Once you get through a crisis together, the group knows it can get through together it next time, too.

Being a host is very simple. You don’t have to be a great speaker, or have a degree in Theology or be the most gifted leader to have a successful small group. If you have a…

• Heart for people and can
• Open your home,
• Serve a snack and
• Turn on a DVD…

…you can host a LifeGroup in your neighborhood.