Session 2, Growing Leaders was entitled 'Establishing Identity'
The first section was a 'Swedish Bible Study' on John 15: 1-17.
Candle (New things learnt from the passage):
- You will bear fruit
- Ask whatever
- Friends with God
- He gives choice
- Branches go into the fire
- Obey
Up arrow (any things about the nature of God):
- Rely on God's strength
- God does pruning
- He's a friend before being a Master
- He wants joy for us
- He chooses us
- There's an intimate, organic connection with Him
- He's generous
Down arrow (any things learnt about people):
- If separated can't have fully fruitful life.
- Love each other
- We're already clean
- Don't have to seek worthiness
- People can know God's business.
Question Mark (any questions the passage has raised):
- if we don't obey commands do we remain in his love? (In context of God gave 2 commands – Love God and Love others)
- "God will give you whatever you ask for"… ?
- How do we wait on God?
- How do we wrestle with God?
There was then a section on the cycles: Cycle of Grief and the Cycle of Grace.
Some of the feedback included:
- People pleasing vs Spending Time with God
- Jesus example – the balance to find solitude.
- How do we achieve people? As achievements? As targets that can be hit (or missed)?
- Recognise demands on us
- Reminder of God's grace.
- Don't judge achievements by how much you do.
The morning finished with looking at Spiritual Discipline. Some of the difficulties or barriers to exercising spiritual disciplines include:
- busy-ness
- unpredictability of life
- No accountability
- No tangible results
- hardwork
- Laziness
- Matching achievability against despondancy
- Wanting to feel in control
- Finding silence
- Problem of distractions.
It will be interesting to see what participants have to say about exercising spiritual disciplines when we meet for the next session.