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One of the greatest facets of sports, in my opinion, is the sense of community.  Whether we’re talking about a team sport or an individual competition, you are surrounded by those who are like-minded, passionate, and driven.  Even when it’s just you against the rest of the field, as in a sport like golf, you are spurred onward to deliver the best of what you’ve got.  I grew up in an athletic family where even within the ranks of my own siblings, we were driven to compete.  When playing a team sport, you bond through adversity and success and grow together with your teammates in ways that are so unique.  This sense of community is special.  To have people around you that you know will drive you, they will push you forward, so that when all is said and done, you can look back on the race that you’ve run and be astonished at the body of work you just put forth.
Is this not something that we’ve all thirsted for at one time or another, if not frequently?  In the creation narrative of Genesis, we are given an account of God hanging the stars in the sky, forming the Earth and all of the creatures that inhabit the lands, and then He made Man.  He made the birds of the sky and He said, “Good.”  He made the fish of the sea and he said, “Good.”  Then He came to Man and he said, “Very good.”  We go on in chapter two to read specifically about both Man and Woman created, and despite God forming Man and claiming “Very good” over him, God recognized a truth that resounds throughout time even to this day, and that is that this life cannot and should not be done alone; thus God gave Adam the gift of Eve.  Man was so fortunate to be given the image of God the Father.  One would think that He could stop there, but no, God knew that for His Glory, there should be a multiplicity among people, a multiplicity of image bearers.  Christ amplifies this truth in Matthew’s gospel in the discourse on the Church.

“²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”                                                                                      -Matthew 18:20

Christ recognizes this truth, that we are hard-wired for community, all the while affirming another truth.  Where multiple image-bearers of His gather, He will be there also.  How could this be in the least bit undesirable? The presence of the Savior of the world, promised to us through this thing called fellowship.  We are not talking about a weekly meeting where a few words are spoken, some read, and everyone calls it quits until the same time next week.  We are talking radical life change through one another under the name of Christ.  We are talking about first responders showing up at the hospital upon hearing the news of your bringing a wonderful new addition into this world.  We are talking about brothers and sisters who in no way are related but couldn’t be any closer even if they were.  This is what we mean by “doing life together.”
Group Connect is drawing closer.  We hope to attract incredible amounts of people who are thirsty for this type of family.  Oftentimes, curiosity is piqued through videos, web posts, and other forms of promotion, but we hope that this event will ignite a fiery passion in the souls of many and reveal to them that they have an entire church body that is so willing to pour into them on an intimate level.  We hope that this event will tie those who are unconnected to our family through LIFE Groups.  So, once again, we implore you, as a leader, to join us in prayer, to rally beside us in hopes of achieving something truly wonderful and life changing.
Specific Things to Pray For:

• Pray for dissatisfaction for those who are currently “going it alone.”
• Pray for that dissatisfaction to stir hearts toward action and willingness to plug in.
• Pray for a relentless love to fill the hearts of those tied to this event so that they may be poured out on those seeking LIFE Groups.

A Balanced and Healthy Diet

Many of us have those memories as a child.  Memories of sitting at the dinner table, working through your plate only to encounter something so disgusting, so abhorrent, that even to this day, the very sight of a particular food brings about a churning stomach.  For me, I vividly remember sitting at my Nanny’s (grandmother’s) dinner table, young enough to warrant my dad fixing my plate for me, surveying all of the great cooking that laid before me.  Cornbread, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, sitting here thinking about it all only makes my stomach growl, and then there were those pickled beets.  My dad loved them and could woof them down without a second thought but, for me, the very sight of them struck terror into my bones.  For you, it may be broccoli, asparagus, whatever, but at some point or another, I bet you can think of some healthy food or vegetable that made you weak in the stomach.  What I did not understand at my young age was the importance of a balanced diet.  Life couldn’t be all about Nanny’s cookies, brownies, cakes, and sweets.  I needed a full plate, loaded with all the stuff that would help me grow up big and strong like Popeye (that was always the sales pitch thrown my way).

¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.       – 2 Timothy 3:14-17

 There are so, so many who step foot in this church on a weekly basis that suffer from spiritual anemia due to a lack of being fed properly.  It is so wonderful to be able to receive rich teaching and participate in solid corporate worship, but the opportunity afforded to those in LIFE Groups to dive intimately into God’s sovereign exhalings is invaluable.  Again, there are simply too many out there who are satisfied with coming in, hearing a message, and going on about their way, keeping intimacy with Jesus an arm’s distance away.  That is why we invite you once again to come alongside us in prayer and meditation as we consider those who are not plugged into LIFE Group families here at Brentwood Baptist.
As Paul states here, God’s perfect and inspired Word is profitable for teaching, for correction, for training in righteousness, which are all admirable endeavors in this process of sanctification; but sometimes correction, training and teachings are difficult, sometimes its a little tough to swallow.  However, as you well know, though God’s words aren’t always like red velvet cake or cookies, it is always for the good of our souls.  So we ask you to pray that a passion to be healthy be instilled in the Group Seekers that will arrive here on August 23 at Group Connect.  That a realization that life cannot be lived on sweets alone, but that true life, true spiritual health lies in diving into God’s perfect Word intimately.
Things to Pray for:

• A realization to come to those who are not connected, that there is something missing, that God has so much more planned for them through the rich community and teaching offered in LIFE Groups.

• That Church isn’t meant to be done privately, that we all come together here to do life fully, richly, and grow.

• That those who are unconnected would quickly come and quickly be welcomed and loved.