I am working with several potential People of Peace. None of these have started their own Discovery Groups yet. In some cases they are going through some real struggles since they have become more interested in serving God.

I have heard people say that before they were Christians their lives were fairly calm. When they got interested in following Jesus, lots of bad stuff happened. They thought the devil was leaving them alone as long as they were on His side, but as they started switching sides, everything that was built on a foundation of sand started caving in.

Do you think this is sometimes true? I am curious, in the lives of my friends.

I write a weekly prayer letter. If you would like to sign up to pray for these startups, email me. rick.bergen@xingu.org

Jhony’s car rolled 5 times. He was not hurt physically, but financially he is taking a heavy hit.

Edilson lost his job of 20 years due to political maneuvering at his workplace.

These guys have a lot of credibility among their peers. Please pray they will get real experiences with Jesus, and that they will start Discovery Groups soon.

Questions

1. What should I do when the group only want to study one time?
2. What are the lists of verses we can use for Discovery Bible Studies?
3. What happens at the end of the 26 selections in the Creation for Christ study?
4. How long should I persist with a group?
5. What happens when many in the group quit coming?
6. What is the difference between Discovery Bible Studies and discipleship?
7. Can we arrange to do a Discovery Bible Study during the time of the church service?
8. What is the difference between Discovery Bible Studies and cell groups?
9. What should I do if my group has people who have problems with the law, and they confess things to me?
10. Do you have to have prayer in Discovery Bible Studies?
11. What should I do when the group is not a good location to do the studies, or when the group disagrees with the location?
12. What should I do if the majority of the group gives up, if just one faithful person remains other than myself, and we have many visitors participating if they are passing by?
13. What if my group is illiterate?
14. Does the leader of the group need to be a Christian?
15. What is needed to do a Discovery Bible Studies?
16. What should I do if the group ends all 26 lessons without visible results?
17. What should I do if someone is stealing my people or my group?
18. What should I do when the people only want me as a leader / facilitator?
19. What are the signs when the group is ending?
20. Is there anything about men doing groups with men and women with women?
21. What should I do when the group is quiet, when they do not speak or interact?
22. What should I do if some in the group begins to believe false doctrines because of the stories studied?
23. What should I do when a person in the group talks too much?
24. What should I do if the group wants to increase the study time to be more than an hour?
25. What should I do if someone in the group comes to harmful conclusions from a text?
26. How can I tell who is a Person of Peace?
27. How many people are needed for a Discovery Bible Study?
28. Can an addict or someone trapped in a serious sin start a Discovery Bible Studies?
29. What should I do if someone misses some studies in the group?
30. How do I know who should be the leader in the group?
31. What is the difference between the leader and the facilitator?

Robust Unity

I used to think that one way to have a more unified team was to somehow avoid conflict. Then I heard this statement:

“A pastor who avoids conflict has a bigger chance of experiencing a church split.”

I was surprised and a little incredulous by what I learned this at the Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, in Fresno California.

When you are in doubt about how God wants you to respond to a certain relationship situation, here is God’s council. (I copied this list from Contagious Disciple, by Watson J., & Watson P.).

COMMANDS FOR LIVING IN COMMUNITY (“ ONE ANOTHER” PASSAGES)

1. Accept one another. (Rom 15: 7)
2. Agree with one another. (1 Cor. 1: 10; Phil. 4: 2)
3. Bear with one another. (Col. 3: 13)
4. Remember that we belong to one another. (Rom. 12: 5)
5. Consider one another as better. (Phil. 2: 3)
6. Do not break faith with one another. (Mal. 2: 10)
7. Build up one another. (Eph. 4: 29; 1 Thess. 5: 11)
8. Do not be a burden to one another. (Gal. 6: 4– 5)
9. Carry one another’s burdens. (Gal. 6: 2)
10. Do not compare yourselves to one another. (Gal. 6: 4– 5)
11. Have equal concern for one another. (1 Cor. 12: 25– 27)
12. Confess your sins to one another. (James 5: 16)
13. Do not covet one another’s spouses. (Ex. 20: 17; Deut. 5: 21)
14. Do not desire one another’s property. (Ex. 20: 17; Deut. 5: 21)
15. Let no debt remain outstanding to one another. (Rom. 13: 8)
16. Do not allow stealing, lying, and deception to be a part of your relationships with one another. (Lev. 19: 11)
17. Do not devour or destroy one another. (Gal. 5: 15)
18. Be devoted to one another. (Rom. 12: 10)
19. Discipline one another. (Matt. 18: 15– 17)
20. Do good and share with one another. (Heb. 13: 16)
21. Build up one another with your faith. (Rom. 1: 11– 12)
22. Encourage one another. (1 Thess. 4: 18; 5: 11; Titus 1: 9; Heb. 3: 13; 10: 25)
23. Spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Heb. 10: 24)
24. Do not envy one another. (Gal. 5: 26)
25. Judge one another fairly. (Lev. 19: 15)
26. Do not do anything to cause one another to fall. (Rom. 14: 21)
27. Fellowship with one another. (1 John 1: 7)
28. Forgive one another. (Matt. 18: 21– 35; Eph. 4: 32; Col. 3: 13)
29. Serve one another with your gifts. (1 Cor. 12: 7; 1 Peter 4: 10)
30. Give to one another. (Prov. 3: 28; Luke 6: 30; 17: 3– 4)
31. Greet one another. (Rom. 16: 16; 1 Peter 5: 14)
32. Do not hold a grudge against one another. (Lev. 19: 18)
33. Do not grumble against one another. (James 5: 9)
34. Do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward one another. (Deut. 15: 7)
35. Do not plot harm against one another. (Prov. 3: 29)
36. Live in harmony with one another. (Rom. 12: 16; 1 Peter 3: 8)
37. Do not hate one another in your hearts. (Lev. 19: 17)
38. Honor one another above yourselves. (Rom. 12: 10) 39.
39. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4: 9)
40. Have humility toward one another. (1 Peter 5: 5)
41. Do not do things that will hurt one another. (Rom. 14: 15)
42. Be full of goodness, complete in knowledge, and competent to instruct one another. (Rom. 15: 14)
43. Do not charge one another interest on personal loans of money or goods. (Deut. 23: 19)
44. Do not judge one another. (Rom. 14: 10, 13; 14: 13; James 4: 12)
45. Be kind to one another and everyone else. (1 Thess. 5: 15; 2 Tim. 2: 24; Eph. 4: 32)
46. Do not lie to or about one another. (Ex. 20: 16; Deut. 5: 20; Col. 3: 9– 10)
47. Look after one another’s interests. (Phil. 2: 4)
48. Do not gloat over the destruction of one another, or boast about your good fortune when others are in trouble. (Obad. 1: 12)
49. Do not look down on one another. (Rom. 14: 10)
50. Love one another. (Lev. 19: 18; Matt. 22: 36– 39; Mark 12: 28– 31; Luke 10: 25– 27; John 13: 34– 35; 15: 12; 17; Rom. 13: 9; Gal. 5: 14; 1 Thess. 3: 12; 4: 9; 2 Thess. 1: 3; Heb. 13: 1; James 2: 8; 1 Peter 1: 22; 4: 8; 1 John 3: 11, 23; 4: 7, 11– 12; 2 John 1: 5– 6; see also 1 Corinthians 13: 4– 13)
51. Have mercy and compassion for one another. (Zech. 7: 9)
52. Be openhanded with one another. (Deut. 15: 11)
53. Be patient with one another. (Eph. 4: 2)
54. Be at peace with one another. (Mark 9: 50; 1 Thess. 5: 12– 13)
55. Pray for one another. (James 5: 16)
56. Do not provoke one another. (Gal. 5: 26)
57. Rebuke one another so you don’t share another’s guilt. (Lev. 19: 17)
58. Be reconciled to one another. (Matt. 5: 23– 24)
59. Show respect to one another. (1 Peter 2: 17)
60. Gently restore one another when caught in sin. (Gal. 6: 1)
61. Do not seek revenge against one another. (Lev. 19: 18)
62. Seek the good of one another. (1 Cor. 10: 24)
63. Serve one another. (Gal. 5: 13)
64. Do not slander one another. (James 4: 11)
65. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. (Eph. 5: 19– 20)
66. Do not steal from one another by stealth, force, trickery or deceit. (Lev. 19: 13)
67. Do not put stumbling blocks or obstacles in one another’s way. (Rom. 14: 13)
68. Submit to one another. (1 Cor. 16: 15– 16; Eph. 5: 21)
69. Do not take advantage of one another. (Lev. 25: 14, 17)
70. Teach and admonish one another. (Col. 3: 16)
71. Make sure there is a good reason to testify against one another. (Prov. 24: 28)
72. Do not think evil of one another. (Zech. 7: 10)
73. Speak truth to one another. (Zech. 8: 16– 17)
74. Do not plot evil against one another. (Zech. 8: 16– 17)
75. Wait for one another. (1 Cor. 11: 33)

Watson, David; Watson, Paul (2014). Contagious Disciple Making: Leading Others on a Journey of Discovery (p. 166-168). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Off to study abroad…

This may be the best place to eat in Belem. We’ll take you here if you come to visit us.

Last meal together at the airport.

 And they are off to study abroad.

Emma and Bella surprised us with this book just before they went through the security gates, on their way out of Brazil.

Deanna and I are empty-nesters for the summer. Bella will come back in the Fall to do Grade 12.