Saratoga Federated Church
  • Home
  • Teaching
  • Events
    • Centennial >
      • Get Involved with the Centennial
      • Centennial Moments
      • Heritage and History
    • Pandemic Parenting
    • Christmas >
      • Christmas Eve Service
      • Past Christmas Shows
    • Village Forum
    • Events Videos
  • Connect
    • Adults >
      • Daily Prayer
      • Membership Class
      • Life Groups >
        • Life Groups Blog
      • Women's Ministry
      • Singles Ministry
      • Adult Education
    • College & 20's
    • Youth >
      • Middle School Ministry
      • High School Ministry
      • Parents of Youth
      • Mexico Trip
    • Children >
      • Children's Home Page
      • Sunday Fun & Learning
      • MOPS
      • Village Preschool >
        • Open House
        • Program
        • Program Options & Fees
      • Kid's Choir
    • Special Needs Ministry
    • Care >
      • Care Staff
      • Care in the Virus Crisis >
        • Care and Support Request
        • New Ministries for Virus Crisis
        • Medical | Professional Resources
        • Self-Care
        • Mutual Care
        • Spiritual Growth Resources
        • Local Grocery Stores
        • Restaurants Open for Takeout Delivery
      • Care Resources >
        • Support and Recovery Groups
        • Local Agencies and Services
      • Care Events
      • Healing Resources
      • Grief Ministry
      • About Care
      • How Is Care Arranged
    • Worship >
      • Celebration Choir, Orchestra & Handbells
      • Contemporary Worship Team
      • Kid's Choir
      • Worship Technicians
      • Sunday Teams
    • Calendar
  • Give
  • Outreach
    • Outreach >
      • Global Outreach
      • Local Outreach
    • SERVE
    • Mexico Trip
  • About Us
    • Staff Members
    • What We Believe
    • Elders
    • Foundation
    • Annual Meeting
    • Jobs
    • Parking
    • Hearing Aid Assistance

What Did I Get Myself Into?

10/15/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
I was in a bit of a quandary.  My son had given me a book to read and it raised questions that I couldn’t quite answer. The book was titled Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I really hadn’t spent much time reading religious books and this one presented some challenging issues. Yeah, I’d been in a small group a few years earlier. It was fine, but we studied books of the Bible using study guides that all too often asked questions like: “Why did Jesus get into the boat?”  OK, I’m being a bit facetious, but the answers weren’t hard. Crazy Love asked difficult questions like: “It confuses us when loving God is hard. Shouldn’t it be easy to love a God so wonderful?” Or, when God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we expect: “Could it be your arrogance that makes you think God owes you an explanation?”  Umm.

Where could I go to get answers?  I didn’t belong to a small group anymore.

D’oh!

I reached out to some friends I knew at church and asked them if they’d be interested in getting together to read this book my son had given me. About five guys said they’d be up for it so we gathered on a Wednesday night downstairs at church and dug in.  Over the course of several months together we answered many of our questions, raised some new ones, and tried to answer them too. It was helpful. It was satisfying. It was educational.  In fact, it was actually fun.

That was nine books ago.

In retrospect, what’s been so amazing about this group is how God has formed and molded it. Over the years that we’ve been together, we’ve had a few people leave but even more have joined. Most of the new members were people I’d never met and it’s uncanny how God has a knack for sending us just the right people at just the right time. It’s like God has all of the odd shaped pieces and he knows just how to fit them together to complete the puzzle.

I found that what I got myself into was a fascinating and enlightening experience. On any given Wednesday night we may spend 90 minutes talking about the book we’re reading or 90 minutes discussing a problem or concern that one of us is facing. We may even spend 30 minutes quoting lines from Mel Brooks’ movies. We listen to each other. We support each other. We pray for each other. For me, the result is a close kinship that has given me the opportunity to share my thoughts and doubts about my faith in a way that ultimately has helped my faith mature and, hopefully, blossom. I didn’t know a small group could accomplish all of that and build friendships along the way.

It certainly wasn’t what I expected when I started, but I think it was what God had in mind all along. In fact, I’m glad He thought of the idea of forming this small group! It’s something that I look forward to every week. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

By the way, Crazy Love is a great book to read if you’re starting a small group or if you’re looking for some variety in your study material.  It does pose some challenging questions, but it’s a great read and offers valuable perspectives on our relationship with God.


1 Comment
Max Dowden link
10/16/2014 06:06:05 am

Being the newest member of our Wednesday small group is one of the greatest gifts that God has blessed me with ,though the group has been through nine books I just went finished up my first book with the group "Jesus is"and starting out now with "Philip Yancey Prayer"the rain soaked version kind of a group joke,a little deeper than the last book but if I have any questions the men of my group are always there to help me with what I don't understand,this being my first small group in my life I first wonder how I would fit in , now every Wednesday can't hardly wait to get there and check in with my group and study the chapter for that week.
But the love for others in our lifes that are going through tough times and the prayer's of our group that go out to family, friends and each other in our group which is a blessing to witness and be a part of this great group of Christian Men.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Kevin Payne

    Archives

    July 2019
    January 2016
    June 2015
    April 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

SERVICE TIMES

Temporary Sunday Service Times
Pre-Recorded Gathering posted by 9:30 am HERE
Saratoga Federated Church
20390 Park Place
Saratoga, CA 95070
​
Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Office: (408) 867-1000
Fax: (408) 867-6012
info@saratogafederated.org

VILLAGE PRESCHOOL
Located on the SFC campus


WHO WE ARE

Why We Exist
What We Believe
Staff Members
Elders

COMMUNITY ACCESS

The Bible
The Federated Family Newsletter
​Community Highlights
Full Calendar
Church Database
Job Openings

GET CONNECTED

Worship
Care

Adults

Children

Youth
Special Needs Ministry
Outreach
Weddings and Family Events

Weekend Update Sign Up




Audio/Video/Photography Notice 
Copyright 2020 Saratoga Federated Church
  • Home
  • Teaching
  • Events
    • Centennial >
      • Get Involved with the Centennial
      • Centennial Moments
      • Heritage and History
    • Pandemic Parenting
    • Christmas >
      • Christmas Eve Service
      • Past Christmas Shows
    • Village Forum
    • Events Videos
  • Connect
    • Adults >
      • Daily Prayer
      • Membership Class
      • Life Groups >
        • Life Groups Blog
      • Women's Ministry
      • Singles Ministry
      • Adult Education
    • College & 20's
    • Youth >
      • Middle School Ministry
      • High School Ministry
      • Parents of Youth
      • Mexico Trip
    • Children >
      • Children's Home Page
      • Sunday Fun & Learning
      • MOPS
      • Village Preschool >
        • Open House
        • Program
        • Program Options & Fees
      • Kid's Choir
    • Special Needs Ministry
    • Care >
      • Care Staff
      • Care in the Virus Crisis >
        • Care and Support Request
        • New Ministries for Virus Crisis
        • Medical | Professional Resources
        • Self-Care
        • Mutual Care
        • Spiritual Growth Resources
        • Local Grocery Stores
        • Restaurants Open for Takeout Delivery
      • Care Resources >
        • Support and Recovery Groups
        • Local Agencies and Services
      • Care Events
      • Healing Resources
      • Grief Ministry
      • About Care
      • How Is Care Arranged
    • Worship >
      • Celebration Choir, Orchestra & Handbells
      • Contemporary Worship Team
      • Kid's Choir
      • Worship Technicians
      • Sunday Teams
    • Calendar
  • Give
  • Outreach
    • Outreach >
      • Global Outreach
      • Local Outreach
    • SERVE
    • Mexico Trip
  • About Us
    • Staff Members
    • What We Believe
    • Elders
    • Foundation
    • Annual Meeting
    • Jobs
    • Parking
    • Hearing Aid Assistance