And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25

Last Sunday Steve reminded us of the value of a healthy small-group ministry in every church, particularly a church that desires to grow under God’s power and by His grace. So, why are small-groups so valuable to LIFEzone’s development? Can we not just get by from Sunday to Sunday with a regular dose of Bible interspersed with Rhema devotionals or Shine TV programs? Do we really need to connect with our fellow church-members during the week in order to grow and mature in our faith?
Well, God seems to think so. Look at the verses above from Hebrews chapter 10. Here God makes it clear that in view of the relationship we have with the King of the Universe and the hope that is established in our hearts because of Jesus Christ, the response that should be evoked from our hearts must not only be upward to God but also outward to one another in the family of faith.
Not yet convinced? Consider what the author says here about the value of meeting together. Notice the goals of togetherness; to elicit a greater expression of robust commitment – the full essence of agape love – within the church, to draw out a greater desire within us to live well for God in this world, and thirdly, to pour courage into one another’s lives for the journey of faith ahead of us.
Let’s face it, we could all benefit from this type of support group couldn’t we. We all long to live committedly to the purposes of Christ? There isn’t a Christian alive who doesn’t want to live well for God? And we could all do with a regular dose of encouragement from our peers as we seek to live the life of faith in our own unique and demanding context.
Even God the Son desired the support of a few faithful companions as He walked this Earth (see Mt 26:37-38). In my mind, if Jesus saw value in this, then we must too. Now, if you’re anything like me, right about now you will be saying to yourself, “No, not another meeting to attend, I can’t do it, life is already far too demanding.” Exactly! And that’s the very reason why we need to connect. Life is demanding, and we were never created to tackle the demands alone, we were made for community. Hebrews 10:24-25 is not just good advice, it is essential practice for all who desire to live well for God and reach their potential in Him.
Our goal is to see every member of the LIFezone family established in a regular “connection point” with one or more of their Christian peers at least fortnightly for the purposes stated in this passage of Scripture. Notice I didn’t use the phrase home-group or small-group; rather I intentionally used “connection point”. Over the next few months I will be explaining how we intend to redefine and reshape LIFEzone’s small-group ministry to specifically meet your needs as an individual.
Without a doubt we all need to regularly connect with our peers, for our good and theirs, but we certainly don’t need another meeting to attend. I think you will be surprised by what we have in mind.
Regards,
Mark
Teaching/Discipleship Pastor

If you were aware that you had less than two weeks to live, how would you invest your time? Thankfully most of us never have to answer such a morbid question. One person who did was Jesus. He was well aware, standing on the plains of Jordan, looking up into the Judean mountain range that this was going to be his final accent into Jerusalem. He knew that upon his arrival, he would be betrayed, mocked, spat on, flogged, and eventually executed by means of crucifixion. The journey was unavoidable; he was born for this very purpose, to receive the punishment that was due us because of our choice to live for ourselves rather than for the honour of our creator.
It is a sad irony that at the same time, Jesus’ closest followers were arguing amongst themselves wanting to claim ringside seats in his eternal kingdom!
Even as he approached the Jericho road for the last time his mind was on the hurts and pain of those around him. Two notable individuals were a blind beggar named Bartimaeus and a wealthy tax thief named Zaccheus; you would be hard pressed to find a more unlikely pairing. Both were disconnected from society, treated as outcasts, haunted by shame, unloved by the people around them, distanced from God, men in great need. It should not surprise us to know that Jesus heard Bartimaeus’ feeble cry and saw Zaccheus’ fragile form and then met them both at their deepest need.
As I reflect on this day in Jesus’ life I can’t help but think how oblivious I am to the hurts of the people around me. After all, I’ve got tasks to perform, deadlines to meet, appointments to keep, Pastors are busy people. And yet here we see Jesus, walking along death row, days out from an excruciating, torturous death, and he’s giving his complete undivided attention to one man in the gutter and another up a tree.
Today Jesus is still healing hurts, restoring brokenness and releasing those held captive by their past. Only, today he has a different body, he calls it “the church”. Perhaps as we step out on our journey this week, we will be less absorbed in our tasks and more attune to the hurts around us. Jesus just might want to meet a need through us.
Let me encourage you all to take time over the next week to read of Jesus’ last few days on this planet from Mark Chapter 10 onward or Luke Chapter 18 onward. And discover for yourself the depth of his commitment toward all people, including you and your neighbour.

Mark Smith
Pastor, LIFEzone