A quick internet search revealed the top songs with "love" in the title. Lady Gaga was number one with "Crazy Love," with a 54-year-old Beetles tune, "All you Need is Love," coming in a close second. A song that didn't make the "top ten list" was an 80's song, "What's Love Got to Do With It?" by Tina Turner. I'm not going to address the raunchy lyrics of Turner's song, but I will apply the question in the title to the importance of Life Groups. Robert Wall says, "God's household vision aims at loving relationships; whether people love one another is a test of their theological orthodoxy."[1] So what role do life groups have to play in this? Let's visit five critical certainties you need to know.
First, Life Groups help us organize to love the body effectively. Without loving the body, revitalization efforts will be significantly crippled. The goal of revitalization is to make much of Jesus. However, we can't if we don't "love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). Without connections to life groups, it is near impossible for a congregation the size of Trinity to know the members' needs or meet them practically. How often do people's needs go unmet because they come to worship only but with no connections to a Life Group, leaving the church with their needs unknown and unmet? Being connected with a nurturing life group can help.
Second, Life Groups help organize during both crisis and celebration times. There is no better time to show love than during an emergency, a birth, marriage, death, a terminal illness diagnosis, job loss or promotion, or other unexpected tragedies or celebration moments. Likewise, a Life Group that knows and loves its members is on the battlefield's front lines in prayer and meeting needs when one of its members is in need. Life Groups are the hands and feet of Jesus that reach out first to their hurting members.
Third, Life Groups love by simply caring enough to stay connected. Genuine love is more than a feeling or empty words. Love meets needs practically. Some practical needs are met by no more than simply reaching out and showing that someone cares enough to check in with them.
Fourth, love from Life Groups should flow into our community practically. People are attracted to genuine love. Love for each other and our community reveals that we belong to Jesus (John 13:35). What a great way to lay a foundation to share the gospel.
Jesus illustrated that love meets needs (Luke 10:25-37). Small groups are vital at Trinity to love by meeting congregational and community needs. Love lived out is a great way to show the love of Christ when sharing the gospel. People see it first, then they hear it. When it comes to fulfilling the Great Commission, love displayed through life groups has everything to do with it.
[1] Richard Steele and Robert W. Wall,1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012), 64. ProQuest E-book Central, Created from liberty on 2021-09-10 14:23:34.