by Daniel Yee

In the past year, God has blessed the Lighthouse family tremendously with new visitors from all walks of life, many of whom have gone on to commit to membership, and I am certain that the church will continue to experience even more growth in the coming months. While it’s exciting to see so many newcomers, one can easily be lost among the sea of people. Even when Single Life meets for our smaller, more intimate Bible study, getting to know one another better can still be an arduous task. It can be tempting to just slip out quietly without anyone noticing and even when one does muster up the courage to say “hi,” the conversation doesn’t always seem to amount to much more than a moment of awkwardness.

This is where small groups can help. Should one desire to know others better in the body, small group is a fantastic way to start. After all, small groups are… small. For those fearful of crowds like I am, it makes speaking up a little easier. Everyone has the chance to share and be heard. People are not just another face anymore. We get to know more than just a name, job title/description, and hometown. As a result, we begin to build friendships with one another.

However, there is so much more to small groups. Yes, meeting together with a more intimate group of brothers or sisters allows us a better chance of getting acquainted, but more than that, we have a grand opportunity to carry out the multitude of “one another” commands found in Scripture. We get to serve one another (Gal. 5:13), teach and admonish one another (Col. 3:16), encourage and build up one another (I Thess. 5:11); just to name a few. Those last two mentioned in I Thessalonians 5, in particular, have been of great value to me and something I look forward to every week as I meet with several other like-minded brothers.

There is so much I can say about small group, but in short, it has been a challenging time for me. I’m challenged to consider how I have spent my time the previous week. I’m challenged to think through the sermons I have heard and how I might actively apply them in my life. I’m challenged to speak up even when I don’t feel comfortable. I’m challenged to listen to different perspectives and learn from others. I’m challenged to be humble when I am wrong. I’m challenged to keep up my disciplines for the sake of godliness. I’m challenged to be confronted with my sins and repent. I’m challenged to pray for others and ask them to pray for me. I’m challenged to love these other guys, whom for the most part I didn’t know very well before our small group and even now, I’m still learning more about them. I have been encouraged and built up by all of these challenges and I know it’s something that I would not have experienced if I were not involved in a small group.

One more thing I might add is that throughout this past year, I am reminded I cannot run this race of faith single-handedly. At Lighthouse, we’re told there is no such thing as a “lone ranger” Christian, and it is so true. I love the imagery found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 because it illustrates why Christians should not be alone. So many times I’ve fallen down and I wonder to myself, “How am I still standing?” There is no doubt God has used this group of brothers to come along side me, lift me back up, and urge me to keep going. The trials keep rising, but I am comforted to know God has provided fellow believers so I don’t face them in isolation. By joining a small group, my social life might just have improved a little. But more importantly, I know there are people I can count on to share God’s truth with me as we continue to run together as part of the same body.