Show Me the Life Change
(for the week of November 8, 2020)
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Note to Group Leaders: More than anyone else, you are aware of the size of your group, time constraints, the needs of your group, etc. Please read through the Scripture and material below and use whatever you believe will be most helpful to your group.
 
This Week’s Scripture: Amos 5:18-24
 
Key Idea from Sermon 
 
“God does not want our outward pretension. He wants our hearts and lives to sincerely change.”
 
Discussing the Scripture 

1. In verse 18, God asks his people why they are looking forward to the Day of the Lord. He says it will not be what they hope it is. Read Amos 5:1-17. What problem did God have with the way Israel had been living? 
 
 
2. What will the Day of the Lord be like, according to Amos 5:18-20? 
 
 
3. Read the following verses about the Day of the Lord from the New Testament. What does each say about the Day of the Lord? 

• Romans 2:16 –

 

• 1 Corinthians 1:8 –

 

• Philippians 1:10 –

 

• 2 Thessalonians 1:10 –

 

• 2 Peter 3:10 –

• Jude 6 –

 
 
4. Based on these verses, why do we need to place our faith in Jesus Christ? 
 
 
5. Read Amos 5:21-23. According to these verses, what does God despise? Describe the imagery Amos uses to make this point. 
 
 
What does Jesus say about this same thing in Matthew 15:8-9?
 
 
 
6. What does God desire, according to Amos 5:24? Why? 
 
 
7. Read Matthew 23:13-39. What is Jesus most concerned about in these verses? 
 
 
How do his words agree with the words in Amos?
 
 
 
Applying the Scripture 

8. How would you respond to a relative or coworker who said he or she did not want to become a Christian because of all the hypocrites in the church? How is their concern valid? Explain your answers. 
 
 
9. Why does God care about the inner condition of your heart (disposition, attitude, relationship) toward him, as long as you’re outwardly doing good deeds? 


10. What might a false “appearance of piety” look like in our day? Have you ever been guilty of presenting yourself as godlier than you really are? 
 
 
What were some of your motivations for doing so?
 
 
11. What are some reasons people try to present themselves as someone they are not? 
 
 
12. What are three things you can start doing today to help keep you from hypocrisy? ​

Professing for God
(for the week of November 1, 2020)
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Note to Group Leaders: More than anyone else, you are aware of the size of your group, time constraints, the needs of your group, etc. Please read through the Scripture and material below and use whatever you believe will be most helpful to your group.
 
This Week’s Scripture: Micah 3 and 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13
 
Key Idea from Sermon 
 
“A prophet is one who speaks with authority given by God to speak for what is right and against what is wrong.”
 
Discussing the Scripture 

1. Read Micah 3. This chapter includes three judgments against Israel’s leadership – their prophets, priests, and rulers. List the accusations against the… 

• Rulers/Leaders –

 
 

• Prophets –

 
 

• Priests –

 
 
 
2. What is God’s sentence against the… 

• Rulers/Leaders –

 
 

• Prophets –

 

• Priests –

 
 
 
3. How should these shepherds (prophets, priests, and rulers) of God’s people be leading their people. What sources would you appeal to from the Old Testament? 
 
 
4. Why is this mistreatment from God’s prophets and priests especially heinous and sinful? 
 
 
5. How do you feel about God’s judgment on his prophets, priests, and rulers? 
 
 
6. How does Micah, a true and godly prophet of God, describe himself in Micah 3:8? 
 
 
7. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13. How does Paul describe their (Paul, Silas, and Timothy) ministry among the Thessalonians? 
 
 
8. What are the contrasts between God’s unfaithful representatives in Micah 3 and Micah (Micah 3:8), Paul, Silas, and Timothy? 
 
 
9. How did the people respond to the ministry of Paul and his associates? 
 
 
Applying the Scripture 

10. As Christians, we have all been given a certain authority when we speak and live out the Word of God before a watching world. How does that statement make you feel?


11. What impact can unfaithfulness and ungodliness by those who lead the church have in a church community? 
 
 
12. What impact can that same unfaithfulness and ungodliness have outside the church community? 
 
 
13. Put together a list of those who lead our church family and begin to pray regularly for them. 


 
ACTS (A prayer guide for this lesson) 
​

• A – Adoration (What did you learn about God in this lesson? Offer some words of praise and adoration for what you learned about God.)

 

• C – Confession (Was there a sin or struggle this lesson helped you see in yourself more clearly. Confess this to God and ask him to help you turn from it and toward greater spiritual growth. Read 1 John 1:9)

 

• T – Thanksgiving (What spiritual truth did you learn in this lesson? Spend time thanking God for revealing it to you.)

 

• S – Supplication (Pray for any needs of the members of your group, including their spiritual needs.)

 
John Wesley’s Questions for Self-Examination 

• Morning
  • What tasks and encounters will I face today, and how may I prepare myself to bring honor and pleasure to God in them?

 

• Evening
  • Have I yielded to my neighbor the right to have the last word in a disagreement?
  • How have I sought to use this day to grow in my humility?

Believers and Nonbelievers
(for the week of October 25, 2020)
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Note to Group Leaders: More than anyone else, you are aware of the size of your group, time constraints, the needs of your group, etc. Please read through the Scripture and material below and use whatever you believe will be most helpful to your group.
 
This Week’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
 
Key Idea from Sermon 
 
“Believers in Jesus Christ are called to live in the world, but not of it.”
 
Discussing the Scripture 

1. Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1. What would you say Paul’s general theme in these verses is? Why do you think he wrote these verses? (In other words, what do you think his concern was?) (See also, 1 Corinthians 10:21)  
 

2. Write out each of Paul’s five rhetorical questions he asks in verses 14-16. What appears to be the implied answer in each of his questions?  
 

3. In verse 14, “Paul is not addressing the issue of marriage between believers and unbelievers here; rather, he is urging the Corinthians to avoid aligning themselves with those who view him (and others) according to false standards. In allowing these unbelievers to have influence, the Corinthians cause rebellion against Paul and dissolve the unity of the church in Corinth” (Faithlife Study Bible).  

Read 2 Corinthians 5:16. How might being joined (or, yoked) together with the “false standards” of nonbelievers negatively impact the church-at-large, or individual Christians?
 

4. What are some examples of the world’s “false standards”? Can you think of any that Christians have adopted? The church-at-large?  
 

5. Read 1 John 2:15-17. How do John’s words support Paul’s teaching in this lesson’s Scripture?  
 

6. John 3:16 declares that God loves the world so much that he sent his only Son to redeem it. Yet, 1 John 2:15 says we are not to love the world. How would you explain this apparent disagreement?  
 

7. Read John 17:13-19. What does Jesus say in these verses about the relationship between the “world” to Jesus and his disciples? Explain what he means. How do these words relate to the Apostle Paul’s words in this lesson’s Scripture?  
 

8. An oft-used phrase is that Christians are called to “live in the world but not of it.” Explain what you believe that means.  
 
 
According to Jesus’ words from Question 7, how can a believer faithfully remain “in the world, but not of it?”
 
 

9. In verse 16, Paul says we are the temple of the living God. This “refers to the whole body of Christ, the total Christian community” (NIV Study Bible). In verses 16-18, Paul quotes the Old Testament promises that declare if God’s people remain faithful to him by separating themselves from the surrounding influence of the world, he will receive us and be a Father to us.  

How can we show our love for those in the world without compromising with the world’s standards?
 
 

10. How can believers faithfully live according to God’s standards without appearing judgmental to those of the world we are seeking to love?  
 
 
Applying the Scripture 

11. What is the hardest part for you about “living in the world, but not of it?”  
 

12. What makes that difficult for you?   
 

13. What are some ways church members can support one another to live faithful Christian lives in a world that may resist God’s standards?  
 

14. How can we love and serve our neighbors and bear witness to the grace and truth of Christ, without offending them in our sensitive cultural climate? Is it even possible?  
 

15. List three nonbelievers you know and begin praying for them each day. Ask the Lord to begin the work of drawing them to himself. Pray for opportunities to love and serve them with Christlike words and deeds.  
 
 
 
ACTS (A prayer guide for this lesson) 

• A – Adoration (What did you learn about God in this lesson? Offer some words of praise and adoration for what you learned about God.)

 

• C – Confession (Was there a sin or struggle this lesson helped you see in yourself more clearly. Confess this to God and ask him to help you turn from it and toward greater spiritual growth. Read 1 John 1:9)

 

• T – Thanksgiving (What spiritual truth did you learn in this lesson? Spend time thanking God for revealing it to you.)

 

• S – Supplication (Pray for any needs of the members of your group, including their spiritual needs.)

 
John Wesley’s Questions for Self-Examination 

• Morning
  • Was God my last thought before sleeping and my first thought upon waking?

 

• Evening
  • Have I allowed myself to feel and share my neighbor’s joy or sorrow?
  • Have I responded to my neighbor’s weaknesses with understanding rather than with irritation?

 
​

The Devoted Life
(for the week of October 18, 2020)
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Note to Group Leaders: More than anyone else, you are aware of the size of your group, time constraints, the needs of your group, etc. Please read through the Scripture and material below and use whatever you believe will be most helpful to your group.
 
This Week’s Scripture: Acts 2:42-47
 
Key Idea from Sermon
 
“New life in Christ will fill us with devotion to better know and love God so we can better love and serve others. God will bring the increase to his Kingdom.”
 
Discussing the Scripture 

1. The Book of Acts is often called, “the Acts of the Apostles.” Read the following verses and write down your suggestion for another title (Acts 1:4-5; 1:8; 2:4; 2:17; 2:33; 4:8; 4:31; 6:3; 6:10; 8:17; 9:17)?  
 
2. Read Acts 2:1-41. What happened to bring all these new followers of Jesus Christ together in Acts 2:42-47? 
 
3. Verse 42 says these new believers devoted themselves to four activities. Look up the word “devoted” in a dictionary. What does it mean? Why do you think they were so devoted? Why is such devotion important for a follower of Jesus? 
 
4. List the four activities that verse 42 says these new believers were devoted to.  
 
5. What would the “apostles’ teaching” have included? (Read Matthew 28:18-20, John 14:25-26, John 16:12-13, and Acts 1:3 for ideas.) What does the “apostles’ teaching” include today? 
 
6. The Greek word for “fellowship” is, koinonia. It means sharing and participating in a common goal. One commentator said it was an intentional and intimate experience, where the believers shared together “in material goods as well as spiritual wealth.” What does Acts 2:42-47 suggests that fellowship looked like? 
 
7. The reference to “breaking of bread” in verse 2, is twofold. It means both enjoying a common meal together as well as the Lord’s Supper. Why would both have been so important to the early Christians? Why are both so vital for Christians today? 
 
8. Verse 42 tells us these new believers also devoted themselves to prayer. The Greek word here actually means, “the prayers.” This tells us that not only did they pray individually but also together as a community. Why is that so significant in the life of a Christian community? 
 
9. Verse 43 points out that God strengthened this new community of believers with the presence of supernatural miracles performed by the apostles, which filled the people with awe. Why do you think God did this? 
 
10. What do verses 44-46 report as the result of the devoted life of this new Christian community? 
 
11. And what does verse 47 say was the result of verses 42-46? Who ultimately produced that fruit of the Kingdom of God? (Bonus Question: How would you write this out as a mathematical equation?) 
 
Applying the Scripture 

12. Can Christians today have the same level of devotion as these early believers did? Why or why not? Do you? Why or why not? 
 
13. How can you devote yourself to the apostles’ teaching?  
 
14. How can you devote yourself to Christian fellowship? 
 
15. How can you devote yourself to “the breaking of bread” (Lord’s Supper) (Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 for some insight)? 
 
16. How can you devote yourself to private and corporate prayer? 
 
17. Whose help will you need to be so devoted? (not a trick question) 
 
ACTS (A prayer guide for this lesson) 

• A – Adoration (What did you learn about the Holy Spirit in this lesson? Offer some words of praise and adoration for what you learned about the Spirit.)

 

• C – Confession (Was there a sin or struggle this lesson helped you see in yourself more clearly. Confess this to God and ask him to help you turn from it and toward greater spiritual growth. Read 1 John 1:9)

 

• T – Thanksgiving (What spiritual truth did you learn in this lesson? Spend time thanking God for revealing it to you.)

 

• S – Supplication (Pray for any needs of the members of your group, including their spiritual needs.)

 
John Wesley’s Questions for Self-Examination
 

• Morning
  • Consider the people you will encounter today. How can you bring them encouragement, a word of grace, a needed kindness? Consider people with whom you have a strained relationship. How can you equip yourself to show love to these?

 
 

• Evening
  • How did I spend the time that was not occupied with prayer, reading, and meditation? Did I honor God and promote spiritual refreshment throughout the day’s activity?
  • How have I sought to use this day to grow in love for my neighbor?

 

Sharing Your Story
(for the week of October 11, 2020)
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Note to Group Leaders: More than anyone else, you are aware of the size of your group, time constraints, the needs of your group, etc. Please read through the Scripture and material below and use whatever you believe will be most helpful to your group.
 
This Week’s Scripture: Acts 4:1-20
 
Key Idea from Sermon
 
“Be ready to talk to others about what you see God doing in you and around you.”
 
Discussing the Scripture
 
1. According to verses 1-3, what got the apostles in trouble with the religious authorities? What happened to Peter and John because of this? 
 
2. What was the result of what Peter and John were doing (v. 4)? Do you think this result was worth getting in trouble for? Why or why not? 
 
3 What question was asked of Peter and John in verse 7? Why do you think they were asked this question? 
 
4. Who enabled Peter to answer the religious authorities in this high-pressure situation (v. 8)? What does this teach you about your need when sharing your story about who God is and what he has done in your life? 
 
5. In verses 9-11, what was Peter’s answer to the religious authorities? 
 
6. What truth did Peter communicate in verse 12? (see also Matthew 1:21; John 14:6; Acts 10:43; 1 Timothy 2:5) 
 
7. What astonished the religious leaders, according to verse 13? How does that encourage you to share your story about who God is and what he has done in your life? 
 
8. In verses 14-17, the religious leaders conferred with one another and decided to tell Peter and John they could no longer speak to anyone else in (about) the name of Jesus. Why? 
 
9. How did Peter and John reply in verses 18-19? (see also Acts 5:29) Could you reply the same way Peter and John did? Why or why not? 
 
10. What are some things you and these apostles have in common? (A hint for one answer is found in Romans 8:11) 
 
Applying the Scripture
 
11. What would you say are your top three obstacles in sharing your story about who God is and what he has done in your life? 
 
12. Reflect on each obstacle you just listed. What is it about each one that makes it an obstacle for you? 
 
13. What are three things you could begin doing today to move past those obstacles? What truths did you learn in this lesson’s Scripture to help you make those changes? 
 
ACTS (A prayer guide for this lesson)

• A – Adoration (What did you learn about the Holy Spirit in this lesson? Offer some words of praise and adoration for what you learned about the Spirit.)

 

• C – Confession (Was there a sin or struggle this lesson helped you see in yourself more clearly. Confess this to God and ask him to help you turn from it and toward greater spiritual growth. Read 1 John 1:9)

 

• T – Thanksgiving (What spiritual truth did you learn in this lesson? Spend time thanking God for revealing it to you.)

 

• S – Supplication (Pray for any needs of the members of your group, including their spiritual needs.)

 
John Wesley’s Questions for Self-Examination

• Morning
  • Think about the acts of prayer, worship, and study you will pursue this day, and prepare yourself to engage each act with your whole being, energy, and attention.

 

• Evening
  • Have I spent time today reflecting on God’s kindness and God’s character?
  • How have I sought to make this day holy to God through worship and resting in God’s love?

Know and Use Your Spiritual Gifts
(for the week of October 4, 2020)
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Note to Group Leaders: More than anyone else, you are aware of the size of your group, time constraints, the needs of your group, etc. Please read through the Scripture and material below and use whatever you believe will be most helpful to your group.
 
This Week’s Scripture: John 13:1-17
 
Key Idea from Sermon
 
“We get to exchange expressions of reconciliation and communicate love when we lower ourselves and serve others.”
 
Discussing the Scripture

1. What was about to happen to Jesus that would reveal his love for his disciples to the end (v. 1)? According to this verse, to whom was Jesus going to return?

 

1. How does knowing your ultimate purpose and destiny strengthen you to accomplish your goal? How does knowing this help you in your spiritual journey? (Do you know your ultimate purpose and destiny?)

 

1. Verse 3 reminds us that our heavenly Father “put all things under Jesus’ power.” This means among other things, that Jesus could have stopped Judas from betraying him, yet, not only did he allow Judas to betray him (which would cost Jesus his life), but Jesus also taught his beloved disciples the importance of becoming a servant by his example of washing their feet. What do you learn about Jesus in this verse? What is he teaching you about yourself in this verse?

 

1. Read verses 6-10 again. Describe Peter’s objection and the response of Jesus. What are some lessons you gain from this interaction? What lesson hits closest to home for you? Why?

 

1. In verse 12 Jesus asked the disciples if they understood what he had done for them. Do you? Explain what he did and why it is so important.

 

1. How does the act of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet foreshadow what was about to happen to him on the Cross?

 
 
Applying the Scripture

1. What feelings do you experience when you serve another person?

 

1. What feelings do you experience when you serve someone who is not able to repay you or who does not show gratitude?

 

1. What do you find most difficult in serving another person or group of people? What do you enjoy most?

 

1. How does knowing your spiritual gift(s) come into play in serving others? Do you know yours? What spiritual gift(s) do you have? How can a person discover what their spiritual gift(s) is?

 

1. Who are some people in your spheres of influence (or not yet in those spheres) you can start serving this week? What are two or three ways you can be more intentional in serving them?

 
 
ACTS (A prayer guide for this lesson)

• A – Adoration (What did you learn about Jesus in this lesson? Offer some words of praise and adoration for what you learned about our Lord.)

 

• C – Confession (Was there a sin or struggle this lesson helped you see in yourself more clearly. Confess this to God and ask him to help you turn from it and toward greater spiritual growth. Read 1 John 1:9)

 

• T – Thanksgiving (What spiritual truth did you learn in this lesson? Spend time thanking God for revealing it to you.)

 

• S – Supplication (Pray for any needs of the members of your group, including their spiritual needs.)

 
John Wesley’s Questions for Self-Examination

• Morning
  • What tasks and encounters will I face today, and how may I prepare myself to bring honor and pleasure to God in them?

 

• Evening
  • Have I sought God’s purposes in all my interactions with other people today?
  • How have I sought to use this day to grow in love for God?

The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies
in London, Bristol, Kingswood, and Newcastle upon Tyne
(1743)

1. In the latter end of the year 1739 eight or ten persons came to me in London who appeared to be deeply convinced of sin, and earnestly groaning for redemption. They desired (as did two or three more the next day) that I would spend some time with them in prayer, and advise them how to flee from the wrath to come, which they saw continually hanging over their heads. That we might have more time for this great work I appointed a day when they might all come together, which from thenceforward they did every week, namely, on Thursday, in the evening. To these, and as many more as desired to join them (for their numbers increased daily), I gave those advises from time to time which I judged most needful for them; and we always concluded our meeting with prayer suited to their several necessities.

2. This was the rise of the United Society, first at London, and then in other places. Such a Society is no other than ‘a company of men “having the form, and seeking the power of godliness”, united in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they may help each other to work out their salvation’.

3. That is may the more easily be discerned whether they are indeed working out their own salvation, each Society is divided into smaller companies, called Classes, according to their respective places of abode. There are about twelve persons in every class, one of whom is styled the Leader. It is his business:

(1). To see each person in his class once a week at the least; in order

To receive what they are willing to give toward the relief of the poor;
To inquire how their souls prosper;
To advise, reprove, comfort, or exhort, as occasion may require.

(2). To meet the Minister and the stewards of the Society once a week, in order:

To pay in to the stewards what they have received of their several classes in the week proceeding;
To show their account of what each person has contributed; and
To inform the Minister of any that are sick, or of any that walk disorderly and will not be reproved.

4. There is one only condition previously required in those who desire admission into these societies, ‘a desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins’. But wherever this is really fixed in the soul it will be shown by its fruits. It is therefore expected of all who continue therein that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation,

First, By doing no harm, by avoiding all evil in every kind — especially that which is most generally practised. Such is:

The taking the name of God in vain.
The profaning the day of the Lord, either by doing ordinary work thereon, or by buying or selling.
Drunkenness, buying or selling spirituous liquors; or drinking them (unless in cases of extreme necessity).
Fighting, quarrelling, brawling; brother ‘going to law’ with brother; returning evil for evil, or railing for railing; the ‘using many words’ in buying or selling.
The buying or selling uncustomed goods.
The giving or taking things on usury.
Uncharitable or unprofitable conversation, especially speaking evil of ministers or those in authority.
Doing to others as we would not they should do unto us.
Doing what we know is not for the glory of God, as,
The ‘putting on of gold or costly apparel’, particularly the wearing of calashes, high-heads, or enormous bonnets;
The taking such diversions as cannot be used in the name of the Lord Jesus,
The singing those songs, or reading those books, which do not tend to the knowledge or love of God;
Softness, and needless self-indulgence;
Laying up treasures upon earth;
Borrowing without a probability of paying: or taking up goods without a probability of paying for them.

5. It is expected of all who continue in these societies that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation,

Secondly, by doing good, by being in every kind merciful after their power, as they have opportunity doing good of every possible sort and as far as is possible to all men:

To their bodies, of the ability which God giveth, by giving food to the hungry, by clothing the naked, by visiting or helping them that are sick, or in prison.
To their souls, by instructing, reproving, or exhorting all they have any intercourse with; trampling under foot that enthusiastic doctrine of devils, that ‘we are not to do good unless our heart be free to do it.’
By doing good especially to them that are of the household of faith, or groaning so to be; employing them preferably to others, buying one of another, helping each other in business — and that so much the more because the world will love its own, and them only.
By all possible diligence and frugality, that the gospel be not blamed.
By running with patience the race that is set before them; ‘denying themselves, and taking up their cross daily’; submitting to bear the reproach of Christ, to be as the filth and offscouring of the world; and looking that men should ‘say all manner of evil of them falsely, for their Lord’s sake’.

6. It is expected of all who desire to continue in these societies that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation,

Thirdly, By attending upon all the ordinances of God. Such are:

The public worship of God;
The ministry of the Word, either read or expounded;
The Supper of the Lord;
Family and private prayer;
Searching the Scriptures; and
Fasting, or abstinence.
​
7. These are the General Rules of our societies; all which we are taught of God to observe, even in his written Word, the only rule, and the sufficient rule, both of our faith and practice. And all these we know his Spirit writes on every truly awakened heart. If there be any among us who observe them not, who habitually break any one of them, let it be made known unto them who watch over that soul, as they that must give account. We will admonish him of the error of his ways. We will bear with him for a season. But if then he repent not, he hath no more place among us. We have delivered our own souls.
​
John Wesley
Charles Wesley

In the previous post, I mentioned a book by George Grant that radically changed how I think, minister, etc. It’s called The Micah Mandate. Once again, I highly recommend it! I would now like to share how God used an audio  message (also by George Grant) about an obscure man from the pages of history whom most folks have never heard of. Like Grant's book mentioned in the previous post, his message about Gerard Groote blessed my life and ministry in ways I could not even have imagined as I put the "tape" into the tape-player of my car. Here’s what I wrote about twenty years ago…

Earlier this year God poured his grace upon me as he placed in my hands an audiotaped lecture entitled, “Gerard Groote and the Brethren of the Common Life.” Providentially, this also was by George Grant. I can’t express how moved I was by what I heard in this message. In this lecture Grant basically revealed what a biblical worldview should look like in the  “everydayness” of a Christian’s life and ministry. He accomplished this by sharing God’s work and power in and through the life of a man named Gerard Groote. Groote lived in the 14th century, and, as Grant says at the beginning of his address,

“It would be difficult to find a single page of modern history written about him. But it would be even more difficult to find a single page of modern history not affected by him.”

Below are the notes I took from Grant’s message on Groote. I’m sure much of it will not have the same impact I experienced in this format. But I believe the ideas taught and lived out by Groote and expounded by Grant are more than worth passing on and meditating upon.

Enjoy,
Dale.

Notes on Gerard Groote: Brethren of the Common Life

Based on a lecture by George Grant

• Some men’s greatness may be seen in how largely they loom over the movements that they ultimately launched. But greater men are they whose movements loom large over them. Even to the point of obscuring them from view altogether.  Gerard was just such a man.
•  It would be difficult to find a single page of modern history written about him. But it would be even more difficult to find a single page of modern history not affected by him.
• Groote was born with a great deal of money and privilege. He was also very bright. But his was a dissipated life. He chased after pleasure. But he desired something more – something more substantive.
• So he began reading in the Augustinian tradition. But he didn’t take the church or the claims of the gospel seriously. (The church in his day was fraught with corruption, impiety, and schism.) In fact, the church was more worldly than the world.
• And yet, there was something about the gospel and its claims (especially the doctrines of sovereign grace that he discovered in Augustine) that would not let him go.
• And so, in 1374, Groote was converted to the faith. Almost immediately afterwards, he began to use his ability to articulate truth to tell everyone he knew of the mercies that were available in the gospel of grace. It was not a message often heard in those days. He was received well by many, however. One person who received him was John Wycliffe. Together, he and Wycliffe discussed their ideas of…

1.  Translating the Bible into the vernacular of the people
2. Sending out lay-preachers into the community
3. Teaching ordinary people to read so that they could better understand the doctrines of grace.

•  Groote returned home and began his labors among common people. His desire to was to spread a vision for radical discipleship. He did. And his followers/disciples who gathered around him called themselves “the Brethren of the Common Life.”
• They described Groote’s vision as the Devotio Moderna (the modern way of serving God). . It was a vision of discipleship that had a number of distinctive elements. It was also unheard of in the 14th century.

The Devotio Moderna was to be a comprehensive lifestyle rooted in a biblical worldview. Let’s take a look at the distinctives of this “radical discipleship.”

1.)   The Devotio Moderna , first of all, emphasized holiness for every Christian – not just for a few. Groote wanted common piety for common folk – this was the heart of his message.

• He said the difference between the City of God and the City of Man is demonstrable. Christ’s followers should be imitators of Christ (by grace, through faith – not of themselves). This was the great aim of discipleship according to Groote. He wanted to instill in a while new generation, an appetite for those things that mattered most.
• Groote was a very controversial person because of all this. His vision was the gospel of Jesus Christ, but this vision pitted him against very powerful forces in the culture. But the worse his (and the Brethren’s) reputation became, the greater their following became.

2.)   Secondly, the Devotio Moderna emphasized the importance of self-examination, as a way of cultivating humility.

• Groote was famous for saying, “I am tired of just being right.” Instead, he wanted to communicate truth to the world and minister to the needs of others.
• It’s a spirit of humility that affords us the best opportunities to grow, mature, and achieve in the life of the mind. It’s knowing how much we do not know that allows us to fully embark on a lifetime of learning – to recover to any degree, the beauty and goodness and truth of Christendom.
• Groote took seriously the high call of Scripture to walk humbly before God and man.

3.)               Groote’s Devotio Moderna emphasized the importance of covenantal communities, as the real-life context for discipleship.

• The idea was for people to live out particular graces with one another. He wanted his disciples to go to the least likely places and gather the least likely students – and invest in those students. He wanted them to plant themselves in those communities, and then allow the gospel to flower whatever the Spirit would bring. This was to be “home.” He believed that it was at “home” that the beauty of Christian civilization was best comprehended.
• For Groote, the best Christian education would bring about such virtues as hospitality, care for the poor, for the sick, strength in families, reaching out to neighbors. It would root people at home.

4.)               Groote’s Devotio Moderna emphasized the importance of a Confessional Standard (standards rooted in the biblical antithesis).

• It was for this reason that Groote believed that one of the first tasks of Christian education was to translate the great classics of Christendom into the vernacular language – to give students the tools of translation – to build up libraries, and to initiate literacy among the least and the last – not just the first and the foremost.  (Thomas Chalmers, of the 19th century, relied on Groote for his own education reforms)
• Groote proclaimed that there is no neutrality in education. Facts are not neutral. History is not neutral. Math is not neutral. The world is sundered by a great antithesis – where the City of God and the City of Man never intermingle. We must teach truth – truth in terms of God’s Word – because the Bible is God’s own revelation of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and truth. It is not merely a marvelous collection of quaint sayings and inspiring stories. It’s God’s message to man – his instruction. It is God’s guideline, his plumb line, his bottom line.

​5.)               Therefore, Groote’s Devotio Moderna placed a high premium on teaching every man, woman, and child, the Bible.

• The Bible was not merely tacked on as one additional class to all the other classes. The Bible was not, for Groote, an appendage to all the other scholastic disciplines.
• Curriculum was not simply to be dipped in Bible passages in order to make it appear to be Christian. Education’s purpose was to facilitate the catechizing – the discipling process. The goal was not simply to make the students bright and successful students in society, but to make them sober, discerning, wise, and fruitful members of the Kingdom.

Together, these distinctives: Holiness, Humility, Covenantal Community, Antithesis, and Catechizing – comprised what Groote called “Classical Christianity” or what we might call, “Biblical Orthodoxy.”

• Groote believed that the key to reforming the church in his day was to begin at the grassroots level, and reform education – by finding places of fruitful ministry at home – and then investing in the people found there.
• Groote’s vision was a multi-generational plan – a strategy that would stretch across the covenantal generations. He looked at his world and said that there was nothing he could do about the Babylonian Captivity of the church; nothing he could do about the universities; nothing he could do about the civil wars…FOR NOW.  But, if we lay foundations, enduring foundations – if our vision extends just beyond our own lifetimes – if our vision extends just to our children’s lifetimes – if we trust the gospel for the future – then real and substantive change is not only possible – it is promised!
• Groote had this great faith that the gospel is not only true for the here and now, but that the gospel could transform entire cultures and change civilizations. That foundations laid in righteousness would ultimately endure when all of the foolishness of the world collapses under the weight of its own absurdity.
• Groote never lived to see the day of how powerful and successful his vision was. He was forgotten because the movement he launched loomed so much larger than he did.
• And yet, because of his faithful labors; because of his vision of discipleship; because of the band of disciples that he gathered around him and invested in – within a single decade, the world was changed forever.
• I don’t just want to be right. I want something that endures for all the generations.
• Wouldn’t it be wonderful to look across all the covenantal generations and to know that one day, because of the penance we’ve invested, in these short hours, that in the future a Luther or a Calvin, or a Whitefield, or a Wesley, or a Wilberforce – or all of them combined – would come forth from faithful covenantal parents, and change the world.
• The great assurance of the gospel is that change is not just possible, it’s promised when God’s covenant people exercise covenant faithfulness.
• Is there a Groote in you? Are you willing to die in obscurity to lay foundations that will endure across the generations? Like Groote, we must yearn for that which will change, and change for all time.
• Groote taught that Satan would have us offer an alternative, any alternative to the truth, the one truth, the central truth of the gospel. He would have us affirm anything, anything at all, as long as it is not that Jesus is Lord – that he is the Lord over the totality of life, and that he has spoken authoritatively, definitively, and finally. Anything is acceptable to him, everything is acceptable to him – except the notion that the Lord has established his throne in the heavens and that his sovereignty rules over all. Anything is acceptable to Satan except the sufficiency of Scripture. Thus, even Satan underscores the inescapability of antithesis in his resistance to them.
• In our quest for the excellent; in our quest for the substantive; in our quest for the effective, let’s never lose sight of the fact that all of that is perfectly acceptable to the enemy. The one thing that sets us apart is our desire to move from mere knowledge to understanding, and from understanding to wisdom.

Groote said,

“Lay foundations that will endure in the hearts of your children. For there are only two things that are eternal in all of the created order: the children under your care, and the Word of God.”

Grant’s Prayer at the end of the message…

     O Father; Almighty Father, I confess to you that I am often diverted by pleasant alternatives. I am often tantalized by that which will bring success, effectiveness, suasion in the here and now. I pray that you would give me eyes to look beyond the horizon of just this moment. Enable me to invest for all eternity. Enable us to have a distinctive vision of discipleship – like that of Gerard Groote before us. Enable us to quest for holiness, humility, covenantal community, antithesis, catechizing – classical Christianity – in the hearts of our children – first and foremost.

     Lord God, I pray that we will produce not just successful businessmen, or men and women effective in their vocations. We yearn for REFORMATION. Change the world, O God! And use us in the process.

 We pray this in Jesus name. Amen and amen.

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Here’s an introduction on Groote that George Grant wrote for Ligonier Ministries.