Small Group Update

I wanted to post an update on our Financial Peace University small group since I mentioned it last month as we started up.  Julie and I love the group.  This is the first small group we have hosted in our home in many years and subsequently the first group we have hosted here in our St. Louis home.  It is such a joy to have our friends over every week.  Julie does such a great job hosting and I always love having people over and around. 

In addition to getting to know our group members much better than we previously did, each and every group member is taking this group so seriously.  We are seeing people face some of their fears and struggles related to finances and walk in the victory that God has for us when we place our faith and trust in Him.  We are seeing couples in our group come together to tackle their financial struggles rather than let the struggles drive them apart.

One thing I have seen in my years of ministry and encouraging people to pursue God honestly and more passionately, is that he uses real life stuff to help us and grow us.  It is kind of like working out in the gym.  That which may cause us some temporal pain is actually the thing that will benefit us most in the long run.  Facing our fears and even our personal failures is not ultimately bad, as much as it may hurt in the moment.  Yet, the soreness that comes can reassure us that we have exercised our spirit and our spiritual muscles. 

Finally, I want to share something that I have shared numerous times in the past couple weeks.  Since we Americans are so good and controlling our lives and not needing God because all of the security and comfort we can bring to our own lives, I believe God uses our finances as a means to speak to us.  Money and how it impacts us is one area we cannot totally buffer ourselves from and as a result it is a great way for God to speak to us in the depths of our heart.