Your Growth Group #3, Discover Guidance

One of my favorite stories in the New Testament is Acts 9:26-30. In it, the apostle Paul is a young believer, having been miraculously converted on the road to Damascus. One problem Paul ran into as a new Christian was that the Christians in Damascus were afraid of him. The reason is obvious, he had been hunting down Christians until his sudden conversion to Christ. Believers were hesitant to believe he was really a changed man. His conversion could have been a trick to lure them out of hiding.

When Paul came to Jerusalem to join with the disciples, he ran into the same problem. The Christians did not believe he was a changed man. Paul was stuck. Yet, God brought a person into his life to help him past the obstacles he faced. Barnabas was a generous and godly believer from Cyprus who was well respected in the Jerusalem church. God led him to advocate for Paul. 

Barnabas took Paul under his wing, encouraged him in his young faith, and lent him credibility. Ultimately, Barnabas introduced Paul to the apostles (Galatians 1:18). The result of Barnabas's actions was that Paul became accepted and trusted and the stage was set for Paul's missionary work.

We all need someone like Barnabas (whose name means son of encouragement) who can guide us through our next steps as followers of Jesus. It can be frustrating to navigate the Christian walk on our own. Churches can be tough to figure out without someone showing us the ropes. What we need is someone to take us under his/her wing and to help us learn to obey Jesus and walk with our church family. 

Who should we look to as our Barnabas? The first person to call on is your growth group leader. This person deeply desires to see you grow in your faith in Jesus Christ. He or she is going to teach you the Word of God, be your encourager, and guide you through important steps in your faith.

Your growth group leader is your guide for: 

  • Understanding and living out the Bible
  • Becoming a believer if you are not one already
  • Preparing for baptism
  • Becoming a church member
  • Finding a ministry team to serve on
  • Caring for other growth group members
  • Working through life challenges
Our growth group leaders are special people who love the Lord. They really want to see you thrive. Please call on them and give them the opportunity to serve you.  

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