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• Undivided  
• Racism: How Should Christians Respond?
• Dr. Tony Evans Speaks From His Heart About Social Injustice
• ONENESS EMBRACED WITH TONY EVANS
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A Few Truths We Can Affirm as the Body of Christ 

by Scott Sager

In these difficult days, we at Lipscomb are praying for all our churches, that we might be those Ezekiel spoke of who repair the breach and stand in the gap. We realize it is difficult to know what to do, what to say, and how to say it. This can often paralyze us into saying and doing nothing. However, we need to know that saying nothing in a time like this can appear to others as though our silence is a symptom of unconcern. So with great humility and a belief that prayer and the Spirit will give each congregation the right way to "speak the truth in love" we offer these thoughts in the hope they can do some good:

1. Think Christian-ly. It is easy to see a crisis through the lens given you by the media or some other outside organization. But we are to have "the mind of Christ" (I Cor. 2: 16). This means we "take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10: 5) so that we "do not conform to the pattern of this world, but are transformed" through minds renewed by the Spirit (Rom. 12: 2). Resolve to think through this situation as Jesus would if physically present.
2. Affirm the Divine Image in Every Person.The first chapter of Genesis affirms that each of us is created in the very image of God. We are each divine image-bearers. Jesus once told us, "Render unto Caesar the things that are in Caesar's image" but we are to render unto God the things made in God's image. Every person is a divine image of God regardless of age, color, or capacity. We each belong to God.
3. Affirm that Breath Comes from God and Returns to God.Again it is God who “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Gen. 2: 7). The word "breath" and the word "Spirit" come from the same word. Thus when Jesus cried out from the cross, "Into your hands I commit my Spirit" (Luke 23: 46) he was likewise returning his breath to the One from whom it came. There is a sanctity to life that comes from God. 
4. We Should Treat People as We Want to be Treated.The rule on the streets today might be "Don't do to others what you don't want to be done to you." But Jesus holds us to a higher standard: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matt 7: 12). We should always be asking, "How would I feel if this happened to me?" Of all the places on earth, the church should most strive to treat people right. 
5. Jesus is the Most Oppressed Person from the Most Oppressed People Group of All Time. I cannot possibly know what it is like to be part of a cultural group with story after story after story of abuse and oppression at the hands of a government system. But Jesus can. The prophet Isaiah spoke of Jesus and said, “He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away, yet who of his generation protested?” (Isa. 53: 7-8). No one protested at the oppression of Jesus, but he did it all for us. Jesus knows what people are going through today, and he cares. 
6. Nothing Escapes God's Notice.Every person will one day bow their knee and admit that "Jesus is Lord" over all of creation. At that time we will be called to give an account for the things we did and didn't do while upon this earth. Jesus' own brother James reminds each of us,  "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them" (James 4: 17). God is watching and nothing escapes his notice.
7. One Day We WIll be Part of a Multitude from Every Tribe and Tongue. John's apocalypse shares this vision: "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Rev. 7; 9-10). One day we will all gather united around the throne, and the Lordship, of Jesus Christ. It is our privilege to beginnowmaking this vision a reality. 

There are Things Each of Us Can Do:

* Pray: That God will raise up leaders who will build us up, and stand in the gap to bring healing and reconciliation. Ask that you might be a part of that solution!

* Listen: I have been amazed and overwhelmed by the accounts I am hearing from godly friends who have...

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COVID-19 Small Group Resources

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COVID-19 Small Group Resources

Facebook group

Huddles

 

10 Commandments for Your Small Groups During Covid-19 

1 Show grace to myself & others in my small group 

2 Start & end each day refueling your soul

3 Set & stick with a routine for your small group

4 Stop political or dividing conversations in your small group

5 Touch base with group members between meetings  

6 Share your feelings with your group members instead of stuffing them

7 Seek advice from group members before making major decisions 

8 Pace your small group time 

9 Serve those who are suffering

10 Control what’s controllable. Trust God for the rest

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COVID-19 ResourcesSG

SGN Facebook Page

SGN Huddles

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Patterns of Stress

https://www.neurosequential.com/covid-19-resources

Small Group Network COVID-19 Resources

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In our "new normal" during this Covid-19 pandemic, we are spending many hours online, staring at screens. With all our small group gatherings, leader trainings, staff and ministry meetings, and family times all happening through video-conferencing, we are becoming screen fatigued. In this conversation, we discuss practical tips to overcome "Zoom fatigue" so that we can still be fully present and effective in video meetings.    BIO:   Chris Surratt is a ministry consultant and coach with more than twenty years of experience serving the local church. He is the Discipleship and Small Groups Specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources and the author of Small Groups for the Rest of Us, Gospel-Centered Small Groups, and Leading Small Groups: How To Gather, Launch, Lead, and Multiply Your Small Group.   COVID-19 Resources   Small Group Network Website   SGN Facebook Group

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COVID-19 Resources

Emotional Wellness Worksheet

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Bio: Dr. Susan Cha is a licensed clinical psychologist with thirty years of experience working in various settings: university counseling centers, hospitals, and community mental health agencies. She is currently in private practice, specializing in depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, relational difficulties, and spiritual development. She is the author of Developing Restorative Connections, a manual on lay church counseling ministries. Susan also has a Master’s degree in theology from Fuller Seminary and has been leading the lay counseling ministry for the past decade in her local church as well as training support group and small group leaders. You can email her at [email protected] 

God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

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Rick Warren’s “Care Calling” Script

Hi, this is (first name) from Saddleback Church.  I’m a Care Caller for Pastor Rick.

Rick asked me to call you and find out how you are doing during this Virus Crisis.

Because our church family isn’t able to meet together right now, we’ve started a number of new ministries to help people who are confined to their homes.

For instance, we have a Tech Support Ministry that help you watch the weekend service and even connect to your small group online.

We also have a Care Kit Ministry that can bring food or essential supplies to your door.   

We also have an Emotional Support Ministry that you can call to get encouragement.   So I’m calling to ask

1. Is there any way we can we help you? Do you need anything right now? 

 

            If they need tech support- give their name to….

            If they need food or supplies, give their name to…

            If they need emotional support- give them care hotline #

 

1. You know, most of our members are connected to a small group for support.

Would you like me to help you get connected to a small group for support?   (assume they are NOT in one)

 

If they say “I’m already in one”  Say “Oh That’s great!  Rick would like to add you to the small group roster.

Who is the leader or host of your group and when do you meet?”  (Record the answer)

 

1. Thanks so much!  I’d like to pray for you, but first, let me ask-

Is there anything you’d like for me to pass on to Pastor Rick from you?

Let me Pray for you: (include this in your prayer)

Dear God, I thank you for (first name) and I thank you that they are a part of our Saddleback Church family.  Help them to feel your love and our love too. I’m so grateful that we don’t have to go through this crisis alone – but we have each other to depend on and care  for each other.  I pray you will keep (name) safe and healthy, and we look forward to the day that we can join together again in  our church family.   In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

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