Managing Community Group Tension with James Farnham
Description
In season one, episode eight, Chris Rivers and James Farnham, a member of Grace Church’s Greer campus, discuss the role of tension in moving towards responsibility.
Other Ways to Listen
Download Episode #8 Study Questions and then share, listen, and discuss in a one on one conversation or with a group of men.
APPLICATION
- Where have you seen God use tension to get your attention? How have these situations drawn you closer to God and shaped you into the person he created you to be?
- Where have you seen examples of humility and dependence demonstrated in the last two weeks?
- Are you someone who takes on more than they should? If so, how can you differentiate between areas of concern and areas of responsibility in your life?
- How do you handle tension with others? How do you handle tension when leading others? What is the role of tension in biblical community?
KEY POINTS
- There is a purpose for tension in our lives. The moments, seasons, circumstances, and people God places in our lives have the potential to draw us closer to who God is and shape us into who God created us to be. God uses tension to get our attention.
- James’ experience in Men’s Roundtable, specifically Authentic Manhood, gave him language to think about and process the situations in his life. He began to ask the question, “As an authentic man, how am I supposed to respond?” James took hold of the definition of an authentic man—being responsible for the people and situations God brings into your life. For him, this meant a calling to lean in and move in a posture of humility and dependence.
- While we are called to take responsibility as men, we cannot insert ourselves into every situation. We have to pray, be humble, and ask God to show us the situations in which he wants us to respond.
- As a community group leader, there are multiple sources of tension. One area of tension occurs with starting a group, handling administrative duties, and planning logistics. Another source of tension involves the role of leading other people. Although this can be uncomfortable, it is the responsibility of the leaders to apply tension, when necessary, with the goal of helping members take responsibility and move towards what God would have them do. We must remember we are not alone as leaders. There are people available to give us guidance and help us determine when and how to respond.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
- But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. Nehemiah 4:9 NLT
- Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” Nehemiah 4:14 NLT
RESOURCES
Men’s Roundtable: This teaching can be found at: gracechurchsc.org/mrt
Community Groups: Information can be found at: https://gracechurchsc.org/ourministries
Join a Men’s Roundtable study by finding a campus near you and register for Authentic Manhood at: gracechurchsc.org/mrt
If you know a man who would benefit from hearing this episode, share it with him. Having intentional conversations around these principles is a great way to disciple and help others move towards Christ.
Have questions or want us to discuss a topic? Email us at: menatgrace@gracechurchsc.org.