The most important member of your small group has not showed up for months. Others are attending. You’re studying the Bible. You’re having good enough discussions. You’re ending your meeting in prayer. What’s missing?
Jesus is. He hasn’t been invited lately. I know, I know. In my last blog post, I said there’s no sense in inviting Jesus to your meetings, because he is already there:
“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20).
That verse says that Jesus is already there, right? Your groups simply needs to welcome him into your presence. Oblige me while I disagree with myself.
Jesus conveyed a condition for his presence in your group:
- “in my name” (NIV)
- “because they are mine” (NLT)
- “because of me” (The Message)