Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Tuesday nights . . .are so very special!!


Trinity Young Professionals

Are you in your 20’s?  Not married?  Out of college?  (higher ed is fine)  If so, ask me about our Tuesday night group!
 
This has been my tag line on emails; it has been on our church webpage; it has been on postcards and posters for the last 3 1/2 years.  Mark and I have been BLESSED by our Tuesday evenings.  I've shared posts with you before about our projects/mission service nights.  We've made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a homeless ministry and helped with all sorts of other hands on projects.  We've had guest speakers - from Betty Bell at the Bell Center to Matt Lacey from Church of the Reconciler to a mother of a child with mental illness.  We've had parties.  We've laughed.  A few people have even cried over the years.  We've eaten meals together.  Sounds like a family, doesn't it?
We are a family.  On Tuesday afternoons, I unlock our front door and it stays unlocked until the last young adult leaves. . . somewhere between 8:15 and 9:00 p.m.  They don't knock or ring the doorbell . . .they are coming "home" for dinner and a visit (that is our goal anyway!).
Right now, we are studying The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel.  Last night's lesson was "You believe in God but aren't sure he loves you."  His main point was that love isn't something God does - God is love.  Love is who God is.  We read lots of scripture about God's love and we read one of my favorites -- Romans 8:35-39 . . .nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ Jesus!  We talked.  We listened.  One of the questions was, "Do you struggle with believing that God could love someone as bad as you or do you struggle with believing God could love someone as insignificant as you?  If so, why or why not? 
How about you?  Do you struggle with either of those thoughts?
We read lots of other scripture and listed a word or brief phrase from the scriptures that summarizes the characteristics of God and God's love.  Here is a list of some of those:
sacrificial love
loving, forgiving, deliverance
forgiving, slow to anger, merciful
faithful, standing firm
God IS love, whoever lives in the love of God has God in him/her
nothing can separate us from the love of God
All encompassing
Conquering
Isn't that a good list?  On those bad days, we can remember all these things . . .and this is just a tiny list about God but it is a good list!!!
Another question was, "What most reassures you and helps you to believe deep down that you are loved and forgiven by God?"
Love isn't just what God does . . .Love is WHO he is.
So what "characteristic" of God is comforting/life giving/etc. to you?
I'm actually linking up with Heavenly Homemakers - Gratituesday (a day late!!) Small Group Fellowship.
Are you in a small group that is meaningful to you?  I just can't even imagine our lives without Tuesday nights.  God shows up every single week . . .EVERY SINGLE WEEK.  Mark and I are so blessed that these young adults will hang out with us old fogies.
I would love to hear about your small group!!
last night we had 20 in the group and we served a baked potato bar with BBQ and/or chili, cheese, bacon, sour cream, real butter, etc. and a salad bar with lots of toppings.  My friend, Phella, made the dessert and we had banana pudding and cookies and one of the girls brought chocolate/peanut butter treats.  it was a perfect dinner for a cold night!!
Here are some random pics from the last three and half years
 
 

a couple of Christmases ago

tailgate party a couple of years ago

 Tacky Christmas party last year - this year's party is Tuesday, December 10


Halloween party two years ago - both of these folks are now married . . .to other members of the group

This year at Magic City Miracle
 
 

1 comment:

  1. I miss Tuesday nights! That has been one of the hardest things about moving so far away. I think the bar has been set a little high for my expectations of a small group/ bible study!

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