Last week, we cleaned up some trees near the Family Life Center.  A tree fell during a storm, and to make matters worse, it fell on a couple of trees that we had taken down earlier but were planning to clean up the Saturday after.  The new fallen tree was large and lay on the old mess's branches.  The new limbs had to be removed before we could cut the trunk of the new tree, which was what the chainsaw guys wanted to do because it is more fun and challenging to cut up the big stuff.  But practicality and safety dictated that the older dead wood be removed first.

I write this because this is what our lives are like; we have dead, broken parts of our lives (sin), especially when we first come to Christ.  These dead, broken pieces are in a heap and need to be cleared out.  When we come to Christ our sins are forgiven through justifying grace, but the clearing out must happen to free us for joyful obedience to God. That clearing out and the change that happens in our life is a work of the Holy Spirit in cooperation with us to change us from the hopelessly sinful people that we have been to the obedient disciples who are seeking God’s will (Sanctifying Grace).  Not that we are perfect in all action, but that we are becoming perfect in love to the point of being able to love as Christ loves, which is perfection in love or Christian Perfection.  Methodists hold that we can reach Perfection in Love in this lifetime and that that pursuit is our mission as Christ's followers.  If we are pursuing Christian Perfection or perfect love, then we will be caring for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the imprisoned, and we will be in worship, fellowship, prayer, service, and much more with each other in the body of Christ, the church. 

How did early Methodists do this?  They organized themselves into Classes and Bands.  Small Groups.  There is a new resource out from Seedbed that I would recommend to our small groups and Sunday schools called The Band Meeting. It is available in a variety of formats and can be found here: https://my.seedbed.com/product/the-band-meeting/

This guide describes and guides small groups into being disciple-making, sanctification incubators that help Christians and Churches grow in faith and number.

Peace,

Pastor Burt