I have started reflecting on the end of The Truth Project and what happens next. I must admit that I was a little down at first. This has been one of the best studies in which I have participated. I thought, "I wish this study would not end." Almost immediately, I was reminded of a story and Scripture that pushed me back to reality.
I was reminded that my attitude was the same at Peter's during the Transfiguration. The story is found in Mark 9:2-13. Peter literally and figuratively had a mountaintop experience. He saw Jesus revealed in His glory, and Peter said, "It is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters."
Peter wanted to stay at the top of the mountain. Who doesn't want to do that? We probably don't enjoy and celebrate our victories often enough. It is good that we are here at the mountaintop of this study. There's just one problem. There is a lost and dying world that needs to be ministered to and won to Jesus. They are not going to climb to the top of the mountain. Instead, we need to head to the valleys to reach out to them.
The goal is not to return to same routine, thinking, and lifestyle as before. We should have a new normal. We should let our new friends in our group be a regular part of our life. Also, we need to start living out what we have learned.
The second passage that brought me back to reality is found in Ecclesiastes 7:8. "The end of a matter is better than its beginning." As important as it is to start something well, it is more important for it to end well. If you are a leader of a small group, I would encourage you to challenge your group to "end well."
Contact your group members and invite them to finish strong by attending the last four weeks of the study. Plan a group fellowship to take place soon to celebrate the study. Help your people experience the best part of the study here at the end, then plan on continuing to meet after The Truth Project. Let's enjoy these last four weeks and prepare for the future.
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