Welcome to the Mariners Church Life Group Leader Podcast. This weekly conversation is designed to equip and resource youth to build a healthy life group community that studies God's word, practices spiritual rhythms, and changes the world together. Hello, and welcome to the Life Group Leader Podcast. My name is Kirby, and I'm the grooves pastor here at Mariners Church, and we are excited to have another incredible discussion that will hopefully help you lead your group intentionally, thoughtfully, and hopefully with a little bit of fun.
So of course with me today, I have the Queen of Fun herself, Linda Vino, our marriage pastor. I love that title. Yes, absolutely. Are you kidding?
We'll be back up on stage hosting an event at Marriage Matters, or she's actually helping host a pre-show here at our next women's event. I am. You will see that she truly is a queen of fun. Yes, I try.
You do. You're not so legal areas. How has Marriage Matters been going? It's been great.
We are just continuing to get a lot of couples. We have another event on November 5th. Awesome. We're switching, pivoting a little bit and going into the worship center, which will be great.
Awesome. Because Deans Without Limits is going to be in the community center, and we love that we get to provide space for them to have their event. Incredible. Incredible.
And how are your life group coaches? My life group coaches are doing great. I really want to say, we did this this year. We are at the time of the week, and the year of the week, and they're very excited about transitioning, this new group of rooted.
Yay. So, antenna life groups. Great. So, all you married life group leaders know that you do have a team of people that support you.
I know many of you are very autonomous and you are so strong. But if you ever need any support helping to discern what content you need to do next, or what sort of opportunities are available to you, or maybe you would like to help coach some incredible new life group leaders we would love to talk with you. So please redoxelinda and our team as we are supporting all of Life Group's future at Maroners Church. Absolutely.
Alrighty. Well, let's jump into this discussion today. the good series and specifically talking about for the good of our community and how we are a scattered church we gather on the weekends and scattered throughout the week how can we influence and care for our communities and this specific weekend um Christian Mungai is teaching how good was that that's amazing. He's left hearing such a unique and vibrant word from him right um and you know it's just fun to hear different teachers at times that eric is so brilliant and I also love that he helps um really build up our teaching teams that we can hear from different people with different voices and different experiences.
Yeah and Christian has plenty of experiences to share he really does so true so true so as we look to this discussion we hope that you guys will bring something new and fresh to the group and we love to kind of start that out with our lean-in question that's even sweet and silly I use sweet pretty fun like pretty ironically here um but the question is what is your preferred snack something salty or something sweet and share your favorites with the group. Sweet hands down right I know sweet I feel the same way I am yeah I have my favorite cookie places my favorite cupcake places I'm pretty snobby about where my sweets look like I've gotten into the crumble I have and I know but I have my other cookie places that I like better I love why are you ready to throw them down yeah give them a nice recipe that's in a hurry of a house yes in a hurry of a house in a hurry of a house in a hurry of a house in a hurry of a house Hudson cookies are delicious yeah so those are a couple of mine very very very very I love that area hands down I love that best cookie ever yeah why do you think we're asking this question of life grips as they start this conversation because we're talking about fault light right so yeah we're talking about sweet versus salty and really what it means to be salt in their community yeah and I wonder what do you think there's any kind of like this is just silly but do you kind of think there's any like way that you could guess if someone is like salty or sweet like what do you or their personality or do you think it's just completely random oh I think it's so random it is so random I know I'm just gonna imagine a group where you're like sweet or salty and then someone's like oh yeah you're totally not I don't know I don't think it's something you can yes yeah for sure but I think it's kind of funny it's like imagine but hopefully no one takes that offensively if you're like you're salty right right so be careful we don't know how you will not pop people out so good but you know this question is intentional as we start to just think about why salt is the illustration here so even when you're thinking oh I like sweet for this reason or like salt for this reason you're starting to get people's brains thinking about the concept of salt as it kind of correlates or what it does yeah as it compares as it compares to other things and other other uses of different objects and so actually the next question I think is a secondary leading question rather than a look in but it says beyond seasoning our food what are some ways that we use salt I think that can kind of already start to help us think so actually if you would ask that question before you read the scripture I think that would be helpful as we look to this but as we look down as God's word we want to read some incredible verses here for Matthew 5 and we've got you know 513 the rest of 513 we got 514 through 16 so I'm really incredible verses and I think out of all the questions here you can kind of you can choose to walk through these questions in this order it's not perfectly flowing with lookin look down um lead in um this time around but I still think there are incredible questions that will provoke great conversation for your group but as you look down at this scripture in Matthew 5 13 through 16 I think you first really want to ask the question and it's kind of what this first question at the top of page nine is asking as which do you think are the most helpful for understanding Jesus's point about his disciples you know a great way to ask that what's the purpose of this salt metaphor right why salt what is salt doing and why do you think that Jesus is using that right don't you think yes because in Jesus's day as it says in your notes which are a very helpful tool absolutely because we're never going to set you up and not give you a foundation of information to lead well um but that the different uses for salt and that salt was actually currency for Roman soldiers and that that's why Jesus uses that metaphor right because he's encouraging them in a illustration that they know full well right the value of salt right right I'm I'm actually currently in a hermeneutics class that talks about interpreting scripture and when we read these things we remember that it's um that the scripture is not necessarily originally especially in Matthew it wasn't originally to us but it's absolutely for us so while we think about how it's too it was to these specific people in this specific culture they would understand this metaphor full well we put ourselves into you know into the culture of this specific time to understand okay what would salt mean to them what did why would they why would you use this metaphor um to help explain of who he is or who he accepts his disciples to be in this culture as salt is prominent right and I think for us we've come so far from the different uses of salt because we just have it on our counter and we're right for seasoning food right but that we remember the different uses don't you remember a couple years ago they had those salt lamps yes and the land salt up yeah like that there was some benefits to pull them up exactly so it's just interesting to even hear that you could probably find those on a clearance shelf somewhere those those salt lamps sure but we recognize what Jesus was inferring this because we looked to what they thought of salt at that time right and all the many uses for salt so true so I love actually the last line in that leader note his disciples influenced the world by hindering its decay with their gospel presence and that honestly that little last line is going to help you show where the rest of this conversation is going so now that we know that salt is valuable salt is you know is helpful many uses has many uses you know now we can start to think okay what is a specific use or what is a specific way that God is using this or using salt as an illustration this time so as we look to this third question on this the third bolded question as we read back through Matthew 13 again what is Jesus saying about his disciples in this passage what do you think will kind of come out of this conversation I think another thing is what he's inferring is what was he trying to get them to do what was his action step yeah as he's explaining that what was he calling them to action what kind of action what was he what was he calling them to and he does such a great job of setting up the story and talking about salt so that they have a full understanding and then he says to them okay now you be salt what does that mean so instead of it says what is he saying about his disciples I think in more clear idea is what what is he calling them to do what kind of actions they calling them to take and that's for all of us too so true and I actually love the he cites out our our copywriter here is kind of pulling out even as we look to different versions of scripture right the message bible version says you know if you lose your saltiness how will people taste godly it's right yeah and even at the top of this later know it's talks a lot about or just mentions Jesus is not equating saltiness to the disciple salvation but what they're affected is it's kind of like that faith works balance conversation right that we have often in our in our world it's like okay it's not faith that saves us but it is works that demonstrate that we are saved you know I think one of the the tag lines this last weekend from Eric's message was changed people change our world and impact and make a difference and so that's kind of if you lose your saltiness if you're not preserving and pushing towards god's whole glory like how will people know who got it right and it's a charge for us as believers to be salt and light which is such a bland tasteless action if you lose your saltiness if you've ever tasted food that has no salt it's extremely bland so true but on the other hand if you if it's too salty to it's it's overpowering so it's finding that balance and that's right absolutely the metaphor with salt is so easy to think through because if you get too much it's going you're overbearing it's it it has the same effect as if it's under salted right yeah I think it's important to note here too and I don't think it's very like I don't think it's um super obvious at least in the leader notes but I think it's important to mention is just that god himself you know doesn't need us right to be like you know he doesn't need us but yet he has chosen us to be the way that he communicates his goodness his glory and his good and his um his godliness to the world right so it's not that he needs us but this is the primary way that he does it and so as we receive the grace and love from him we want to demonstrate that because hey that's that's that's what showed the overflow of his love right right so good okay so as we look um as we look in there's some you know good um good looking questions actually all throughout this um I think you know one of those on page 10 right at the top it's you know it's not perfectly lined up with the word looking but it says I'm in the middle one two three according to Jesus what is the end goal of being salty and shining brightly um I think that's super helpful as we as we're trying to see okay what what is the reason for this first and what is he hoping to see and I think a very clear answer that is so that people would know him drawn to you yeah drawn to your message and what you are sharing absolutely right absolutely we're always drawn to light and darkness and so what what hope do we have what story can we tell what illustration do we have about God's goodness and grace in our lives yeah and that perfectly applies to maybe the last question here in what ways in your lifestyle right so now we're looking to ourselves in our own hearts what is our lifestyle communicating as our role as a disciple of Jesus so that's you know it can be this can be a rather um I wouldn't want to go as far as a sharp but it's a very like direct question it's like okay so now I think about my role as a disciple as a believer what is my lifestyle is it communicating darkest is it communicating light is it you know or is it somewhere in between right that's kind of like the question that we're hoping um but I hope that you as a leader ask this question in the right tone that feels safe and that people can share honestly where they're at rather than training but my life is light I promise you know or well I think too is that we're not not we're not we don't show up differently in different places yeah right so I have it's if there's a funny story that I'll never forget this real told me that she was working and she was sharing with somebody that she's a Christian yeah and they're like oh my gosh I would never guess that you're a Christian and she's like oh why and she goes well you're just not like super forward and loud and voice no it was a compliment oh yeah she's like you're just so calm about it and the way that you share it is so loving and I the experiences that that they had had were very in your face and bold and caustic sure and she's just I think this the person who was talking had a very hypocritical vision on what a Christian was and I see my friend just being kind and loving and supportive and hopeful she was like oh that's what a Christian is that's beautiful right that's so beautiful I love that and I think that's where we can also call back to this is who we're called to be right and hopefully when people I think what really is a true indication is regardless of the miscommunication or the misidentification of someone thinking oh a Christian is someone who's you know blunt or brash calls you out on shame sure they get to see you know that person when someone's being brash or different things like that your reaction is to lean away right to push away and I love the fact that that the meekness and the gentleness and the lovingness and probably the truthfulness of your friend was invitational sure that's that's what we can recognize and say okay so how when people start asking you know how do I know how do I know if I'm living rightly you know how do I know if I'm living out the life that that is salty right and preserving Godliness um you can ask are people curious about your lifestyle are people inquisitive or invited into the space or are they kind of leaning away right or coming towards you and asking you questions absolutely I think that's every every believer's dream right as you sit quietly you know as others in your your your office or gossiping and you're like oh you're someone around the moms that they're part rule line and they're starting to do stuff or talk about people or maybe in your business you know like certain people are cutting corners with things and you're like I'm not cutting corners and I will see the benefit of it right you're starting to that harshness is like oh lord please I just wish someone would see it know that we believe that that those those things as we're trying to be light and dark places God sees those things and also we believe that people will they will see them as you shed light on those dark areas and it's calling on the Holy Spirit to give you the words and to help you react in a way that is salt and light that is going to drop people in as you said and be a light and inspiration to other people. Great well and as we kind of look at the end of this conversation as we look out how can you you know see what's going on in the world and apply it to your lives and act in it this last question here what good deeds could you and your group become involved in so that it draws attention to Christ. We've been pushing you know life group serves and we really do hope that you guys get involved in that.
I know that I'd be really hard to make the right time to find that calendar but then what an example to your family or to those in your life. I'm sorry I can't make it to someone so me and my life group are serving together you know it's it's a righteous sacrifice. Right and I think too is I say just planet and whoever shows up because a lot of times we struggle like well everybody wants a different day. Well I'll just put something on the calendar.
Yeah but in regard to good deeds could you and your group be kind of involved with. I think too it's just making sure that you're caring well for your relationships. Good. You're caring well for your marriage.
Let's go. That you are shedding salt and light on your family even those people who have rough edges in your family and that your neighbors all of that that people want to walk and go they're different like something's different about them. Yeah. And that your spouse sees that.
Yeah that's so good. So as you guys pray out and you get prayer requests my encouragement to you is as you pray really help and ask God to supply the pure motivation for these things. As we serve as we seek out to do good in the world we do not want it to be motivated by guilt. We don't want it to be motivated by because but because we should but rather we want to be motivated by understanding that God shows us that he has given us everything that we apart from God have nothing to offer this world but he died for us and that he has given us full freedom now full redemption to be able to be on mission for him.
So I just pray and hope that that would be your group's motivation to serve and to do good deeds in the world is his his him alone Christ alone. We love you guys and hope you have a great week.